has long been a fan of bikes.
(Photo © J. Maus)
At the 34th annual Street of Dreams event, Portlanders will get a healthy dose of our local bike culture in addition to the usual tour of luxury homes.
This year’s event, which focuses on the Pearl District, will feature a special “Cycle the Dream” component. Organizer Mark McGregor has put together a roster of bike-related businesses that will be on display as event-goers tour eight penthouse condominiums inside the four buildings on the Street of Dreams tour route.
At the Pearl Condominiums at Block 90, bike realtor Kristen Kaufman will be set up. She’ll lead guided bike tours of the Street of Dreams buildings every two hours. Pedal Bike Tours will also be at Block 90, renting bikes to anyone who needs one.
condo dweller rolling around on
Renovo’s new, Portland-made “Panda”
bamboo commuter bike.
At the 937 Condominiums building, visitors will be introduced to builder Ken Wheeler’s Renovo Hardwood Bicycles. Racer and shop owner Molly Cameron will also be there to share information about The Veloshop and her latest endeavor — a high-end, personalized service bike shop called the Portland Bicycle Studio. And, if someone simply must-have one of Ken’s or Molly’s bikes, Unitus Credit Union will be there to sign them up for a bike loan.
At Hoyt Street Properties’ Encore on the Park building, bike builder Natalie Ramsland will have a few of her Sweetpea Bikes on display. Waterfront Bikes will also be there if anyone needs a bike and Dennis Kelly from North Portland Mobile Bike Shop will keep everyone running smoothly (and will offer a maintenance clinic at noon).
Also at the Encore, building industry honchos will compete in a fun-loving alleycat. McGregor says they’ll take to the streets at 3:00pm to, “bribe, cajole and cheat on their cycling skills on their way around the Street of Dreams. Watch them deliver plans, pick up permits and grab a smoothie on the course. Those wearing lycra will be disqualified!”
It’s great to see more exposure and attention for bikes in the Pearl District. The City has plans in the hopper to turn the Pearl’s dense grid of narrow streets into a “bicycle district” and we’ve already seen how developers and building owners are trying to encourage biking and carfree living.
Street of Dreams happens on August 16th.
Thanks for reading.
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Here’s a thought for the city to consider in planning its dense grid “bicycle district”– pass an ordinance that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs within the bicycle district. Because really, a “bicycle district” shouldn’t have stop signs at nearly every intersection…
rixtire…ture…you might actually have to increase the strength in your legs…
absolutely terrible.
Bahueh, I stop at every stop sigh, no problem. I laugh at people who claim it’s hard to stop at stop signs, because it’s obviously not hard to stop.
I just don’t think that stop signs are particularly “bicycle-friendly” infrastructure, and in a “bicycle district,” the city should give serious consideration to making the district as bicycle-friendly as possible. Among other things, I think that would mean letting cyclists treat stop signs as yield signs. Maybe make special signs below the stop signs that say “Bicycles yield” (although that would obviously cost more than just passing an ordinance, it might be useful for letting both cyclists and motorists what rules are in effect).
Another thing to consider would be increasing bicycle parking. It’s sad that in a “bicycle district,” a special-interest organization is able to keep bicycle parking to a minimum, while paying lip service to making the Pearl bicycle-friendly.
now, I agree with the bike parking idea..been a very successful addition everywhere its been added.
sadly, i think these properties are only using the bike theme to sell upscale property to wealthy Oregon immigrants who think its ‘hip’…
I agree about the bike parking. I know there are some major bike advocates on the Pearl District Bus. Assoc. and n’hood associations…. but I also know that design guidelines and aesthetic concerns have made it more difficult for PBOT to install bike parking there.
also, remember that the Pearl has high parking turnover, so the City is likely not too enthusiastic about taking away money-making metered parking spots.
More staples on every block would be the obvious alternative to bike corrals.
Are they going to have secure bike parking for those that want to go to the Street of Dreams event by bike?
Ron
We are going to have (limited) portable bike parking. The Encore has some racks out front. We will have Bike Racker put 2 racks out at Block 90. 13th & Flanders. Outside bike parking at the 937 is limited.
hth
and Jonathan thanks for the pub
I know Everyone’s favorite sport is to harsh on the Pearl, but I have to say as a former resident of that hood, there’s lots that they got right about it. The new condos really screwed the pooch on bike parking. As for traffic, it fascinates me that people persist in driving in that congested area. I can always get around faster than cars in the Pearl. Shame about every useful business getting priced out of there, though. Wasn’t like that when I lived there.
Big kudos to Mark McGregor for pulling bikes into this event- apparently the Builders Industry Association (sponsor for the Street of Dreams) is not bike friendly and would not allow Mark to put a page on the official Street of Dreams website. Mark has worked hard to get bikes a voice in the middle of this very anti-bike community. This will be a great opportunity to showcase the utility of bicycles in the city and hopefully open some eyes.
This appears to be the very first urban Street of Dreams event. Traditionally, the homes have been in exurban locations, but it seems that despite the name, the builders increasingly had trouble finding people who actually wanted to live in them: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1213066505305990.xml&coll=7
The times, they are a-changin’.
Todd
Thanks for the kind words. Let me expand on your thoughts on the official SOD website. The official site is done by a pro website designer. I came in last minute (May) and it was going to cost more than the HBA wanted to do. So I enlisted a volunteer to do a site in his spare time. You will see his button when the site goes live on Friday.
We will have a link on the official NW Natural SOD site.