Dumpster drawing

 

Portland has very little graffiti compared with most other cities I have been in. Yet in any city, it seems that dumpsters are an irresistible target for the street "artist" and the sticker adherents. 

Buy a T-shirt!

Roseland Theater

 

This old theater in downtown southwest Portland is currently a rock concert venue. However, it has an interesting connection to presidential politics. In 2004, Ralph Nader was making his third bid for the presidential nomination. In Oregon, a candidate can be placed on the state's presidential ballot if she or he has an assembly of 1,000 people. In April, Nader appeared at the Roseland for the assembly, but only 741 showed up. So he had to resort to the usual method of collecting petition signatures.

Interesting Window

This is actually a window display in Chinatown. I found the composition jarring, yet interesting enough to hold my attention as I wondered who the artist is. 

The Golden Dragon

 I think any city is enriched by the continued presence of these old signs that speak to the history of establishments. Thank goodness not all is new and sparkling!

Get your twinkies here

Maybe (and in fact, probably) these Wonder Bread/Hostess Twinkie outlet stores exist in other cities, but I had never seen one before! I love the sign, "Not Just a Bread Store". Someday maybe I'll go in.

This is only the second payphone I have seen in Portland. I got to wondering how many there still are out there and sure enough, a google search brought up the website of someone who lists all the payphones he has seen in Oregon. I can't imagine this information could ever actually be useful, but now you know: Oregon payphones.

Reality

Seen yesterday on Northeast Martin Luther King Boulevard. 

The purple octopus

This octopus (complete with Christmas hat) has been the landmark of the southwest downtown Greek Cuisina restaurant. In business 36 years, the popular eatery is closing down after a dispute with a Portland City Commissioner. Word is that the octopus will be up for auction on eBay, so you will have an incredible opportunity to own this tacky, yet iconic, piece of the city's restaurant history.

The wind, it blew!

 We had high winds the other night and when we awoke and looked out on our backyard the next morning, we discovered one of our cypress trees had laid itself down across the yard. Fortunately, and (amazingly), it didn't damage the deck.

Chinatown

Here is the entrance to Chinatown in the northwest historic Oldtown district. The area contains many attractions including the Classical Chinese Garden, the Japanese Historic Plaza, the Nikkei Legacy Center and many more. To see an overview of this district, visit Chinatown.

Sticker

As I walk around any city, I am always fascinated by the stickers people choose to put up in seemingly random places. Strange Famous Records is an independent recording company started by Sage Francis in 1996 when he decided he couldn't continue to wait to be discovered. Based in Providence Rhode Island, you can learn more by going to Strange Famous Records.

You really have to check this out!

The home of gigantic doughnuts and so much more! There is the Voodoo wedding chapel where (legal) ceremonies have been performed since 2003. For example, there is the First Friday eating contest, the Tex-Ass Challenge, and the Coffin Full of Doughnuts.  To learn all about it, go to their website at http://voodoodoughnuts.com. Sorry, the link isn't working for some reason within the blog.

Hip hotel

As in many urban down towns, old hotels that had fallen on hard times are being renovated. One of the most interesting is the Ace Hotel in the northwest section of the city (and around the corner from Powell's one and a half million new and used books). The hotel is part of a chain, but the property has several unique features. My favorite is the old-fashioned photo booth in the lobby where you can commemorate your visit with a strip of those always flattering black and white photos. It is described as being a cross between a hip and boutique hotel, featuring rooms decorated with artist murals and a Stumptown coffee roasting shop off the lobby. To find out more, visit acehotel.

Old restaurant

"Unleash your inner foodie in a city that has become a hot culinary destination, and experience an amazingly textured range of global delights created with fresh, locally harvested ingredients". (Fodor, 2008, Portland, 9.)

If coffee is important in Portland, the amazing number of restaurants competing for a diner's loyalty is staggering. While there are always new restaurants to try, there are some old classics still remaining, including the Seafood Grotto in the northwest section of the city. This opened in 1891 as Zack's Oyster House in the Joyce Hotel which now is a hostel.

Coffee is a VERY big deal in Portland. Trailhead Coffee Roasters does all of its deliveries by bicycle. Their beans come from the Cafe Feminino Coop. All of the harvesting is done by women who share in the proceeds. Their website:cafefemenino.com.

You are going to need a big glass for this pour!

This 12 foot bronze replica sculpture of a wine pitcher from the Chinese Shang Dynasty (1200-1100 B.C.) was a gift to Portland in 2002 from Chinese businessman Huo Baozhu, a producer of reproduction antiquities. It is sixteen times the original size. Huo gave the gift as a demonstration of his love of Portland and Chinese history.

This scultpure is located in the Northwest Park Blocks. These blocks were dedicated to the city by Captain John Couch in 1869. The area was residential by the 1880's. The City Park Commission installed the first supervised playground in 1908. (From: Portland Parks and Recreation). More about the art in the park blocks in the future.

Book Heaven

This is the main store of the famous Powells Books, the largest independent bookstore in the country. This store location encompasses a whole city block, and there are five satellite stores specializing in topics such as technology and gardening. For those not lucky enough to live in this home of Powells, the good news is you can shop online and check out lots of cool features at Powells Book Store.

Mystery

I often pass by this abandoned storefront, and I continue to wonder if the store (whatever it was or will be) is coming or going. There are no clues.

End Petlessness

This is my favorite billboard advertisement campaign in Portland. The city prides itself on being pet friendly and others agree. Forbes and Dog Fancy magazines have named it the most dog friendly city in the US. And, not to leave our other favorite pet out, it has been named the 4th most cat friendly city in the country. And it ranks 1st among all American cities in the number of dog parks per capita population. These and more factoids can be found at Oregon Veterinary Association.

This is the fourth reincarnation of the 24 Hour Church of Elvis which opened recently in Northwest Portland. It is open 24 hours, but is not a church and has little to do with Elvis. What it has is a very strange collection of objects and coin operated machines. To learn more (and to browse in the store), go to 24 hour church of Elvis.

2010 No Pants Subway Ride

Yes, you are correct-this image has nothing to do with the Pants Off event. Since I am unable to photograph that, I am adding this abstract to keep to my commitment to post a photo a day. I will post more of these periodically and explain their surprising locations.

This intrepid photographer is ailing a bit today, or I would be covering this event with my camera.

"A stunt like this doesn't need explaining in a city that also harbors mass pillow fights and Santa-packed drinking binges. Chaos and joy-spreading public scenes are practically a citywide pastime". (Kelly Clarke, Oregonian).

To participate, you go to a designated MAX stop (for you non-Portlanders, this is the city subway system) and ride the train without your pants. The good (or bad) news, depending on your perspective, is that this event is global. For a report on No Pants 2010 Subway Ride events elsewhere, go to www.improveverywhere.com. 

This mural adorns the top of a downtown Mexican restaurant. Makes me wonder if the food can possibly be as dramatic as the art!

I have always been fascinated by street art, especially murals. This is a favorite of the ones I have seen so far in Portland. I will bring you more periodically as I discover them. Whenever I visit a city, at home or abroad, one of the things I always look to photograph are the varieties of street art (stencils, posters, murals, graffiti). By far the most elaborate and best I've seen (and loved photographing) are in Barcelona. So should you find yourself in that great city, do look for these works of art in addition to enjoying the sublime works by Gaudi.

Goodbye to the season

As we celebrate the new year and decade, we say goodbye to the 2009 city Christmas tree, shown here being dismantled in downtown Pioneer Square.

Zoo Bomb

An update for my recent post on the bikes adorning the street sign. I have learned that these are most probably part of Portland's "Zoo Bomb" bike event. Every Sunday people gather at the Oregon Zoo in the city's west hills, some wearing costumes, where they proceed to "bomb" down the hills. This event has occurred weekly for 10 years. Mini bikes and unusual bikes are encouraged. Those without bikes can borrow one from these collections of bikes at different points in the city.

Allow Me

It's true, it does rain in Portland in the winter. This sculpture by the artist J. Seward Johnson, is called "Allow Me" and is found in downtown's Pioneer Square.

Dubbed the city's "living room", the land was purchased in 1848 by Elijah Hill for the princely sum of $24.00 and a pair of boots. In 1875 the Pioneer Courthouse was erected on the site, the second largest in the West at that time. In 1890 the luxurious Portland Hotel was also built on the site at a cost of $1,000,000. The hotel was razed in 1951 by the department store chain Meier and Frank and their flagship store was built. In the early 1970's, the square was redesigned after an international design competition which was won by Will Martin. The bricks in the current square have the names of donors who contributed to the rebuilding of the space.

The square hosts over 300 events a year and there will be photos of some of these events to come.

Outfitting Portland

One of the treats for anyone who roams the streets of Portland is the variety of outfits people don. Vintage is big and I see clothing combinations seen nowhere else (or at least ever by me). As a friend recently said to me, "Portland is where you see someone riding a bike in a bunny suit and you don't look twice". 

Biker Paradise

Residents take great pride in the naming of Portland as one of the most "bike friendly" cities in the country. There are bike routes galore throughout the city (and indeed our very own street is one). Bike commuters abound throughout the year and in all kinds of weather. And as seen in this image, bikes are even used for ornamentation!

There are many bike events, including the annual World Naked Bike Ride which in June 2009 attracted 5,000 riders. 

Tall Trees at Tabor

These very tall trees are in Mt. Tabor Park in the southeast section of the city. Mt. Tabor was named after a city in Israel by Plympton Kelly. The 195 acres that comprise the park were purchased in 1903 on the recommendation of John Olmstead. Emanuel Mische, Superintendent of Parks (who had worked with the Massachusetts Olmstead firm) designed the park layout. A distinct feature is the extinct volcanic cone. It is a favorite location for hiking, cycling, jogging and dog walking.

It doesn't snow in Portland

At least that is the accepted wisdom, and what our sons told us before we moved here. Of course, it isn't true. It snows very little, but when it does, the city undergoes some kind of demonic transformation. Last Tuesday, a friend and I went downtown to the movies (Young Victoria-very good). When we emerged from the theater at 5:00, there was three inches of snow and total chaos on the roads. Only because I encouraged my friend to make a totally illegal Boston maneuver were we able to get across the river and home before total gridlock happened there as well. Everyone is blaming everyone else for the mess-the transit authority blames the weather bureau and the weather bureau seems to be blaming anyone but themselves. And today our decidedly weird mayor, Sam Adams, has announced that he will tweet when another storm is coming or is upon us. As if that will help people learn to drive in a slight snowfall!

I went out a couple of days later and the above is the only evidence of the storm I could find. Perhaps the remains of a snowman?

Laurelhurst Neighborhood

Portland is a city of over 90 recognized neighborhoods (a consensus seems to be 95). Portland is divided into five sectors: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest and North Portland. The Willamette River divides the north and south sides and Portlanders use seven bridges to go from side to side-more about the bridges later. Laurelhurst, where we live, is in the Northeast sector.

Laurelhurst was first settled as two claims under the 1850 federal Donation Land Act. The first claim was made by Elijah and Saloma Davidson and the second by Terence and Mary Quinn. Beginning in 1859 Davidson began purchasing additonal property in the area and established a well known stock farm of Jersey cattle. When he died in 1893, the area began to transition into a residential neighborhood.

In 1909 the Laurelhurst Company purchased most of the property but for 31 acres that it sold to the City of Portland for park land. Laurelhurst Park is the first park in the nation to be named to the National Register of Historic Places (2001).

It's the first day of 2010 and time to begin this daily blog. A distinct feature of the culture of Portland is the appreciation of all kinds of differentness. "Keep Portland Weird" seems to be an unofficial slogan of many who treasure this city's uniqueness. You can read about the organization on their website (www.keepportlandweird.com)