So much is the same and yet so much has changed in the last 46 years. This stretch of W. Burnside from about 20th Avenue looking west has mostly the same buildings as in 1967 but the signs and businesses have changed extensively. And you wouldn’t want to try to park along here anytime of the day or night now.
(City of Portland Archives)
Vintage Portland 
Looks to be about halfway between the ball bark to the east and the Campbell Hill Hotel to the west.
Another fun one to look around in–thanks! From October, 2006, until January, 2011, I lived at NW 22nd and NW Everett, so this is a whole lotta fun for me! And when I first visited Portland in 2004, I rode the 20 bus from near the Benson Hotel to the Walgreens at NW 21st and West Burnside, so excited to be out and about all on my own in Portland, even if I was 56 years old! I sat in front of the Volvo place, waiting for the bus back toward the hotel and looked all around, every which way, thinking, “I want to move to Portland! I want to live in a neighborhood just like this, with apartments and businesses, folks everywhere, mass transit, sidewalks!” If my little Mama hadn’t died while taking a nap in our apartment, I’d still be living there–I moved to NE at the request of my swell sons who asked me to please consider going somewhere with street parking so that when they come to see me, they knew upfront that they had more than a snowball’s chance in hell of finding a parking space. I am blessed.
I’m generally not a fan of gas station design, but I’m loving that canopy over the pumps at the Gulf station. Very atomic agy.
Not far from the Eve’s Restaurant or Buffet which also had a very strange cocktail lounge affixed.
May have been the only bar in the Fred Meyer empire.
It had all the charm of a bomb shelter…
I used to go to the Fred Meyers on 20th PL back then.
Some family history here myself. Up on 21st & Burnside, used to be Arrow Ambulance and the Chinese Garden Restaurant where my Mom & Dad first met. A lot has obviously changed in the years, but I always find this intersection and area interesting.
I was surprised to see the Couplet idea being proposed.
“In its report, the [Portland Planning] commission reaffirmed it stand for the complete [Burnside-Couch] couplet, running from approximately the Burnside Bridge to NW 23rd Avenue.”
07/09/1966, The Oregonian, Page 6
“W. Burnside Woe Viewed,
Council Studies Third Proposal
“Both the Burnside-Couch couplet and widening of Burnside to 120ft boulevard have met road blocks in recent weeks.”
09/07/1966, The Oregonian, Page 19
All this picture needs is a #53 westbound Tri-Met bus broke down at this stop. This was a common bus stop for handicapped passengers to board after shopping @ fast Freedie’s.
When they came out, those handicapped wheelchair lifts in the back of the early GMC buses often malfunctioned leaving the poor passengers not able to load and have to wait for the next bus.
I remember the drivers commenting how their wheelchair lifts were broken more than they worked.
I felt bad for those handicapped passengers. As if their world wasn’t difficult enough!
So is the building on the far right the Fred Meyer or did it come along later?
I lived near here in 1973 and Fred’s was there then, but can’t remember the buildings and layout.
Fantastic website. Keep up the good work Dan.
An almost identical view today: http://goo.gl/maps/4rB3t
“W. Burnside Widening To Begin After Festival”
“Between Rose Festival and July 1st, the City of Portland will begin to stop-gap effort to relieve Burnside’s traffic problem by widening the traffic lanes eight feet. The widening, by cutting back sidewalks and going underground with utilities, will allow four feet off each side of the street to be allotted traffic.”
12/28/1966, The Oregonian, Page 30
That Gulf sign gave me a flashback. “Live coverage of the Gemini 7 launch! Sponsored by Gulf! Reporting for NBC News, Here’s David Brinkley!”
The Gulf Oil company disappeared in 1980. The brand now belongs to an east coast convenience store chain.
Elliot,
I lived up near 23rd in 1964 and remember shopping Freddies in Hollywood on Sandy(rooftop parking) and on SE 39th. I don’t recall Freddies on Burnside at that time.
Tom Jones
I found a reference in the comments section of this blog about the Stadium FM being there in the early 70s.
http://zehnkatzen.blogspot.com/2011/05/pdx-urban-archaeology-at-burlingame.html
Commenter was in line and the actual person Fred Meyer was in line ahead of him.
The Gulf station is pretty retro-cool. Judging from the lack of posted prices I’m guessing it’s closed? And if I’m not mistaken that’s a Union 76 ball on the 2nd half of the block?
They still have Gulf stations in Canada (Esso too).
Per Portlandmaps.com the Stadium Fred Meyer bldg was built in 1968. Also it says it’s owned by “FRED MEYER STORES INC
% NICKEL & CO LLC”, which is kinda odd.
The building in the pic doesn’t look brand-new, but the existing structure has been remodeled, so it’s hard to say if it’s the same place.
This was definitely a Fred Meyer, as I shopped there in 1962-63 when I briefly lived nearby. It had the in-store Paul Fisher (or Fischer) pastry shop, unusual for a supermarket in those days.
I have a vague memory of pining for a “Peter Pan” 45 record in the old store, and my mom super excited when they built (remodeled) the new one in this spot.
I was wondering if that was a Gulf station or Gull station? What does everyone think?
John, now that you mention it, I think you might be right. The logo does look more like a Gull logo than a Gulf.
It’s definitely Gulf. I remember that logo and the typeface. The letters were blue, and the surround was reddish orange.
That is a Union 76 station at the corner of 21st and Burnside. My Dad owned it at the time this picture was taken. I was five at the time and I can remember that area so well even though I haven’t been back there since 1968.
Notice the Cadillac dealership across the street…according to Google, they sell Volvo’s there now and Dad’s old station is now a Taco Bell.
I lived at 17th and Everett and worked for Elias (Eli) Karamanos while going to PSU.
I am looking for pictures where Fred Meyer built around a home at the Stadium Fred Meyer. I used a lot of the 17th street for parking because I was also operating the first full service recycling program in Portland until the city council said I could no longer recycle pop bottles and grind up glass.