Tag: Portland

No longer a KFC. Parking space not included.

When I moved to Kenton in 2007, this lot at the corner of N. Lombard and N. Fenwick was a KFC with a drive-through and a parking lot.  The KFC closed a few years later.  The building was taken down and the lot has been empty for some time.  I recall a fluttering of plans for something, but those did not come to pass.  But now we have what looks like a six-unit complex that has been built on the lot.  And it looks like there will be another six-unit complex arriving soon.  This is located a block away from the Lombard Transit center, so hopefully many people without cars will rent these places.  However, if they do have a car, they will be parking the neighborhood.  It’s past time for the Portland City Council to start figuring out  a parking system for the city.  Big, compact cities have parking enforcement throughout.

Interestingly, the Google Map of the corner has not erased the presence of the KFC, or the parking lot.  While I don’t think it should instantaneously show a new building, the building it is showing hasn’t existed for years.

This building at NW 10th & Davis is soon to go away.

This is the corner of 10th and Davis, soon to be another tall building.  Kush Handmade Rugs has the corner.  They are moving to a new location.  The storefront on Davis was a print shop that has moved. Aztech Sign and Graphics is on 10th.  I’m not sure what will happen to them. Next in line is Jimmy Mak’s, Portland’s Legendary Jazz Club.  They were going to move across the street, but the owner’s cancer came back, so he decided to close at the end of the year.  Their final night will be New Year’s Eve.  (Note from the future:  Jimmy Makarounis died on New Year’s Day.)

PDX Green Loop

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I took this picture because I hadn’t heard anything about the Portland Green Loop.  It seems that it is a proposed 6-mile linear park that “invites residents, workers, and visitors to experience Portland’s Central City in an entirely new way. It will create active new spaces in the Central City that are comfortable to all Portlanders, and will offer everyone an opportunity to determine how their city, districts, and neighborhoods can retain and further grow their distinct qualities.”

Hmmm.  There’s a map on the website.

Will this ever come to pass?

Spotted on an Oregon car

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I’m an Idaho girl by birth and coming of age.  But I think I’ve always been an Oregon girl at heart.

I’m also intrigued by this sticker thing.  Did she get it made?  It seems very specific.   Hmmm.  There seems to be a t-shirt.  And for those Oregon girls in Idaho there is this hoodie.  In fact there are a bevy of Idaho-themed choices.

Saturday morning walk to MLK

We had Friday off from work because we had a work retreat on Saturday.  It was at the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg and there was carpooling involved. I needed to get to a meeting spot on MLK and decided that this morning was a good time for a longer walk.  Here’s what I saw along the way.

Once upon a time, this lot had a blue house on it. I took a picture of that house (but didn’t tag it properly and now I can’t find it. I also have a view from the alley of the initial stages.  Now it has eight townhouses.  From an infill perspective, I very much like this development.  Why?  Each unit has a parking space.  Also I think they look like small places. Better to have one house torn down and replaced with eight small homes than one huge one. I haven’t been successful in finding a listing, possibly because these have already all sold, and attempts to spy through windows failed because people live there.  But I would like to see the inside of one of these units.IMG_5803 IMG_5804

I think the sudden designation of a street is a little bit of overkill, though.

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I’ve admired this house for some years now.  Full basement, okay sized yard, nice mid-century design.  IMG_5806

Once upon a time North Portland had a convent.  (Maybe more than one, what do I know?)  And then the convent closed and eventually the land surrounding it was plotted into owner-occupied and rental housing.  But you can still see the original building.  And people still live in it.IMG_5807

What do you suppose happened to the statuary that was in this alcove?IMG_5808

Brand new alleyway!  New to me, at least.IMG_5809

Interesting design here.IMG_5810 IMG_5811

This elm tree is not long for this world.IMG_5812 IMG_5813

Another alleyway, this one with contrails. And power lines.IMG_5816

Good bones on this house.  It needs some love, though.IMG_5819

Dead car wash.IMG_5820

Dead building.  But such excellent mid-century design.  I think it could still come back.IMG_5823

When I moved to Boston, one of the markers that I lived in a big city was the presence of the Boys & Girls clubs everywhere.  I knew about them from commercials featuring famous people who once hung out at them.  Like this one.  Which is from 2011, and thus not very old.  But watch it and see if you don’t get all teary.  Also I feel like Denzel Washington has done voicework for Boys & Girls clubs for many many years.  Ha!  The internet confirms my belief.  You can even watch his first ad from 1993.  Prepare to get all teary.  Or, as we called it back then (due to Saturday Night Live): verkelmpt.

And Portland has it’s own Boys and Girls club. But just one location. We’re not that big of a city.

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The reopening of the Harlow Hotel (maybe)

This building has been looking like something was going to happen to it for several years now.  But recently, this hopeful sign sprouted on its side.IMG_5784

I’ve long loved this building, it reminds me of a Gus Van Sant film.  (From the early, gritty-Portland era)  You can read about the genesis of the Harlow Hotel here. 

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It’s got really good bones and those store front retail spaces could be great.IMG_5787
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Fingers crossed for the Harlow Hotel!