In the first months of the year, WW has twice surveyed the soggier parts of the city: first with a tour of tavern bathrooms, then last week with a cruise past eight riverside properties in some stage of renewal (“River Relaunch,” April 8). Actually, the two subjects have some common history: Until 2011, every time Portland got an inch of rain, raw sewage cascaded into the Willamette. These days, the river less closely resembles a toilet, which may explain why Portlanders find it more interesting. In March, we asked readers to suggest more public restrooms for us to explore; nobody has. But they offered plenty of ideas for what we should examine along the Willamette River. Here’s what our readers had to say:
Travis Williams, via wweek.com: “The simple reality is that having a freeway over and then next to the river on the east side is very problematic. It inhibits a lot of opportunities. Also, the ‘Sea Wall’ could be modified to provide a much larger degree of access on the west side of the river. Portland has always talked a big game, but has lagged in a massive fashion behind other cities on this front.”
Tom Mcroy, via Facebook: “Come to Sellwood in July. It’s a full-on beach scene.”…