What I Love, Hate, Like, Dislike about Portland Oregon (Yamhill: pollution, garage)

[Minervah]

I love this story. It's like the one I read recently where there is debate in city council about having permanent farmers market near downtown and the thousands of dollars it will cost and the fancy stalls that will sell gourmet food as well as local produce and how innovative and forward thinking and trendy and blah, blah, blah.

How soon we forget. We did have a nice market that existed right downtown back through the 70's that had everything from apples to fish to yams.

Portland Public Market | Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I love this story. It's like the one I read recently where there is debate in city council about having permanent farmers market near downtown and the thousands of dollars it will cost and the fancy stalls that will sell gourmet food as well as local produce and how innovative and forward thinking and trendy and blah, blah, blah.

How soon we forget. We did have a nice market that existed right downtown back through the 70's that had everything from apples to fish to yams.

Portland Public Market | Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture

The old Market building is one I wish they wouldn't have torn down.

My biggest issue with this whole new farmer's market is that it has no relation to the current farmer's market group that meets in different locations downtown.

[EnricoV]

My biggest issue with it is where they're putting it. It's such a dumb location, when there's plenty of space on the inner East Side; plenty of artisan foodmakers in the area; some actual parking; (now) on a Streetcar line; and it has the history of being "Produce Row."

Why put it downtown, increase traffic (both people visiting the market, and the sellers bringing in their goods) in the downtown area? Just seems counter-productive to me. Not to mention the higher cost of space, increasing the costs to the vendors.

And while the former market (according to the story) had vestiges of the vendors remaining until the 70s ... the "market" wasn't there. I remember the building, but there was never a market in operation there that I can remember. We certainly never went there (and we operated a business in the downtown area until about that time). The old, big market building down on the waterfront went away a lot longer ago than that. It left and became the Oregonian Building, until they moved up to 10th.

I think the idea of the market is fabulous. And I love the name ... the "James Beard Public Market". It's the location that I object to.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

My biggest issue with it is where they're putting it. It's such a dumb location, when there's plenty of space on the inner East Side; plenty of artisan foodmakers in the area; some actual parking; (now) on a Streetcar line; and it has the history of being "Produce Row."

Why put it downtown, increase traffic (both people visiting the market, and the sellers bringing in their goods) in the downtown area? Just seems counter-productive to me. Not to mention the higher cost of space, increasing the costs to the vendors.

And while the former market (according to the story) had vestiges of the vendors remaining until the 70s ... the "market" wasn't there. I remember the building, but there was never a market in operation there that I can remember. We certainly never went there (and we operated a business in the downtown area until about that time). The old, big market building down on the waterfront went away a lot longer ago than that. It left and became the Oregonian Building, until they moved up to 10th.

I think the idea of the market is fabulous. And I love the name ... the "James Beard Public Market". It's the location that I object to.

Having a farmer's market along those vacant lots on SE Water St would make a lot of sense.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

My biggest issue with it is where they're putting it. It's such a dumb location, when there's plenty of space on the inner East Side; plenty of artisan foodmakers in the area; some actual parking; (now) on a Streetcar line; and it has the history of being "Produce Row."

Why put it downtown, increase traffic (both people visiting the market, and the sellers bringing in their goods) in the downtown area? Just seems counter-productive to me. Not to mention the higher cost of space, increasing the costs to the vendors.

And while the former market (according to the story) had vestiges of the vendors remaining until the 70s ... the "market" wasn't there. I remember the building, but there was never a market in operation there that I can remember. We certainly never went there (and we operated a business in the downtown area until about that time). The old, big market building down on the waterfront went away a lot longer ago than that. It left and became the Oregonian Building, until they moved up to 10th.

I think the idea of the market is fabulous. And I love the name ... the "James Beard Public Market". It's the location that I object to.

I remember some kind of market though when I first moved here that was downtown for a brief period of time that I think was where the Pioneer Court is now standing. It was under some kind of tent structure. I could be wrong about the location but I vaguely remember one being there. Or somewhere downtown.

[EnricoV]

Pioneer Courthouse Square was a parking lot (demolished in 1981), and before that the Hotel Portland (demolished in 1951) was there. So it wasn't there. I'm going to have to think about it ... see if I can remember there being something, somewhere.

[urbanlife78]

There is still the farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays that take place on the South Park Blocks. Also think there is a small one in the Pearl District during the week too.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Pioneer Courthouse Square was a parking lot (demolished in 1981), and before that the Hotel Portland (demolished in 1951) was there. So it wasn't there. I'm going to have to think about it ... see if I can remember there being something, somewhere.

It was farther east. I keep thinking along the area of where Pioneer court now stands or the enclosed Yamhill Market Mall. It was I think across the street from the first Dave's Delicatessen if that helps.

Okay, now I am going to have to call my Portland native friends to see if they remember what the heck I think I'm talking about.

Pioneer Square was a hotel and a parking lot. That wasn't where I was thinking but they did have vendors there during Art Quake when the downtown area was shut down to traffic and you could walk everywhere. Boy that was sure a lot of fun. It continued on into the Park Blocks as well.

[EnricoV]

Ah, you mean Pioneer Place. The mall.

Well, I went to my "expert" ... my mother (who's 80) and grew up in Portland. She seems to remember there being one somewhere around 4th or 5th, and near the old Bus Station. And on, like, bottom floor of an office building ... like Yamhill Marketplace tried to be. But she doesn't think it lasted until the 70s, and doesn't remember what it was called. So, it's possible that vestiges of it did last that long.

Okay ... she came up with something. Originally, she came up with one in the bottom of the Goodnough Building (which was demolished in 1988). But this one's pretty small, just a quarter block, but it qualifies. Here it is! It was at 5th & Yamhill.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Ah, you mean Pioneer Place. The mall.

Well, I went to my "expert" ... my mother (who's 80) and grew up in Portland. She seems to remember there being one somewhere around 4th or 5th, and near the old Bus Station. And on, like, bottom floor of an office building ... like Yamhill Marketplace tried to be. But she doesn't think it lasted until the 70s, and doesn't remember what it was called. So, it's possible that vestiges of it did last that long.

Okay ... she came up with something. Originally, she came up with one in the bottom of the Goodnough Building (which was demolished in 1988). But this one's pretty small, just a quarter block, but it qualifies. Here it is! It was at 5th & Yamhill.

It had to have lasted through the 70's at least because I didn't move here until 1978 and I remember buying food there on my way home from work. I do know it was in a convenient location for people who worked downtown. Near the old bus station sounds like that could be what I was thinking of. I worked in Morgan's Alley at the time.