Hollywood Confidential

When I think of vibrant areas in Portland, I think of the Hawthorne, Hollywood, and Pearl Districts. It’s no coincidence that these are “districts,” not “neighborhoods.” There’s a certain buzz about each that you don’t find in residential neighborhoods like Alameda, Grant Park, or Laurelhurst. The districts have commerce in their hearts, while other areas have it on their fringes (e.g., Irvington’s Broadway or Beaumont’s Fremont Street). The districts offer urban living at its best, an ever-changing blend of commercial and residential uses where people can work and live together.

My favorite of these three districts is Hollywood, mainly because it offers such a wide variety of convenient shopping, services, and restaurants. Hollywood scores bonus points because it’s so user friendly. On a typical day, I can leave home, drop the kids at Buckman School, put in three miles on a treadmill at 24Hour Fitness, pick up odds and ends at Trader Joe’s, make a deposit at Sterling Bank, get gas at Chevron, swing by the Hollywood Library to pick up a book on hold, and get home by 11:15 AM. Try doing that in the Pearl or Hawthorne!

There are plenty of restaurants in Hollywood, from the old (Pal’s Shanty) to the new (Killer Burger). Keep it on the Q.T., but there’s a rumor that an Indian restaurant will replace the wildly unsuccessful Wild Tiger Thai. Along those lines, there’s very tasty ethnic food at Shandong (Chinese) and my favorite Scottish restaurant.

Whether folks rent, own, or work in Hollywood, there’s always something happening there. The Hollywood Theater runs some great indie and foreign films (even saw the Wizard of Oz there recently with the kids) and there’s a handful of taverns and cafes to wet your whistle. Word on the street is that Tony Starlight’s will be taking over the old Poor Richard’s. I just hope they keep the shrimp cocktail on the menu. Over and out.