Perplexed at the Plethora

What are they thinking?  Have they done any market research or looked at the site?  I don't think so.  Here's what I'm talking about:

The main drag through inner NE Portland is Broadway.  Broadway is one way, so it has a twin running the opposite direction, NE Weidler St.  There are more businesses on the Broadway side than on the Weidler side, but certain areas of Weidler are very busy.  One of the busy areas is just west of the Lloyd Center mall.  There is a two block stretch - between NE 7th and 9th that is full of food choices.  Or food-like choices, depending on your eating habits.

Actually, I should extend that just a bit and start from NE 6th, where we have McDonalds.  One block later, Burger King.  And here's where I am scratching my head.

On the corner of Weidler and 8th is Taco Bell.  TB used to be next door to Kentucky Fried Chicken and across the street from Skippers.  Well, KFC and Skippers closed up shop at this location ~ apparently because they weren't offering enough beans in their menu.  The KFC spot is now occupied by a local  Mexican food chain called Muchas Gracias.  The Skippers site is now occupied by Chipotle.  Yes, another quasi-Mexican food place!  But, wait!  There's more!  On the very next corner, where there used to be a pizza place is now... wait for it... A MEXICAN FOOD PLACE!  This one is called Qdoba.  There is another downtown, so I'd have to guess that it's a chain as well.  What gives?  Why the plethora of Mexican food choices all crammed into this one area?  I like Mexican food real well.  It's one of my favorites.  But, four similar menus in the space of two blocks?  I don't know.  It's overkill.

Besides, the smart diner is up on Alberta getting tamales at La Bonita.  Autentico!  Tan sabroso!

What do you think?  Nice to have choices or overkill?




PS: Gager ~ is this thing working?

Hawthorne update

Drove by the now empty lot on Hawthorne where the Daily Grind used to be. I'm happy to report that it will not be a condo tower. There is some signage on the chain link fencing indicating that New Seasons will build a grocery store there.

OK, this is kinda crazy. It was an independent hippie grocery store and it's being replaced by a chain hippie grocery store. Hmmm.... AND, it's just a few blocks from a Fred Meyer. I guess I don't need to know how these things work. At least it's New Seasons, which is a pretty good small chain. They treat their employees well and the prices are not as astronomical as that other chain ~ Whole Foods, also called Whole Paycheck because that's how much you can spend if you shop there.

Oh, and speaking of Whole Foods, I just had a thought. It might be built on the model of the Whole Foods that is going in on Sandy Boulevard in the Hollywood District. Massive, upscale, expensive grocery store on the bottom (and a bank), with condos above.

We shall see!

Just the shell remains

I drove over to the parents house on Tuesday afternoon. Went down NE 27th to Knott. On 27th between Tillamook and Thompson is the shell of an old house. I'm not sure but it looks like it might have burned.

It looks as if it is being taken apart carefully. Maybe one of these 'deconstruction' companies it taking it apart to reuse the materials. I hope so.

I'm going to have to go back that way and take a longer look. I was in a hurry on Tuesday and couldn't even slow down, let alone stop and look. And, I'll bring my camera because I keep hearing from one of my readers that pictures would add a nice touch to this blog...