02.28.07
Third Annual AVANT-GRANDE
A reader reminded us of a cool (free!) event taking place this First Thursday: the third annual Starbucks AVANT-GRANDE. The event showcases the artistic talents of Starbucks employees and supports the 2007 Cascade Aids Project.
Also, we hear one of our favorite bands, The Young Immortals, will be playing. Plus, enjoy complimentary appetizers from Oba Restaurant. Check it out at Wieden + Kennedy from 6 – 9:30 p.m on March 1. Wieden + Kennedy is located at 224 NW 13th Ave. in the Pearl District.
02.27.07
First Thursday, Already?
Wow, this month has flown by. First Thursday is just a few days away... if you don't already have a gallery agenda for the night, take a look at the various March exhibits and reception times.
02.25.07
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Ugh. We’re ready for this dreary rain to end. However, despite the nonstop rain and cloudy skies, it’s still been an eventful weekend...
As Neighborhood Notes and Portland Public Art have noted, Contact II has been sent to sculpture rehab.
Also bringing some excitement to the weekend: a loud knock at the door in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The culprit was our little sister. She bartends here in the Pearl and after a late shift and hanging with friends, she returned to find her car window shattered and valuables stolen. She left her purse in plain view. Go figure. Word to the wise: even in this great neighborhood, that’s asking for trouble. We did our best to create a makeshift window covering for rain protection, but to be honest, we were sleepwalking...
On the bright side, we did finally try The District – that new bar situated in between The Vault and Everett Street Bistro. It was great – comfy couches, a casual (yet stylish) atmosphere and friendly service. We grabbed a few seats by the window, which made for some entertaining people watching of the crowds walking by. Oh, and we loved their menu. Everything is $8 (except beer, which is $4). We really hope The District lasts longer than their predecessors in this space!
02.23.07
PDX Collective Winter Blowout Sale in the Pearl
Eleven local boutiques - including some of our favorites right here in the Pearl - are joining forces for a huge sale this Saturday, February 24. The PDX Collective Winter Blowout Sale will last from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring the best from Shoefly, Nolita, Physical Element, Bubble Boutique, Sameunderneath, Pin Me Apparel, Phlox, Moxie, Garnish, and more. A combined total of 150 brands of clothing and accessories will be represented.
The sale takes place at Apotheke, located at 1314 NW Glisan in the Pearl District. For more info, read this little blurb from the Mercury.
02.22.07
Signs, Take 3
Just a quick note to point out that the Oregonian's special inPORTLAND section has an article today on the signs around town. One interesting issue they address is the likelihood that the signs will be hit with grafitti at some point. The designers say they covered the signs in a slick laminate that would tolerate the cleaning solvents needed to remove graffiti. The Pearl District has been getting its share of graffiti lately, so it's nice to hear that they'll have a solution if the signs are marked.
02.21.07
A Few Delicious Bites
Most who know us would say we're the very definition of a "foodie"... rambling on and on about the subtle details of a great meal, arranging travel plans according to food destinations, going far out of our way to find a specific ingredient, working feverishly to recreate a great restaurant meal at home, and so on. Despite that, we've been lacking food news on here! We suppose we're too busy eating... More food news to come, but for now, check out these recent reviews of Pearl District restaurants...
Bay 13 reviewed by Food Dude @ Portland Food and Drink
Andina reviewed from a vegetarian's perspective at A Few Reservations
The District reviewed by Shooter at Neighborhood Notes
02.20.07
Welcome Spring with Ecotrust
We just received a nice invite from the folks at Ecotrust. They're throwing an open house to celebrate the start of spring and show off their space, which just might be perfect for your next event! The event will feature live music, great food and décor ideas, all from their preferred local vendors.
The open house will take place from 6-8 p.m. on March 14; Ecotrust is located at 721 NW 9th Ave. Their full invite and details after the jump...
Continue reading "Welcome Spring with Ecotrust" »
02.19.07
The Pillowman Takes the Armory's Main Stage
Portland Center Stage's next featured show comes with a warning. Apparently The Pillowman, which starts tomorrow at the Armory, contains some scenes which may challenge your comfort level.
Here's an interesting video of the cast members addressing the play's controversial nature.
The official PCS description after the jump...
Continue reading "The Pillowman Takes the Armory's Main Stage" »
02.16.07
"Check Your Status at the Door"
That's how management of the soon-to-open Blitz describe the bar's style. Opening St. Paddy's Day weekend (March 16), Blitz promises to be the opposite of the typical Pearl District bar. We got a sneak peek this week and we can't wait for it to open!
More details to come soon, but here's what we can share for now... Blitz is huge. (Much bigger than it looks from the outside - approx. 6,000 sq. ft.) Upstairs is a nice "social gathering" area with tall ceilings and long bars to place your drink on. Downstairs is where the more casual fun will take place - shuffle boards, pool tables, etc. The walls are covered in semi-finished plywood, giving the place an industrial feel.
Stay tuned for details on their grand opening. We hear they're flying in a band from Belfast! (Blitz, by the way, is located at 10th and Couch, near Noodles & Co.)
02.16.07
Starbucks Vandalized
Neighborhood Starbucks were vandalized overnight, ruining our a.m. buzz. We're making up for it right now, though.
02.16.07
Signs, Take 2
Everyone seemed to be buzzing about these signs this week. Neighborhood Notes and Noah get to the bottom of "This is Pearl."
02.15.07
Cheap Eats in the Pearl?
“Cheap” isn’t a word typically associated with the Pearl District. In fact, the cost of living, dining and shopping in the Pearl is often a sore subject of conversation.
Is there such thing as “cheap” in the Pearl? The answer, of course, is relative to what we each consider cheap. When it comes to good, inexpensive food, we happen to think the Pearl has plenty to offer. Here are a few of our favorite spots… please chime in and tell us about yours!
Acorn – a new neighborhood eatery with great sandwiches
PeemKaew – the perfect cheap take-out food, given their healthy portion sizes (try the pumpkin curry!)
Continue reading "Cheap Eats in the Pearl?" »
02.14.07
Weekend Bridge Closures
We just noticed this reminder from the Pearl District Neighborhood Association to steer clear of the Broadway and Burnside bridges this weekend. Here are the details:
-Saturday, Feb. 17, the Broadway Bridge will be closed from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. for filming of the movie “Untraceable.” Traffic lanes will be closed on the bridge and westside ramps throughout the day and sidewalks will be closed for up to a half hour at a time. A free shuttle service will help sidewalk users across the river when the sidewalks are closed.
Continue reading "Weekend Bridge Closures" »
02.14.07
Uf Da! Minnesota’s Got a Crush on Us
This article from the Downtown Journal in Minneapolis, MN, explains that city officials have been looking to Portland – including the Pearl District – for inspiration in their urban planning.
What better qualities could City Hall want in a Valentine?He’s cute, smart, and best of all, totally progressive on transportation and environmental issues.
As often as Minneapolis leaders like to talk about Portland, Ore., it’s not a stretch (OK, maybe just a little) to imagine our city as a crush-stricken schoolgirl gazing off at that weird boy in social studies class.
They pass policy notes, visit after class, even sit together on the school bus, er, streetcar.
02.13.07
We Heart Food
So Valentine’s Day is just a day away… we hope, for your sake, that you’ve already made plans. Reservations might be a tad difficult to get at this point. However, if you’re still pondering what to do, here’s some food for thought…
The Daily Café is offering a special prix fixe menu. Chef Josh Pierson is preparing oxtail raviolis with black truffle oil, followed by seared diver scallops over winter succotash and finishing with a white chocolate semi-freddo with cherries jubilee. The prix fixe dinner is $40 per person. Daily Café is located at 902 NW 13th in the Pearl District.
Andina is presenting a 3-course prix fixe menu in partnership with Roederer Champagne. Their prix fixe menus range in price from $75-185 per person, and include half bottle champagne. (The price of the meal depends on which champagne you choose.) They will also have live music from 6 – 10 p.m. Andina is located at 1314 NW Glisan in the Pearl District.
Continue reading "We Heart Food" »
02.12.07
"This is Pearl District"
Noah beat us to it, but we've been meaning to mention these new signs around the Pearl District and Downtown.
Seems they cropped up in just the past two weeks. What a great idea - we can't tell you how many times visitors stop us to ask for directions ("Where's Powell's?" is most frequent). Of course, we don't mind giving directions! But the signs are still a nice addition to the neighborhood.
Updated to Add: Neighborhood Notes is asking a good question: who is responsible for the signs? Apparently not POVA or the Portland Business Assocation.
02.08.07
Floral Favorites in the Pearl
We don't need a special occassion to buy flowers, but with Spring around the corner and next week's V-Day holiday, it's sure to be a bit more top-of-mind.
If you're planning on a special delivery in time for Feb. 14, consider checking out some of the great florists in the Pearl District neighborhood. Here's a list of our favs:
Orchid Exchange (O|X)
This is the spot to go for a simple, yet really elegant, floral gift. O|X has amazing orchids in every color and variety available. Unlike many other arrangements, an orchid will last a looooong time. And when it's done blooming, bring it back for a 15% credit toward another orchid. O|X is located at 404 NW 12th Ave.
Continue reading "Floral Favorites in the Pearl" »
02.07.07
New Master Plan from Hoyt Street Properties
A link to a new "Master Plan" by Hoyt Street Properties was just posted over at a SkyscraperPage forum. (Skyscraper, by the way, is an incredibly cool site we'd never seen before - they host a ton of info on the tall buildings around town, along with forums to chat about development in various regions. Neat stuff, even for someone who's not in the architecture/construction industry.)
The new Master Plan is a hefty document with all sorts of interesting insight into how Hoyt Street envisions the future of the North end of the Pearl District. We'll sort through it and bring you some highlights. (And maybe someone from Skyscraper's community can interpret it for us!)
Thanks to "Mark" at Skyscraper for linking to the Pearl Insider!
02.07.07
For the Love of Lists
We admit: we love lists. Making them, reading them, crossing items off of them, you know the drill. It brings some sort of order to our crazy schedule. Now before you start thinking we’re the super organized type, we’re not talking about anything formal... just scribbles here and there, usually scattered and illegible, but meaningful nonetheless. So, in that spirit, we’re offering you this week’s list of things that we (and you too!) must find time to do.
This Week’s Laundry List:
(after the jump)
Continue reading "For the Love of Lists" »
02.06.07
Calling all Pearl District Photogs
You've probably noticed that the "photo gallery" section of the site is empty. Of course, we had good intentions to fix this weeks ago, but still haven't gotten around to it. Truth be told, our photos of the Pearl District just aren't that fabulous. So... we figured why not solicit great photos from you? If you've got any nice snapshots around the Pearl, drop us a note at editor@pearlinsider.com. We'd love if you would share!
Updated to add: Thanks to Pat and another anonymous reader for sending us some great shots of the Pearl District! We've added them to the photo gallery and hope to add a ton more soon. By the way, if you already have a Flickr account, just tag your Pearl District photos with "pearlinsider" and they will automatically show up here!
02.06.07
Loaded Orygun Likes Our Looks
Thanks to Carla over at Loaded Orygun for the nice comment about our design here at The Pearl Insider!
Damn you for looking better than us Say what you will about the "lack of ironic insight" and the flaunted wealth, but this new Portland based blog about the Pearl District looks smashing.I covet their design.
Credit goes to eroi!
02.06.07
Ten 01 Hosts Winemaker's Dinner
Ten 01 still has a few seats left for this week's winemaker's dinner, scheduled for February 10th at 6:30 p.m. Harry Peterson-Nedry from Chehalem is the featured winemaker. The dinner is $75 per person. For a peek at the menu, click here. Call 503-226-3463 for reservations.
Ten 01 is located at 1001 NW Couch St. in the Pearl District.
02.06.07
Save 40% at Shoefly's Winter Clearance
Shoefly is offering an additional 40% off sale shoes at all of their store locations and online. The sale lasts the entire month of February - just remember coupon code "Final 40."
They've also just launched a new blog all about shoes! Each week they'll cover a variety of shoe fashions and feature a Sole Steal of the Week, like the boots above - reguarly $161, now only $40.
Shoefly is located at 718 NW 11th Ave. in the Pearl District.
02.05.07
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
The owners of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery posted a nice blog today with further information on their future move to the Pearl District. Later this year, they'll be in the new Pearl Design Center.
One of the owners, Bev, recently wrote us that they're planning on a grand opening date of 2/14! The Pearl District Design Center is located on the corner of NW Savier & 15th Ave.
02.05.07
Finally, someone recognizes us for our "lack of ironic insight"!
The Portland Mercury's Blogtown gives The Pearl Insider a nice little, er, plug today. Matt Davis mocks a recent posting and says:
Other entries are equally interesting, both for their spectacular lack of ironic insight, but also the sheer unapologetic nature of the wealth they flaunt. To the point where I wonder if this might have been knocked up by a real estate agent trying to showcase Pearl life to his victims. I can’t decide whether to love it or hate it. Actually that’s a lie: I completely love it. More posts, please, Pearl-dwellers!
A few commenters even insisted it "HAS to be a joke"... Haha.
No, we're not real estate agents. And not even close to being wealthy.
Yes, we're occassionally shallow. Yes, we absolutely love our tall, one pump sugar free vanilla, nonfat, light caramel sauce caramel macchiato. Yes, we know that most of what we write sounds silly. And yes, that's the point!
That being said, Matt Davis, we love you too. Thanks for the mention!
02.02.07
Is this Really How We're Viewed?!
Have you seen the "Limited Edition Portland Barbie" e-mail yet? If not, it's probably because your friends don't want to insult you! It's a funny e-mail that's been circulating around with pictures and descriptions of imaginary "Portland Barbies." For example, "Lake Oswego Barbie" (she comes with a Hummer H2 and country club membership) and "Beaverton Barbie" (she drives a mini van and sports stylish gym attire). Of course, we're blessed with our very own "Pearl District Barbie":
"This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo."
We know we should be insulted, but.... we're too busy working on our warehouse conversion condo remodel and sipping a grapefruit cosmo.
02.01.07
"Machine Works" Reincarnated
According to a story in today's Oregonian, developers have received PDC approval for a new nine-story building at 1123 N.W. 14th Ave - the site of the old Machine Works building. Apparently the building, which will host 4 stories of office space, a fitness center and several levels of parking, will retain the old name.
Interestingly, the new design diverges from the standard use of brick in many Pearl District buildings - this will be a brickless building. Reporter Fred Leeson writes:
"The building's exterior flexes a muscular mix of poured concrete, glass, anodized aluminum and zinc panels."
Another thing you won't find in the building: condos. Which we doubt we need more of anyway!
02.01.07
WW Serves Harsh Criticism to Ten 01
Today's Willamette Week includes a pretty harsh review of new Pearl District restaurant Ten 01. In an article titled "Looks: 10, Food: 01," Critic Heidi Yorkshire writes:
"...Ten 01—with its good looks, hot location and deep pockets—could have been a slam-dunk success. Instead, it's a sad combination of confused ambitions and fumbled execution."
Ouch! That's gotta hurt.
On top of that, Food Dude wrote a scathing rant at Portland Food and Drink today, slamming the inconsistencies at numerous local restaurants - Ten 01 included. Food Dude had given Ten 01 a favorable "first impressions" posting and promised to eventually do a full review. From today's posting:
"I raved about the sliders at Ten 01. Now they are crap."
Looks like that full review is off.
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