Writing about places.
A Literary Legacy
Powell’s City of Books is more than a bookstore; it is a literary mecca. In fact, one man’s wish to be buried at Powell’s was realized when his ashes were added to what became the sandstone sculpture at the Couch Street entrance.
The Powell’s story began in 1971, when Walter Powell took over a derelict car dealership at 10th and Burnside. A retired painting contractor, he spent a summer working in his son Michael’s bookstore in Chicago and was inspired to open his own.
When Michael returned to Portland in 1979, he found a business with an unusual recipe for success; used books were shelved side by side with new ones. And the store was open 365 days a year, well into the late-night hours.
Staffed with book lovers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, each store section has its own lore. (Try to figure out what the rolling book carts in the Purple Room are named after.)
And there really was a cat named Fup who lived at Powell’s Technical Bookstore (33 NW Park Ave) from 1988[-]2007.
There are now six metro area Powell’s locations (main store at 1005 W Burnside St, Downtown; 503/228-4651; www.powells.com; map:J2), and while other independent bookstores disappeared with the advent of the Internet, award-winning Powells.com flourished and now ships books worldwide. It’s hard to know what Michael’s daughter Emily can do to improve upon the family business when she takes over. Just keeping the flame will be enough to keep her busy.
River Walk
Prior to 2010, if you wanted to take a stroll along the Willamette River in downtown Portland, you did so only on the west bank, along Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The east bank of the river was seen only from a distance. Now you can complete a loop on foot or by bike over the Hawthorne and Steel bridges. This vantage point offers the best views of downtown, and often you’ll see bride and groom photo sessions taking place from these vistas.
Ample parking is available on the east side, under or near the Hawthorne Bridge. Near the fire station, there, sits a life-size bronze statue of former mayor Vera Katz.
This 30-million-dollar project was many years in the making and was in the city plan of 1998. The Esplanade is a demonstration project for improved habitat for fish and wildlife, and riverbank restoration and construction was timed around the fish migration seasons.
Northward the walkway wends underneath the I-5—which can be loud but serves to remind you that you are where you’d rather be—on foot instead of on the freeway. Where the land once made this journey impassable, architects devised a 1,200-foot floating walkway to get you across—the longest of its kind in the country. These cement pathways are on pillars, and when a boat passes by or if the wind is up, you’ll notice you’re floating. Take in the sea-level view from one of the many benches or venture out on the boat dock and cast a fishing pole. Continue north from here to connect to the Oregon Convention Center, or head over the now pedestrian-friendly Steel Bridge alongside a train track where you’ll often see cargo ships docked nearby.
With four art pieces tastefully embedded in the landscape and 13 urban markers indicating the eastside city grid, the Esplanade is a 1.5-mile triumph of city planning and engineering, and a testament to “The City that Works.”