Sure, you could go see Wall-e or Kung Fu Panda at the movie theater or eat yet another meal at an air conditioned restaurant to beat the heat. However, I have another option for you.
Mt. Tabor.
OK, I admit that it won’t be as cool as an air conditioned room, but it will be cooler and possibly more fun. I recommend going all the way to the top of Mt. Tabor where you will find a nicely paved circle with plenty of grass in the middle and some of the best views of the city available. The best part is that it will be shady, a couple of degrees cooler, and if you are lucky, breezy.
The options are numerous: volcano crater, reservoir, play area for kids, stair climbing, biking, running, hiking, picnics, and more.
What’s your favorite secret to beating the heat during the sunny summers in Portland?
I moved to Hawthorne just a few blocks away from the Daily Grind in March of 2007. One of the big advantages of the neighborhood was the ability to walk to everything: restaurants, Powells, groceries, bubble tea, coffee shops, and … an awesome health food store with a deli. I loved the vegan deli food, desserts, and the convenience of running out to pick up missing ingredients. Then, sigh, the Daily Grind closed. I was back to driving to New Seasons on Division to buy my health food.
We speculated about what might replace it, but we feared the worst. What if they put in yet another Starbucks? or Subway? or *shudder* McDonalds. Even worst, would they turn it into another condo building? Then yesterday, I got some amazing news.
New Seasons, another locally owned health food store, announced yesterday that they would be moving into the old Daily Grind location. Rejoice! I’ll have to wait until 2009, but then I will be able to walk to a great, local health food store with a deli. Awesome.
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
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.