(48 posts)

How “Salvage Sundays” Gives Bikes a Second Chance

Carl Wilson was on the verge of homelessness when he took a job at the Community Cycling Center in Northeast Portland 16 years ago. Now he says he’s living the good life with a house and two cats, and he’s helping give old bikes a second life through the CCC’s weekly Salvage Sale. Every Sunday, […]

Alberta Arts District / October 2, 2019

Meet the Man Behind Earl’s Barbershop

Earl Clark is a Louisiana-born Army veteran and long-time Northeast Portlander, and for nearly three decades, he’s been cutting hair at Earl’s Barbershop, one of the last black-owned storefronts in the Alberta Arts District. The shop has survived decades of change in the neighborhood, and it’s given fresh cuts to local legends like Terry Porter […]

Alberta Arts District / September 19, 2019

How the Alberta Arts District is Trying to Keep its Artists

How do you keep an arts district from losing its artists? That’s an age-old question in gentrifying neighborhoods like the Alberta Arts District, but the nonprofit Alberta Art Works and its executive director Maquette Reeverts think they have an answer — pay artists to do their craft. “That’s how we keep the folks here,” Maquette […]

Alberta Arts District / September 18, 2019

Fostering Her Own Future

She didn’t start school until the eighth grade. She slept in youth shelters and at the DHS office for weeks on end. She was told college “wasn’t for her.” But Aleathea St. Hilaire is now a full-time student studying criminal justice at Warner Pacific University, and she’s mentoring kids at the same camp where she […]

Community / September 9, 2019

Meet the “Minister of Loud Noises” at The Old Church Concert Hall

The Old Church Concert Hall in downtown Portland is known as “a sanctuary of sound” — and organist Michael Barnes is its “minister of loud noises.” Michael is the artistic director behind the Lunchtime Concert Series, which brings local musicians to The Old Church every Wednesday at noon to perform a free concert. The concert […]

Arts & Culture / August 30, 2019

How Waterfront Park Brought the Water to Portlanders

The pace of change in Portland can be maddening sometimes, but as we wait for the Albina Vision, the Green Loop, and the Duckworth Dock of our dreams to become a reality, it’s worth remembering that most local gems weren’t created overnight. Take Waterfront Park. The idea for a riverfront park in downtown dates back […]

Downtown / August 28, 2019

How to Visit Pine Street Market Like a Pro

Morgan Joffe is the Instagrammer behind the handle @foodie.passport, and her insights into the local food scene have landed her appearances everywhere from KATU to BuzzFeed. After moving to Portland in 2011, Morgan went on the hunt for the freshest, newest, most delectable dishes in town — and more than 10,000 Portlanders now follow her […]

Downtown / August 27, 2019

Adam Sweet Eases the Pain of Moving

You might already know Adam Sweet as the local entrepreneur who disrupted the home-moving business (in a good way). But after keeping his personal story private for years, Adam says he’s ready to share another part of his background — his experience in Oregon’s foster system. “I was kind of embarrassed to be a foster […]

Community / August 23, 2019

How Love Belizean Leaped from Food Cart to Restaurant

Earlier this week, we highlighted food critic Kevin Alexander’s argument that the “golden age of food” in America started right here in Portland — and a few of you raised skeptical eyebrows at us. So to help build the case, we’d like to take a moment to present Exhibit B… for Belizean. Love Belizean started […]

Downtown / August 20, 2019

How Girls Build Makes Camp Accessible for Foster Kids

We’re investigating your questions about the foster care system this month, and we’re also meeting some amazing people who make a difference in the lives of foster children. Katie Hughes founded Girls Build in 2016, the same year she became a foster parent. Her goal is to put literal tools—drills, hammers, and paintbrushes, to name […]

Community / August 20, 2019