North Park Blocks — Attraction in Portland

One crisp autumn morning just as the leaves we're beginning to fall, I found myself in Portland's infamous North park block. On second thought, I believe the word "notorious" would be a better choice of vocabulary for such a place. For this morning in particular, there were no birds chirping and no squirrels nesting. The glaze of fresh dew upon the grass was also absent. This very morning, it seemed that the park took on a rather sinister image. After laughing of memories past with a good fellow buddy of mine, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a rather strange looking man sleeping on the lawn. Sleeping is probably not the correct word. Perhaps passed out is more appropriate. Many scenarios played out in my mind of how this fine gentleman found himself devoid of consciousness right here, not even a mere 10 yards from my feet on this crisp autumn morning. I concluded that either the spirits took hold of him, which would explain the stain encroached upon the front of his pants. This scenario, however, was quickly debunked when all of a sudden, a faint sound of a siren became ever increasingly louder. My intuition served me well, and just as I presumed that siren became an ambulance, stearing irqn the direction of the man snoozing on the grass. Something about this emergency call, though, was somehow eriely different. The sense of urgency was absent, and it was if the responders already knew of the gentleman's fate. After just a few moments o became horrified to learn that our gentleman was not snoozing but rather dead. My stomach twisted and contorted as I reflected on how long I had been sitting there not giving it a second thought of this man's health. The First responders then. Placed the man on a gurney and zipped the man shut inside the bodybag. Who was this man, I asked myself. Did he have kids, a wife, a career? Or did he once know of a life with such things but have since been stripped from him only to haunt him in the present. Never the mind now I suppose, all earthly worries and concerns are no longer a burden on this man, he is free. This story is not only one of shock and horror but also of redemption and transcendence. This park block may be the location of this week's neighborhood basketball game or it may become tapped off following a double homicide due to a drug deal gone bad. Either way lives are transformed here. Birth becomes young, while young become old, and finally old...

It's gorgeous landscape is a boon to PDX - a quick getaway for ten minutes or a half hour

However at night - I would avoid it. Dangerous.

Fall walks from the North Park blocks all the way up to the South Park Blocks is absolutely lovely - if and when these leaves ever change from green.

This year - they're still mostly green and we're going into the third week of October, 2022.

The Food Cart Pavilion on Burnside is a MUST STOP AND EAT LOCATION - YUMMMY!

The Tzaziki sauce at the Falafel place second one in from Burnside is the best I've ever had outside of a personal family kitchen. Oh how I love that sauce - even try to buy it separately, he won't sell. But the gyros or the plates - load it up.

The other carts ate fantastic, too.

Try the Asian cuisine next to the falafel place, next to Burnside, you cannot go wrong - fresh and flavorful.

Oh, and the Mexican cart - burrito heaven!

The other Spanish food cart had a more extensive menu of fantastic flavor, spice and heaven.

Don't forget to go into the Double Decker bus - not a full bar - but great canned cocktails. Eat inside there and wash it down, staying out...

I walk through here to & from work every week day. I often stop & sit when my boyfriend meets me after work sometimes. We enjoy the cover of greenery from the trees, people-watching, petting the dogs that owners often walk by with. Always an afternoon basketball game or two going on, respectfully played by young guys just having a good time. Often, there are people stretched out on blankets on the center sections of grass, reading, snoozing, talking. Its just a calm & peaceful spot in the middle of a busy area of the city. Sometimes, there are gatherings of social issue groups, or tables set up offering various things, like Voter's registration, or environmental causes. I love the quiet vibe & the fact that no one approaches anyone with their hand out asking for money or cigarettes, like most places around Portland. There are some rough-looking individuals & homeless people here though, but they appear to be socializing with other ones like them, or sleeping...