Did you know Portland’s Farmers Market has four locations? Me either! Those sly farmers. They’re making it pretty convenient for us. Here are the four:

1. Portland State University (between SW Harrison and Montgomery)
2. Shemanski Park (SW Park between SW Salmon and Main)
3. Eastbank (SE Salmon and 20th) – Berry Days on June 19!
4. Ecotrust (NW 10th between Irving and Johnson)

The last one is probably closest to Hotel deLuxe and I’ve never been! I do try to get over to the one at PSU. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s just a great stop on a stroll around town.

But it’s pretty hard not to buy. I like to sort nibble my way as I go. Cheeses, chocolate, fruits. And I doubt I ever leave without taking home fresh flowers. If nasturtiums, you can nibble those, too…

Oh! Before I forget, don’t forget to friend our page on Facebook. We’ve got a special rate code now for Facebook fans. Cool!

Cheers,
Emily

I don’t know what’s going on at Powell’s these days, but they’ve really stacked their upcoming calendar. Do writers get summer vacation? I haven’t been able to keep up! That is going to stop now.

Because in early/mid June Powell’s is looking to host an especially rich run of novelists and speakers I’m really looking forward to seeing. Here’s the highlights: Russell Banks on the 8th, David Guterson and Richard Bausch on the 9th, and then Salman Rushdie on the 13th.

I have Russell Banks’ new one, but haven’t read it, and have read a review of Richard Bausch’s new one. I’ve apparently got some catching up to do on the reading front. No more magazine subscriptions! Especially the New Yorker. Every week, New Yorker? Is that really necessary? I live in Portland!

RIF,
Emily

But do they have cupcakes? That’s my question. You say Rose Festival and I hear “cupcakes”. I blame Cupcake Jones. I stumbled into this place on NW 10th last Tuesday and have been three times since then!

I mean, come on, the cupcake is the perfect dessert in the perfect size. It’s even made to travel, sitting in its own little crinkly jacket. And Cupcake Jones has a different special every day, as well as a bunch of other flavors. The strawberry rhubarb pie is not made by human hands.

So I say roses are fine to name a festival after. They’re nice to look at and all. But can you fill one with toasted coconut pastry cream or cover it with homemade caramel drizzle and eat it while walking down the street?

Later,
Keith

I thought the folks at the Portland Mercury blog were kidding. Nau closing? Say it ain’t so! Sadly, it is so. I’ve just about had it with this “economic downturn” as we’re calling it. First, it demands nearly $4 for a tank of gas, and now this.

If you don’t know Nau, it’s a local clothing company that brought the very best products – and the very best intentions – to their business. Five percent of every purchase went to one of their partner groups, and you got to choose which one. And that’s just the beginning.

The only upside of all this is that now everything on their site is 50 percent off. But it’s not clear how long they’re going to drag it out, so if you want some very well designed clothes for a steal, you best head over to the site now.

Goodbye Nau, and thanks!

Emily

Imagine my surprise when I made my over to Physical Element at 11th and NW Lovejoy for some new workout stuff to find that they were gone. Well, not exactly gone. The store was still there, but no more fitness gear.

Turns out Physical Element has changed ― and dramatically ― from a place to get running tights to one where you’ll find European A-line chemises and V-neck ribbon dresses, among other striking fashionable fare.

I saw items from Cop.Copine, Moyuru, Deca, Casch Copenhagen, and there was also a lot from local designers. OK, I was disappointed to find the workout stuff gone, because I liked what they had. But the store looked great and the lines they’re carrying are top of the line and beautiful.

I didn’t really want to go to the gym anyway…

Cheers,
Emily

If you know Portland, you know that what is now called the Pearl District used to be an urban blight. It was a graveyard of old warehouses, vacant storefronts and overgrown lots.

What a difference a couple of years and can make. These days it’s a happening neighborhood with some of the city’s best stores and restaurants. Every once in awhile you get a glimpse of how it happened to work out that way.

The NeighborhoodNotes blog mentioned that the Centennial Mill, a century-old former flour mill and longtime waste of space, was destined for the wrecking ball. But here’s what I love about Portland: Apparently, the 12 buildings are going to be converted into a complex of restaurants, shops, entertainment and green space. Bravo, Portland.

So keep an eye on this spot along the Willamette on the northern edge of the Pearl.

Cheerio,
Emily

If you need an old school gaming fix, I have a plan for you. First, rent “King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.” It’s about Donkey Kong championships. Sounds lame but it’s hilarious.Then, get yourself over Ground Kontrol, which is on N.W. Couch. It’s full of old school arcade games like Donkey Kong, and also Galaga, Pac Man, Defender, Centipede, Tron. If it was from the 70s to 90s they’ve got it.

And if all that wasn’t enough, they serve beer. Games and beer. Yup.

Play on,
Keith

Reading Amy Ruiz’s post in the Portland Mercury blog about the lamentable absence of WiFi access in Tualatin got me thinking: What about PDX?

Well, if you live in Portland you probably remember all the talk about the city turning into one big free WiFi hot spot. But I haven’t heard anything in awhile. Here’s the situation these days:

According to MetroFi, Portland now has more than 550 live outdoor “access points” in more than 25 neighborhoods. And they say they’re growing all the time. I am told, however, that connecting indoors can be dodgy.

Not a problem. Just step into one of the city’s innumerable bars or coffee shops with free WiFi. WiFi PDX can tell you where the closest one is to where you’re standing. Whew.

Cheerio,
Emily

It’s that time of year. Finally. Time to welcome back Saturday! In the winter, Saturday hibernates around here. It gets movies from Netflix and plays online Scrabble. It wears sweats all the time and promises to get in shape in the spring.

But now it’s back, and it’s open for business under the Burnside Bridge between S.W. Naito and S.W. 1st. If you haven’t picked up on my clever allusion, I’m referring to the Saturday Market. Oh, how we have missed ye, Saturday.

If you’ve never been, the market is sort of a Portland landmark (and actually open Sunday, too). In its 25th year (so says their web site), it started as an artists’ cooperative but has grown to include food, music and some of the best people watching in the city.

And it’s right on the Max line. When you smell the kettle corn, get off.

Cheerio,
Emily

Someone was just telling me about that place (Stand Up Comedy)! I was very confused. I couldn’t understand that it was a store. It was a like a Laurel & Hardy bit. What’s it called? Stand Up Comedy. No, what’s it called? Stand Up Comedy.

It’s actually in the same area as a favorite place of mine. Moshi Moshi. That east Burnside neighborhood is really becoming quite the bastion of the avant garde these days. Lookout, Paris. Watch yourself, Berlin.

But Moshi Moshi. It’s this incredibly cool little shop full of vintage Japanese toys, art, t-shirts, bags, all kinds of different stuff. The bad news is they recently closed. The good news is I just read on their blog that they’ll be reopening at 916 West Burnside on March 6th for, and I quote, “a Mr. T themed group art show.”

Say no more.

See ya,
Emily