SW 5th Ave, 1949

This stretch of SW 5th Avenue from Salmon Street toward Taylor has changed considerably over the years. The grandly columned Portland Garage is now the site of the Standard Insurance Center. The building partially visible to our immediate left still stands, built in 1927 and since remodeled. The Greyhound Bus Depot across Taylor is a distant memory.

(City of Portland Archives)

11 thoughts on “SW 5th Ave, 1949”

Nope, not much of that left (street view http://g.co/maps/k3buq ).

Love that columned garage… great idea.

This must be very near the end of 2-way traffic on 5th. As noted in some earlier photos of Morrison, it looks like the switch (in that part of town) happened about 1950. Also, odd to see just single traffic lights in each direction.

Nice 41 Chrysler parked by bus depot.

Does anyone remember a dance-hall venue above the Greyhound station?

Brian,

I don’t know if it was above the Greyhound station, but I have a vague recollection that a dance club took over the space after Greyhound moved to its current location. If I recall correctly, it didn’t last long and it wasn’t a club I ever attended.

@Jim

I think you’re right… vague memory of a club in the old Greyhound depot… and wasn’t it called The Depot?

In the late 90’s, there was a club in the old Greyhound Depot. It was a country/western place called Montana’s. I think it may have been 18 and over, as some of my friends had been there when I was in high school. Not my scene, so never went in. It was still open when a Carl’s Jr. went in across the street. I remember the line to get in there on a weekend night wrapped around the corner and went up 5th. It was full of cowboy/cowgirl types; no one that you would really think of hanging around downtown Portland. And not the type of people that I see around downtown anymore. There were sometimes interesting shouting matches between them and passers-by, and all viewable while waiting to order at Carl’s Jr!