Block 216

Over the past 125 years the city block at 10th Avenue and Alder Street has symbolized a changing city. Modest yet handsome early 20th century commercial and theater buildings gave way to midcentury parking lots. Then the block became an epicenter of Portland's street-food renaissance. Soon it will be one of Portland's tallest towers. In this episode, we talk with Food Carts Portland writer Brett Burmeister about the rise and fall of the 10th & Alder food cart pod, and Architectural Heritage Center historian Val Ballestrem about the block's 19th century beginnings.