Friday, December 30, 2005

The corner gentrification forgot: the worst paint job in Portland

not so lucky mart
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This is a new business in our neighborhood: Lucky Mart. They’re on the corner of North Portsmouth and North Lombard. And this is the corner that gentrification forgot.

This used to be St. Johns Video. Alas, they didn’t make it, and the building sat empty. But then work started to be done. Bars went up on the window. The awning announcing yet another convenience market featuring BEER and CIGARETTES. At least it didn’t say CHEAP BEER like the one just a few blocks away.

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And then the paint job happened. Can you believe this? It’s been like this for months. At first I thought okay, it rained while they were SPRAYPAINTING the lucky green color. It doesn’t appear as if they plan on doing anything about this and the burning of my retinas everytime I look at it every single day, several times a day. Streaked, dripping, uneven bright green paint.

I moved to this neighborhood 8 years ago, and have watched the metamorphosis like many of North Portland’s neighborhoods. The bars on windows have come down, the gardens are growing, the new paint and roofs: gentrification is a double-edged sword I know. But the corner of Portsmouth and Lombard? Thanks to Lucky Mart, we’ve stepped back 10 years or so. (And I’m not even posting photos of the opposite corner, home to Fabic Wod. And yes, the letters are missing in their sign.) Sigh. Here’s to gentrification coming to Portsmouth and Lombard, or, at least a visit from the city about that horrid paint job.

3 comments:

brett said...

yup, in the middle of "uber-gentrified" mississippi as some would call it is the "Val-U Mart" a crappy storefront for a market that sells overprices ramen and 40oz beer. everyone else cleaned up but them.

geeekgirl said...

OMG I drove past that market the other day and couldn't figure out what went wrong. Part of me thought that maybe someone did a bunch of crank and started painting, but never finished. Then I thought someone must have been painting during a rain storm, with water colors. Either way it is totally out of control. I suggest going to the world's narrowest bar (the two point tavern) right around the corner and having a beer to calm the nerves.

Unknown said...

Wow. Memories. I went by that place almost daily. When I left it was still bright green.