Today we find our Number Man standing on the west side of NE Union Avenue just north of Russell Street in 1929. The buildings still stand but look a bit different today. I suspect they lost a few feet of their fronts when Union was widened, the reason they were being documented here in the first place.
(City of Portland Archives)
Vintage Portland 
Is this the building with Goldrush Coffee? https://www.google.com/maps/place/2601+NE+Martin+Luther+King+Jr+Blvd/@45.5407537,-122.6625496,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x5495a748fa79b7dd:0x9b050ec1ac3aa21c
It looks like there is another building to the left of the ones we see here. But this is on the corner of Russell, so how could there have been another building to the left?
Laura, no, these buildings are on the southwest corner, while Goldrush Coffee is on the northwest corner. There is indeed a building to the left.
Where would the Egyptian Theater be in relation to these buildings?
Are you sure? The post says it’s the Northwest corner — and it sure does look like those buildings to me.
They really did a number on those fronts. I’m inclined to agree with Laura, though it is difficult to say withough a doubt. Store fronts or not, the fire hydrant, I would assume, would have remained in relatively the same spot: http://goo.gl/maps/51BB4
Hmmm, hard to go by looks of the building as the fronts have changed so that seems out (they clearly don’t match). And, as Laura noted, there is clearly another building on the left (you can see the change in style at the top) meaning there can’t be a corner there. Confusing.
Oh wait! These are the two buildings directly north of the Goldrush building. Check out the windows above the doors on the first floor of the building on the right — slightly different today but definitely similar. So the edge of building we see to the left of these *is* the Goldrush building.
Yes, I think Laura’s right (at 10:33). That would seem to mean the fire hydrant was indeed moved. But with the widening of Union/MLK and rebuilding of the facades, I guess that’s not a huge stretch to think they may have wanted it on the corner and took the opportunity to relocate it.
This one was a struggle, but I am going with Laura on this. 1929, Dr Earl C Muck had a Dentist office at 535 1/2 Union North. Today it is 2617 NE MLK. In 1931, he moved one building south, what is today 2603 NE MLK. He worked from this office from 1931 to 1979 when he retired. He started his practice on Union Ave in 1925. July 10th, 1979 Oregonian, page 42. Nice profile on him with a photo.
I really like the draped ribbon look of those old street lights, very elegant. All of their fixtures are intact too.
Egytian Theatre would be just to the south on the estside of the street
The Goldrush building was once (turn of the century) called the Irisher-and-Swede building (presumably serving just those nationalities among the immigrants who lived, worked, and played along Russell Street in the late 1800s). These buildings, btw, are the oldest on NE MLK except for the Echo/Ox building and Christopher’s/Burger Barn, soon to be torn down.
thoes street lights are so cool anay left standing ?