The Urban Farm Store in SE Portland Oregon

This year, our family has decided to become “Urban Farmers”.  We have set up our garden boxes full of fresh veggies and are currently working on building our chicken coop.  We stopped by the Urban Farm Store to “peck” their brain for chicken raising information and Robert (I assume he was the owner but could be wrong) was extremely knowledgeable and gave us more than enough information to  get us started.  They have everything that you need for your coop, garden and even supplies for your dogs & cats!  Even if you don’t need urban farm supplies, I recommend stopping by to say hi to the chicks.  Check their calendar for workshops and events.

Located in the Buckman area:

1925 SE Morrison St.
Portland, OR 97214

Portland Nursery Division Street

This year I am trying out growing my own vegetables in raised beds in my backyard.  This, of course, means that I have made numerous trips to the Portland Nursery.  The nursery has a huge selection of seeds in packets (both regular and organic), tons of vegetable starts, and all of the necessary supplies like tomato cages and indoor seed starter trays. There is also a good selection of organic fertilizers, trees, decorative plants and yard decor. Making trips to the Portland nursery has become almost a daily occurrence.  The outdoor “sales floor” is more like a huge peaceful garden (some exception to the weekends when it gets a little crazy).

Located in the Hawthorne and Cherry Park neighborhoods:

Hawthorne – 5050 SE Stark

Cherry Park – 9000 SE Division

Fred Meyer Hawthorne

In July, the Hawhorne Fred Meyers LEEDs (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified remodel will be completed making it the first “green” store in the Oregon chain. “Working for LEED certification for the Hawthorne store is just one part of an environmental responsibility initiative at Fred Meyer that applies to all aspects of the business – from cutting fuel consumption in transportation to using recycled material and reducing use of electricity. This holistic approach will be applied to the renovated Hawthorne Fred Meyer, affecting everything from inside the walls to the parking lot.” More info here.  The Hawthorne neighborhood is a great area to introduce this type of design since the area fiercly supports sustainable living.  Fred Meyer is known for it’s “one stop shop” convenience and lives up to that promise.

Located in the Hawthorne Neighborhood:

39th and SE Hawthorne

Monticello’s Antique Marketplace is one of Montavilla’s best kept shopping secret.  It is kind of hard to tell from the exterior of the building just how far the store extends but once you step inside you are instantly taken aback by the amount of space and the amount of antiques there are.  Now I know that you might be thinking that for an antique store too much space and stuff might be overwhelming, but the quality of the antiques and the way that they have the entire store merchandised is fabulous.  I can’t go shopping here too often because I want to buy everything.  They have a cafe located inside with good drinks and sandwiches, a large section dedicated to garden decor, and an upholstery service.

Located at:

8600 SE Stark St

Portland, OR

photo by Marisa Swenson

Nothing says “you have arrived” as a hip neighborhood like a boutique for pets. This lovely pet store offers organic food for dogs and cats as well as very hip collars, leashes and toys. Dogs are welcome to come on in and shop too of course!

Located in Montavilla:

8119 SE Stark

Portland, OR 97215

photo by Marisa Swenson

The name pretty much says it. This odd little store is full of gag gifts, unique and vintage replica toys. I have purchased some of the toys here and found this porcelain Dark Horse comics brand Mighty Mouse Christmas ornament, which is my favorite ornament on the tree. So, if you are looking for something different or from your childhood (if you are over 30 years old) then this is the place to go.

Located at the N end of Montavilla:

7202 NE Glisan St

Portland, OR 97213

photo by Marisa Swenson

I took this black and white photo a couple of years ago with an old Canon A-E1 for a photography class project where I was supposed to be taking photos in the style of Robert Frank’s “The Americans”, more photos here with photos at the Bipartisan also. I had the opportunity to hang out with Johnny and one of his clients while I was shooting. If you can’t tell by the photo, this place keeps up a very original barbershop feel. Johnny knows everything about the neighborhood and was very friendly and funny. He kept asking me if I was a spy from the new hair salon across the street. So if you are looking for a clipper cut, flat top or a hot towel straight razor shave, stop on in.

Located in Montavilla:

7828 SE Stark

Portland, OR 97215

Located in Montavilla:

7909 SE Stark

Portland, OR 97215