Bow ties and butterflies 🦋

Colorful new mural welcomes people to Lloyd District

Artist Jeremy Nichols stands in front of his completed mural featuring bright, boldly colored modes of transit, local flowers, and pollinators.

Artist Jeremy Nichols stands in front of his completed mural. | Photo by Sara Sjol for Portland Street Art Alliance

Pedestrians and cyclists crossing the newly opened Blumenauer Bridge now have a visual feast waiting for them as they enter the Lloyd District: a boldly colored mural wrapping around a Metro parking garage.

The tableau was painted by Japan-born artist Jeremy Nichols. You’ve likely clapped your eyes on some of his other works around town — like the one featuring a bluebird on a downtown high-rise, or the scene with a peek-a-boo black bear on the edge of Slabtown. The new design at 600 NE Grand Ave. showcases Jeremy’s signature bold lines + elements that tie his nature-inspired graphics together.

Large native flowers (like trillium + Oregon grape), butterflies, bees, and a hummingbird are some of the first big pieces that stand out when you gaze at the mural — fitting subjects since the location is within a pollinator corridor. Look a little closer and you’ll notice things like a stylized bow tie, which is a tribute to the pedestrian bridge’s namesake Congressman Earl Blumenauer, along with a TriMet MAX line map, I-beam railroad tracks, and silhouettes of bikes.

A boldly colored mural wraps around a building next to a pedestrian bridge and busy city street. — Look for blanket flowers, Camas flowers, Doug fir, and an Oregon silverspot butterfly.

The Lloyd Community Association, Metro, and the Portland Street Art Alliance worked together on the mural project for over a year. Keith Jones, the president of the Lloyd Community Association, said this is just one of many projects in the works by local businesses, residents + groups to improve the district.

An opening celebration of the new mural will take place Thurs., Oct. 6 from 8-11 a.m. on site. Swing by to chat with neighbors, enjoy free coffee, and hear from the muralist himself.

Click here to have your event featured.

Today

Portland Wing Week | Mon., Oct. 3-Sun., Oct. 9 | Times vary | Locations vary | $6 for six wings | Feast on one-of-a-kind chicken wings at 27 bars and restaurants. 🍗
Mondays on the Mall: Pablo Rivarola | Mon., Oct. 3 | 12-1 p.m. | Nike, 638 SW Fifth Ave. | Free | The jazz trumpeter will put some pep into your Monday step with this live performance. 🎺

Tuesday

Laser Halloween | Tues., Oct. 4-Sun., Oct. 30 | Times vary | OMSI | $7.50 | Get ready to do some monster mashing at this spooky laser show. 👻

Wednesday

The Newly Know Each Other Gameshow | Wed., Oct. 5 | 7-9 p.m. | 4th Wall PDX, 1445 SE Hawthorne Blvd. | $5 | Couples, spouses, BFFs + casual acquaintances will find out just how well they know each other.

Thursday

Lasting Impressions: Print Showcase | Thurs., Oct. 6-Fri., Oct. 28 | Times vary | Oregon Society of Artists, 2185 SW Park Pl. | Free | From monotype to lithography, celebrate the art of printmaking at this gallery showcasing any + all subject matter.
Radical Mycology Convergence | Thurs., Oct. 6-Sun., Oct. 9 | Times vary | Brown Bottle Farm, 14711 S. Buckner Creek Rd., Mulino | $125+ | Have some family-friendly fun-gi while learning about mushrooms, medicine + modern mushroom culture. 🍄

Friday

27th Annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival | Fri., Oct. 7-Sun., Oct. 9 | 11 p.m. | Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. | $25+ | See films you’ve likely never heard of by independent filmmakers + studios. 📽️
Florence + the Machine | Fri., Oct. 7 | 8 p.m. | Moda Center | $122+ | The British indie rock band is bringing its “Dance Fever Tour” to the Rose City. 🎟️

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

FALL INTO OCTOBER

Step up your home decor game with 3 trending tips 🏠

Never underestimate the warmth a little texture can add to a room. | Photo via Pexels

Rattan furniture: Out. ❌
Statement walls: In. ✅

Try maximizing your curb appeal and home value with these 2022 home design + decor trends:

Statement walls are here to stay. Think: shiplap, subway tile, and bright accent walls.
Your guests (and the planet) will thank you when you incorporate outdoor spaces and eco-friendly landscaping.
Neutral exterior colors + natural finishes provide a welcoming curb appeal to any home. Gray, stained wood, and beige are frontrunners this year.*

MORE 2022 DOS + DON'TS

Weather

84º | Soak up the sunshine | 7% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:11 a.m.
Set: 6:46 p.m.

Traffic

A one-block stretch of Northeast Alameda Street is now closed to eastbound traffic. The City of Portland made the change in an effort to cut down on heavy congestion where the street intersects with Northeast Sandy Boulevard. Bike and bus-only lanes have also been added to encourage public transit. (KOIN)

Sports

The Women’s National Basketball Association is “actively considering” Portland as a new franchise city. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert + NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the development in response to a letter from Sen. Ron Wyden advocating for a women’s pro team in Rip City. 🏀

Transit

As part of its “Forward Together” concept, TriMet would dramatically expand its bus service to reach more low-income neighborhoods, while reducing existing lines in less populated, more affluent areas. You can weigh in on the proposed changes online or at open houses on Tues., Oct. 18 + Wed., Oct. 19. 🚌 (Portland Tribune)

Plan Ahead

What started in 2015 as a clothing swap for women in law enforcement has evolved into a community-wide event where people can shop + meet officers out of uniform. This year’s “Ladies in Blue” free clothing drive will take place Fri., Oct. 7 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Beaverton Resource Center. 👕 (Beaverton Valley Times)

Coming Soon

The family behind the Hazelwood neighborhood’s Birrieria La Plaza food truck will open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the coming months. Oracio Hernandez + his mother Doña Sofia plan to open the space in Southeast Portland, where they will continue making tacos de birria using a recipe passed down for generations. 🌮 (KGW)

Biz

Portland entrepreneurs Juan Barraza and Edgar Navas want to help Latinx founders boost their companies through a nonprofit accelerator aptly named Latinx Founders. Pitch Latinx — an event highlighting six founders and their companies — will get the ball rolling on Wed., Oct. 5 at the Redd on Salmon. 💸 (Portland Inno)

Active

By offering donation-based yoga classes, instructor Vanessa Gomez hopes to make the activity approachable + accessible. Once she finalizes a lease on an Old Town space, Vanessa plans to fill the Flow In The City studio with local art, hire instructors, and resume the free Saturday classes. 🧘 (Portland Inno)

Real Estate

Blackberry Castle is still looking for its happily ever after. The 13,000-sqft French-style chateau nestled on 6+ acres in Forest Park has been on the market since 2015. You’ll need a big sack of gold (aka $5 million) to make it yours; the rest of us can dream by watching this (free) video. 🏰 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

A very different waterfront

Downtown Portland waterfront: 1944 to present

A black and white image shows an open waterfront area with a wide road and sidewalk.

It’s hard to imagine this part of Portland without its stretch of iconic blossoming cherry trees. | Photo via City of Portland

Before the world’s smallest park was born or pink cherry blossom petals dusted Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the western bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland was a rather barren-looking slab of concrete.

This photo from 1944 shows a part of Portland that’s barely recognizable now. Aside from the seawall and the Steel Bridge, most of what is visible has been left behind in the pages of history.

By the time this photo was taken, the western side of the Willamette had already experienced about 100 years of dramatic development. Buried beneath the Harbor Wall (which was about two decades old here), was a riverbank that had been ravaged by deteriorating dock pilings, mill debris + waste.

Today, this area is home to an iconic park that pays homage to Japanese Americans, police officers killed in the line of duty, a US Navy ship, and nature. The broad, featureless roadway from the photo (known then as “Front Avenue”) is now Naito Parkway, which is in the midst of major renovations to make it a safer, more accessible artery in downtown Portland.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in Astoria over the weekend. If you haven’t tried it before, I recommend small plates + drinks at The Knot Bar — the views (and the Aviation cocktail) were amazing. We also went on a fun, self-guided tour of some spots from “The Goonies” — the Oregon Film Museum (the set of the jailbreak scene) is chock-full of interesting facts and memorabilia.

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Learn about Portland’s ties to “Das Land der Dichter und Denker” — the Land of Poets and Thinkers.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Terri Kiesenhofer | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY