Thanks so much for the article on the discrepant studies of Portland’s downtown recovery from the Portland Metro Chamber and the University of Toronto, (“Downtown Portland’s recovery: Better than advertised?” Aug. 27)
I am downtown multiple times a week. The most vibrant part of downtown is the West End –with Powell’s Books; restaurants like Grassa, Cheryl’s on 12th, Bamboo Sushi, Lardo, Sizzle Pie, Toki, Tanaka, Maurice and Jake’s Famous Crawfish; residential towers like Indigo and 11W; Living Room Theaters right next to the new Shake Shack, employers like ZGF and a large number of retail establishments.
It is clear as you walk through downtown, night or day, this area has most of the foot traffic. Yet the University of Toronto study completely excludes the West End, along with other areas of substantial vibrancy like Portland State University, the Keller, the Portland Art Museum, and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall/Portland’5 Centers for the Arts. That is absurd. These are all clearly parts of Portland’s downtown.
Frederick G. Wearn, Portland
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