starlinghoundstooth: February 2015

Chinatown and the Historic Waterfront District

Today we thought we'd take a stroll through the Pearl District towards Chinatown and the Historic Waterfront District. Chinatown is part of this area, but it's also a historic area of its own. Unfortunately, many of the buildings are run down and the businesses are a bit sketchy, but it's improving.

Crab apple trees in full bloom in the Pearl District.

Pearl District.

Shane in the Pearl.

Old hotel in Chinatown; looks like it's from the 1950s.

Walled Chinese garden in Chinatown. The street outside is lined with magnolia trees.

The entrance to the garden, called the Lan Su Chinese Garden.

A beautiful yellow camellia in the grounds outside the garden.

A peek through the wall at the interior.

Another exterior shot, we couldn't go in because we had Emmy with us. But we are planning to come back - they have a tea room with a good selection of organic teas.

Leaving Chinatown and into the Historic Waterfront District.

Shane checking his last shot.

Emmy with her blue rubberized socks - she has a sore foot, so these were for protection.

Historic Waterfront District area - Couch Street runs from here up to the area we live in.

Another beautiful old building in the Waterfront District.

This is a huge market on every Saturday, except during the winter, down on the waterfront.

Streetcar rails in the old cobblestones in the Historic Waterfront District.

There are so many of these lovely buildings here!

Interesting design shop.

This was a huge old door, I couldn't even fit it in this shot.

Shane taking photos.

Another neat old shop leaving the Historic Waterfront District.

Entering the Downtown area, this is an old sportswear shop.

Saturday, Feb 21st Walk

Shane, Emmy and I went for an invigorating extended (over four hours!) walk today through the Pearl District, then downtown and then through the Goose Hollow District back to our apartment, which is in the Alphabet District. I didn't get a lot of photos, but here are a few of the interesting sights along the way...

One of the first stops in the Pearl District, a pretty little magnolia tree just starting to bloom in a planter next to an apartment building.

Rustic remnant of a building in the Pearl.

I really like some of the shop doorways in Portland.

This is called the "Blackfish Gallery". They also have a black fish hanging as their sign from the building.

Sweet tile mosaic outside of a veterinary clinic in Goose Hollow.

The magnolias are just starting to bloom here, this one is a beauty with HUGE blossoms.

As you can see in this photo, Shane is dwarfed beside this flower.

This is the actual size, still quite large! :o)

February 21st in Portland

It was a beautiful day today, sunny and relatively warm 14c with a bit of a wind. Samantha and I decided to take a walk and toured through the Northwest, the Pearl District, SouthWest Portland and Goose Hollow. I took a few pics for your viewing pleasure below: