An Art Walk Through Alberta
The last Thursday of each month, an Art Walk is held in the Alberta Arts district. The walk takes place on Alberta Street from about 12th up to 22nd. This district is in the Northeast of Portland. Because of this event, we decided to explore the Northeast on Thursday.
The day started out with an uneventful walk down Broadway through Irvington. It was a fine enough neighborhood with some restaurants and the like. We stopped into a pet store, but we didn't get anything for the cats.
From Irvington, we went north into Grant Park. I really enjoyed sitting in the park for a few hours. The weather was absolutely perfect. We relaxed on a bench and enjoyed the afternoon. The area around the park was completely family with kids suburbs. It didn't really appeal to us. We kept moving north into Almeda. Again, it was very much the suburbs. After lunch, we decided to take the bus to Alberta. It was a bit early, but we didn't have much to do in these neighborhoods.
As we got closer to Alberta Street, we could see the neighborhood change. Up here, it is definitely rough around the edges. Alberta Arts is considered to be mostly emerging artist, younger professionals and some left over locals. It has an edgy feel.
Once on Alberta Street, we decided to walk its full length. We started at the west end. Teresa stopped in a tattoo shop called Optic Nerve. She has been dying to get a second tattoo for a long time. She didn't get one this time, but I know she will at some point. We also stopped in a few boutiques. I mostly stayed on the street to people watch. There was a large range of individuals milling about the area.
By this time, it was almost 5 o'clock. The art walk was to begin around 5pm. Many vendors had started to setup shop along the street. As far as I could tell, the spots were first come first serve. People were hawking everything you could imagine. We saw some sweet original art, funky jewelry and even cookies!
Since the party was just starting, we decided to have some drinks. We stumbled upon Binks. This small bar of two rooms seemed a perfect watering hole. One room had a pool table, the second main room had a bar, jukebox and tables. What else do you need? How about a Caipirinha or Basil Lemonade? Oh yea, they have those too. I highly recommend both. As for beers, I tasted a New Belgium IPA. It is from Colorado, but as good if not better as the local brews. While we were sitting at the bar, a Latin American guy slid next to us and said, "Lemme get a Lagunitas and you got some hot sauce?" Huh? Lagunitas IPA was on tap, but I had never had the beer. He got his pint and promptly dumped about a half of cup of hot sauce in his beer. He convinced us to try this strange technique. Surprisingly, it was good! Our next choice was a hot sauce infused Lagunitas IPA.
By the time we wandered out of Binks, the entire street was crawling with people. The street vendors were jostling for position. Various types of people combed the street perusing the wares. We started to walk west and decided to stop in an Art Studio. These small local studios are the focus of the night so, we at least needed to see one. Studio 1627 is two stories and has about four studios. The second floor was very creepy. The dark disturbing art was sadly complimented by minimalistic strange electronic music. The first floor was better, but nothing jumped off the wall. We didn't stay too long in the studio.
Further down the road, there appeared to be some sort of extremely weird commune of beatniks and hippies. There were out in their front yard having a bicycle demolition derby. This one dude dressed as a girl was crazy. The whole scene was exceptionally strange. As we reached the west end of the festival, we turned back toward the east. On this side of the street, we encountered some excellent music. The first group was comprised of middle schoolers, and these kids were phenomenal. Drums, percussion, bass and lead guitar screamed funk. They were tight and impressive. You could tell -- the music wasn't work to them. It was an exciting moment. Just a few east, the scene slightly repeated itself. The music came from high schoolers, and it was the blues. The lead guitarist sat with legs crossed and brow furrowed. He calmly jammed to some smooth blues. It was a sight to behold. I was flabbergasted by both groups.
By the time we reached the east end of the Art Walk, it was dark. I couldn't have predicted spending the better part of 5 hours here, but we did. It was an experience not to forget. We jumped a bus going east. It was time for dinner at a Portland landmark, The Kennedy School. This McMenamins hotel, restaurant and bar complex is on the ground of a former elementary school. The McMenamins Brothers specialize in transforming historic and unique properties into entertainment such as pubs, wineries, hotels and more. During the earlier part of the 20th century, The Kennedy School was a completely operational middle school. As you walk down the suburban street, you don't expect to see the building. Nestled in between a few trees, you find the entrance to a school. It is definitely a different feeling to enter this place. The walls are covered in pictures and memorabilia from the original school. It is almost freaky.
We stopped in the front office for some direction. The sent us to the Courtyard Restaurant which was located in what seemed like the old administrative offices. Half of the dining room was located outside in the school's courtyard. We choose to dine outside, and weren't disappointed. The school is shaped like a rectangle with the courtyard smack in the middle. The tables are separated by tons of trees and plants. You feel like your eating in a weird encased forest, but you can see into some of the schools windows. The food is typical McMenamins' fare so, its better than normal pub food. Overall, the dinner was awesome.
After our meal, we walked through the hallways of the Kennedy School. It is so eerie in these halls. It feels like a school moratorium. Besides the hotel, there is a full movie theatre. Presumably, this was the auditorium or theatre of the original school. There is a detention hall that has been transformed into a small and dark bar. In a typical grade school classroom, a livelier bar has been placed. It even has the generic school clock on the wall. Its name is the Cypress Room. The bar is beautifully detailed in wood, and a door opens to an outside patio. We enjoyed a few pints before exiting the school. I'm not sure I'd make the Kennedy School my local hangout, but I would visit a few more times. It is more of a unique experience than watering hole.
We caught the bus from Concordia, the Kennedy's School neighborhood, back down to Burnside. The day had been so full with activity. It was a bit of a bust in the morning. Irvington wasn't our first choice of neighborhoods. Grant Park was a welcome escape from running around on foot. I had hoped Alberta would be fun, but we couldn't have predicted the enjoyment of Last Thursday Art Walk. Our late meal and drinks at the Kennedy School won't soon leave my mind. What a sweet day in the Northeast!
