Producing fantastic footwear without leaving a big environmental footprint Among the vintage industrial buildings lining NW 13th Avenue, a slew of bright-blue bike racks catches the eyes of passersby. Welcome to the KEEN Garage (505 NW 13th Ave, 971-200-4040) the world headquarters and one of two brick-and-mortar retail stores of this distinctive footwear maker. Arriving…
A Men’s Style Cure-All
Chill out, make friends, and enjoy a primo trim and a shave “I wanted to get back to what the barbershop was originally,” says Shane Fattarino, “a part of the community—and a place for people to feel at home.” Since Fattarino opened Remedy Barbershop & Social Club (1400 NW Marshall St, Suite 102, 503-946-1929) on…
Printing Futures
A unique hands-on job training program provides invaluable tools for youth experiencing housing instability or homelessness. Sarah Weihmann, director of social enterprise at New Avenues for Youth, sees more than catchy slogans when she combs through dfrntpigeon (pronounced “different pigeon”) T-shirts at the New Avenues INK store (1445 NW Lovejoy St, 971-279-5649, newavenuesink.org). It’s no…
School Days
From language classes to artistic inspiration, educational opportunities abound at these terrific places to learn and engage. At the Portland Child Art Studio, you won’t find a material-specific class, like water coloring. Instead, a child explores a theme, like a self-portrait, with myriad mediums and techniques—from painting, printmaking, and drawing to recycled sculpture, papier-mâché, and…
Call of the Wild
Did you know that one of the Pacific Northwest’s best wildlife resources is right in your backyard? Just minutes from the Pearl, you can commune with nature in a setting so tranquil and lush, you’d think you were hundreds of miles from the city.
Straight to the point
How to tame those wild waves “I’m the Hair-Straightening diva of Portland,” says LeResh Tessiore, owner of La LeResh (510 NW 10th Ave, Studio 4, 503-750-2488). After performing more than 6,000 specialized hair-straightening treatments over the past 15 years, it’s a crown she wears proudly. Her specialty techniques range from Brazilian blowouts—a more common and…
Art Start
Each summer, YMA helps kids explore their creative sides and experience a taste of college life. Neal Spinler beams while talking about one of the longest-running youth nonprofits on the West Coast. Founded in 1965 and based in the Pearl District, Young Musicians and Artists (YMA, 220 NW Eighth Ave, 503-946-1056, ymainc.org) has helped three…
Pop-Up Video
Meet Portland’s party projection power couple Looking to create AN Eye-Popping Custom Visual experience for your next event? You’re in luck. Dream big, and Maria and Patrick (PJ) Harvey, co-owners of Really BIG Video (539 NW 10th Ave, 503-446-1000, rbvinc.com), can bring your idea brilliantly to life. Their creative team delivers what they call the…
Cold Comfort
As it celebrates two years in business, popular CryoPDX has unveiled a range of nifty new treatments and therapies. Crofton Diack has good reason to believe in CryoPDX. “I didn’t have to take opiate drugs right after surgery when I broke my shoulder, and I credit cryotherapy,” she says. “It was an instant relief of…
Sherry on Top
A new tapas menu, weekend brunch, and innovative cocktails are keeping Can Font at the forefront of dining in the Pearl. The tender pork collar arrives on a toothpick skewer over a mound of tangy-sweet orange marmalade. A satisfyingly crusty montadito (a miniature open-face sandwich)—topped with warm goat cheese, a balsamic red wine gel, and…
A Fresh Cup
With new treats and a beautiful remodel, a treasured café reopens. The team behind Sisters Coffeehouse (1235 NW Marshall St, 971-279-2957, sisterscoffee.com) surely weren’t thrilled when fire and flooding in an upstairs residence forced them to shut down operations for four months. But sibling owners Jared, Jesse, and Justin Durham made the most of a…
Revolutionary Road
An environmentally conscious approach to auto maintenance Farhad Ghafarzade is out to Fix more than just your car. For this gearhead eco-entrepreneur and founder of Green Drop Garage (50 NW 20th Ave, 503-389-8047, greendropgarage.com), the job isn’t done right until the environment and the community get some TLC, too. “I always wanted to grow what…
The Art of Community
There are more ways than ever to tap into PNCA’s creative energy. Preteens creating costumes during a smARTworks summer youth camp, adults engaged in classes on picture book illustration or etching, acclaimed multimedia artist Wendy Red Star—who grew up on Montana’s Crow Reservation—lecturing on her work. These are just a few of the hundreds of…
Paying it forward
The relationship-oriented philosophy behind one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier payment processing companies When Bill Mitchell founded Merchant Concepts (1314 NW Irving St, Ste 610, 877-281-1460, merchantconcepts.com) in 1997, he wanted to build something more than a payment processing company. He wanted to build lasting relationships. “Our philosophy is that there has to be a…