Pointy Corners and Odd Intersections
Posted by: Portland Place Reviews | From: March 20, 2007
POINTY CORNERS AND ODD INTERSECTIONS
Pointy corners occur when ever more than two streets meet. They provide special opportunities for quirky architecture, and unusual vantage points. The intersections where they live can present special challenges or danger for all involved.
I have taken a look at several such places in my neighborhood. Here I will compare and note some special features of a few pointy cornered intersections that are similar in that they all have traffic signals. All assessments are from a pedestrian point of view.
20th, Hawthorne, and Elliot
Round Robin Time: 3minutes 12seconds
Cozy Factor: Quite!
Interest: Really good, there are a lot of peds, and bikes to watch! I talked to "John" who was opening up Vincente's – a pizza restaurant at the NW corner of 20th and Hawthorne, and he echoed my feelings about the people watching potential at this intersection. He told me that he enjoyed hanging out at one of the picnic tables on the sidewalk there after work when the weather was nice, just to watch the chaos. He also offered an insight about Burnside, Sandy, and 12th……. See Johns insights in that section.
Danger: Pretty safe, probably because there are so many peds and bikes, and it is Hawthorne after all.
Special Features: The retro shop on the SE corner of Elliot and 20th is a great pointy corner building, it comes almost to a complete point and you can see all the way through it. Plus it has 1960 writ large over the door. Also there are a lot of little concrete "islands" in the road on the south side. One is completely round and has a pole in it!
Worst Feature: The 7-11 store on the SW corner of 20th and Hawthorne is awful! It not only doesn't make use of the point, it has a completely blank beige wall. It is supremely unwelcoming.
SE 12th, Ladd, and Hawthorne
Round Robin Time: 3minutes. You cant actually cross 12th on the north side so you have to back track.
Cozy Factor: Very un-cozy, I felt really kind of exposed and stupid standing there.
Interest: There is not much to look at the streets feel too wide, but if you have to spend the day here I recommend the SW corner of 12th and Hawthorne in front of the Burgerville as there is a bus stop there where I have encountered a small group of older Ukrainian women on more that one occasion. Standing at the NE corner looking towards town you can get a nice view of the sky, especially at dusk.
Danger: This seems safe enough on foot, but bicyclists should be especially careful crossing Hawthorne on 12th.
Special Features: There is a nice little wedge of grass between Ladd and 12th.
Worst Feature: Both north corners are basically parking lots, feels exposed and dirty.
SE Sandy, Stark, and 8th
Round Robin Time: 1minute and 55seconds
Cozy Factor: None, I felt really invisible standing there.
Interest: The best thing about this intersection is the Slammer at the SE corner of Stark and 8th. This building does make some use of its corner, but really is like a still photo of a ruin, I personally cant believe it is still standing, it has looked exactly as broken as it does now when I first saw it in the early 80's – go in an have a red beer!
Danger: As I said, I felt invisible standing there, I suggest you only visit this intersection sporting day glow reflective wear, or wearing a car.
Special Features: This intersection has the largest street to curb ratio of any I visited for this review.
Worst Feature: See above!
Burnside, Sandy, 12th
Round Robin Time: 7min 40 sec.
Cozy Factor: It is not too cozy, but it the feel varies widely from corner to corner.
Interest: All three eastern corners have bus stops, so there can be a lot of action! The corner between Sandy and Burnside is actually just a little concrete wedge with a covered bus stop on it. Getting on or off the bus here is a little like boarding/de-boarding a ship! As promised, John of Vincente's fame said that if you are in a car heading west on Burnside and make the light it feel really sci fi the way you head down the hill! I don't know for sure what he means by this, I don't know that I've ever made the light. This is prime real-estate for holding up a sign and asking people in cars for money. There is a small group (4 that I met) who share this spot, they say they tend to be pretty considerate about sharing.
Danger: This intersection is crazy! The signage and signal system is really confusing. The first day I went there to review I came upon a wreck. The guy who was waiting for the tow truck said the guy that hit him was confused about the signal and actually ran a red light. The cops were still there talking to a woman up by the bus stop, apparently a car ran over her toe while she was waiting (legally) on a little island for the walk sign. "Billy" one of the people that shares this spot for getting money, told me that he sees lots of accidents here. His theory is that people get impatient because it takes so long for the light to change, so they run red lights.
Special Features: As I mentioned above there is the little island bus stop, you can also see the 7up building from here. It kind of feels like 4 corners, I know its not exactly true, but it feels like the place where Portland is split into 4 sections.
Worst Feature: This would have to be the danger factor, with the long wait time a close second if you are in a hurry, but if you are not in a hurry there are always people around, and you can even people watch people in there cars as they sit at the light. May be you can read their lips to guess what they are singing along to.
Sandy, 39th, and Broadway
Round Robin Time: Forget about it it can't be done!
Cozy Factor: It is actually feeling pretty cozy right now, but this is likely because of all the "construction jewelry" and the fact that traffic is moving realllly slow.
Interest: The orange tiled Pagoda restaurant is beautiful to look at. It is also entertaining to watch the road work.
Danger: The good news is, if you get hit, the car will be moving very slowly, the bad news is, you might well get hit.
Special Features: Right now the best thing about this intersection is all the chaos!
Worst Feature: The chaos is really LOUD!
47th, Halsey, and Euclid
Round Robin Time: 58seconds
Cozy Factor: There is way to much tarmac to say it is cozy, but the pointy corner between 47th and Euclid (not pictured here) is beautiful, grass, big trees, it feels almost pastoral.
Interest: The street it self has a lot of great lines painted on it, there is also a weird yellow concrete thing shaped like a worm in the road, The arrangement of the stop signs is somehow witty.
Danger: You'll be fine here as long as you stop looking at that yellow thing in the street and watch where your going.
Special Features: When standing at this intersection if you look towards Euclid, and then look in any other direction you might believe you were in two completely different places at once!
Worst Feature: The apartment building on the NE corner of Halsey and 47th is too big and really ugly.
Chaos at Pointy Corners on Vimeo
You might want to lower the volume a little!
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