SeeingGreen ™

Although I’ve written about some of Portland’s green baby shops before, I only recently found one in my very own neighborhood. Smaller than some closets in the homes they’re building out in the burbs, Zoom Baby Gear is smart to have a focus. Neatly folded and tucked into this tiny space are probably a […]

Over the past few years, many of my friends have been making little friends and I often find myself on the lookout for a gift to celebrate the new arrival. I also want the token to be meaningful, useful and of course, easy on the earth. Fortunately, Portland is teaming with baby and environment-friendly […]

UPDATE: This place has moved to St. Johns and is now called Rideout Reclamation.
If you have driven out to the coast recently, you may have noticed that you can see the forest through the trees. This is not due to some unexpected clarity of mind, but because the lumber giants have been […]

My first job was working as a page in the library in the town where I grew up. Shelving books, mending torn pages and showing patrons how to navigate the Dewey Decimimal System was my simple charge. It was then that I developed a love for libraries that has never vanished. I […]

Ever thought you could change the world? Well Ryan Christensen, founder of the social and fashion enterprise Sameunderneath, does. The concept behind his blossoming clothing business is relatively simple. No matter the color of your skin, what boxes you select on election day or how you wear your hair, we are all […]

On a recent bike ride through St. John’s, there was a glimmer that things are starting to change in one of Portland’s last frontiers. Proper Eats, a vegan/vegetarian inspired market and café has sprouted in a storefront on the corner of N. Alma and Lombard. With a small, but meaningful selection of organic/locally grown […]

When Prananda opened its doors on N. Interstate Avenue in 2003, the yoga and arts center was a welcome addition in the otherwise flagging redevelopment of the old motorway. Although the new light rail line brought much needed transportation and road improvements to the neon-clad throughway, the business boom planners had predicted has been […]

Don’t let the words “entombed and salvaged wood furniture” on ecoPDX’s sign at the entrance scare you away. “Entombed” simply means that the wood was once buried underground, in this case by volcanic activity or flooding. Recognizing the value of this hidden treasure, a company called Tropical Salvage (based in Portland) gainfully […]

At most corner stores, beer, cigarettes, and pornography are what keep the doors open. Not so at Big City Produce, a neighborhood store that puts a different spin on seediness. Even in its modestly sized space, Big City Produce stocks typical grocery items such as eggs and milk, and all the supplies you would […]

Every neighborhood deserves a cafe where you can fuel up on your choice of caffeinated beverage and a sweet treat. For many years, North Portland was void of any such place, except for the only beacon of life for miles around, Beaterville Cafe. Now facing competition from all sides, Beaterville is not the […]

As a vegetarian, I eat a lot of burritos. The protein-rich mixture of beans, rice and cheese is a filling, easy and affordable way to subsist. Although Portland has a lot of opportunities to gorge on these rolled up food cartridges, few make it a healthy experience. Not the case at Laughing […]

If you are looking to be “A thorn in the side of the establishment,” Black Rose Collective is a good place to start. Although the storefront is not much bigger than a Hummer, this small space packs in some big ideas. From Anarchism to veganism, you’ll find a decent selection of books that […]

Update: As of November 2006, Q&Q is now closed. Where will I do my holiday shopping this year?
Quirks and Quandaries was one of the first businesses to appear during N. Mississippi’s most recent revitalization. At first I thought they would be gone in short time, not because they had a bad business […]

Don’t be surprised if a chicken with a harried hairdo greets you at the entrance to this abundant little nursery. As part of its line of locally produced plant offerings, Pistils also sells several varieties of chickens for the growing crowd of urban poultry owners. Unlike many commercial nurseries where plants are kept […]

This is no ordinary bike shop. Sure they sell and fix bikes here, but they also are a non-profit organization that “provides information, resources, and skill sharing programs to low-income and marginalized communities to promote the use of environmentally sustainable, self reliant transportation.” Translation: North Portland Bike Works offers workshops, classes, free […]

I cannot imagine Portland without The ReBuilding Center (TRC). There’s something about that place that embodies a side of Portland that is just so, Portland. The ReBuilding Center was started to divert reusable building materials from the waste stream and to provide a funding mechanism for Our United Villages‘ neighborhood enhancement projects. Functioning […]