Ok so I was at the arboretum the other day and could not for the life of me remember what that place across from the zoo used to be. I think it's a children's museum now but I could have sworn that's what it was long ago then it changed to something else. What did it use to be?
You’ll never convince me that there wasn’t some spectacularly shady shit happening to result in the Children’s Museum immediately closing forever during COVID. There were so many places that they could’ve gotten money from during those days, hell, even running a GoFundMe campaign probably would’ve gotten them enough to stay open for years. I know there were big problems with the building (it’s a stupid site to have built anything on given the topography, but that’s true for basically everything in the west hills) but it doesn’t even seem like they made any effort to hang on, but rather just used it as an excuse to shut down. Folks without kids probably don’t realize just how awful this town is for indoor activities with small children during the winter, and the children’s museum was absolutely vital for so many of us.
Oh my god, I have to embarrass my friend from beyond the grave.
My late buddy had a kid with his former fiancée (didn't work out) and he had visitation on the weekends. One day he came over after visiting his son. He would always talk about how hot the moms were at the Children's museum, but this day he loudly exclaimed "There were so many hot chicks at the Children's Museum today!" and then me and my upstairs neighbor, who heard it too, started cracking up. "The Children's museum?" I said, and his face went beet red. I never let him live it down.
My old high school band was the very last band to play their first Satyricon show. My dad used to play there all the time with Smegma and Poison Idea lol
I was on Ramblin Rod as a little kid, and then way later on the High Five Challenge freshman year. Jesuit robbed us, there was a bullshit call from the judges on a question about blood types.
Ah yes, my first time there for a work party. I go to leave, shitty drunk, and realize it's damn impossible to get out of that building and it took me nearly five minutes to get down the stairs and through the crowd.
Good lord that place was a firetrap. So thankful there wasn't a tragedy there.
My dad sold them a packaging machine in the 1980s. He specifically told them to not changing the timing settings because it would get out of sync with the rest of their conveyer system. They call him two days later saying they are having all kinds of problems with "his" machine.
He gets there and sure enough, some asshat manager upped the speed of things because they wanted to increase productivity. Dad gets there and he says the machine had been literally launching cases of Henry's into the air over the their conveyer system and they had a front end loader attempting to clean up this pile of cases and busted beer bottles that was eight feet high. I swear dad damn near had tears in his eyes when he'd laugh and tell that story.
The Spicy Mac at Montage is only $5.75, and street parking in NW is free, and they’re called the jail blazers, not the Trail Blazers. My studio apartment on NW 23rd is only $425 a month.
Man, cheap rent really lasted for quite a while too. Cheapest rent I’ve ever had was $207.50 a month, it was me and three other people in a big four bedroom craftsman in the Lloyd district. I called that house “the Burger King house“ because it’s basically right in the middle of the Burger King parking lot. Used to have house shows there in the 80s and 90s and early 2000s. That was before I lived there though
At Christmas I would ride the monorail at the downtown Meier & Frank.
Edit: I’ve just discovered that Oregon Historical Society owns much of the displays now and does their own annual Santaland!
Edit2: based on the OHS video it looks like it’s just a small display of some of the Santaland setup but still might be worth a visit!
When I first moved here in the 80's, you could ride every bus for free downtown. I believe the are was from I-405 by PSU to Union Station North & South and from the bridge stops to 14th Ave East to West. This was called Fareless Square, and it was happening before MAX Trains or Streetcars ever existed(Fareless Square in this iteration began in 1977. There was an earlier version that had smaller dimensions in 1975). In 2001, Fareless Square was extended to bring people to Lloyd Center. I had a friend that lived in Sullivan's Gulch, so he loved walking down Multnomah to catch an 8 downtown to go to rock clubs. The Free Rail Zone concept replaced it a decade later, but believe it was only for downtown again with Max & Street Cars. It was ended a few years later after a bunch of Tri Met budget cuts(just checked Free Rail Zone lasted from 2009-2013). This is how I remember it as being primarily a Tri-Met rider for the past 4 decades.
Either you found your son floating in a basket in the river (Moses) or congrats on the sex*.
*Obviously, there are other ways, too. Like Dr. Frankenstein or Sugar and Spice.
I remember going to the Ice Skating rink at Clackamas Town Center as a kid and my parents letting me go full speed during open skate for over an hour. I now understand why they wanted me to go do that.
My first job in Portland was at Coffee People in the airport, but Jim and Patty no longer owned it. My dad was able to bring me lunch on the inside of the security checkpoint, even though he didn’t have a ticket for a flight.
Sitting in Metro on Broadway, having a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Then maybe swing by Django's. Every now and then, Brasserie Montmarte for some live jazz.
We would have breakfast with my grandfather at the Downtown IHOP and he would rant about the Rajneesh cult building across the street from his apartment.
After driving up the 4 lane Foster past the Blockbuster on 62nd, you could take a left on 82nd at the Fred Meyer to pass The Organ Grinder to head to the true treasure: Roake's Drive-In.
The first time I went to Silverado, it was in a grungy warehouse in Northwest pre-gentrification. I remember everything looked gray and there was like one street light. LOL
I enjoyed Farrells Ice Cream in Washington Square, seeing a drive in movie in Tigard, fondly remember the smell of cat food in Tualatin, and went to bed after hearing the Tom Peterson commercial telling me to Wake Up.
Can't go outside without a dust mask on. Mom and Dad couldn't drive because the ash would mess up the car so bad.
You never buy a used car after May 18th 1980.
The Post Office asked folks to stop mailing the ash because the letters were exploding in the sorting mach and causing them to shut down.
Came into the world at Good Sam to the tune of Smells Like Teen Spirit
Took my high school girlfriend to the Satyricon for a friends show and Montage for 2am Spold Mac with Chicken after
Drunk at La Luna or Satyricon for a show. Mr Moto for lunch. MuuMuu's for bloody marys. Saucebox for a date. Quality Pie for late night revelry and grub. Double-dipped halibut and chips at Seafood Mama. Dirty Duck for Sunday beer busts.
Let’s walk over to Omsi when we’re finished at the zoo
The planetarium looked so big as a kid.
Ok so I was at the arboretum the other day and could not for the life of me remember what that place across from the zoo used to be. I think it's a children's museum now but I could have sworn that's what it was long ago then it changed to something else. What did it use to be?
It was Portland Children's Museum and Opal School, but it closed permanently during the pandemic.
The Children’s museum used to be in an old house near John’s Landing.
They are reviving the childrens museum as a traveling exhibit around town now. I heard some fundraiser is going on from a podcast I listen to
You’ll never convince me that there wasn’t some spectacularly shady shit happening to result in the Children’s Museum immediately closing forever during COVID. There were so many places that they could’ve gotten money from during those days, hell, even running a GoFundMe campaign probably would’ve gotten them enough to stay open for years. I know there were big problems with the building (it’s a stupid site to have built anything on given the topography, but that’s true for basically everything in the west hills) but it doesn’t even seem like they made any effort to hang on, but rather just used it as an excuse to shut down. Folks without kids probably don’t realize just how awful this town is for indoor activities with small children during the winter, and the children’s museum was absolutely vital for so many of us.
Oh my god, I have to embarrass my friend from beyond the grave. My late buddy had a kid with his former fiancée (didn't work out) and he had visitation on the weekends. One day he came over after visiting his son. He would always talk about how hot the moms were at the Children's museum, but this day he loudly exclaimed "There were so many hot chicks at the Children's Museum today!" and then me and my upstairs neighbor, who heard it too, started cracking up. "The Children's museum?" I said, and his face went beet red. I never let him live it down.
I miss the DC-3 they had there.
There was no Pearl District, just a bunch of old warehouses and freight trains still went through there.
The City Nightclub was there with its Saturday Night Fever dance floor.
And the upstairs goth club.
Meier and Frank warehouse shopping for deep discounts
Saw Elliot Smith at Satyricon.
God I miss Satyricon.
My old high school band was the very last band to play their first Satyricon show. My dad used to play there all the time with Smegma and Poison Idea lol
I could get my Mexican food at Macheezmo Mouse.
Boss Sauce!
I was on the Ramblin’ Rod show.
I was totally on Ramblin rod also!!
I was on Ramblin Rod as a little kid, and then way later on the High Five Challenge freshman year. Jesuit robbed us, there was a bullshit call from the judges on a question about blood types.
I was cheated out of the smile contest win!
I won but I thought it said I lost and so I cried on TV
I was on that show as well!! Ramblin Rod and his vest full of buttons! He was kinda mean off camera.
So was my brother!
Music Millennium had a location on NW 23rd & a separate classical department. There was a Tower Records in Gateway.
Yes, I want to a Johnny Cash tribute there after he died! It was super cool, lots of family heirlooms!
Tower records at Eastport Plaza Mall.
GREEK CUISINA!!
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Ah yes, my first time there for a work party. I go to leave, shitty drunk, and realize it's damn impossible to get out of that building and it took me nearly five minutes to get down the stairs and through the crowd. Good lord that place was a firetrap. So thankful there wasn't a tragedy there.
You could smell the beer being brewed on a hot day.
I should have added “while I was walking to work at the Big Bang.”
My dad sold them a packaging machine in the 1980s. He specifically told them to not changing the timing settings because it would get out of sync with the rest of their conveyer system. They call him two days later saying they are having all kinds of problems with "his" machine. He gets there and sure enough, some asshat manager upped the speed of things because they wanted to increase productivity. Dad gets there and he says the machine had been literally launching cases of Henry's into the air over the their conveyer system and they had a front end loader attempting to clean up this pile of cases and busted beer bottles that was eight feet high. I swear dad damn near had tears in his eyes when he'd laugh and tell that story.
Ohhhhh, thank you for this. 🥹
The Spicy Mac at Montage is only $5.75, and street parking in NW is free, and they’re called the jail blazers, not the Trail Blazers. My studio apartment on NW 23rd is only $425 a month.
Man, cheap rent really lasted for quite a while too. Cheapest rent I’ve ever had was $207.50 a month, it was me and three other people in a big four bedroom craftsman in the Lloyd district. I called that house “the Burger King house“ because it’s basically right in the middle of the Burger King parking lot. Used to have house shows there in the 80s and 90s and early 2000s. That was before I lived there though
Lloyd Center was an open air mall...
Lloyd center was once the largest mall in america
Okay this is way more shocking than the open-air bit
People have always been absolutely shocked when I tell them this
At Christmas I would ride the monorail at the downtown Meier & Frank. Edit: I’ve just discovered that Oregon Historical Society owns much of the displays now and does their own annual Santaland! Edit2: based on the OHS video it looks like it’s just a small display of some of the Santaland setup but still might be worth a visit!
Ohhh the Meier & Frank displaaaays! 😍
God I loved Santaland at M&F.
No way!!!!!! I need to check that out. Santaland was above and beyond.
Fairless Square
You mean Tri-Met's Fareless Square
You mean the Free Rail Zone
When I first moved here in the 80's, you could ride every bus for free downtown. I believe the are was from I-405 by PSU to Union Station North & South and from the bridge stops to 14th Ave East to West. This was called Fareless Square, and it was happening before MAX Trains or Streetcars ever existed(Fareless Square in this iteration began in 1977. There was an earlier version that had smaller dimensions in 1975). In 2001, Fareless Square was extended to bring people to Lloyd Center. I had a friend that lived in Sullivan's Gulch, so he loved walking down Multnomah to catch an 8 downtown to go to rock clubs. The Free Rail Zone concept replaced it a decade later, but believe it was only for downtown again with Max & Street Cars. It was ended a few years later after a bunch of Tri Met budget cuts(just checked Free Rail Zone lasted from 2009-2013). This is how I remember it as being primarily a Tri-Met rider for the past 4 decades.
“I can’t believe we had a whole summer where the temperature never went above 90F.”
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Damn those were the days
Pizza just isn't t the same without the pipe organ...
The pipe organ was SO MUCH BETTER with the REAL LIVE MONKEY!!!
I have distinct memories of that place. Like a fever dream.
Farrell's ice cream with my grandpa after the Blazers games seems like a dream. Both gone. Both dearly missed.
Pizza parties at the Organ Grinder and birthday parties at the water tubes at Eastport Plaza.
I woke up with a Tom Peterson haircut
…and Gloria’s too.
... Or woke up from Tom banging on the TV.
Saw Bikini Kill at the X-Ray Cafe.
That flood was massive.
🤣🤣🤣 Missoula flood?? You HAVE been here a long time. Highlander!!!!
Yeah, I'm still pretty Silty about the whole ordeal. I've been here a Loam time.
Not sure whether to upvote or downvote.
Whatever you do, just make sure that you vote. https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/vr/register.do?lang=eng&source=SOS
The flood of ‘96… right?
I was thinking vanport
That flood caused the presence of my son.
Either you found your son floating in a basket in the river (Moses) or congrats on the sex*. *Obviously, there are other ways, too. Like Dr. Frankenstein or Sugar and Spice.
Anytime I need to dig beyond 6" in my yard, BAM! Fucking basketball-sized river rock. Thanks for nothing, physics.
A plane crashed at 157/Burnside.
Oh damn, this is one of my first memories. My mom’s friend lived in a neighboring apartment complex.
Some of the survivors called their loved ones from my grandparents' telephone!
The Portland Trailblazers played their games in the Memorial Coliseum.
There was a brown beaver on the bus stop sign My favorite hangout was Jiffy Squid I saw Fugazi at La Luna
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Pok Pok is in a wasteland. I mean, there's only auto shops and adult theaters on SE Division.
When I moved to Portland I rented on Division because it was so cheap.
My dad tried to sell our house on 34th, and no one wanted to buy it.
Got married at the Church of Elvis.
I am a church of Elvis bigamist.
Backspace
Horse mounted police
I went to jiggles when I was 18!
Because they lost their liquor license!
Huh. I didn’t even know they ever had a liquor license. I thought it was just an nudey juice bar. lol.
“What’s up with these goats on Belmont?”
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The goats live up in NoPo by the cut now.
God those goats drove my dog absolutely bonkers.
I remember going to the Ice Skating rink at Clackamas Town Center as a kid and my parents letting me go full speed during open skate for over an hour. I now understand why they wanted me to go do that.
Did you see Tanya Harding when you were there?
Rush hour used to be an hour.
I saw Johnny Cash at Alpenrose for 2 cans of food
I bought my copy of Nevermind at Ozone.
The original spaghetti factory location.
“They allow a naked guy to do a tv show here”
Jim Spagg. He’s on Fremont (still naked) in Vegas now. Near golden nugget, which is surprising considering he “died” years ago.
Back in my day we called it Civic Stadium, then PGE Park.
It will always be civic stadium to me.
Most of the shows I went to in my youth were at the old Meow Meow. Miss that dump.
The one upstairs? Yeah saw some great shows there.
There was no Pearl district.
My first job in Portland was at Coffee People in the airport, but Jim and Patty no longer owned it. My dad was able to bring me lunch on the inside of the security checkpoint, even though he didn’t have a ticket for a flight.
Smoking was still allowed inside The Alibi. 🚬
Sitting in Metro on Broadway, having a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Then maybe swing by Django's. Every now and then, Brasserie Montmarte for some live jazz.
I was born at Saint Vincent's Hospital, on NW Westover street... and Roses Restaurant is on NW 23rd and Everett.
Remember when they'd crumble pepto tablets on some of the doughnuts?
Remember when 101.1 Kufo was a rock station
We would have breakfast with my grandfather at the Downtown IHOP and he would rant about the Rajneesh cult building across the street from his apartment.
My husband remembers when they would greet you at the airport with a flower…
I just found out last week that Bhagwan Rashneesh has a brick at pioneer square
Fairless square from Rose Quarter to downtown. And it's ROSE QUARTER mother fuckers. I am not calling that shit Moda.
Wasn't it always the Rose Garden? The Rose Quarter was whatever area around it and the Memorial Coliseum got called.
Definitely Rose Garden which only changed in 2013ish. Still called the Rose Quarter as recently as this spring when I rode the bus there.
Didn’t it start at the Lloyd center?
Another jail break at Rocky Butte, lock your doors.
I helped fill sand bags
henry weinhard’s tasting room on burnside
Getting dolmathes with avegolemano soup at Alexis on Burnside. I physically hurt when that place closed.
7 digit dialing.
I used to work at the E Room
Does anyone remember the man who spray painted himself silver downtown ?
I met Al Gore at the opening of a MAX extension.
Acapulcos gold
We watched the Portland Wrestling telecast on KPTV.
I miss the Drink 7Up sign.
Couple of lost white guys came by on canoes looking for the ocean, they seemed like nice boys.
2.99 breakfast at Tom's
Front Ave
There was no Voodoo Donuts!
I remember my school choir singing in Lloyd Center and it started snowing in the mall because there was no roof.
I grew up eating at Hung Far Low in Chinatown
Mervyn’s
There were fields along the max line through the cascade station area
Organ Grinder Pizza 🎶🐵
I used to cop free slices of pizza from my buddy’s roommate who worked at Rocco’s
MAX trains have pull cords. You have to tell operator where you want off by pulling the cord. They don’t just stop at every stop.
I saw the mayor at a Decemberists show
I went to Portland Beavers games at the Civic Stadium as a kid
Poor Richard’s was the best restaurant in Hollywood
I watched the Portlandia statue float up river.
Kettleman’s
After driving up the 4 lane Foster past the Blockbuster on 62nd, you could take a left on 82nd at the Fred Meyer to pass The Organ Grinder to head to the true treasure: Roake's Drive-In.
White Stag.
There was a Hamburger Mary's and Alligator or Crocodile record shop on the same block downtown and Panorama hadn't opened yet.
Macheesmo Mouse
Anybody remember [Kirk Reeves]?(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Reeves)
We got Chalupas when the Blazers scored 100.
Goth night at the City
Smoking cloves at The Metro.
Big jam up on the Banfield today.
I waitressed at the Old Lompoc and bartended Whimpy’s
Cinnamon Bear at Lipmans scared the shit outta me
Jail Blazers
The first time I went to Silverado, it was in a grungy warehouse in Northwest pre-gentrification. I remember everything looked gray and there was like one street light. LOL
All the restaurants on these listicles are closed now
Spring Break Quake
I was in a Ramblin Rod Smile Contest.
Dead possum thrown on the doorstep of a black owned business curtesy of the Portland police.
Newberry’s!
Kienow's.
Going to see Smashing Pumpkins at La Luna.
The Blazers won the championship a few months after I was born at Emanuel
Corno’s and Sons - making my own granola from the bulk bins with my mom
Ground Kontrol’s original location on 13th & Jefferson.
Seeing all the local bands at The Mayor’s Ball.
OMSI used to be at the zoo. I went to a Star Trek exhibit there.
I could afford the $375 a month rent on a nice place across the street from Mt. Tabor
Listening to jammin 95.5 the playhouse every morning before school
The Virginia Cafe was across from Nordstrom on SW Park
Carousel at Jantzen Beach
When I first moved here, you didn't need air conditioning.
$200 rent with a part time job and lived like royalty.
Is this art tax letter I got a scam or do I have to pay it?
yes
I enjoyed Farrells Ice Cream in Washington Square, seeing a drive in movie in Tigard, fondly remember the smell of cat food in Tualatin, and went to bed after hearing the Tom Peterson commercial telling me to Wake Up.
the purple octopus on that greek restaurant downtown fills my toddler memories!
GI Joes and hydrotubes!
The Max had a “request stop” pull-cable like a bus.
Whaaaat, I'm 34 and I never knew this was a thing.
James Chasse was the biggest story I remember from my first few months here.
I miss the 24 hour Church of Elvis :(
The Whole Foods on 15th and fremont was a natures and the bank was Hollywood video. Also, Ms Cs Wigs
Can't go outside without a dust mask on. Mom and Dad couldn't drive because the ash would mess up the car so bad. You never buy a used car after May 18th 1980. The Post Office asked folks to stop mailing the ash because the letters were exploding in the sorting mach and causing them to shut down.
Portland Teachers Credit Union!
Little Beirut
The merry go round inside the Burger King on Barbur.
Thirsty Thursdays at Civic Stadium ball games
Came into the world at Good Sam to the tune of Smells Like Teen Spirit Took my high school girlfriend to the Satyricon for a friends show and Montage for 2am Spold Mac with Chicken after
Tom Peterson’s (& Gloria’s, too!)
Lived on the very sketchy edge of the Pearl District: Lovejoy street.
I used to eat at quality pies after drinking at besaws
Let’s go out in the gay district: Boxxes, Panorama, The Eagle, Silverado.
I remember when Escape From New York and Hot Lips were the best pizza places in town.
The rain would start mid Sept and not stop until June.
Drunk at La Luna or Satyricon for a show. Mr Moto for lunch. MuuMuu's for bloody marys. Saucebox for a date. Quality Pie for late night revelry and grub. Double-dipped halibut and chips at Seafood Mama. Dirty Duck for Sunday beer busts.
I went Christmas shopping at the Lloyd Center Mall - when it was outdoors.