Portland Then/Now: Southwest Fourth Ave. & Yamhill St.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Byron Beck, GoLocalPDX Features Editor

SW Fourth Avenue

SW 4th Ave. and Yamhill St., circa 1925. City of Portland Archives, A2009-009.90.

SW 4th Ave. and Yamhill St., 2014.

Portland Then/Now: Southwest 4th Avenue near Yamhill Street.

THEN: This black and white image was shot from the perspective of the middle of Southwest 4th Avenue between Yamhill and Morrison Streets.

According to the City of Portland Archives this circa 1925 view of Southwest Fourth Avenue in downtown Portland includes the "exterior of the Public Employment Bureau (formerly Central Fire Station 1), a men's restroom (or "comfort station"), and a market storefront selling razor clams a dozen for 35 cents." Note the number of spare tires on the back of the car. It's a safe bet Portland had its share of pothole problems even in the 1920's.

NOW: No longer selling clams, this hip strip of Southwest Fourth Avenue is where you can lay down some of your hard earned clams at Pioneer Place clothiers like Scotch & Soda, Forever 21 and H & M (which for the latter part of the last century and a bit into this one was the Mens Department for Saks Fifth Avenue). Upstairs you'll find the restaurant/playground that is Punch Bowl Social and first run films on the screens at a Regal Cinema multi-plex theater.