Finishing Touches

We took possession of our Benson Tower Condo on July 18th. Well, we finally got our custom sectional manufactured, delivered and in place - as well as a fine new Turkish tribal carpet to go with it to further define the space. The sectional is quite neutral, so the carpet becomes an important accent piece. We looked long and hard for this particular piece, sorting through about a hundred carpets at five different storefronts. We purchased our new carpet from Nuri at Turkish Imports on NW 23rd Ave. I've posted before about the sectional, I'm pleased to say that it met all of our expectations, and the down stuffed-cusions are sweet. We had an "art hanger" come and hang all of our pictures in a single pass. He also installed our curtain rods into the cement ceiling of the bedroom. Owners void the window warranty by attaching to the window frames. You can bet that was a real challenge for the wood-fabric window coverings in the living/dining space. We also stumbled on this really fine and colorful handmade bedspread from India at Cargo in The Pearl (pictured below). The level of detail on this piece of legitimate folk-art is astounding. It was the only piece like it on the shelves, and we consider it a real addition to our extensive textile collection.

Happy New Year

A day early, as we're traveling to Portland tomorrow - New Year's Eve. We're looking forward to seeing our new, custom-manufactured sofa sectional, which has been delivered and installed in our absence (Thanks, Emma). We've got dinner planned at Meriwether's, then Pink Martini at the Schnitz. Here's to 2008. May it be a better year in all ways than 2007, and bring us closer to world peace and planetary healing. For our friends who will be celebrating the passage, we wish you a wonderful, safe and exhilarating evening. We'll be using a designated driver, please join us in that if you're on the roads.

Why We Love Portland

Though my family lives in rural southern Oregon, my partner and I are spending a lot of time in Portland at our new condo. Even though it is not yet fully furnished. Maybe it's because we need our regular city fix, or maybe it's because both of our adult daughters are camping out at home as I write. In any case, we're both involved in a serious and on-going love affair with the Rose City. I'm cross-posting this article to my regular blog, Pop Impulse, where I regularly hold-forth on all things interesting.

As west coast cities go, we've discovered Portland is rather an unknown to many of our out-of-state friends. And we like it that way. People mention San Diego, Long Beach, LA, San Francisco & Seattle without so much as a nod to Oregon's biggest burg. So let me fill in the spaces for the uninitiated. Portland is the city that Googles "Impeach Bush" more than any other in the country. It is the country's "greenest" city, with well over a million trees and 25% of the city covered by canopy. There are over a quarter million trees on roadsides in Portland.



The city has a number of downtown highlights: The trendy Pearl District with its abundance of lofts, galleries and high-end furnishing emporiums and the formal Chinese garden, walled and compact with a charming tea house in the center - nestled in the heart of the city. The city's famous rose and Japanese gardens at Washington Park are totally fabulous, and the Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette river is close to everything and provides a great venue for the city's many parties, like the now famous Cinco de Mayo bash. And of course, the Tri-Met & Max is an excellent example an efficient rapid transit system. We're very pleased there's a stop on the same corner as our building.

Portland is known for its open and progressive attitude and politics; its green hillsides and cityscape; great views; good food and the quintessential Northwest state-of-mind. And of course, for the Suicide Girls, Pink Martini and the homegrown Burnside Skate Park. We are especially fond of the food and wine. I'll be posting extensively on the this blog about our favorite restaurants; events, and art exhibits. We are members of the Portland Museum of Art and plan to attend major exhibitions.