There are some pretty cool businesses going up in my neighborhood. The whole block has been under constant construction for the past two years. In some ways it has been a nightmare. I have a recording studio in my basement that I rarely get to use because the construction noise starts early and lasts into the evening. Then, late at night, we have trains that drive through SE Portland and, though we are nowhere near the railroad tracks, you can hear them loud and clear as the engineer often lays down his horn for several minutes at a time as he crosses all the streets in the evening but I digress… What I’m trying to say is that for the past two years, my neighborhood has been a horrible tizzy of construction and it has been very unpleasant.
We are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as the apartments and buildings are being finished and businesses are starting to open at last.
This week, I went out and decided to give some patronage to the new businesses within a block of my home. The first stop I made was a new chocolatier from Ecuador. The place is huge and beautiful. I ordered a $7 mocha. It was pretty good but no better than the $4 mocha I had the day before. I have no idea how that place is going to stay in business. Everything in there was hugely expensive and probably won't be a regular hang for me.
Thankfully there is a place next door that I am very excited about: A vintage guitar shop and pub called Strum. Well, I don't know if they are technically a pub but they serve beer anyway. It is also a live music venue with a small stage and seating for around 50 people. It’s super badass and I am personally thrilled about it.
I ended up spending several hours here. I got to play a $16,000 guitar that was just hanging there on the wall. I may even play some shows there with my band over the summer.
I also almost bought this 1962 vintage Kay. Price was marked at $400. He offered me a deal which I hymned and hawed over for quite a while. He dropped his price again considerably without my prompting. He even suggested I take it home for a few hours as I decide if I want it.
I actually did take it home for a few hours but my bandmate Steve talked me out of getting it. I still think about it though and may end up getting it anyway. Hmm. What do you think? Should I support this local business while increasing my vintage guitar collection?
She is awfully pretty.
Anyway, this is probably one of the coolest new businesses in Portland and I'm very excited to have it in my neighborhood. It was almost worth the two years of jackhammering and leaddust to bring it here. Almost.