Portland Now, Inc.

Last night I randomly got the urge to get in my car and discover my city. I am 21, and have lived in Louisville all my life. I grew up in Eastwood on the far east end, and really never left the east end much, other than occasionally going downtown for a field trip or go see a play with my aunt. 1 year after attendind Bellarmine University, my dad bought a house in Germantown for me to stay in so I could be closer to school. These past 3 years i feel like I have been getting a deeper sense of the west end, highlands, and some of the south end, but ive never been to Portland. I have always heard that it was very poor, dangerous, and a place you dont want to find yourself in. My housemate and I got in the car, and drove down broadway. I knew where it was, but never thought much of it. I have always been on broadway going westbound and always turned left. I never even tbought to think to even turn right. Im not going to lie, before i put my turning signal on, i got nervous. Going right never felt so scary. Seeing the street go on for what looked like forever, I never realized there was so much to the north of broadway. After about 10 minutes, i realized something. It looks just like my neughborhood, Germantown. It was a monday night but the town felt so alive. It looked like a community of people just enjoying themselves. It was something i have never seen in the east end or any other parts of louisville. I felt like i entered a different city. The atmosphere was so different. My fear faded, and I got very inspired. I saw the Kroger, which is one of the nicest ones I have ever seen. I was drawn to it like a bug on a light, and walked in. It felt nowhere different than the rest of the city. I thought, why is this neighborhood so feared? I am an artist, specifically a photographer. I am inspired to go back and drive around and take pictures of the community and its people. And possibly, if sucessful, i would love to show them off in a gallery, preferrably in Portland. I feel this is the forgotten neighborhood, unfortunately. It needs to begin to be showed in a better light than what we hear of on the news. Bryan

Hello!

I hope since this was written, you've made the trip back to Portland. I think your exhibit would be wonderful! I am not originally from Louisville (transferred here roughly 2 years ago). I have lived in many different places, including Chicago, LA, and Tucson. Because my job entails me to be all over a particular city, I find I end up seeing more of it than folks who grew up in the area.  I also find I have a much different perspective on particular area than the status quo viewpoints. That being said, I have noticed a phenomenon of Louisville East Siders being afraid of Portland. I took a new friend to the thrift store on 22 and he said he started to have a panic attack similar to what you described! I was surprised! Being poor or working class is definitely nothing to fear. And, believe or not, there are drug addicts/alcoholics in every neighborhood, including your far East neighborhoods.

I, myself, love the diversity and wonderful homes in the Portland/WS areas. It is full of history and rich lore of the area. I recently bought a boarded up shotgun house and am getting ready to move from GT to Portland. I am happy and excited to be part of the diverse, historical area. I hope that you finding the urge to visit and finding beauty and community and life in the area will be the start of others finding the same.

Bryan, many wonderful things are happening in Portland now, one of them being the establishment of the Tim Faulkner Gallery which relocated to our neighborhood. We are very welcoming, you just got to visit us to see this.