6AM City In-house

Rolling out the teal carpet

The lowdown on Portland International Airport’s famous carpet
An aerial view looking down at two peoples' feet as they stand on teal-colored carpet with multi-colored designs.
Did you even visit PDX if you didn’t take a photo like this? | Photo by Travis.Thurston
Carpets may have seen their heyday come and go, but there’s still one design we won’t let the wheel of progress sweep under the rug: the mythical teal expanse — nay, masterpiece — that is Portland International Airport’s original carpet.

To fully understand this champion of all carpets appreciated by countless pilgrims to our fair city who, quite literally, traveled thousands of miles to set foot upon its wondrous fibers, we must turn back time… to the year of our floor, 1987.

Field of carpet dreams

The Port of Portland knew it needed something to reduce the noise created by travelers passing through the hallowed — but very hard — halls of Portland’s airport. It reached out a hand, seeking the assistance of SRG Partnership in its quest.

SRG’s John Schleuning visited several airports, wrangling inspiration to draw upon, before deciding to veer sharply off course from the earthen brown hues many airports were using at the time.

Pretty in teal

In a stroke of textile genius, John chose two colors running through the veins of all Pacific Northwesterners: blue and green. The tones’ marriage resulted in the birth of something new, something… exotic. Teal. Breaking up this vast, blue-green wilderness were geometric shapes representing an air traffic controller’s view of the airport’s north and south runways at night.

Today, the souls of our shoes miss its distinctly 1980s flavor.

A shoe selfie of two people standing on dark green carpet with patterns of blue, yellow, and red geometric shapes.

Modern shoefies at PDX just don’t hit the same.

Photo by PDXtoday

‘Stand by me’ - PDX carpet

Alas, the carpet’s cult following, which included tens of thousands of shoefies with the Instagram hashtag #pdxcarpet, couldn’t save it from the decay wrought by time and foot traffic.

Stained, patched, and fraying, the 13 acres of once-lustrous material that made guests feel more special than any red carpet ever could were ripped up and replaced with the deeper green pattern in use today. The project began in January 2015; a roll of the old carpet was given googly eyes and crowned the grand marshal of the Rose Festival’s Starlight Parade four months later.

Back to the future

Rose City’s doormat may be gone, but its beloved pattern lives on in the hallways of our hearts (and on lots of tourism merchandise). Pro tip: You can still find it on the floor in the “infinity room” inside the Tender Loving Empire store in Concourse E, near Gate E5.

The best part? The old carpet design will make a comeback when the new main terminal opens in 2024.
Literary Arts

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Friday, Nov. 4
  • Rose City Rollers Wreckers: Teal vs. Chrome! | Friday, Nov. 4 | 6-8 p.m. | The Hangar at Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland | $15 | Roller derby bouts are typically tight scoring and action-packed; free Wyld CBD gummies, food to buy from rotating carts, and drinks make the night complete.
  • Greensky Bluegrass | Friday, Nov. 4-Saturday, Nov. 5 | 8:30 p.m. | Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., Portland | $30-$55 | The five-piece bluegrass jam band founded in Kalamazoo, MI, is leading their genre into the future through modern twists on traditional sounds (and fun light shows accompanying their tours).
  • PBF Cover to Cover: Poetry Scramble with First Matter Press | Friday, Nov. 4 | 8-9:30 p.m. | The Rooftop Terrace at Ecotrust, 721 NW Ninth Ave. #200, Portland | Free | Explore fun activity stations where you’ll scramble traditional poetry into something playful and exploratory; collect stickers to complete your event map for a chance to win a special prize.
Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Ankeny Alleyway Makers Market | Saturday, Nov. 5-Saturday, Dec. 24 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Ankeny Alleyway, Southwest Ankeny St., Portland | Free | Support local artists and creators by shopping the vendor stalls in Old Town’s pedestrian-only alley, then grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant.
  • Our Legacy Harvested BIPOC Block Party 2022 | Saturday, Nov. 5 | 1-8 p.m. | Mac Market, 1140 NE Alpine Ave., McMinnville | $20 | Musicians, performers, and artisans of food, drink, and other goods are coming together to celebrate the season, diversity, and OLH’s inaugural class of wine grape harvest interns.
  • University of Portland Men’s Soccer vs Santa Clara | Saturday, Nov. 5 | 7-9 p.m. | Harry A. Merlo Field, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland | Free | Sorry, Broncos — don’t plan on bringing a rodeo to Portland; the Pilots are still riding the updraft of their best season start since 2018.
Sunday, Nov. 6
  • Drag Queen Bingo | Sunday, Nov. 6 | 2-3 p.m. | Blanchet House, 310 NW Glisan St., Portland | $25 | Poison Waters hosts this fundraiser with snacks, mocktails, and prizes from Blanchet Farm; all proceeds will support the nonprofit’s food, clothing, and shelter programs.
  • Oregon Sinfonietta Performs Beach and Appert | Sunday, Nov. 6 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church, 10501 SE Market St., Portland | Free | The full symphony orchestra composed of ~70 community musicians is celebrating its 50th year.
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.
LAST CALL BEFORE EARLY SUNSETS
6AM City In-house

Fact or Fiction: Think you know what prevents hair loss? Think again. 👀
A woman puts hair loss treatment into her hair part.
PDXtoday readers can grab 15% off on Revela’s restorative serums with code 6AMCITY. | Photo provided by Revela
50% of women will experience hair loss in their lifetime. You might think you know what causes it — but do you really?

Test your knowledge. Are these Fact or Fiction?
THIS SERUM CAN HELP

Weather
  • 58º | Grab an umbrella (or don’t, it’s a personal choice) | 100% chance of rain
Sunrise + Sunset
  • Rise: 7:54 a.m.
  • Set: 5:53 p.m.
Opening
  • Nico’s Ice Cream is opening a second location tomorrow at 1615 NE Killingsworth St. Music, locally made empanadas, and a full menu of Nico’s signature New Zealand-style ice cream await guests at the grand opening party from noon to 4 p.m., along with special half pints of dulce de leche with mazapán.
Read
  • Portland Thorns captain Christine Sinclair has been a little busy lately. Three days after helping clinch the Thorns’ third NWSL championship, she published “Playing the Long Game” — a memoir co-written with Canadian sports journalist Stephen Brunt. “For me, it’s about getting female athletes’ stories out there,” Sinclair said. ✍️ (Portland Monthly)
  • The Beaverton City Library has picked “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev” as its annual One Book, One Beaverton novel. On Saturday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the library will hand out 450 free copies at its branches on Southwest Fifth Street and Southwest Murray Scholls Place. 📚 (Beaverton Valley Times)
Plan Ahead
Community
  • Sara Campos wants to build a new skatepark in Northeast Portland. Sara is one of 12 people selected for a new fellowship program by Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project. They’ll receive training on community organizing and project management to design the skatepark, followed by a development grant to fund its construction. 🛹 (OPB)
Eat
  • Burgerville is now offering a plant-based cheeseburger, complete with a Beyond Burger patty, vegan pepper jack, Secret Aardvark vegan aioli, lettuce, tomato, and red onion. The “Plantville Cheezeburger” is available at all of the Vancouver-based fast-food chain’s locations — along with vegan milkshakes. 🍔 (KOIN)
Announced
  • Show your support for local journalism by joining the PDXtoday membership program. Membership has some awesome perks like exclusive birthday deals, discounts from our online shop, Six & Main + more. Plus, 100% of membership funds help support our local editors — that’s us, Ben + Cambrie. Learn more + sign up. 💻
Travel
  • Two words: Pineapple cottage. This Hakalau, Hawaii Vrbo has sweeping ocean views, an outdoor hanging bed for lounging, and is on a fruit farm (think: lemons, oranges, lychee and pineapple at your fingertips). Book as a January getaway or as the best holiday gift ever for only $175 avg/night. 🍍*
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Rejoice: a 25-hr Sunday is nearly here 🕰️

Local ways to prepare for the end of Daylight Saving Time
Sunrise illuminates the sky above a red-colored bridge, a clocktower, and the Portland city skyline.
Every drop of sunlight is precious until the return of daylight saving time on Sunday, March 12, 2023. | Photo by @streets.win
It’s that time again. On Sunday, Nov. 6, people across the continent will set their clocks back an hour and “fall back” to standard time.

Wondering how to navigate shorter, darker days as painlessly as possible? Make the transition easier by maximizing these helpful resources:

Add some sunlight back into your day with Fulcrum Fitness’ exercise offerings, which include group outdoor classes at Wallace Park at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sunlight, wellness, and new friends? Win-win.

Disrupted sleep and routines can make us drowsier and more peckish, so make eating healthy easier on yourself. Try Stella’s Kitchen for pre-made meals that rotate each week and only need reheating — you can even get them delivered to your door.

Resist the urge to lounge and binge-watch TV and engage in something creative instead. Peruse works of art at the Portland Art Museum, take in a theatrical production at the Newmark Theatre, stimulate your mind with some tabletop games at Guardian Games, or take a cooking class at Hipcooks.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: I get so giddy when it’s time to go to the airport. Even writing this story got me excited — and thinking that I should plan a trip soon because the wanderlust bug is definitely creeping up. Lucky for us, the PNW region offers so much to do that it’s easy to book an adventurous staycation if you’re itching to switch up your routine.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? If you haven’t botany plants lately, maybe it’s time to visit one of these local shops.
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.

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