No more Thomas Lauderdale walking around in a shift dress with a pillbox hat, no more late nights at Suzanne's Diner and no more going out with $5 in your pocket to wake up with $5 in your pocket. You could feel the end of "loser at pool has to run home naked through the warehouses" being replaced with condos and Whole Foods. Ace Hotel was the first establishment to really anchor the change along with the Crystal Ballroom and Ringler's Annex. Everything was condensed onto Stark Street but before I left you could feel the changes coming. We used to play pool at Scandal's then head over to Silverado for a show of some sort and finalize the night with drinks, more pool or pinball at the Eagle. Gay nightlife centered around SW Stark Street in a consolidated area sadly nicknamed "Vaseline Alley." I just went back for a week and everything has changed but some things are still very Portland.īefore there was a Pearl District filled with shops and big restaurants there was just Powell's Books, a brewery and a bunch of warehouses. This is also the town where I was able to come out without fear of a beat down. Having moved there from the East Coast I quickly learned the joys of coffee, micro beer and salmon. Life was good and to escape the rainy drudgery people complained about just took a tank of gas and a quick glance at Doppler Radar. I initially lived off NW 23rd before relocating to larger digs on the other side of the Willamette River in close proximity to the Rose Quarter.
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Gus Van Sant had a house overlooking downtown and daily sightings of extras from "My Own Private Idaho" or "Drugstore Cowboy" made you feel cool.
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Thrift stores were full of vintage Pendleton wool shirts for a buck and Starbucks was second choice to Coffee People. We were far enough from Seattle to be safely tucked away from grunge saturation and close enough to San Francisco to be progressively driven. It was the perfect home to have with little money, an open mind and an artistic heart. Living in Portland, Oregon during the 1990's was the right place at the right time.