Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/26

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Subject: [Leica] Portland Places and People and Camera Stores
From: mak@teleport.com
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 10:24:20 -0700

Hi, I was the youngest member of LHSA when I joined in college in 1984 and I
believe I am still in the youngest 10% or so...Welcome to the hometown of my
family since 1887.

Many have asked about Portland from a local/Leica perspective...

Portland has been in the 80's for several weeks. No rain is forcast for the
next 10 days though that MAY change. 

Even if it does rain chances are it will be at most light showers.

Portland is divided into quadrants
N and S are north and south of the Willamette River. E and W are east and west
of Burnside (a major street) ( btw Wa Lam Ette)

thus SE is across the river east of Burnside

Much of Portland is an alpha numeric grid

Ankeny
Burnside
Couch (coo ch not cow ch) (D E F G etc)

and counting up from the river...Front Ave/Naito being zero street...being
bisected by a river Portland has a number of beautiful bridges.


Portland is a compact city core with very short blocks so one can walk
anywhere quickly. Portland also has a new street car system for the city core
and a light rail system that can whisk you from the airport to downtown for
$2-3 or so. Town Cars and Cabs run $20-25.

Portland Proper...

Portland is a safe, clean city. Portland has rules requiring street level
retail and Oregon has some very severe zoning laws that lead to very dense
cities (and staggering housing prices on eh good side this also means people
are downtown 24/7/365.)

Sadly the Doubletree is in a 1970's Urban Renweal area.  Bounded by the Civic
Auditorium, offie and residential towers and Portland State University (good
school pretty bleak buildings though) Sort of devoid of spunk...but...a couple
short blocks and you are in the middle of whatever you want...

Portland is home to Powells Books largest book store in the world (they say -
damn big) 1005 W Burnside.

Portland boasts more breweries per capita and total than any other city
(including Munich) Microbrewing started in the NW. Bridgeport is picturesque,
the beer is good and it is in the art district (The Pearl). Tugboat right off
Broadway offers jam sessions and poetry readings.  Oregon also boasts 245
wineries and Portland is not far from any of these. Oregon Wine Tasting Room
is a beautiful hilltop overlooking the coastal valleys just an hour south of
Portland 503 835 2362 gets you hours and directions. If you want to stay in
the city core try Oregon Wine on Broadway downtown at Broadway and Alder (5
mins from hotel) or Urban Wine Works 16th and NE Glisan (mix you own Oregon
wine belends there. In the Pearl Art District) 

Shoppers will find all the standard fare at Pioneer Place I and II downtown. A
free light rail ride brings you to Llyod Center. A mega mall (Oregon has no
sales tax). Better place is NW 23rd street great shops eateries and galleries
(NW 21st as well)

Portland has more coffee shops than any city except Seattle and Milan.

Portland is home to the world's largest (Forest) and smallest (Mill End) urban
parks.
Portland is at the intersection ot the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. (A deep
sea port 80 miles inland). Portland has river walks on both sides of the
Willamette (east side is OMSI Science Museum as well) Bring a bike or go for a
hike!

Portland's living room is Pioneer Court House Square on Broadway just minutes
from the hotel...

Portland has a Thursday Art Walk (First Thursday) with a number of Photo
Galleries. 
Photographic Image Gallery is one of my favorites.

Portland Camera Stores...remember no sales tax in Oregon...

Portland was the home of Camera World (recently acquired by Ritz). In the 2
decades of independent existence Camera World by virtue of its massive size
pretty much wiped out local camera stores. Camera World is now just a big Ritz
(with some current Leica product)

However...there are a couple survivors...in alpha order...

Blue Moon Camera and Machine. 20 minutes from downtown in St Johs (right
across the St Johns Bridge. Best selection of Leica and collectible and user
cameras and accessories in Portland hands down. Huge book selection too. Jake
is the guy. 503 978 0333 for hours and directions. Best processing in town.
They sell typewriters old radios giant models and geiger counters too! 20+
Leicas here. Need 620? 126? see Jake.

Citizens Photo 503 232 8501 SE 7TH and Alder. Willamette Week (alt news
weekly) gave it kudos a couple years ago as the best of Portland before Blue
Moon came along. Jim is the Leica guy here (they are a couple minutes from my
office as of 10AM today they have some Bessa bits, an R4 and R5 and some
lenses. Great building. Brian and Bob and Max are good folks too.

Pro Photo Supply Local studio shooters store. Good folks good selection
NW19th. 503 241 1112. Doug and Tom are the guys here. M3 and a few odds and
ends good pro gear. Massive film selection.

Hollywood Camera. Only surviving neighborhood camera shop. 40th and NE Sandy.
Mike is the man here. 6 Leicas. Beautiful Nikon RF outfit.

Suburban Photo  Beaverton 25 minutes from Portland (out hwy 26). Local Leica
dealer. Some used bits. Some new M lenses. Joe is a great guy. 

Tymers Camera 360 696 0859 Vancouver Wa (Portland is right on the border of
Washington). Russ. Great guy. Some Leica bits and used SM stuff. 

Bill Crispien Custom Camera Craft Letiz and Rollei trained repair guy. 503 281
6855.

Camera Solutions George or Nichole on Macadam in SW Portland. Lots of used.
Mainly repair shop. 

Other shops you may want to check out

Associated Camera Repair
Advance Camera Repair
Camera Bag (Hillsboro)
Knight Camera (Vancouver)

Only good pawn shops are H &B downtown PDX and Main Street Loan in Vancouver.


Portland is about 1.5 hours from the Oregon Coast.

Lewis and Clark wintered there in 1805-06 near a town call Astoria. Ft Clatsop
has been recreated by the National Park Service.

Should you go to the coast there is a wonderful maritime museum in Astoria
along with the most interesting winery. Shallon, on  10th and Duane right
above the Custard King right across from the museum.

about 1/2 hour south is Cannon Beach and Ecola Park (all the photos of the
coast you see are taken from these two vantagte points.) Cannon Beach is a
lovely arts community.

Portland is also 1.5 hrs from Mt Hood (good climb) Beautiful Timberline Lodge
(WPA Project).

Would be ahppy to answer any questions.

Mark Kronquist mak@teleport.com 




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