- 0 1 0 1 0 - SNOW COMES TO WEST SLOPE Posted - 01/01/04 7:15 PM PST - 0 1 0 1 0 - West Slope is a little known neighborhood in Portland that sits in the shadow of Sylvan hill and falls under the radar. While gentrified areas like Alberta and the Pearl District get all the attention, it remains quiet and unassuming. It's located five minutes from downtown but retains the simultaneous chaos and simplicity of a town on the way to the coast. Thousands of cars blast through West Slope along Canyon Boulevard on a daily basis but few stop to take in its eccentricities. On a quiet Sunday, it feels like the middle of nowhere. This is the place I call home. To call the West Slope strange would be an understatement. Where else can you find a Lexus Dealership, a pet hospital, a salsa club, an Asian video store and a Chinese Restaurant/honky tonk in the same block? It could also very well be the only neighborhood in Portland without a Starbucks. Two independently owned coffee shops sit across the street from one another. On New Years Day 2004, Portland was hit by the worst winter storm in almost a decade. While the likes Denver and Chicago would scoff at 6 inches of snow, a single inch is capable of bringing this city to its knees. On this weird day, here is a photo tour of this weird neighborhood in a forgotten corner of PDX. - 0 1 0 1 0 - 4.5 inches fell at my place. In more scientific terms that's two R2D2 action figures. - 0 1 0 1 0 - West Slope lies on the Portland side of the PDX/Beaverton borderline. Does this explain the unprecedented level of weirdness in the neighborhood? Maybe. - 0 1 0 1 0 - This crosswalk has been closed for at least the past six months. This is the only crosswalk I have ever seen "closed." - 0 1 0 1 0 - Do you live across the street from a post office AND a Lexus dealership? Didn't think so. I've totally got bragging rights. - 0 1 0 1 0 - Behold, the Pet Wash! The sign says "self service." Doesn't this imply that the pets bathe themselves? If this is the case, they should sell tickets. - 0 1 0 1 0 - When I first moved to West Slope, there were an unusual number of dojos in the neighborhood. One of them has become a pet shop. If West Slope lacks anything, it's a market. Long before I moved in, there was a Thriftway. Given the atmosphere, this old dojo is bound to become a tuba shop. - 0 1 0 1 0 - Canyon serves as a Gateway to the Sunset Highway thus all the billboards. Unlike your average ones that pitch Coors Light twins and PETA, West Slope's are, well, see above. NEXT PAGE: The steroid store, an igloo and the world's tallest snowman.