Ode to the Aebleskiver
The lovely Debi Burton and Jim Blondeau, of Ormolulu, have got a aebleskiver pan up for sale! Not everyone knows what an aebleskiver is so not everyone can appreciate how entirely awesome it is to stumble upon a beauteous skiver pan. Debi has rightly pointed out that such a pan could serve for as a […]
Rick Scott Paints Signs by Hand
It’s pretty apparent that Rick Scott is a sign painter. He is splattered with paint from head to toe, all different colors, but he wears more practical shoes than most artists. Rick Scott says it was probably his “fate in life” to become the guy that paints signs. He is just the right height for […]
A Wildlife Safari in the Grand Marketplace
Everybody loves animals, which is the only explanation for the animals that densely populate the wilds of the Grand Marketplace. Today I took myself on a little safari through 18,000 square feet of retail space to see how many animals I might spot. I am sure some were too elusive even for my […]
Flares and Eyes: A Talk with Doug Nakanishi
Today, when I mentioned something about it being time for another blog post, Andrea immediately sent me down to the end of the shop boulevard to talk with Doug Nakanishi who runs Vintage Rust. Doug had three large plastic tubs and was getting ready to add more strange hunks of metal to the assortment that […]
GROCERIES MEAT PRODUCE for LESS
Recently, as we negotiate aesthetics and bids in the race to adorn the building with new signage, I’ve also been learning more about the big hunk of a neon sign that hangs on the inside wall with its back to Grand avenue. I stared at it from the front desk for a couple days before […]
1890s Alive in Portland
Before the Grand Marketplace opened to the public, amid the other treasures I spied something at the Animal Traffic Outpost that made me a smidge nervous. Tom’s outpost resembles that last stop on the edge of civilization where people once resupplied before venturing out into Western expanses. But, it wasn’t the hatchets or the toothy […]
A Stately Front Counter
Upon entering the Grand Marketplace the first vintage item to greet you is our stately front counter. This 28 footer has all the dignity befitting such a whale-size piece of furniture. In a previous life our front desk was a grandiose baggage claims counter. This early twentieth-century behemoth once greeted travelers at the railroad station […]
Come One, Come All, Come See
Located at the Eastern mouth of the Morrison bridge, 1005 SE Grand Ave. has seen plenty of hustle and bustle over the years. Originally built in 1921, its life began as a local car dealership. Bob Brown’s Oldsmobile was a Portland fixture for decades. As years of cars zoomed past outside, the inside has seen […]
