Quote:
Originally Posted by maccoinnich
I wish it were true that everything was fine, but I also don't think that someone reading this thread would come away with an accurate impression of the state of downtown. Indeed, the owner of Stumptown Otaku had some thoughts about that particular article about his business.
As downtownpdx posted, Portland Gear opened a new store in the Ace Hotel relatively recently. They'll soon be joined in the building by Los Burros Supremos. In 11W, Stumptown just opened their new cafe and will soon be joined by Milworks. Nike is recommitting to downtown with a remodel of their store to the current 'Rise' concept, and has opened an interim store in Pioneer Place (which is feeling a lot busier since Din Tai Fung opened). BASED General store is moving into the space vacated by Frances May, who moved into the former Santos Gallery rug store. Mahler Jewelers just opened a new store in Block 216 and Ben Bridge will expand their current store (and take over a vacant space at Broadway / Yamhill while work is happening). Ikon Lounge just opened where Saucebox used to be in the Broadway Garage, not long after Kilo d'Coffee and Sixt opened in the same building. Kim Jong Grillin just moved to the Cart Blocks and Tokyo Sando to the Midtown Beer Garden; two food cart pods that have opened since the pandemic. Seattle's Can Can Culinary Cabaret is working on a remodel of the Paris Theater adjacent to Voodoo; gay club Badlands is now hiring so that they can open in the former Embers space; and music venue the 400 looks like it may finally open this year. |
This is what I feel gets missed when some only focus on the negatives. Does Portland still have a lot of issues to deal with that have been piling up over the years? Absolutely. Is Portland getting better with lots of new signs of improvements with new businesses opening up downtown? Absolutely.
It always bothers me when people think in absolutes as if it can only be all bad or all good, when the reality is that it is changing for the better but there is still a lot that needs to be done. I am hopeful for this change in city government, and I can't wait to see what happens when the next building boom comes along.