• The Little Gnome Farm CSA is back for 2013! Little Gnome Farm, located in Ridgefield, WA, seeks to meet and exceed the letter of organic farming rules and biodynamic practices. Shares will be delivered for 25 weeks – June through Thanksgiving. Shares will be ready for pickup every Thursday at the Little Gnome Farm booth at the South Waterfront Farmers Market from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm, after which they will move to the South Waterfront Community Relations office for after hours and next morning pickup. The cost for the entire 25 weeks is $700 ($28/week).  20 weeks of one-dozen pastured egg shares can be added on for $100 ($5/dozen). For more information and to sign up, visit www.littlegnomefarm.blogspot.com.
• OHSU is also running a South Waterfront CSA this year. Subscribe to a weekly box of freshly-harvested organic produce grown by Minto Island Growers in Salem, OR. Members pay for their 22 week share in 1 or 2 installments. A partial share costs $400 and a full share costs $590 for the full 22 weeks worth of produce. Sign up by May 1. Visit www.mintogrowers.com for sign up and info.

As part of the South Waterfront’s EcoDistrict initiative, we are partnering with the Portland Sustainability Institute, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and a PSU engineering graduate student on a project to investigate ways the South Waterfront buildings can further reduce their energy usage.

The project is looking at current energy usage and investigating programs that would help us reduce that usage over time. The goal is to continue our commitments to sustainable living as a community.

This is our first EcoDistrict program, so please help us start it off right by participating in a survey that will help us better understand energy usage in our community.  The survey should take 7 minutes or less to complete.  Please click here to access the survey.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact the Community Relations team at 503-972-2830.  Thank you for your participation!

A group of South Waterfront residents are working to establish a base of support for an outdoor World War ll Maritime Display in the area between the Ross Island and Marquam bridges. This display would be dedicated to Portland`s contribution during World War ll to the building of ships. Approximately 100,000 people moved to Portland during the World War ll years for ship building work. For more information contact Roger Gertenrich at  gertr@comcast.net.

The South Waterfront Community Relations office at Atwater Place (0841 SW Gaines Street, Unit 115) is now an outlet for Portland Streetcar Annual Passes and Books of 10 Single Ride Streetcar Only Tickets. Purchase an Annual Pass for $150 or a Book of 10 Tickets for $10.

Give us a call at 503-972-3289, 503-972-2830, or email communityrelations@southwaterfront.com to make sure we are in to help you. Sales are cash only. Visit www.portlandstreetcar.org for more streetcar information and remember to visit the Real Time Transit Info page for up-to-date streetcar and bus arrivals in South Waterfront!

January and February are the start of a fresh new year, and for real estate in South Waterfront, this year is no exception. Repair work at The Meriwether is essentially done and litigation has been settled. The City of Portland continues to work on the waterfront walkway, the new bridge, and there is a lot of activity along the transit corridor between here and downtown. These activities all contribute to the livability and vibrancy of our neighborhood.

As of mid-January, there were 13 condominiums available for sale in the South Waterfront district. Included are two at The Meriwether, one at The John Ross, and nine at Atwater Place. There are also two sales pending at Atwater Place.  You can see a complete list of the active listings on our web page here: http://bpr.com/portland-condos-south-waterfront.html.

We expect to see our condo inventory increase as we move into spring. Now is a good time to talk to your realtor about selling or buying.

Information provided by John Becker, Principal Broker at Realty Trust Group.

condos@bpr.com | 503-482-8277 |  www.bpr.com

MetroMile, a company out of California, recently debuted a pay per mile insurance program to Oregon drivers. The insurance is targeted to car owners who use transit, biking, walking, or carpooling as a primary commute mode and who drive less than 10,000 miles a year. In comparison, the average car owner drives 13-15,000 miles a year.  The company bills users a monthly fee based on the number of miles driven. Estimates for insurance costs are between $30 and $40 a month, a 20-50% savings for most custumers, according to MetroMile.

MetroMile uses a device called the Metronome that plugs into a car’s  diagnostic port to track the number of miles users drive.  Customers can access their driving analytics on a personalized dashboard through the MetroMile website. For a free quote, visit MetroMile.com.

The South Waterfront Farmers Market is done for 2012, but that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your favorite vendors this winter! Check out
January’s spotlight:

Happy Campers Gluten Free Bakery: If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to go gluten-free, or you’re just interested in trying something new, consider Happy Campers Gluten Free Bakery. All of their breads are, foremost, super yummy, and are gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, and contain no soy, refined sugars, or GMO’s. Their loaves are handmade in a dedicated gluten-free bakery in Tigard, OR, and can be ordered online and shipped directly to your home. Visit www.happycampersgf.com for more information and to explore their fun and interactive website.

Eyedeology, Portland’s newest optical studio featuring top fashions, new technologies, and the latest eye care, is excited to announce their grand opening in the South Waterfront! Eyedeology is located in the John Ross building, 3615 SW River Parkway. They are accepting patients, please stop by or give them a call at 971-229-0820.

Stay tuned for the grand opening announcement and join in celebrating!

Check out the Eyedeology website for more information, eyedeologypdx.com.

End of year is typically the slowest time for the Real Estate market and this year is no exception. As a result, the overall number of South Waterfront active condominium listings is now just twelve.

Atwater Place had a solid year selling their available inventory of new units. Follow this link to see year end numbers for the entire district. Of the 62 units sold last year, 7 were bank owned and 10 were short sales.

Portland’s downtown condo market has improved substantially in the past year and prices are now being pushed upward. This is due to low condominium inventory, continued low interest rates, and increased number of active buyers.

Information provided by John Becker, Principal Broker at Realty Trust Group.

condos@bpr.com | 503-482-8277 |  www.bpr.com

Make 2013 a year for change (or at least a year for awesome hair). Come by Oranj Studio and let us pamper you with a luxurious shampoo massage and a new ‘do. Start the year off with a bang! Get it? BANGS. And don’t forget – all South Waterfront residents get $10 off their first salon visit and 10% off all hair care products. Terrible hair puns, however, are totally on us. You’re welcome.

Oranj Studio
0726 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR Map It
www.oranjstudio.com | 503-719-5338