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This Week in Portland
- March 10
to March 17, 2012
 Here's
the weekly Portland blog, with the
Portland
events rundown and ideas of things to do in Portland each week.
The Portland Shamrock
Run is next weekend and that means Spring is just around
the corner! We all survived another
Portland winter and can come out of hibernation. I
have been really excited about the spring
flowering bulbs and trees, birds chirping outside my window
early in the morning,
and best of all-- it isn't pitch black dark outside when I
come home from work! Woo hoo!
Daylight
Savings Time - Set your Clocks Ahead One Hour
As a reminder, Daylight Savings Time
begins Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:00am. Move your clocks ahead
1 hour in spring ("Spring forward, fall back").
It
may not have felt spring-like last weekend at the annual grand opening
of the Portland Saturday Market,
where Rachel Carlson snapped this
series of images (thanks, Rachel!) But, there are many warmer
weather days, ahead! Photo slideshow uploaded by Rachel
Carlson:
 By
Rob Creighton Garrison, PortlandNeighborhood.com Guest Writer
It's
spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it,
you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just
fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain
I'm ready. Are you?
I embrace all weathers in
all seasons, but like anyone else I look forward to the changes. I used
to say I was a “cold-weather person”, but I've come
to realize I wouldn't be quite as sanguine about wind chills and such
if I had to face it every single day. (In younger and less-sociable
days I declared myself an ideal candidate for a lonesome life at an
arctic research facility, but I've found since that I don't like snow
much at all, plus I saw John
Carpenter's The Thing and
decided cold + snow + flame-throwers didn't add up to as fun a time as
I'd prefer.)
Just as I'm moved by the
misty, eerie atmosphere of the cold months to venture out in my
raincoat or oilskin to travel muddy trails and mossy sidewalks, I'm
inspired by Portland's springs and summers to breathe deeply and turn
my face to the sun. From my closet come my straw hats, from my dresser
come my cargo shorts (note to self: research spray-tanning
establishments). My bicycle feels the love as I haul it out to the
sidewalk for a scrub and lube, not necessarily because it needs it but
because it's a pleasant thing to do in the sunshine. Perspiration
generated by a hike feels more honestly earned in warm weather as
opposed to the sweat running under heavy layers.
People seem to sprout from the sidewalks like the tufts of grass
through the cracks. Southeast Hawthorne, Belmont, Northwest 23rd,
Northeast Alberta, even downtown Portland suddenly teems with
pedestrians whose shopping gene switches have been tripped by blessing
rays, or whom stride the streets just to be there, out and about,
taking part. I know soon there'll be an outdoor seat at a
café or pub beckoning my sun-lazed hindquarters to abide
into the late afternoon and probably even the evening if I have
sufficiently weighted pockets and a hole in my schedule. Beer outdoors
is great beer, and the same goes for conversation; there always seems
to be a thawing of bonhomie
and the talk flows out of your neighbors as in no other season. Even
when sitting on my own with a book, the surrounding susurrations (and
often more strident declarations; this is Portland, where every citizen
is entitled to hear a political opinion if not hold one) from fellow
diners and imbibers impart a feeling of inclusion and participation.
Smiles come more readily,
forgiveness of sins seem more plentiful. Or is it just me? When you're
high, other people seem so too.
As I write this the
forecast is for 61 degrees. I'll be on a walk or a ride later today.
Spring now finally feels inevitable and I'm getting a jump on it. Those
rainy days still to come? A tease, the last few veils dropping before
winter leaves the stage. Give her a round of enthusiastic applause, but
please, do turn your attentions to the next attraction.
You
can post your own member blogs directly as a Portland
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The Portland Photo of
the Week
The Portland
Photo of the Week
winner is Rachel Carlson, for uploading a whole series of Portland
Saturday Market images from this past weekend's grand opening!
Photos
by Rachel Carlson
Each week we
select one
photo to be featured as the Portland photo of the week winner.
Upload your Portland photos to the photo album for a chance
to win. Rachel will receive a gift certificate to a local
Portland business just for sharing her photo!
Come
and upload your Portland photos to the Photo Gallery
for your chance to win each week. This week's winner gets a
gift certificate to Bare Bones Cafe.
Check back to see if your
photo is selected for a spotlight in the weekly Portland blog!
Portland St. Patrick's
Day Events
Get ready to celebrate
St. Patrick's Day in Portland! Our Portland St. Patricks Day Events page
is a good place to find Portland Irish Pubs, Restaurants, and other
places to celebrate St. Patricks in Portland. We will also update the
Portland Events Calendar
with St. Patrick's Events, but feel free to post your own Portland St.
Paddy's
events, too!
Here
are just a handful of Portland St. Patrick's Day 2012 events:
Portand
Shamrock Run 2012
Oregon Symphony Portland St.
Patrick's Day Celebration
71st Annual St. Patricks
Day Festival - All Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon
Portland St. Patricks
Festival at Thirsty Lion Pub
St. Patrick's Day at
McMenamins Restaurants, Pubs, and Hotels
Kell's Annual St. Patricks
Irish Festival
In honor of St. Patrick's Day in Portland, there are several Portland
Irish Music celebrations.
Crystal
Ballroom Hosts "Under a Blood Red Sky, the U2 Tribute", with
Ashleigh Flynn and River City Pipe Band. Saturday March 17th at Crystal
Ballroom.
McMenamins
Kennedy School has Freak
Mountain Ramblers and a host of other bands, all day next Saturday
starting at 11am.
Check our Portland Live Music
page to see more venues to find more music events in Portland.
Featured Portland
Events
Here
are the featured Portland
events this week focusing on
events happening this weekend or those just around the corner! Thanks
to everyone for adding all the great Portland events to the community
events calendar. You can add your own Portland events directly to the
events calendar for free (please
read our terms of service first).
Just click "Add
an Event" and fill in the
details.
We select a handful of
events off the
calendar each week to feature here in the weekly blog. If you
would like to make sure your event appears in the blog, please visit
our Advertising
page for more information on a featured placement.
March
24, 2012 from 8am
to 5pm – Aloha,
Oregon Is your child
struggling With Hypersensitivity, ADD/ADHD, Learning Difficulties,
Motor Skills, Autism/Asperger’s, Developmental Delay,
Inappropriate Behavior, Poor Eye Contact, or Inattentiveness?
Attend the Brain Development 101 Seminar and learn the root cause of
most learning problems, the importance of physical movement for brain
organization, why a new approach may be most effective for your child,
why "labels" may not be helpful for your child's progress, the critical
role of nutrition in brain function and more. This seminar is taught by
Donna Bateman, a Neurodevelopmental Specialist and mother of eight.
Organized by www.parentswithpurpose.com
Type:Seminar
We're
proud to announce a new initiative this year to support SW HOPE:
Families Against Hunger Weekend, March 9-11. Everyone is
trying to economize these days, so this year, why not "Dine-IN to
Help-Out"?
Here's how it works:
- Stay
home for dinner (how easy is that?!)
- Talk
with your kids about hunger and how your family can make a difference
for those facing food insecurity.
- Donate
online at www.swhope.org.
- Submit
your stories about your weekend on our Facebook
page: www.facebook.com/nhpdx
Everyone who donates
March 9-11 will be entered into a raffle for a great family fun
package! Organized by Neighborhood House
March
9, 2012 to March
11, 2012 – "Hollywood
Theatre"
POWFest:
Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival
2012 POWFest
is March 8-11, 2012
at Portland's Historic
Hollywood Theatre!
http://www.powfest.com/ Organized
by POWFest | Type:
powfest
March
10, 2012 at 10am to June
17, 2012 at 5pm – Portland
Art Museum
Emerging,
a selection of more than 50 works, celebrates the diversity and breadth
of a set of 500 recent gifts and purchases. Included are images by such
exceptional photographers as Adolphe Braun, B…
Organized
by Portland Art Museum | Type: museum,
exhibit
March
10, 2012 from 10am to 10:30am
– World
Forestry Center
Tree-Mendous
Second Saturday
March 10 - 10:30am - 3pm
Come join us on Saturday for a dirt and soil themed Tree-Mendous Second
Saturday with a crafts, activities, hikes, storytelling, and
more!
Don…
Organized
by | Type: children's,
event
March
10, 2012 from 12pm to 8pm
– St.
Agatha Catholic School
Come
join the fun at the Sellwood-Moreland St. Patrick’s Day
Festival and Parade at St. Agatha Catholic School. Hundreds of people
will kick-off the festival as they parade through the main streets o…
Organized
by Amy
Gilbertz Delegato | Type: st.,
patrick's,
day,
festival
March
10, 2012 from 3pm to 4:30pm
– Central
Library, Collins Gallery
Join
us in exploring the most influential Jewish songwriters and their
legacies. Enjoy your favorite Broadway musicals and light refreshments
at the exhibition opening reception for “A Fine Romance:…
Organized
by Multnomah County Library | Type: exhibition,
opening,
reception
March
10, 2012 from 7:30pm to 9pm
– Portland
Art Museum, Kridel Ballroom
Experience
the exhibit Mark Rothko through music inspired by the abstract
expressionism of the artist and his contemporaries. This program
features the landmark music composition, Rothko Chapel. The…
Organized
by Portland Art Museum, Third Angle Music Ensemble | Type: performance
March
10, 2012 at 8pm to March
11, 2012 at 12:15am – Green
Dragon
Hop
around pubs in the inner Southeast while making Mishloach Manot (gifts
of food - mmmmm, Hamantaschen!)
Portland’s own Chalk-let Candy Bus will help us get our sweet
on! Wear a costume - there’s a…
Organized
by Josh Lake | Type: holiday,
celebration
March
11, 2012 from 7pm to 8pm
– ZOOMTOPIA
Agnieszka Laska Dancers
photo © Chris Leck
Saturday March 17 • 7:00 pm BROKEN
FLOWERS — ALD’s newest work in progress,
addressing the painful subject of teen sex slavery and human
trafficking, devel…
Organized
by Agnieszka Laska | Type: dance,
performance
March
13, 2012 from 12pm to 1:30pm
– Portland
Art Museum, Schnitzer Sculpture Court
On March 13, the award-winning
Parker Quartet will perform at the Portland Art Museum. The Parker
Quartet is widely regarded as one of the preeminent ensembles of its
generation. The Quartet won a G…
Organized
by Portland Art Museum, Portland Friends of Chamber Music | Type: musical,
performance
March
14, 2012 at 8pm to March
17, 2012 at 11:45pm – Helium
Comedy Club
Wednesday
03/14 – 8PM $10 Thursday 03/15 – 8PM $15 Friday
03/16 – 7PM & 9:30PM $20 Saturday 03/17 –
7PM & 9:30PM $20
Jackie has been a national touring comic for over 15 years. She has her
ow…
Organized
by Helium
Comedy Club | Type: stand,
up,
comedy
March
16, 2012 to March
18, 2012 – Kells
ANNUAL ST. PATRICK'S IRISH
FESTIVALKells Irish Restaurant & Pub 112 SW Second Avenue,
Portland, OR 97204 March 15-18 2012
Children welcome on Saturday in the Front Tent from noon until 8pm and…
Organized
by Kells | Type: portland
st patricks day events
March
16, 2012 to March
18, 2012 – "Thirsty
Lion"
Saint
Patrick's 2012 Weekend Festival
Fri Mar 16th - Sun Mar 18th
Thirsty Lion is bringing Saint Patricks Weekend Festival back this year
from Friday, March 16th through Sunday March 18th. With 23 be…
Organized
by Thirsty Lion | Type: portland
st patricks events
March
17, 2012 to March
18, 2012 – "Arlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall"
The
Emerald Isle comes alive with beautiful ballads, sung by the great
Irish tenor John McDermott, and the vibrant dancing of
Portland’s own Molly Malone Irish Dancers. If
you’re not Irish when the s…
Organized
by Oregon Symphony | Type: portland
st. patricks day
March
17, 2012 all day – "Ambridge
Event Center"
All-Ireland
Cultural Society's73rd Anniversary71st Annual St. Patrick's
Day Celebration Saturday, March 17,
2012 The Ambridge Event Center (AKA Rosary Hall)
376 NE…
Organized
by All Ireland Cultural Society of Oregon | Type: portland
st patricks events
There
are a ton more Portland events on the calendar, come check it out and
feel free to post your own Events, too!
March 2012 Portland Real Estate Market Report
by
Ross and Leah Seligman
March
2012 Portland Oregon Real Estate Market Report: Wow have things changed!
Here is a chart of all
homes for sale, pending for sale, and sold in Portland, Oregon for the
last 15 months:
In February 2012,
inventory has dropped with 1774 homes on the market. In
February 2012, 389 homes sold and 610 are pending for
sale.
Yearly change from
February 11 to February 12:
Inventory is Down
35.2%
Closed Sales are Up
15.8%.
Pending sales are Up
36.2%.
Chart
for average price per square footage:
In the past 15 months, the average price per square foot in Portland,
Oregon has been between $132 and $142. In February 2012, the
average price per square foot in Portland was $132.
Yearly change from
February 11 to February 12:
Average Price/Square
Foot has decreased 0.2%
Days on market and
sold/list price %:
This chart is showing us two things. First, how many days on the market
that a home is spending, on average, before being sold. In all of
Multnomah County, in all price ranges, a home is taking, on average, 80
days to sell.
The other thing that this chart shows is what percentage of listing
price the home, on average, is selling at. This is a great indicator of
pressure on prices. In February 2012, sellers were getting, on
average, 92% of their original asking price.
Yearly change from
February 11 to February 12:
Average time it
takes to sell a home has decreased 5.9%.
The percentage of
original listing price that was paid has increased 3.4%.
Average price for sale
vs. average price of sold:
The largest segment of home sales have been in the price range under
$400,000. You can see this reflected in the average price of a home
that has sold. In February 2012, this figure was $281,000.
Yearly change from
February 11 to February 12:
The average price of
a home listed has increased 5.7%.
The average price of
a home sold has increased 5.6%.
Months of inventory:
Months of inventory
gives a timeline of how long it would take for all of the current
listings to sell. Anything above 4 months is considered a buyers
market. In February 2012, this figure was 4.6
months based on closed sales. Portland is currently, on
average, a buyer's market.
This does NOT mean that it will take, on average, 4.6 months for your
home to sell. That number was, on average in all price ranges, 80 days.
It means that, if not a single listing were to come on the
market in Portland from this moment, it would take 4.6 months for all
available homes to sell before there would be none left.
Yearly change from
February 11 to February 12:
The months of
inventory figure has decreased 24.6%.
About
the report:
They are a comparison of
the past 15 months (including a percentage change analysis for the last
12 months) for all of Portland and are taken directly from the RMLS.
What follows is my own analysis of these statistics. For our purposes,
I thought it best to analyze Portland as a whole. Each neighborhood,
however, is a little micro-universe and has its own market. Changing
the parameters of the zip codes, price variables, or time periods can
lead to very different results. This analysis is of all homes sold in
all price ranges in Portland, Oregon. If you have any
questions about specific zip codes, or any questions about the market
in general, please reply to this forum with those questions or feel
free to contact me at: http://www.propertiesofportland.com.
Since Portland is a neighborhood city, you can now search by
"Irvington, Alberta, etc.". You can check it out by clicking here.
This information
doesn't matter if you have a particular neighborhood in mind since
Portland neighborhoods are their own micro-markets. If you have one in
mind to buy or are selling your home, please request a report for that
neighborhood and I am happy to post it on this blog or send it to you.
The complete Portland report is useful for an overall
snapshot of the Portland market.
Hey everyone, I want to know what you think of these reports. Too many
stats? Just right? Something missing? Let me know so I can make these
more useful for you. What are your thoughts about real estate right
now? What do you think of the information in this report? Post to this
blog so we can discuss.
Visit our website
where you can contact us and search all Portland
Metro Area homes for sale from the RMLS in Portland, OR, including
school and neighborhood reports: http://www.propertiesofportland.com
Open House this Sunday
March 11 - Beautiful North Tabor Bungalow for Sale
OPEN
HOUSE this Sunday, March 11th, 1-3PM - Beautiful North Tabor
Bungalow
5811
NE Flanders St Portland OR 97213
3
Bedrooms, 2 Baths
2204
SQ FT
See
the listing at:
http://www.propertiesofportland.com/12164883
 
See
more photos, here.
Visit
our website where you can contact us and search all Portland metro area
homes for sale and real estate from the RMLS, including neighborhood
and school information: www.propertiesofportland.com
Best
Portland Real Estate Deals of the Week
Each week, Ross and Leah
share
five
great Portland real estate deals,
and it is
always fun to take a peek at what Portland home deals are available.
We like to share one on the high end and lower end of the
price spectrum.
The
Best Deals in Portland This Week: March 5th - March 12th
2208
NE 28TH AVE Portland, OR 97212 - Grant Park - $1,450,000
See the full listing here
4315
NE 81ST AVE Portland, OR 97218 - Roseway - $252,500
See the full listing here
Visit
our website where you can contact us and search all
Portland metro
area homes for sale and real estate from the RMLS, including
neighborhood and school information: www.propertiesofportland.com
 by
PDX
Nature Nut
Hidden away in the
Markham neighborhood of Southwest Portland, very near Tryon Creek State Natural Area,
is a much smaller woodland called Maricara Natural Area.
Though it may be small (17 acres compared to Tryon Creek's nearly
7,000), it's certainly not lacking when it comes to beauty or providing
that woodsy sense of seclusion that we nature-loving Portlandians crave.
View Larger Map
There is not a lot of parking available around the park. The
natural area is really tucked into the neighborhood, and there is no
parking lot. So I would encourage you to hike, bike, or use
TriMet (Click
here to Open TripPlanner).
Route 43 will get you within a half mile of the park's western edge.
Maricara Natural Area consists of mostly second-growth Douglas fir and
Big Leaf Maple woodlands. The forest surrounds a wooded wetland area
which is the headwaters for a small stream that flows into Arnold
Creek, then on to Tryon Creek and the Willamette River. The
elevation between any two points in the park only differs by about 100
feet, so no steep hikes here.
The
Indian Plum
(Oemleria cerasiformis)
was just beginning to sprout its lance-shaped leaves when I
visited. I thought it was interesting that the leaves were
sprouting before the flower racemes. In my yard, which gets
full sun, the the flower racemes come into full bloom before you see
this much leaf. I wonder if it has to do with the amount of
sun received.
I
love the ferns growing in the moss on this tree.
When
I spotted this little brown bird making its way up the trunk of a
Douglas Fir, I thought it was some type of nuthatch,
even though I knew that nuthatches usually travel head-first down
the tree. I couldn't see the curved beak until I got home and
enlarged the photo. Nuthatches have straight, stout, pointed
bills. This bird, as it turns out, is a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana).
They use their long, sturdy tails for support as they move spirally up
tree trunks, probing for insects and spiders. (The tail of a
nuthatch is shorter - they don't use them for support because their
heads are usually facing down the trunk.)
As
I was walking quietly along, I heard the distinct sound of
nibbling. I scanned the trees and saw this Douglas
Squirrel
having lunch. It had almost worked its way through a Douglas
fir cone, like a big piece of corn on the cob.
I
thought the corona of fungus around this log was interesting.
The
photo above shows one of the wooded wetland areas. More of a
"dampland" really. I'm sure it's wetter at times - this
hasn't been one of our rainiest periods recently - but this is not the
kind of wetland with lots of open water to attract ducks and
geese. A very understated wetland, for the woodland creatures
to enjoy.
On
the south side of the park, coming up from the bridge across the creek,
the ground was just covered with the young plants pictured
above. I could be wrong, but I think this is Western (or
Pacific) Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa),
one of our native wildflowers. It's hard for me to tell when
they're so young, but if I'm right, this will be a beautiful spot to
visit in a couple weeks or so.
Lots
of Oregon
Grape. I believe this
is the shorter variety, Dull Oregon Grape (Mahonia
nervosa), as opposed to Tall
Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium),
which is Oregon's State Flower. There's also Creeping Oregon
grape (Mahonia repens),
but it's
leaves are not as sharply toothed.
The
Big Leaf Maple (Acer
macrophyllum)
pictured above seems to be growing out of an old stump. I
thought maybe it was a rotted old Douglas fir stump that played host to
a Big Leaf Maple seedling. On closer inspection, the bark on
the "stump" appears to be Big Leaf Maple as well. Definitely
not conifer bark. I believe it's some kind of burl on the
tree - it doesn't really appear to be a stump at all.
This
is the upper portion of that same Big Leaf Maple- showing off its
luxurious coat of moss and fern greenery.
Lots
of bird houses around the park. I noticed a "PSU" marking on
a couple. Some Portland State University study or project?
This picture looks very primeval. Those logs have been there
a while.
So that's my visit to Maricara Natural Area. The park is a
real jewel, and I recommend you check it out soon! If you do,
let me know if those "Bleeding Hearts" are in bloom.
For more info on Maricara Natural Area, visit the park's Intertwine page,
and the Portland Parks & Recreation
page, where you can download a
trail and contour map, as well as a planning document which tells all
about the park's species, condition, and planning for improvements
(some of which have been completed).
That's
It!
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