Man, is this about a halo effect or what? Look at all these 5s, meaning "as good as it gets." Is…read morethe major street, Hawthorne Boulevard, and its side streets, running through a trendy, counterculture, and hip close-in neighborhood really "as good as it gets?" I will admit that, coming from Los Angeles, the very name Hawthorne makes for a knee jerk reaction toward the negative. In SoCal, there is also a Hawthorne Boulevard. However, it is very different. That Hawthorne begins near the airport and works its way down through Hawthorne, Lawndale, an actually banal dogleg of Redondo Beach, Torrance, and then up into Palos Verdes. Only the southernmost reaches of that wide boulevard, when in South Torrance and Palos Verdes, are nice. North of there, it is strip mall hell and blight. Even an indoor mall named Hawthorne Plaza in the city of Hawthorne didn't thrive and was abandoned. Visit YouTube. Now, I'm not that narrow minded about the Hawthorne label since there are Hawthornes everywhere, being that it's a name like Springfield and Bloomington. There's a Hawthorne in New Jersey, for example, which is a ho hum town west of and across the Hudson River from Manhattan. However, Portland's Hawthorne neighborhood causes some people's eyes to widen, almost if they're sweeping the pros and cons under the rug, because they're in love! Basically, it's a little hub of culture and, in this case, culture means indie restaurants, diners, coffeehouses, brewpubs, doughnut stores, book stores, thrift stores, and the like. To me, culture would imply museums, theater, art galleries, and, yes, some, but not as many, of the things listed above. The main landmarks are the Bagdad Theater, a branch of Powell's bookstore, Blue Star Doughnuts, eateries like Bread and Ink, and similar venues. But there are really two Hawthorne neighborhoods ... one west of 39th, and one east of 39th. The aforementioned businesses are west of 39th. The only corporate venue is the Fred Meyer store there, on the very corner of 39th. (Good luck finding a parking spot there.) East of 39th, it's quieter and less hyped while still containing indie eateries, bars, and coffeehouses. Not only that, that part of Hawthorne sort of melds with the Mount Tabor area, which is topographically interesting. Hawthorne is in demand and thus priced accordingly. Most of the housing stock is older and newer housing is either infill homes or boxy and trendy San Francisco type new condos like the ones you will find going up on the Eastbank and in the Alphabet District. Another thing about Hawthorne is that it might be cool, but it's not very diverse. If diversity means guys with beards and stocking caps and women who look like Carole King as she did on the cover of "Tapestry," then it's diverse alright. But almost everyone you will see partaking in its offerings is white, young, educated, and progressive, though they can run the gamut from being put together to being frumpy. And there sure are a lot of Subarus ... a lot of them! And it's hard to find a parking spot for that Subaru or whatever type of sled you may have. And you can even still "feel the Bern." In my mind, diversity would mean that enough different types of people and points of view are represented. That's not the case here. I need to cool my jets. However, an in-flight magazine that once featured an article on the City of Roses corroborated the hip and cool enclaves in Portland, showcasing three of them: Hawthorne, Multnomah Village, and NAAD (North Alberta Arts District), so I'm not off base here. To sum it up, I am giving Hawthorne 2 stars: 1 for existing and housing some of Portland's residents and 1 for how conveniently located it is to downtown and not being too distant from the freeways. Stars are missing because of (1) the prices, (2) not enough (of what I think is) culture along with a somewhat ample supply of "groupthink," and (3) the aloof and even surly service and attitude that you may encounter in many of the places you might step into because they seem to believe they have a captive audience. Of these hip and cool villages, I'd go with 3 stars for Multnomah Village on the West Side for being near the ethnic diversity surrounding PCC, lacking a rigid gridded street pattern, and having more topography and trees, 2 stars for the Hawthorne neighborhood, and 1 star for the NAAD, as in "not my cup of tea" ... at all. O.k., I'm done being an ass.

This is one of the better neighborhoods to explore, well at least in Portland. Lots of small shops…read moreand restaurants. And of course the Bagdad theater. One of the things I like is that, at least so far, there arn't many big chain stores. It has a reputation as home to Portland's hippie population. It does but there are a lot of great businesses here.

I lived near this street for more decades than I care to admit (not in terms of living nearby, but…read moremore in terms of my own age). The best part of it was my grandparents lived one block down on 83rd and Flavel. It was a beautiful residential neighborhood at the time, and they kept an immaculate yard full of roses and dahlias. We even got to do the classic American thing of walking to the ice cream store with grandpa for cones. Memories like that can't be beat. After my grandparents died, my mom sold the house. The new owner rented it out and let it go to hell, and the surrounding neighborhood got pretty rough. I got to where I couldn't bear to drive by and see it. And that's pretty much the story of 82nd to me; rough and rougher and too much to make fun of. I haven't spent a lot of time over there for many years, but recently I've had to be out there for several reasons, and I've seen promising signs of change. PCC has built a new-ish campus on 82nd & Division that is very handsome. A lot of young couples have bought homes there as well, the most promising sign of all. There has been a lot of business development also. 82nd is never going to be anybody's idea of beautiful, but there's a lot of pride of ownership that can be felt. I was very sorry to hear that their Rose-Festival-sanctioned community parade was canceled because the Oregon Republican Party members were threatened with harm by opposing groups. That's so wrong. However, I think with all the changes I've seen lately that this is a community that has the strength to rise above. As for me, I got brave enough to drive by my grandparents' old house. One of those young couples (I would guess) had bought it and brought it back to its old glory. For all the good and bad and all the history, I had a good cry. The young woman in the front yard probably wwondered who that strange woman was, but I hope she somehow understood how pleased my grandparents would be to see all their hopes and dreams still being worked on just a block from 82nd.

But where are the Roses?…read more Last Monday, I was southbound on the #72 bus, after transferring from the Max Red Line at the NE 82nd Ave Station. And when I saw the sign for the "Hung Far Low" Chinese restaurant, it was time to get off at Division and transfer to the #4 bus. After this experience, I take it all back about occasionally needing a cab in Portland. I can really do public transit here! When I visit Portland, I try to explore a "cute" new neighbourhood each time. On this trip, that was NE Alberta, Nob Hill, and a huge chunk of Division (between 25th and my bus stop). On the other hand, the "Avenue of the Roses" is Portland's longest continual commercial strip (from the Clackamas County line to PDX). Every City has one, and even Sustainable Portland is no exception. Judging by my fellow bus travelers and the scenery going by, there's a lot going on here. And it's probably best that I was just passing through....

Super nice that the owners of this house allow thus to be in front of their house and I assume…read morefoster the idea by supplying gthr gift tags and markers. It's simple: make a wish, read someone else wish and hope theirs comes true. We left wishes. We read wishes. Thank you for allowing us to experience the Wishing Tree. Only question, what are people leaving in those bags? They look too funky...

There was no notes or baggies or pencils to put our wishes i came back when it wasn't raining and…read moreit still didn't have anything cool concept tho !

A hidden little gem…read more.. err...long, high GEM Definitely a local secret. The Skybridge connects OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital. One of the best spots in PDX to get a brilliant view of the surrounding area and Mt. Hood as well. I definitely spilled the beans on this one...damn tourists! ;-) Hitch a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram for $5 to the top while enjoying the scenery and peaking into peoples backyards...lol, then take a walk across the bridge and enjoy all the beady of PDX! As of this review, there is no cost to walk across the VA Skybridge nor to enter OHSU or the VA Hospital. Just remember, not a whole lot to see on a cloudy day... You won't regret it!

The Skybridge between OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital is a godsend for patient…read morecare. There are tunnels in the basement once used for patient transportation dating back to 1919, but one wrong turn and who knows where you could end up. I once ended up in the old psych ward after a wrong turn. The old whirlpool baths (with the arm restraints and canvas covers) would have worked quite nicely in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I beat cleats to get back out of there - nightmarish enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. Yikes. The "new" VA Hospital was built in 1988 followed by the Skybridge in 1993. The Skybridge is really very nicely done, but I don't have words to describe it, so I've attached a picture from the VA website to give you an idea. There are house phones at frequent intervals throughout the Skybridge (super handy if you walk over from the VA to the main campus and have to sign in to the OHSU Payroll Time system and not be counted as late to work). There are also benches throughout in case the walk is too long (660 feet). I really hope you wouldn't have to use them,, but if so there are first aid stations available up and down the length of the Skybridge. What's fun, if you will, is how much employees and visitors use it for recreation. Patients are wheeled across in wheelchairs or just cruise along getting exercise after surgery or prolonged bedrest. They want you up and out of bed as soon as possible to regain strength and to prevent DVTs, and of course it's far nicer to walk in a light-filled space with a dynamite view of Portland. I walked with my stepmom back and forth across the Skybridge while she was in the hospital for three months after her liver transplant. If you walk across when it's cloudy or foggy, it looks like the Emerald City from Wizard of Oz (and spectacular when it snows). Employees come and use it in bad weather to "mall walk" for exercise. I once thought it would be a great idea to sit on one of the benches and eat lunch and take in the view. I do not recommend this. The Skybridge is essentially a suspension bridge that sways back and forth during wind and any other movement and is probably one of the most secure places anywhere here in Earthquake Country. I myself did not fare well because the bridge is in almost constant movement; my stomach did not appreciate the constant movement whilst eating lunch, so I had to get the hell out of dodge before lunch and I parted ways. I never ate there again. OHSU and VAMC are so lucky to have a link like this for patient transportation and even recreation. It's faster to be sure and so much more cheerful and attractive. It makes all the difference in the world for everybody. Now all I have left to do is ride the aerial tram between the Old Campus and the newer South Waterfront and my OHSU experience will be pretty complete!

On the Eastside Esplanade by the river is this lovely, large ship. This reminds me of one of the…read moreships from a child's story book in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series by C. S. Lewis. Very unique. This is just north of the Morrison bridge on the walking/ running/ bike path on the East Bank of the Willamette. It is one of the highlights of the walk, in my opinion.

We headed out to Alberta Street last night having no idea what we were getting ourselves into…read more When I think of a "Last/First (insert day of the week)" I think of local artists getting a chance to display their art showcase at various locally owned stores, usually galleries or art related stores. The "Art Walk" was more like a combination of Saturday Market, street fair, with a smattering of legitimate artists. We were actually there with a purpose: find art by a local artist for our living room. I was pleased to see a wide variety of art styles and enjoyed examining what was on display in the stores. I was less impressed with the displays on the street, although many made me chuckle while others were just puzzling. In the end, it wasn't what we thought it was going to be, but it was still a fun time. Lots of unique people with unique talents and I think it is fabulous that they have a place to display them (even if I don't want to take any of it home and hang it on my living room wall). :)

My friends who live in the SW section of Portland invited me up recently to Portland and said, "You…read morehave to come check out Alberta Street with us, it's the last thursday of the month" And I'm like, 'What's Alberta Street?" The last thursday of each month, this section of Alberta Street attracts all kinds of people who walk, ride bikes, skate, sometimes arrive on stilts to check out all the art and restaurants in the area. When I was there it seems like the whole neighborhood opens up and everyone is having a good time. This is a slice of Portland worth checking out. Certainly not something you find very often in LA. The trains don't go to Alberta street is my understanding, but you can take a cab part of the way, or if you have access to a bicycle, there are a ton of bike lanes in Portland. I wouldn't advise driving there as there are a ton of people in the streets at this regular event. Saw a few people drive by in cars that were having heckuva time given the number of people in the streets. However you get there, it's worth checking out. It happens from i believe 6 - 9PM on the last thursday of each month.

There's definately some sketch-tastings people and things in this area of Portland. The further…read moreyou travel east, the worse it gets. 52nd: My friend lived on 51st, and while his house wasn't to be confused with a time-share in Palm Springs, I didn't have a bad vibe parking my truck there, and I didn't get any bad vibes of Felony Flats beings it was a block away. 72nd: I forget the cross strett here (Flavel?), but I'm thinking an off-brand grocery store. Right across is a laundromat that looks supplanted from Bronx or Brooklyn, and a video store with a promo poster for that Samuel L. Jackson/Eugene Levy movie from a few years ago. I wouldn't be inclinded to visit any 3 of those establishments, I'm sure if we Yelped them, they'd be a 2/5 stars. 82nd: Tweakers galore. Afraid to be outside the comfort of my car when it's late and/or dark out.

I'm gonna give this area a whopping 2 stars as well. It's trying to gentrify, but it's just not…read moremaking it. It's still ghetto. Way ghetto. Fortunately, I spend most of my time hanging out on the Avenue of the Roses, which has a whopping 1- extra star's worth of ghetto-tainment.

The eight story Morgan Building, built in 1912 is designated as a Historical Building. This…read morebuilding is gorgeous people. Crafted from red brick, marble floors and with fancy pants brass facade just adds to the glory of the building. The real charm for me is Morgan's Alley. It reminds me of those magical little avenues in old Europe with darling shops. Morgan's alley has gone through several incarnations over the years. Today's refined shops are quite a departure from the 1960's when this is where you would come to find a head shop. Some of the current tenants include Derek's Shoe Repair which has been there for what seems like forever. The European Master Tailor, Adorn a unique jewelry shop, R-Crew Beauty Salon, Teuscher Cafe and Chocolates of Switzerland, and what kind of alley would this be without booze. Oregon Wine on Broadway is one of the first places you will see as you enter which is a great spot to people watch. The iconic Hunan Chinese Restaurant (RIP) was there for 35 years. Take stroll through this delightful little piece of Portland history and see for yourself how enchanting it is. 2015 - Review # 33