Uncle Paul's at 23rd and Hawthorne is basically like having a farmer's market every day. They specialize in local and organic stuff, which everyone with a 97214 zip code is required to love. I think there's a clause in the rental agreement about that. Anyway, I just heard that it might be going away to make room for a 5-story luxury apartment building and some more condos--maybe as soon as 2009. You can read all about it here.
I like the "more apartments" part, but I don't like the "luxury" or "condos" part so much. Part of what gives the neighborhood its vibrancy is the youthful transiency of its populace, methinks. I'm certainly not a "no-growth" curmudgeon, but I think that sometimes the potential owners of these $500k+ condos forget that SOMEONE has to steam their latte, and they ain't commuting from Gresham.
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Uncle Pauls Produce is such a mainstay on Hawthorne; I can't imagine it not being there. Not to say that will stop people from moving to the area. It still is one of the most popular places to live, but Uncle Paul's provides such quality produce and alternative to Safeway & Freddy's. I, for one, would be very sad to see it go because of this kind of growth.
What really gets my goat is that the retail space on the ground floor of the proposed building is likely to be so high that small independent businesses aren't likely to be able to afford it.
Well, unfortunately that's how a lot of things are going lately. I thought it was more like the Eastside was getting the facelift, but I recently read that the South Park blocks are to possibly turn in another urban development of some kind; removing other familiar spots as Virginia Cafe (!) and apartment buildings near the museum. But then again, Portland hasn't looked the way it does now.
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