Author Archive

February 24, 2013

The Story of African Americans and Other Nonwhites in Portland, Part I

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Since I moved here three weeks ago, and even when I visited, I noticed the dirth of ethnic diversity in central Portland and in the close-in neighborhoods. So I decided to investigate why this may be and found a great resource in Carl Abbott’s book, Portland in Three Centuries, the Place and the People, published in 2011. Below is the story of the nonwhite population of Portland, with an emphasis on the African American story, based on Abbot’s book. I will publish it in two parts. This is part I. In the 1860s, Portland’s African American population grew from…

February 13, 2013

In Search for the Perfect Coffee Shop in Portland: Townshend’s Tea House Division St.

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is the fifth installment in my new series Discovering PDX, where I am documenting my experiences as a newcomer to the City of Roses. My mission to find the perfect coffee shop in Portland continues, and though I haven’t found it yet, I am definitely enjoying the search. My friend Luis Till continues to give me good recommendations and he mentioned that there was a Townshend’s in the southeast. When I was in Portland about a month ago apartment hunting, I frequented the Townshend’s on Alberta in the northeast. With excellent teas, friendly service and great wifi, it was…

February 07, 2013

In Search for the Perfect Coffee Shop in Portland: Crema Coffee and Bakery

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is the fourth installment in my new series Discovering PDX, where I am documenting my experiences as a newcomer to the City of Roses. My mission to find the perfect coffee shop in Portland continues. Yesterday, I biked through this awesome street, Ankeny Avenue, and noticed Crema Coffee and Bakery out of the corner of my eye. My friend Luis Till had mentioned Crema as a place I should check out, so I promised myself that would be the next spot I try. What it has going for it: Location: Crema is about a 10 minute bike ride away…

February 06, 2013

In Search for the Perfect Coffee Shop in Portland: Stumptown on Belmont

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is the third installment in my new series Discovering PDX, where I am documenting my experiences as a newcomer to the City of Roses. My mission to find the perfect coffee shop in Portland continues. Today I find myself at the Stumptown Coffee Roasters on Belmont. Stumptown is legendary and has several locations in Portland as well as locations in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. The coffee is amazing and is served at many fine establishments here in Portland. But as you know, I’m not a coffee drinker, but a tea drinker, and the perfect coffee…

February 05, 2013

In Search for the Perfect Coffee Shop in Portland: Oblique

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is the second installment in my new series Discovering PDX, where I am documenting my experiences as a newcomer to the City of Roses. As you saw from yesterday’s post, I have not yet found the perfect coffee shop in Portland. But my spirits are buoyed after my experience at Oblique Coffee Roasters this morning. Below is my review. (Thanks to Carl Metz for the recommendation.) What it has going for it: A Great Story: In 2006, the owners, Heather and John Chandler saved this 1891 Victorian building from demolition and turned it into their home on the…

February 04, 2013

In Search of the Perfect Coffee Shop in Portland: Sound Grounds

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I am starting a new series called Discovering PDX, where I will document my experiences as a newcomer to the City of Roses. This is the first installment of the series. My first order of business in Portland is to find the perfect coffee shop that I can work from, hang out and make new friends. To this end, I am on a mission to try different coffee shops until I find the perfect one. I have a point of reference, Lux Coffeebar, which was the perfect coffee shop for me in Phoenix and which ended up having a…

January 24, 2013

7 Best Ethnic Markets in Phoenix!

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I love ethnic food, especially the Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern and Mexican variety. As such, I often frequent ethnic food markets to find things you couldn’t in your run-of-the-mill grocery store. Below are my 7 favorite ethnic markets in Phoenix. And when I say Phoenix, I mean Phoenix proper and not suburbs like Chandler or Glendale, as there are so many wonderful ethnic markets in those areas that I’m not even aware of! 7. Middle Eastern Bakery 3052 N 16th St Phoenix, AZ 85016‎ – Middle Eastern I frequented the Middle Eastern Bakery a lot while renovating 3 Palms, because it…

January 07, 2013

10 Best Things About Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet As my move date approaches, I’m starting to feel the sadness of leaving all the wonderful people and places of Phoenix. Though I am excited about my new adventures, I’m mournful about leaving behind my wonderful life here. I might complain about Phoenix, but the truth is, this city has given me the chance to realize my dreams and become the person I’ve always wanted to be. It’s nurtured me and my work and has been a home to me and I am forever grateful for that. Below are some of the things I consider best about Phoenix and…

January 04, 2013

My 5 Favorite Things about Visiting the East Bay

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I really enjoyed my New Years trip to the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay area. I had the pleasure of staying in Emeryville, a tiny city that abuts Oakland and Berkeley. In fact, it’s only a few minutes walk to those cities from Emeryville. I spent the majority of my 5-day vacation exploring the East Bay and just briefly visited San Francisco proper because the East Bay has so much to offer. Below are a few of my favorite things about my trip. 1. It was easy to get around without a car. As usual, I did…

December 31, 2012

A Year of Profound Change Leads to a Big Move

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet 2012 has been a year of profound change for me. I went through a divorce after being married for seven years. If you’ve ever been through a divorce, you know that it feels like the rug (actually, it feels more like the entire ground you walk on) has been pulled out from under you. Nothing looks or feels quite the same. Your old assumptions and your old paradigms don’t make sense anymore and you’re left with a blank canvas (whether you want one or not) on which you must build a new life with new assumptions and new paradigms….