The eight story Morgan Building, built in 1912 is designated as a Historical Building. This…read morebuilding is gorgeous people. Crafted from red brick, marble floors and with fancy pants brass facade just adds to the glory of the building. The real charm for me is Morgan's Alley. It reminds me of those magical little avenues in old Europe with darling shops. Morgan's alley has gone through several incarnations over the years. Today's refined shops are quite a departure from the 1960's when this is where you would come to find a head shop. Some of the current tenants include Derek's Shoe Repair which has been there for what seems like forever. The European Master Tailor, Adorn a unique jewelry shop, R-Crew Beauty Salon, Teuscher Cafe and Chocolates of Switzerland, and what kind of alley would this be without booze. Oregon Wine on Broadway is one of the first places you will see as you enter which is a great spot to people watch. The iconic Hunan Chinese Restaurant (RIP) was there for 35 years. Take stroll through this delightful little piece of Portland history and see for yourself how enchanting it is. 2015 - Review # 33

Fantastic Fun! Free walking around seeing Art Galleries u would normally have to pay…read morefor.Complimentry beverages.Peds only

If you are into fun times then First Thursday is not something you want to miss whether you are a…read moreseasoned Oregonian, a pretentious Portlander or just here for a visit. The numerous art galleries in the Pearl District open their doors so anyone can venture in and view the art for free. Many of the cool shops and salons also stay open late to welcome visitors. There's usually a complimentary glass of wine and some hors d'œuvres involved with all these visits as well. One of my favorite artists Buzz Siler recently moved his studio to NW 20th and Vaughn...a little off the beaten path but worth visiting because he's awesome. Prem Group Property Management always participates by having a party in its basement. For a $5.00 donation that goes to a local charity you get to enjoy free wine, beer, food and a DJ. Party-on Prem! And if you don't know about the parties at the stately and gorgeous US Customs Building hosted by WeWork, you've really been missing out. You have to RSVP for free entry but access to this amazing building is a privilege and did I mention open bar and a variety of food? Just don't forget to tip the folks serving you. 13th Avenue between NW Hoyt and NW Kearney are closed to vehicle traffic so you can wander from various artists booths that are set up on each side of the street. I've seen some incredibly talented artists and amazingly affordable art along this route. First Thursday is a tradition in its 31st year and just keeps getting better. 2015 - Review # 50

Nice little sculpture in a drab little park (thats trying to improve) Its one of a series of…read moresculptures in the park. According to what I've read about it: the little pieces represents what it takes to make a good neighborhood, houses, trees etc. I like it's interesting but after looking at it for a minute it doesn't bring me back.

This mosaic is by Paul Sutinen. it is mosaic of granite that represents a shadow of an elm tree…read more I think that is perfect for the spot. It is easy to miss as it is set into the wide area in the sidewalk but it adds interest.

A hidden little gem…read more.. err...long, high GEM Definitely a local secret. The Skybridge connects OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital. One of the best spots in PDX to get a brilliant view of the surrounding area and Mt. Hood as well. I definitely spilled the beans on this one...damn tourists! ;-) Hitch a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram for $5 to the top while enjoying the scenery and peaking into peoples backyards...lol, then take a walk across the bridge and enjoy all the beady of PDX! As of this review, there is no cost to walk across the VA Skybridge nor to enter OHSU or the VA Hospital. Just remember, not a whole lot to see on a cloudy day... You won't regret it!

The Skybridge between OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital is a godsend for patient…read morecare. There are tunnels in the basement once used for patient transportation dating back to 1919, but one wrong turn and who knows where you could end up. I once ended up in the old psych ward after a wrong turn. The old whirlpool baths (with the arm restraints and canvas covers) would have worked quite nicely in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I beat cleats to get back out of there - nightmarish enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. Yikes. The "new" VA Hospital was built in 1988 followed by the Skybridge in 1993. The Skybridge is really very nicely done, but I don't have words to describe it, so I've attached a picture from the VA website to give you an idea. There are house phones at frequent intervals throughout the Skybridge (super handy if you walk over from the VA to the main campus and have to sign in to the OHSU Payroll Time system and not be counted as late to work). There are also benches throughout in case the walk is too long (660 feet). I really hope you wouldn't have to use them,, but if so there are first aid stations available up and down the length of the Skybridge. What's fun, if you will, is how much employees and visitors use it for recreation. Patients are wheeled across in wheelchairs or just cruise along getting exercise after surgery or prolonged bedrest. They want you up and out of bed as soon as possible to regain strength and to prevent DVTs, and of course it's far nicer to walk in a light-filled space with a dynamite view of Portland. I walked with my stepmom back and forth across the Skybridge while she was in the hospital for three months after her liver transplant. If you walk across when it's cloudy or foggy, it looks like the Emerald City from Wizard of Oz (and spectacular when it snows). Employees come and use it in bad weather to "mall walk" for exercise. I once thought it would be a great idea to sit on one of the benches and eat lunch and take in the view. I do not recommend this. The Skybridge is essentially a suspension bridge that sways back and forth during wind and any other movement and is probably one of the most secure places anywhere here in Earthquake Country. I myself did not fare well because the bridge is in almost constant movement; my stomach did not appreciate the constant movement whilst eating lunch, so I had to get the hell out of dodge before lunch and I parted ways. I never ate there again. OHSU and VAMC are so lucky to have a link like this for patient transportation and even recreation. It's faster to be sure and so much more cheerful and attractive. It makes all the difference in the world for everybody. Now all I have left to do is ride the aerial tram between the Old Campus and the newer South Waterfront and my OHSU experience will be pretty complete!

The Willamette River is a heck of a river. I ride next to it almost every single day. It's…read morebeautiful and has lots of sexy bridges. Roughly 187 miles long, it is home to a plethora of wildlife including but not limited to: 31 native species of fish, beavers, river otters , snakes (EEK) and more birds than you can shake a stick at! Also notably the longest river in the United States to flow in a northward direction. Oh how lucky we are to have this beautiful body of water in our daily lives. Three cheers to you Willamette River, hip hip Hooray! Hip hip Hooray! Hip hip Hooray!

Portland is "Bridge City" and the Willamette river is the rive all those bridges cross. It is a…read morefocal point if the City. The river is beautiful .... and the continual trips up and down the river by the Sternwheeler, Portland Spirit and all the dragon boaters is so Portland. During Christmas time the lighted/decorated Christmas ships is something I always look forward to. Love it! There have been some concerns in the past few years that it is becoming more contaminated and I know there are talks of how to clean it up and stop the continuation of the contamination. There are a few parks that are located on the shores of this prominent river and Willamette Park is one of them that also has a boat ramp. The sailing school is close by as well. Roll on Willamette!

I lived near this street for more decades than I care to admit (not in terms of living nearby, but…read moremore in terms of my own age). The best part of it was my grandparents lived one block down on 83rd and Flavel. It was a beautiful residential neighborhood at the time, and they kept an immaculate yard full of roses and dahlias. We even got to do the classic American thing of walking to the ice cream store with grandpa for cones. Memories like that can't be beat. After my grandparents died, my mom sold the house. The new owner rented it out and let it go to hell, and the surrounding neighborhood got pretty rough. I got to where I couldn't bear to drive by and see it. And that's pretty much the story of 82nd to me; rough and rougher and too much to make fun of. I haven't spent a lot of time over there for many years, but recently I've had to be out there for several reasons, and I've seen promising signs of change. PCC has built a new-ish campus on 82nd & Division that is very handsome. A lot of young couples have bought homes there as well, the most promising sign of all. There has been a lot of business development also. 82nd is never going to be anybody's idea of beautiful, but there's a lot of pride of ownership that can be felt. I was very sorry to hear that their Rose-Festival-sanctioned community parade was canceled because the Oregon Republican Party members were threatened with harm by opposing groups. That's so wrong. However, I think with all the changes I've seen lately that this is a community that has the strength to rise above. As for me, I got brave enough to drive by my grandparents' old house. One of those young couples (I would guess) had bought it and brought it back to its old glory. For all the good and bad and all the history, I had a good cry. The young woman in the front yard probably wwondered who that strange woman was, but I hope she somehow understood how pleased my grandparents would be to see all their hopes and dreams still being worked on just a block from 82nd.

But where are the Roses?…read more Last Monday, I was southbound on the #72 bus, after transferring from the Max Red Line at the NE 82nd Ave Station. And when I saw the sign for the "Hung Far Low" Chinese restaurant, it was time to get off at Division and transfer to the #4 bus. After this experience, I take it all back about occasionally needing a cab in Portland. I can really do public transit here! When I visit Portland, I try to explore a "cute" new neighbourhood each time. On this trip, that was NE Alberta, Nob Hill, and a huge chunk of Division (between 25th and my bus stop). On the other hand, the "Avenue of the Roses" is Portland's longest continual commercial strip (from the Clackamas County line to PDX). Every City has one, and even Sustainable Portland is no exception. Judging by my fellow bus travelers and the scenery going by, there's a lot going on here. And it's probably best that I was just passing through....

When I first saw this sculpture I expected the name to reflect Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" It…read moreactually is symbolic of Portland's past. The list of symbolism turned out to be boring but I decided I like the sculpture anyway. I will just pretend it is for the story instead.