It was about 9PM tonight when me and a colleague were driving to Guitar Center in Tigard, having just endured Washington Square mall and apparently in need of more punishment from the IQ challenged. We crossed the freeway overpass and headed down toward SW Cascade Ave like we’ve done a hundred times before, turning the annoyingly sharp right at the 7-Eleven and proceeded straight for a few blocks when we both realized that SW Cascade Ave. could very well be considered Tigard’s Retail Dead Zone.
What’s closed? Hell, what isn’t? CompUSA = DEAD, Wick’s Furniture = DEAD, Staples = 3 cars in the parking lot, Office Depot = only 2. If a tree fell on Cascade Ave. and no one was there to hear it would it still make noise? Who knows, but ten bucks says it’d be days before anyone even noticed a tree laying in the middle of the road in this particular wasteland. We counted no fewer than FOUR burned out street lights before we finally reached our destination. Strange to think that Best Buy just opened another new store another block down – what the hell for?
I find it completely depressing when once vibrant retail areas go tits up, and I understand that they’re not expecting a whole lot of traffic in those parts at 9PM but for the love of Christ people – get the damn city crews out there and put in some friggin’ street lights! Cascade Ave. is already lined with quite a few dead stores, I don’t think it needs dead motorists laying on the side of the road too.
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Shouldn’t this article be called “Tigard-the Shady Arm Pit of Portland” instead?
No. It should be “Tigard, the Gas Station Toilet of Portland”.
You are incorrect. The Gas Station Toilet of Portland is obviously The Lotus Tavern. Tigard simply cannot compare.