Wherever I go in Portland neighborhoods where retail concentrations are thriving, I always see low-rise buildings of all ages as the dominant physical characteristic. Contrast that with the Pearl and Downtown where 10-40 story buildings dominate, casting shadows on streets and sidewalks. Same situation in most other American cities in the West, especially LA and San Diego. While urban planners love high-rises, consumers seem to prefer something quite the opposite.
I don’t know - the Pearl and Downtown did very well until the city allowed them to become the epicenter for homelessness and general disorder (“protests”, etc.). 23rd has been shielded from much of that just due to being far enough away - I believe that’s why it’s currently doing better. If things were cleaned up again, businesses and foot traffic could be sustained in these other areas too.
Retailers were bailing out of the Pearl long before the riots in 2020 and the homeless campers were abundant. There just never has been much foot traffic in the Pearl as the retail areas are so spread out rather than co concentrated on 21st and 23rd. The retail design of the Pearl is simply a bust.
A fair point that people often like compact, “boutique street” shopping like NW 23rd — it’s very naturally walkable and visually concentrated for leisure shopping.
That said, it’s not accurate to say the Pearl District never had much foot traffic. Pre-COVID, it was one of Portland’s most consistently active pedestrian areas, driven by offices, residents, retail, theaters, and tourist destinations like Powell’s (similar to downtown). It was meant to be somewhere you could live and not have to drive to do pretty much anything, which is why so many moved there or stayed there when they went on vacation.
Portland’s post-COVID/riot era “recovery”, and I use that term loosely, has affected areas differently. The Pearl’s reliance on office traffic made it more sensitive to remote work and slower downtown return, while NW 23rd’s residential and leisure-driven model has been more resilient. The city’s refusal to address the large homeless/drug problem in the city center (similar to LA, Seattle, etc) is making it an uphill battle to bring any of this back to what it used to be.
I've lived right off NW 23rd for most of the past 25 years, and I still adore my neighborhood. I've returned to NW Portland every single time I've left. It's still walkable, charming, beautiful, fulfills the diverse needs of our community, and feels like a community. Us locals have seen it through some tougher times and more vibrant times, but as the quote in this piece explains, we do protect it, recommend it, and return.
23rd is a true gem in Northwest. I am in hopes Downtown will revert to its old self.
I will be interested to see what transpires for the Food Front location.
Wherever I go in Portland neighborhoods where retail concentrations are thriving, I always see low-rise buildings of all ages as the dominant physical characteristic. Contrast that with the Pearl and Downtown where 10-40 story buildings dominate, casting shadows on streets and sidewalks. Same situation in most other American cities in the West, especially LA and San Diego. While urban planners love high-rises, consumers seem to prefer something quite the opposite.
I don’t know - the Pearl and Downtown did very well until the city allowed them to become the epicenter for homelessness and general disorder (“protests”, etc.). 23rd has been shielded from much of that just due to being far enough away - I believe that’s why it’s currently doing better. If things were cleaned up again, businesses and foot traffic could be sustained in these other areas too.
Retailers were bailing out of the Pearl long before the riots in 2020 and the homeless campers were abundant. There just never has been much foot traffic in the Pearl as the retail areas are so spread out rather than co concentrated on 21st and 23rd. The retail design of the Pearl is simply a bust.
A fair point that people often like compact, “boutique street” shopping like NW 23rd — it’s very naturally walkable and visually concentrated for leisure shopping.
That said, it’s not accurate to say the Pearl District never had much foot traffic. Pre-COVID, it was one of Portland’s most consistently active pedestrian areas, driven by offices, residents, retail, theaters, and tourist destinations like Powell’s (similar to downtown). It was meant to be somewhere you could live and not have to drive to do pretty much anything, which is why so many moved there or stayed there when they went on vacation.
Portland’s post-COVID/riot era “recovery”, and I use that term loosely, has affected areas differently. The Pearl’s reliance on office traffic made it more sensitive to remote work and slower downtown return, while NW 23rd’s residential and leisure-driven model has been more resilient. The city’s refusal to address the large homeless/drug problem in the city center (similar to LA, Seattle, etc) is making it an uphill battle to bring any of this back to what it used to be.
I've lived right off NW 23rd for most of the past 25 years, and I still adore my neighborhood. I've returned to NW Portland every single time I've left. It's still walkable, charming, beautiful, fulfills the diverse needs of our community, and feels like a community. Us locals have seen it through some tougher times and more vibrant times, but as the quote in this piece explains, we do protect it, recommend it, and return.