Monthly Archive for April, 2008Page 3 of 3

Portland Play Fountains

Published
by
xolotl
on April 12, 2008
in events, food and drink, northwest and outdoors
. 0 Comments

When the weather gets hot, it’s time to start thinking about a visit to one of Portland’s awesome fountains that you can play in.

My favorite is Jamison Square, where the waterfalls burble and then suddenly shut off and all the water goes away only to come back minutes later.

Nearby Sip & Kranz provides drinks, snacks and beer and wine for the grownups. Check out Jamison Square on Bastille Day on July 12 for the annual race of the waiters.

Need Bloggers for Portland is Awesome

Published
by
Dawn
on April 12, 2008
in portland is awesome
. 2 Comments

Do you love Portland and want to contribute to Portland is Awesome? If so, send me an email (geekygirldawn on gmail) with your desired username and a link to your existing blog. Assuming that your writing style is a good fit for Portland is Awesome, I will get your account set up and you can start contributing!

A Beautiful Day in Portland

Published
by
Dawn
on April 12, 2008
in outdoors
. 1 Comment

We having one of those amazing spring days here in Portland. It is around noon and already 63 degrees with a forecast for a high of 70. As a result, I am thinking of all of the fun things that I could do here in the city to take advantage of the weather.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

  • A walk up and down Hawthorne with a stop for bubble tea
  • Climbing the stairs at Mt. Tabor
  • Visiting one of our many farmer’s markets or the Saturday market
  • Wandering around the waterfront downtown
  • Hiking in the gorge or forest park

What are your favorite warm weather activities in Portland?

Fat Straw: Best Bubble Tea in Portland

Published
by
Dawn
on April 12, 2008
in food and drink and southeast
. 1 Comment

I am a bit of a bubble tea fanatic, and Fat Straw has the best bubble tea in Portland. Their secret … Coconut milk! They have a huge selection of flavors, hot or cold bubble tea, and even smoothies with tapioca! My favorites are probably coconut, almond, and pineapple. If you are feeling a little adventurous, try the taro: it’s blue and has a really interesting flavor.

It isn’t just about the bubble tea, either. They have a really solid wireless connection, comfy couches, power strips, a quiet back room, and plenty of tables where you can hang out and enjoy your tea. They also have espresso, great pots of tea, and plenty of vegan (and non-vegan) bagel sandwiches if you get hungry. It’s well worth the trip to Hawthorne and 43rd to check it out.

Fat Straw
4258 SE Hawthorne Blvd
(503) 233-3369

Evolution of Hawthorne

Published
by
Dawn
on April 12, 2008
in food and drink and southeast
. 11 Comments

I’ve been a fan of Hawthorne for a long time: loads of vegan food options, bubble tea with coconut milk, shops for almost anything I might need, a Powells branch, and so much more. A year ago, I was lucky enough to find a great house to buy just 2 blocks off of Hawthorne.

I’ve been really surprised by the changes happening on Hawthorne in just the past year. Some of the changes have been good, while others are disappointing.

The disappointing:

  • The Daily Grind went out of business after 20+ years on Hawthorne. I miss being able to walk there for my groceries.
  • Pho Green Papaya opened on Hawthorne and closed less than 2 months later due to lease issues.
  • Pix Patisserie closed.
  • Hawthorne Coffee Merchant moved to a location just off of Hawthorne.

The encouraging:

  • The Cup & Saucer is expanding into the space left by the Hawthorne Coffee Merchant
  • Pastaworks is moving into the space left by Pix
  • Albina Press opened a new coffee shop on upper Hawthorne

These are a just a few examples, and there are plenty more. At this point, I’m not sure whether the end result will be better or worse, but I worry about it a little. All of the cool, independent shops are what gives Hawthorne it’s charm. I hope that we are able to keep them during these changes to avoid ending up with too many chain restaurants and big corporate businesses.