No one's immune
When newcomers come to Portland, a trip to Powell's City of Books is often on the tourism agenda. Once a symbol of shiny, clean, smart Portland, the place is now becoming a symbol of a different kind of city, as an alert reader's recent photos sadly illustrate. You have to wonder how long they will put up with it.
The Hawthorne one is still pretty nice
ReplyDeleteI traveled across Russia in 2005. There was armed security at the entrance to every single shop, bank and train station – everywhere but in the smallest of villages. I understood it to be more of a protection racket than for actual security needs. Still, I remember how depressing it was to see them everywhere. And I pitied the Russian people for having to live with this this constant reminder that their society was just fundamentally broken in some way. I didn't think I could live in a place like that.
ReplyDeleteVisited Powell’s downtown mother ship last Thursday. There was no line when I checked out. When I looked around I didn’t see a customer. The conclusions for Portland’s future are terrifying
ReplyDeleteI've been in the exurbs for decades, but used to regularly spend a few hours browsing in Powell's or at one of many such regular downtown options - art, food, shops, music, and so on. Covid broke the pattern and it just never comes to mind these days.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to number the commenters that go by the non de plume Anonymous?
ReplyDeleteIf big brother wasn’t watching, I’d use my name
DeleteThe Times long read today is very on point:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/us/phoenix-businesses-homelessness.html?unlocked_article_code=tPqZhrEzmIgXCZ1Svw1y-kXB-5ymuqQgY1tohmJYWobCWPaVKEiDBc2PLUR-mJtjdoDw0H1_buWipOJqfsd5PJOTmt0sJvM4UVIs3DNvuNY6dzPSC3-VKsEgQqIkLqE4gbS6ODEAYLAFyeuqlfz--nK6SrbfWRj96UqimAU4FIF9mvUtl2ygVIfxqe1qsSrqodX0UY54tIwYJMgYOtzW8NbbWog8aUoq1o0xTRfx_4IbunHUjG8_Inf6YOegacIDmK2q-Lgkt72JqofgzNX9b7bXEzwObL1wAHXMxYuOd-a4zpex9feW0B8jWNJAQbVw3CeLzx0J58OJGWg3bIHuWXTDwGk&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
A Sandwich Shop, a Tent City and an American Crisis
Kinda odd (or ?) that Shake Shack is opening a restaurant across the street from Powells on W Burnside and 13th.
ReplyDeleteBroken windows at Powells is not a new thing. I worked there in the early 2000s, and it windows would be broken periodically. The crazy beat goes on.
ReplyDeleteTherefore we should accept broken windows as a routine Portland activity???
DeleteThanks for leaping to a conclusion that wasn't stated or implied!!!
DeleteIf downtown is too depressing, consider doing your browsing at Powells.com or a pickup order at Hawthorne. Independent bookstores are worth keeping around.
ReplyDeleteI think that Portland now qualifies for the saying: "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes..."
ReplyDeleteAnd the response will be, once again, "We've gone the same way over and over, but obviously the path isn't wrong, we just haven't gone far enough!"