HUB is located in a revamped concrete building that was a former fuel distributor’s headquarters. Although I’m usually a fan of the urban industrial design motif, HUB’s new space is a little heavy in this department, especially in the parking lot where permeable pavers lock together in a pattern that might produce a bit of vertigo for the uninitiated (or inebriated). However, the inside of the brewpub is a little kinder on the eyes. The bar features Portland’s most beloved icon (the bicycle) as its prominent decoration, while the bartender (Michael) warmed the environs up with a friendly smile.

Honey colored wood booths line the aisle as you head towards the elevated back patio where you are treated to some lovely views of the West Hills and downtown. Other touches like a corner blackboard and play area are a nod that parents are also welcome at this spot. Missing for me was more explanation of what green building measures were taken during the renovation and why people should care about the development team’s efforts. For example, I think it is appropriate to put a few lines on the menu about the number of tons of carbon they saved by reusing an old building or how much stormwater they are keeping out of the sewer system with the pavers. This is Portland afterall - people eat this stuff up. [You can check their website for more green details.]

Speaking of eating, the simple cheese pizza was tasty enough (it’s hard to beat Escape from New York for this former New Yorker), but not surprisingly the place really excelled in the beer department. I had a delicious imperial pint of Organic Crosstown Pale Ale (to honor my trek from North Portland) and would have tried others if it weren’t for the early hour. Our server was professional and friendly, and along with the good beer and efforts to green up the neighborhood, HUB is brewing up a success story.

Hopworks Urban Brewery
2944 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
Tel: 503 / 232-HOPS (4677)

According to its website, GreenRenter’s mission is simple “…inspire renters and owners to go green.” If a property incorporates at least one of seven sustainable strategies, such as energy or water conservation, it qualifies to be listed. The site is elegantly designed and easy to navigate. To post a listing, all you need to do is create a free account. To search for properties (note that not every property has current vacancies) you can do so without signing up. A recent search turned up many options to choose from, even though the site was just launched.

Although renters can get a bad rap, living in rented properties has many advantages in terms of sustainability. Often units are in multifamily properties that benefit from “environments” of scale, such as lowered utility bills, well-appointed recycling facilities and opportunities to share tools or other resources. Also, renting provides you with a little more flexibility to live closer to where you work, especially if you change jobs frequently. And with all our current real estate woes, being a renter can help save a little green while GreenRenter can help you live a little greener.

The friendly owner is an enthusiastic champion of using cloth diapers and can provide you with literature and resources to make even the most intrepid more comfortable. There’s been plenty written on the cloth vs. disposable debate, but after a visit to Zoom Baby Gear, I think you’ll find it easy to make a rash-o-nale decision and leave behind the disposables.

Zoom Baby Gear
5931 N. Greeley Ave.
Open 11-6 Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday
Closed Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
503-285-0690

Now don’t get me wrong. I think the “www” is fabulous (not to be confused with The “W”). I love experimenting with self-publishing, researching my whimsical interests and reading newspapers without a paid subscription. I just don’t need to do this while I should be doing something else, such as walking down the street, listening to a friend or observing the clouds in the sky.

Fortunately I am not alone in my pursuit to free up bandwidth so that I may tune into living more consciously. I started thinking about the communities that prohibit technology altogether, such as most of the Amish and Mennonites. To learn more about this lifestyle, I picked up a book by a man who spent a year and a half living among a group of Amish-type people (he called them “minimites”) who do not use any technology, including electricity, engine powered machinery or automobiles. In Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology, Eric Brende, an MIT graduate, and his wife find that not only do they survive under these conditions, they really thrive.

Brende’s account of his time living in this undisclosed location is poignant, funny and personal. Even though I found it difficult to identify with the strict religious ways of this community, I enjoyed learning more about an alternative approach to negotiating this modern world. I also felt myself romanticizing the quiet and simplicity that accompanies life without all the conveniences of technology.

I put the book down with the final impression that technology is not bad per se, it’s more that we need to restore a little more balance to how and when we use it. For me that means I am going to skip buying that lovely device and instead go write a letter to an old friend, read a book or listen closely to the wind chimes in my neighbor’s yard. As Brende suggests, “By speeding through life with technology, you reduce what any given moment can hold.”

The offerings here are more tightly curated than places such as The ReBuilding Center, but if you are looking for a particular mortise lock, back plate or glass doorknob to match your early twentieth century home - you’ll probably have better luck here. The prices were fair and the selection was admirable given the store has only been open four months. But what really sets this place apart from another (shall remain nameless) retailer in town with similar stock is that the staff here is very friendly. Funny how a simple “hello, can I help you?” can restore a lot more than houses.

Old Portland Hardware & Architectural
4035 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97202
503-234-7380

1. Portland Aerial Tram
Sure its budget ballooned and many pundits thought it would fail, but I really enjoy this new addition to Portland’s increasingly tower-filled skyline. I also like how efficiently and quickly it moves people from one place to another (even if it’s mostly OHSU employees). As someone who endures a commute that includes the slow chug of MAX as it moves through downtown, I am comforted by the notion that mass transit can be sleek and fast. Plus, its shiny skin and streamlined shape reminds me of another favorite of mine, Airstream trailers.

2. Canoe
I love this little shop that features a nicely curated selection of modern household objects, books and personal accessories. What’s so green about modernism? To me, modern is green in the sense that objects are usually durable, classic enough to outlast trends and designed to inspire stewardship, not blind consumption. On my current want/stalk list is a lovely eyeglass case fabricated with industrial felt, a tube of Weleda Skin Food (less so now thanks to thanks Co-pilot), Heath Ceramics anything and a waterproof bag made by Seal Line.

3. The Library
I’ve already sung the praises of the library before, but I just need to do it again. I love how I can learn about a book, movie or musical group and with a few taps on the keyboard, I can put the item on hold for pickup at my local branch. I’ve made my once-weekly pilgrimage to the library part of my exercise routine and the benefits are multi-fold. Not only do I get to take a healthy walk through my neighborhood, but I also return home with more entertainment, reading materials and joy than I can usually consume in a week. If only cookies were this good for you.

4. Craigslist
In another previous post I mention my obsession with Craigslist, but unlike my other overindulgences, I am less hesitant to admit being a user. Over the years I’ve had great luck both buying and selling items using the online exchange, but a recent success warrants a brief mention. I’ll save you all the graphic details, but I recently sold 65 rolls of recycled content toilet paper that just weren’t quite working for the family. It took six days for me to get a response, but the transaction completely reinvigorated my interest in using Craigslits to score good deals on reusable items and unload those things that clog the system, if you know what I mean.

5. Portland
I was talking to a friend the other day about an old Portland club that no longer exists (Satyricon) when it hit me that I moved to Portland when I was 22 years old, now almost 14 years ago. Not to say that I feel particularly over the hill, I am just struck by how much time has passed and how much I have grown. I really think that Portland has made me who I am on many fronts (that plus good parents). And as much as I feel like I have helped make Portland, it is this beautiful, resource-rich place and the people that live here that keep me inspired, engaged and often surprised by what is possible. Thank you, Portland.

So what are some of YOUR favorite things?

The tides started to change about three years later. I had been persistent in being friendly, saying hello, picking up trash that was blowing around the street and leaving my porch light on. But the frost really began to melt when Co-pilot and I started to improve the exterior of our home. Garden planted, degraded siding off, fresh paint job, edged borders and still, porch light on. It was an instant turnaround. Neighbors started coming over to see what we were doing, commenting on how nice the house was looking, asking if they could help. If only we had done something like this earlier.

This turnaround was when my home became rooted in a neighborhood, in a community. If you are experiencing a similar feelings of alienation, especially if you are living in one of Portland’s growing segments of vertical neighborhoods (think Eliot Tower, The Civic), there is a new tool to help you connect to your neighbors that doesn’t require ladders and paintbrushes.

Beneighbor is a web based social networking service that allows residents, especially condo dwellers, to connect with people who live in the same building or close-by. Similar to other social networking sites, Beneighbor allows you to create your profile, add images, schedule rendezvous and share resources, be it a tip on a good restaurant or directions to the nearby park.

Although the recently launched site is not yet robust with members, I think the idea of using technology to facilitate community building has some real potential. Sure I’ll always prefer making connections the old-fashion way (with a wave or a smile). But in a culture that is becoming more and more addicted to cell phones, instant messaging and e-mail, I like how Beneighbor uses technology’s toolbox to help people make real, live, in the flesh connections.

Making a note of the exit number (#189 off I-5 South), we vowed to return on our way back to fill up and make sure we weren’t just seeing a mirage. Sure enough, the convenience store does sport live plants, also known as an ecoroof. But the green features don’t stop there. The “natural convenience store” (seen above) is more like a food co-op, complete with healthy treats, coffee and locally made food to go.

Then there’s the shelter for the fueling station. It’s constructed entirely of energy-generating solar panels! There’s also a bioswale that helps filter and manage storwmater on site and information kiosks that explain everything, including how much energy the solar panels are generating in real time. To top it all off, the fuel station sells all blends of biodiesel and ethanol, meaning that no matter what car you drive you can do your part to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and support Oregon’s blossoming biofuel industry.

SeQuential’s Biofuel Retail Station
86714 McVay Hwy
Eugene, OR

Even if you are not going to buy a car for years to come, you may
enjoy a trip to a new dealership in town that sells earth friendly new
and pre-owned vehicles. Located in a tastefully adapted car showroom
on NE Sandy, Eco-motion is Portland’s first and probably only “Green
Car Emporium.” Featuring the latest in electric, hybrid and ultra
efficient automobiles from around the world, Eco-motion is an
annotated dictionary of the next wave of transportation.

The atmosphere in Eco-motion is more art gallery than car mall. The
sunlit showroom features wildly colored electric mopeds,
scooters and three wheeled anomalies that invite you to pause to take a closer look. My favorite of the day was the “Myers Motors NmG,” an electrically powered cartoon nose on three wheels that like its acronym suggests, uses “No miles per Gallon.” Equally unusual were the Zap-brand electric pick-ups, a 3/4 sized (not ton) work truck with a diminutive bed that is more than capable of hauling plants from the nursery, plywood from the lumber yard and your friend’s couch on moving day. To complete the arty feeling, the showroom also houses a café that serves, gasp, organic coffee and treats.

Eco-motion also offers more recognizable cars, most of them pre-owned
hybrids and EPA-certified ultra low emission vehicles. Although
Eco-motion carries many of the usual suspects (Honda Civics, etc.),
I’ll admit that I was surprised to see a few American models on the
floor, including Chrysler’s PT Cruiser and the Ford Focus.

So which one would I take home if I were in the position of buying a
car? Unfortunately for this fledgling business, not a one. The most eco motion I can make right now, starts with my own two legs.

Eco-motion
1625 NE Sandy Blvd.