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CROWDED ROOM WITH A LONG LINE OUTSIDE

September 9, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The crowded room came into shocking focus yesterday. It was a view from the road of new construction in the early phase: The flat land skinned bare, concrete curbs poured for street layout, and one showcase house framed and sided. With room for so many more planned. The view came from Roy Rogers Road driving […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: beaverton, comfort zone, crowded planet, crowded room, farmland, google AI, gresham, housing, landfill, old guys, old man, Oregon, Oregon Trail, over population, overcrowded, overcrowded planet, population experts, population growth, promised land, property values, right people, suburban, suburbs, Tigard, true american, urban growth boundary, washington county, wrong people

NORTHWEST PORTLAND, NOVEMBER 12, 2024

November 13, 2024 by David Gillaspie

My Northwest Portland stroll started on Burnside and 23rd. This is the view looking across Burnside: The Envoy. I met a guy who lived there. He said it was great. That’s good enough for me.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: apartment, arborist, burnside, free spirit, henpecked husband, neighborhood, northwest portland, nw 23rd, Oregon, Portland, share memories, suburbs, tree, trees, vista avenue, west hills

BETTER WORLD IN THE 90’S? BETTER THAN WHAT?

October 10, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Do you remember a better world that existed thirty years ago? Talking 1994? I’m trying without looking, but I hit the archives on history.com. Ron Rule from twitter inspired me with this:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 1990, anxiety, better than what, better world, blog, blogger, college, cycles of history, david, died off, educational anxiety, fourth turning, generation, history, history museum, nostalgia, nostalgic, nostalgic twitter, Portland, public education, quote, suburbs, twitter, world, write, writer, WW2, X

FAMILY MATTERS MORE WITH DOUBLE MAGIC

June 30, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Family matters more when the group starts shrinking. I know the story of a couple who immigrated to America with their little boy. Then they had a baby girl who grew up in Los Angeles. Like all the smart kids in school she moved to Oregon and married a local. This is where I come […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adult kids, double magic, family, family matters, family time, gender reveal, Oregon, Portland, suburbs

POLICE PRESENCE: BLESSINGS FOR OFFICER FRIENDLY

July 7, 2022 by David Gillaspie

A police presence in some neighborhoods means one thing: Go inside, lock the door, and stay away from windows. But it’s my neighborhood. So I checked in with the police on site.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blessings, drug house, meth friendly, police, police officer, police presence, Portland, Portland Oregon, productive life, suburbs, traffic, traffickers

KING OF THE SUBURBS STARTER KIT: SHOES

May 2, 2022 by David Gillaspie

Everyone starts out as king of the suburbs once they make the move. How hard can it be? It’s just another move, right? From inner-eastside apartment to suburban property is just another move like running the Portland marathon is a walk around the block, swimming the Columbia River is a wading pool, and climbing Mt. […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, eastside, history, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Portlanders, suburban, suburban syringe, suburbs, syringe, trash, tri-met, urban dwellers, urban filth, willamette week

TIGARD MAN: WHY MOVING OUT OF INNER CITY PORTLAND WAS A GOOD IDEA

August 20, 2020 by David Gillaspie

I’ve been a Tigard Man for thirty years, but it feels like yesterday. Memories of Portland keep reminding me why I moved. Not bad memories, but they weren’t good for others. For example:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: lake oswego, North Bend Oregon, Portland, sink roots, social climbing, suburban lifestyle, suburbs, Tigard, Tigard man, Tigard Oregon, Tigard stand, trustworthy people

SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE DREAM VS REALITY IN OREGON

August 7, 2020 by David Gillaspie

I heard a reference to suburban lifestyle dreams from someone who was raised in urban apartments. There’s nothing wrong with city living, except when a city slicker claims to know about life in the suburbs. In my time, I’ve lived small town, urban, and suburban, though I’m not a fan of the suburban lifestyle tag.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Beaverton Oregon, election year, gresham, Oregon, Portland, Portland Oregon, portland suburb, suburban lifestyle, suburbs, Tigard, trump

TIGARD HOUSE HUNTER REVIEW

May 2, 2020 by David Gillaspie

Before Tigard house hunting began, one big question came up too often. Why Tigard? The view I had from downtown Portland included every direction out of the city.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: banfield freeway, Beaverton Oregon, house hunting, Hwy 99, I5, lake oswego, McMinnville, multnomah village, Oregon, Portland, sherwood, suburbs, sunset Hwy, Tigard, Tigard house, Tigard Oregon, tualatin

NEW YORK CITY 1980: HOW TO QUIT A GREAT TOWN

April 5, 2018 by David Gillaspie

New York City is easy to quit. Get on a bus, train, or plane and leave. Go ahead and be a quitter. Except moving on isn’t the same as quitting. You got promoted and the new job wasn’t in New York City? You’re significant other got promoted and their new job wasn’t […]

Filed Under: Buckle Up Tagged With: apartment dweller, give notice, manhattan, moving, new job, new york, New York City, new yorker, quitter, suburban backyard, suburbs

CROWDED ROOM WITH A LONG LINE OUTSIDE

BETTER WORLD IN THE 90’S? BETTER THAN WHAT?

FAMILY MATTERS MORE WITH DOUBLE MAGIC

POLICE PRESENCE: BLESSINGS FOR OFFICER FRIENDLY

KING OF THE SUBURBS STARTER KIT: SHOES

SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE DREAM VS REALITY IN OREGON

TIGARD HOUSE HUNTER REVIEW

NEW YORK CITY 1980: HOW TO QUIT A GREAT TOWN

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