news in Sellwood-Moreland, Southeast (SE) Portland...

Food is a necessity for all living creatures. But unlike our wild counterparts, wehumans have developed complex appetites that are often based on exorbitant wants rather than pure need. We've easily created the tools necessary to satisfy our cravings. But often our modern means are not always the most economically sensible or environmentally friendly. So, in honor of Earth Day 2012 on April 22, Neighborhood more...

Judging by the restaurants, bars and food carts that line our streets, we Portlanders sure like dining out. But when you consider the many successful urban farms and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) cropping up all over town, we sure like dining in too. If you and your family are thinking about joining a CSA, how can you tell which one works best for you? Do you choose the one that empowers underserved youth, more...

Portland loves its food carts—there’s no doubt about that. While there might be differences of opinion regarding the “best” food cart in town—it’s hard to compare the fishy chips of EuroTrash to the breakfast offerings at The Big Egg—there’s certainly no question that the city’s food cart scene is embraced by the city’s foodie culture as a distinct element more...

Thriving commercial districts are part of what makes Portland great. It’s these distinct neighborhood hubs, each with a unique character, that draw out the coffee drinker, vintage clothes connoisseur, vinyl collector, or simply the hungry. When you look at the history of these neighborhoods, and their commercial corridors in particular, you’ll soon discover that they weren’t always bustling. The more...

A small business owner recently asked Neighborhood Notes, “What do I need to do to hire my first employee?” We began to answer that question by talking to several small business owners who have already hired their first, and in some cases second, third and more, employee. Simply enough, we asked: “How do you know when it’s time to hire your first employee?” The responses were more...

This is the first in a series of articles that will cover the basics of land use in Portland. Let's face it. You might not notice when a six-story apartment building is being constructed just a few hundred feet from a cluster of single-story homes—unless one of those homes is yours. Developments happen all the time, in every city. Some residents are grateful when a grocery store opens just a few blocks more...

Whether it's intended or not, Portland's newest indie business owners seem to be collectively trying to tell us something: Get fit, eat right and choose the right threads to show it all off. March brought with it the opening of a new yoga studio, a roller sport store, a bicycle repair and parts shop, and an athletic shoe store. Also opened were a new juice and smoothie bar, an urban farm and garden store, as more...

Who is responsible for job creation? The president, local government, entrepreneurial business people? As we expressed last month in the first installment in our Thinking Local series, you don’t have to look to ambiguous entities to create change in your community. You, and your neighbors, have the power to effect considerable change by just changing your habits. There is power in your dollar, but there is more...

Vandals are targeting TriMet bus shelters, most of them in Southeast Portland. Glass panels were broken out on 12 shelters overnight Thursday, bringing the number damaged this week to at least 21. Most of the shelters vandalized this week are on or near Southeast Division Street, between 17th and 92nd avenues. Three of the shelters were targeted twice in the week. All four shelters at 82nd and Division were more...

In a shift away from the country’s once hyper-consumptive ways, many Portlanders have been discovering how to participate in a local, and more resourceful, sharing economy. Based on models of collaborative consumption, in which owning becomes less necessary, our innovative and community-minded citizenry has expanded an economy centered around bartering, borrowing and sharing. Portland has, in many ways, led more...