Pearl Party
A First Thursday walking tour
By Megan Udow
Two-year-old Hadley Younger keeps cool at the Jamison Square fountain. “Jamison Square is the best-kept secret in the Pearl,” notes Hadley’s mother Bianca Younger. And it’s safe to say that Hadley doesn’t mind jumping around in the water on a broiling day either.
View Slideshow »With the thermometer topping out at 95 degrees, it’s no wonder that Jamison Square was jammed to capacity with splashing moppets. Even the parents couldn’t resist a refreshing dip.
View Slideshow »Kim Cox and 6-year-old daughter Grace have been coming to Jamison Square for years. “This is a great example of the Pearl,” she says. “The Farmer’s Market, the streetcar; it’s all very accessible.”
View Slideshow »Sorry kid, no cannonballs.
View Slideshow »Two eager swimmers look for signs of the next fountain geyser at Jamison Square.
View Slideshow »In addition to a stylish assortment of frames, Visage Eyewear displays a photo exhibition of local tough gals, the Rose City Rollers.
View Slideshow »By day, Meghan O’Connell manages Visage Eyewear, but at night she becomes Mess O’Potamia, one of the skating warriors from the Rose City Rollers. And while this roller maiden loves to relax in Jamison Square, it’s a walk in Mt. Tabor that really calms her down after a night of derby damage.
View Slideshow »Patrons peruse the pictures at Visage.
View Slideshow »At the corner of NW Johnson and 11th Ave we found our very own ballerina, Julia Rowe. Her answers were on point as she pirouetted through the streets, telling us of her fondness for outings on SE Hawthorne and afternoons spent capering about in Portland parks.
View Slideshow »Anyone for eye-catching crafts? The streets of the Pearl were alive with artisans hawking their latest creations.
View Slideshow »Now that’s a walk-in closet!
View Slideshow »A local designer displays her colorful sidewalk frocks at First Thursday.
View Slideshow »Ah, the perfect addition to any cupboard.
View Slideshow »The audience was calm and relaxed as they sat, beers in hand, listening to Burn the Seed kick out the jams in the summer heat.
View Slideshow »Artist Brenda Dunn has been an advocate of First Thursdays from the beginning. “I think it’s great,” she says. “The first time I ever sold my artwork was here six years ago. It’s well organized and hundreds of people get to see your work.” Her favorite spot in the Pearl? “Right here. My booth.”
View Slideshow »After a strenuous week at the office and a simmering afternoon in the sun, a couple of cocktails from Vault Martini provide much needed refreshment for busy professionals like John Herrera.
On the hottest day Portland has seen so far this summer, photographer Meghan Colson and I headed to the Pearl District to soak up the sun and, hopefully, capture the essence of a bustling First Thursday.
We observed puddle-jumping toddlers who couldn’t bear to leave splash time at Jamison Park, begging their parents for “just a few minutes longer.” Further down, the after-work crowd at Vault Martini were waiting for an innervating cocktail and the chance to unwind al fresco after being cooped up in the cubicle all day. And, of course, there was an overflow of art, not only in the galleries but along the streets as painters, jewelers, and cunning clothing designers sought to beguile passersby with their wares.
The faces, flavors, and feel of the Pearl are diverse and distinctive, as evidenced by a shop like Visage, that displays provocative combinations of eyewear and art for the benefit of strolling locals. So follow along and explore this particularly prosperous corner of Portland in our web-exclusive slideshow.
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