Portland Coffee Hangouts

It’s uncommon for our group to visit the same shop two weeks in a row, but H was so excited about this new shop in outer NE Gateway, an area we’ve yet to visit these past six years, that he encouraged G to visit it with him.

As stated last week, the owners have managed to create quite a homey ambiance, an environment that invites residents to come hang out, to relax in a comfortable setting, to forget their woes, to create community.

Today’s discussion topics centered mostly on their preparations for an early August backpacking trip to the Trinity Mountains in N California, where they’ll join friends from Virginia and California.  Needed preparations include food for seven and each of their dietary preferences –  which G is in charge of – transportation, and their own conditioning.   Thankfully after last year’s challenging trip, G’s cardiologist discovered that his prostate and heart medications most likely clashed with each other, leaving him feeling woozy.  The thought of not being able to backpack again, losing such an important component of his life, was worrisome, and thankfully now should be able to be in the back country without that wooziness.

11157 NE Weidler       http://www.jetblackcoffeecompany.com

As visitors to 155+ independently owned coffee/tea/bakery shops around Portland, we are heartened when we come across a new gathering spot in an underserved area.   And so it is in Gateway where the proprietors of Jet Black recently opened one of Portland’s few vegan shops.   What the owners have taken on in terms of remodeling a former insurance office building that is bound on two sides by arterial streets, was quite a challenge.   What they achieved in terms of product – a homey outpost that feels like new construction even with the cinder block walls, plus a sizable outside patio that takes one’s mind off the car traffic – is quite remarkable.  Whether the surrounding neighborhoods will embrace it is still to be determined; but we’d be regulars if Jet Black were in our neighborhood.

Today’s twosome covered a wide range of discussion topics including: the joyous arrival of D’s new Sprinter van for touring/camping, and accessing some of his wife’s and his favorite mountain destinations; upcoming is a trip to the Redwoods, followed by an excursion back east that’ll take in a Wisconsin high school reunion, seeing Hamilton in Chicago, and visits to the Badlands, and Big Horn mountains; and his recommendation of the thrilling theatrical performance by Vin Shambry in Gun Show.  H then gushed about his wife and his surprise at seeing a high quality original play in Juneau, AK about their Treadmill Mine in the 1920s, where miners worked 24/7 and the area and mine’s owners boomed, until disaster struck; the stunning blue icebergs of the Tracy Arm south of Juneau; and Homer’s beautiful setting in Khatchakam Bay with the Kenai Mountains as a backdrop.  And D then topped those with his recollections of outings into the Brooks Range, as well as the Rangell and St. Elias Mountains.

http://www.jetblackcoffeecompany.com          11157 NE Weidler

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Like last week when we toured around some before descending on a relatively close-by  NE shop, we three plus Ozora followed E, this time through some of his Cully projects: the commercial renovations taking place at the former Rose’s site, a 1/2 acre residential site off NE 42nd on a deep parcel that he’s yet to acquire but offers multiple mouth watering possibilities, a recently purchased set of lots on NE 43rd that will have some form of courtyard units, and the under-construction Mason St. townhomes.

We then landed at the Nectar Cafe, surprisingly situated in a commercial strip in the Hollywood District.  “Surprisingly” because this is only one of two destinations in our 155 portfolio of shops that we’ve visited in a strip mall, and because the owner has been most successful in making it feel homey despite the setting.   In this intimate, cozy setting there’s a brightly colored wall mural as well as other knick-knacks, a reliance on chalk and blackboards, and an aversion from anything that might seem pretentious.  Admittedly on a busy day Nectar’s space limitations may also limit feeling comfortable for hanging out for a long period of time, otherwise it is a very welcoming space.

Among today’s discussion topics were H’s plans for his 70th bday festivities including a samba band and parade, the status of new City regulations to encourage infill, the nimbyists in certain middle and upper middle neighborhoods opposed, and challenges/responses re emergency preparedness.

http://www.nectarcoffeebar.com           1925 NE 42nd, ste. e

One of the unintended consequences of our bicyclists living in Central NE and generally riding 30-45 minutes to a shop where we can spend 45 minutes+ debriefing about the past week, is that we visit NE shops less frequently than those in other quadrants. Thus, though we really liked the Twenty-Six Cafe the one time we visited, it’s been three years + since we returned. What do we like? The way the owners laid out their narrow property to make it feel roomier; the sophisticated ambiance of the front room through chandeliers, soft furniture, wall art, wallpaper, and small round tables; and the covered more rustic-feeling back patio.

Today’s discussion was primarily in update mode, as many of us hadn’t seen each other in a while.   M and E were back from conferences on emergency preparedness and smart growth, each noting the increasing number of speakers from the Obama administration who now – all of a sudden – were easier to book than they were before Trump was sworn-in;   J’s still enjoying his ukelele lessons and jamming opportunities, as well as Smart Reading accomplishments at Rigler; and H ran through the 3 prongs of activities planned for his 70th b-day: morning hike with grandchildren; lunch with family and close friends; evening street party potluck/samba band/parade.

And where did we ride by for 30 minutes to end up at the Twenty-Six Cafe which was just over 2 miles from our starting point: Interesting new development projects that E was either personally working on, or that he was intrigued by like Camp Michigan in Mississippi, where the owners rent out detached single rooms without kitchens, to travelers.

http://26cafe.com/         2723 NE 7th Ave.