Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
20 UPPER SANDY: GROTTY TO
GROTTO
BOUNDARIES: NE 54th Ave., NE Sandy Blvd., NE Skidmore St.
DISTANCE: 2 miles
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Free street parking, lot at The Grotto
PUBLIC TRANSIT: TriMet Bus 12 (NE Sandy Blvd. and 54th Ave., NE Sandy Blvd. and
The Grotto)
Let's be up front about this: walking along Sandy Boulevard is unusual, unless you
happen to work at one of a very limited number of occupations. It's not a street whose
atmosphere is considered universally delightful. But it certainly has character, and it
also has history. A lot of the things we'll point out on this walk don't exist anymore,
but perhaps that's not so uncommon. The main thing to keep in mind is that Sandy
Boulevard was invented for cars, in the age of automobile worship; in fact, it was so
representative of this era that the Smithsonian Institution chose Sandy Boulevard for
its permanent exhibit about automobile-oriented culture in the 1940s and '50s, under
the title “Suburban Strip.” (Yes, it also used to be considered suburban.) Walking up
it, therefore, can be considered an exercise in shifting perspective. Relax and enjoy it.
We'll dive right in and start this walk at NE 55th Ave. and Sandy Blvd.,
currently the location of Clyde's Prime Rib. Clyde's today is a fantastic
old-school neighborhood steakhouse, with curving, high-backed booths
in the dining room, red-velvet seats in the bar, many gigantic fireplaces,
and an actual suit of shining armor guarding the main entrance. There's
live music in the lounge most nights, and Clyde himself is often on hand,
happily chatting with customers. But the restaurant's uncomfortable his-
tory adds another layer to the experience: from the 1930s to the 1950s, it
was a restaurant called the Coon Chicken Inn, a fried-chicken joint
whose name and logo consisted of what today are shocking racist stereo-
types. The place closed when the owners retired in the 1950s and the staff
realized that times had changed. (There were two other restaurants in
the chain, one in Seattle and one in Salt Lake City, which both also shut
down during the 1950s.)
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