Neons are in! Once again, not exactly neon, but for sure we've got street level matching colors, No. 9

Here's the map of the intersection. Today's photo is of the corner at the Sizzle Pie. You can tell from the map that it's one of those intriguing triangle-shaped corners and/or buildings. I took this photo on May 19, 2012.



Standing on SW 10th Avenue at West Burnside, pedestrians wait for the traffic signal so that they can continue to walk north.

One woman wears a salmon orange top. Coming around the corner is a younger woman wearing the same color top, just muted a bit. Then you've got the dark reddish orange letters with golden yellow light bulbs which make up the letters Sizzle Pie. And then in the corner window behind the man in the green beret, a red or reddish orange vehicle is reflected in the pizzeria's windows, along with its red neon Pizza sign.

Plus that lady with the grayish-lavender knee-length shorts is wearing a gray top and gray cardigan which match the painted bricks at Sizzle Pie. Her shorts, the man's plaid shirt, and the woman coming around the corner wearing the purple cardigan all match, too, in that they're in the purple family.

All of the men are wearing hats. And at least six of the pedestrians are wearing denim jeans. Cool!

Neons are in! Well, it's really just bright yellow, and this time without any street level matching colors, No. 7

Here's the map of the intersection. We're focused this time on the southwest corner, labeled on the map as Pod: the Sculpture.
 

Who could resist a bright yellow Portland Streetcar in a series like this? Not I.

On the right you see a young woman with her hoop, entertaining the pedestrians who are crossing West Burnside on SW 10th Avenue, heading north at the corner. It appears no one paid her much mind once they'd passed her on the way to cross the street.

I've noticed that the majority of the pedestrians are wearing denim jeans, so that's a sort of matching. Plus those three boys have on shorts. Two of the three people between the brown poles have on baggy pants. And one bicyclist waiting beside the streetcar has on a yellow bicycle helmet. Tidbits of matching going on here.

At the very right edge of the photo you can see just a bit of the kinetic sculpture, Pod. If you're tall enough, you can reach up and touch part of it which makes it swing slowly back and forth, much like the girl rhythmically rotated her hoop with her hips.
 

Here's a photo that I took on October 16, 2010, which shows almost the entire sculpture--you're just missing the third leg. That black, bulbous shape is what one must reach up and touch or shove to make the more than 70 stainless steel rods sway in unison. I've actually seen the tips of the rods separate somewhat when the shove had some elbow grease behind it!

The building diagonally across from the Pod has been changed, with a different business on its ground floor. You'll get to see a symbol of that new business in a later post in this series.

Neons are in! Street level matching colors, No. 6

Here's a map for you. I hope it will enhance your enjoyment of today's post, as well as those on the upcoming days. We'll start with Powell's Books, on the northwest corner, and then go counterclockwise from there.



First up, a man in bright red-orange shoes, wearing an orange jacket. He is walking north across West Burnside at the intersection of SW 10th (behind him) and NW 10th (in front of him). You see, Burnside, whether it be West Burnside or East Burnside, divides Portland into its northern and southern sections.

There's a good chance that he's going to Powell's Books which is on the corner he's headed toward. The red post and railing is in front of the store's main entrance. Powell's Books takes up that entire downtown Portland city block.

There's an orange sign on a pole just beyond the woman who has turned to look south, towards me. Although I can't quite read it when I click on the original size, I can see that there is the logo of the Portland Streetcar. Up the street to the north on the man's right, there appears to be a sign on a building which is red and orange.

Lots of matching colors to be found, thanks to the man's orange jacket and shoes. I took this photo on May 1, 2012.

SW Morrison, downtown Portland, all lit up for the holidays

People waiting to cross the SW 10th as the MAX to Beaverton Transit Center pulls to a stop on SW Morrison, across the street form the Galleria, one of Portland's downtown terra cotta facade buildings. I took this photo on December 16, looking east, not too long after the Zipcar Christmas party where I left an unwrapped toy and spun the wheel for driving time--won $10--hooray. I enjoyed a thorough chat with a nice young Zipcar man whose name escapes me, all about the various sizes of nearby vehicles and whether or not we might be able to fit Mama's wheelchair into them.


Looking the same direction as the next MAX train approaches. It's easy to see why this stretch is one of my favorite holiday sights in Portland.


The lights on the trees continue to the west for another block.

Interesting facts in a reverse timeline, about the Galleria:
About $7,000,000 was spent on improvements in 2003.
In 1976, the Galleria won "Award of Merit" award from the AIA, Portland Chapter.
In 1978, the Galleria won the "First Honor Award" from the Downtown Development Award.
The upper floors were converted from retail space to offices during the mid-1980s.
Initially opened as the Olds, Wortman and King Department Store.
Naito Properties acquired the completely vacant structure in 1972.
The structure sits on top of a full-block site.
The building has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since February 20, 1991.
The local supervising architect was A. E. Doyle.
The third floor sky-bridge connects with the adjacent parking garage.
The Galleria was the first department store in the Northwest to take up an entire block.
It was erected in 1910. The interior was notable for a full interior atrium and grand staircase.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all

For your enjoyment, the window at Knit-Purl on the corner of SW 10th and SW Alder.


I took a picture of what I suspect is some of the same felted Thanksgiving food in 2008. When you click on the link, you'll see not only the earlier photo of the felted food but also the turkey pot pies that Lamont had made that Thanksgiving, plus our loved ones who enjoyed being together, thankful for each other. Two are no longer with us--Brody's dad Gary and our darling dachshund Duncan. Oops, I just noticed that I spelled Brody's name wrong back then--sorry, Brody.

Seen on the streets of Portland, No. 5

A bicyclist rides north on SW 10th Avenue at its intersection with SW Morrison Street. I like her color choices and their coordination--even her bicycle is pink. As a mother, though, I wish she wore a helmet.

I took this photo on October 25, 2008. I found the neatest pair of sunglasses in Ray’s Ragtime on my one and only visit. Their Web site is not worth looking at, so I didn't include a link. However, the store itself is stuffed with all sorts of interesting stuff. The windows are a treat, too. I need to get some photos of them.

Signs of confusion?

Do Not Enter. No Left Turn. One Way. Left Lane Must Turn Left.

I took this photo while stopped for the traffic signal at SW 10th and West Burnside. Since I didn't plan to turn left onto Burnside, I was in the center lane when I noticed these signs.

Whoa, I thought, these signs could be confusing, unless you know this intersection's quirks. West Burnside is a two-way street, running east and west. SW 10th is one-way, northbound. Coming off West Burnside, going east and to the left of all of these signs, about 50 feet from the traffic signal and at a sharp angle to West Burnside, is SW Oak, a one-way street. Hence, the Do Not Enter and No Left Turn signs followed by the Left Lane Must Turn Left. In other words, do not enter SW Oak here by turning left. However, if you're in the left-most lane on SW 10th, you have to turn left onto West Burnside.

Still confused? You can see this pretty good on Google Maps, but I couldn't get the link to work very well. Put in this and click Search Maps: 1005 W. Burnside Portland Oregon.