Portland Archives - SkyBlue Portland

Dogs of Portland: Bourbon

It’s Friday morning, and by morning I mean 5:30 A.M. The sun hasn’t yet risen over the western bank of the Willamette River. The Fields Park is shrouded in mist. I grind Italian roast and glance out the window at the park and coffee shop below. There he is, sitting resolutely at the door of Ovation Coffee & Tea, resigned human in tow. Bourbon. A canine fixture in the Pearl District, and the cutest, funniest, quirkiest English Bulldog you may ever meet. He’s waiting for the coffee shop owner to open the door and give him his morning biscuit. And by wait, I … Continue reading...

Hauntingly Beautiful Sauvie Island: 10 Reasons We Love It

The first time we set foot on Sauvie Island--a beautiful fall day, many moons ago--we were transfixed. We were just a few minutes from downtown Portland, still in Multnomah County, within Portland city limits. Then why did it seem as if we were in another world entirely? A magically transporting world of winding country roads flanked by fields of roses, corn, cabbage, berries, apples, peaches, grapes, and pumpkin. A world of lowland marshes, rivers, lakes, and long stretches of sandy beach. Enormous flocks of birds in the air and on the water--American coot, … Continue reading...

Remodeling Your Portland Home for Resale

Remodeling Your Portland Home: Curb Appeal

Have you ever wondered how much return on investment you can realistically expect from remodeling your Portland home? Well, wonder no more. Because here are the latest Portland-specific figures. The highest return on your remodeling dollar? According to the Remodeling 2018 National Cost vs. Value Report, replacing a garage door earns a 130.7% return on your investment. This makes sense, because unless you can entice potential buyers off of their computers, out of their cars, and up to your very attractive front door, you don't stand a chance of selling them your … Continue reading...

Portland: Moving Into Fall

There's no season more spectacularly beautiful in Portland, Oregon, no season more poignant and full, than ever bountiful fall. “When fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.” ...Stephen King In … Continue reading...

This Portland Life Photo Gallery

If you've perused this site, you know that we LOVE Portland and its Metro communities. Every day in Portland, Oregon is a day of adventure and discovery, and I never leave home without a camera. Follow along on Facebook--one day and one photo at a time--as this girl and her camera hit the streets to capture the unique essence of this quirky, weird, and stunningly beautiful city. This Portland Life Photo Gallery Hover over each photo for a description. Or click any photo to launch the slideshow view. Copyright 2018 Susan S. Bradley. All Rights … Continue reading...

Portland Signs of Spring

There's no season more glorious in Portland, Oregon than ever blessed spring. “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 start looking for early signs of spring in February. But in the Northwest, spring doesn’t arrive with any conviction until March. I know this. I know it absolutely. It doesn’t matter. I still start looking. One of the first signs is the occasional sighting of a rubber boot … Continue reading...

75+ Quirky, Cool, Perfectly Weird Reasons We LOVE Portland

Every year, a slew of articles pop up, local and national, that include all the weird and wonderful reasons we Portlanders love Portland. Cool Factor All the cool kids live here. Linus Torvalds lives here. We live here. Everyone’s moving here. Seattle envies us. Portlandia! Duh… Culture Weird is the local mantra and mindset. Tango dancing capital of the universe. Tattoo capital of the world. Well, not quite. We rank #8 in America. Burnside Skatepark, anarchist architecture and global icon of skater culture. World-class … Continue reading...

1265 SE Regan Hill Loop – Just Listed for Sale in Estacada OR 97023

Be the first to see our new listing in Estacada’s lovely Regan Hill Heights neighborhood. 1265 SE Regan Hill Loop – Just Listed for Sale in Estacada OR 97023 Stylish open floor plan with wrap-around kitchen island and breakfast nook opening to informal dining room, vaulted living room, and covered patio? Private, beautifully fenced yard with entertaining patio and garden/tool/bike shed? OPEN HOUSE THIS WEEKEND 1/27 & 1/28 (12:00-2:00) Two-car garage with room on the side for secure, out-of-sight RV parking? How about all the space you need for a … Continue reading...

Northeast Portland Coffee Shops

Northwest Portland Coffee Shops | SkyBlue Portland

If you love coffee like we do (wildly), you know that Portland, Oregon is Coffee Nirvana—a mind-blowing playground of meticulously sourced, mindfully roasted, small-batched, artisan coffee. And Northeast Portland coffee shops are among the best in our fair city. It’s no wonder that coffee cognoscenti, food writers and entrepreneurial seekers of the distinctive brew make regular pilgrimages to the City of Roses for insight and inspiration. Or that Portland is a hotbed of barista superstars for whom coffee-crafting is part art, part religion, and part … Continue reading...

Video Marketing: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

The real estate world has changed. Have you noticed? The old world was controlled by real estate agents who held the keys to the MLS, where most listings live. In the new world, buyers scour hundreds of MLS listings at hyper speed, becoming overloaded with the barrage of data and poor quality photos. The new world is such a different place that it’s sometimes difficult to make sense of it. Sort of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Related: Selling Your Home in Today's Market When it comes to selling your home today, the goal is to get the buyer to stop … Continue reading...