Man Made Lake

Goodbye Portland

[insert sentimental cliche]

Central Eastside, Portland

The central eastside essentially borders downtown and thus it has historically supported the central business district with supplies (produce, office furniture, restaurant supplies, uniforms, etc).

It's definitley gentrifying, but there is no main drag, no center. A coffee shop here, a bar there. But property owners are sitting tight. Everyone knows this is the next, maybe the last, untapped central real estate killing. Half of the warehouses are beautiful brick, perfect for conversion to condominiums. The other half are disposable, perfect for the bulldozer. The views of downtown and the bridges are unmatched anywhere and one could easily walk across the Hawthorne into town. There are even plans to run a streetcar spur down Grand.

For the moment there's still plenty of decay to enjoy. Highway 99E, SE Grand Ave and MLK Blvd, splits the neighborhood in two. The [previously mentioned] eastern half has sidewalks, some trees, and the majority of the storefronts. It's more tame. The west side, showcased here, is much grittier. Half the streets are dark under the tangle of overpasses from four bridges and two interstates. SE 1st is closed to all but freight trains and the occasional transient asleep on a loading dock. Abandoned rails along Water, 2nd and 3rd have knocked everybody I know off their bikes at least once.

So next time you find yourself nursing a pint at Produce Row, wolfing down a five star meal at clarklewis or enjoying the view from the new Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, take a minute to admire the boarded up windows, shitty paint jobs and the function-first aesthetic. They're on their way out.

Kings Hill, Portland

It's better known for mansions than apartment buildings but I guess I'm biased. I've beening living in the northwest corner of Kings Hill for about a year and a half.

Despite the density and the proximity to downtown and Northwest, Kings Hill has a somewhat unfriendly vibe. The ugly condo towers are bursting with spoiled retirees who left their manners in the 20th century. The SUV driving professionals in the adjacent castles aren't much better. Even the younger crowd in the little brick buildings awkwardly avoid eye contact on the sidewalk. Still, Green Av is the sexiest street in Portland, Washington Park is in throwing distance and I can bike to school in 9 minutes. So quit complaining.

Old Town, Portland

Old town has several pockets. It's Portland's faux Chinatown on 4th, there's hip retail on part of 5th, a club scene east of 4th, a tourist trap near the Burnside Bridge, and even the Pearl District aesthetic and corresponding demographic are creeping in from the west. The prevailing chacteristic consistent throughout the neighborhood, however, is classic central city slum.

A slum since the streets were platted, Shanghaied sailors were transported to ships through tunnels that still exist under the streets. It's the last neighborhood to be packed block to block with social services and the last place you'll be offered drugs on the street. So don't be surprised if a fizzy looking dude asks you if you need soda.

Northwest Industrial District 2

Once while strolling down Nicolai Street I noticed the remains of a bird stuck in barbed wire. It probably got stuck in the wires, died and decayed completley. All that was left was skin and feathers, unable to decay further. In any residential neighborhood or business district this carcass would be removed but out there no one could care less. The point? Warehouse districts are inner city sanctuaries of cruel wilderness.