Ford column: The trends of Alberta

If you want to feel inspired and creative, or perhaps tragically unhip, spend some time on Alberta Street in Portland, Ore.

I ventured to this 20-block expanse of funky coffee houses, vegetarian restaurants and chic boutiques every day for a week while visiting my sister recently.

Alberta is fast becoming one of the country's most progressive and trend-setting neighborhoods. Artists, writers, hipsters, hippies, bohemians and even a few yuppies fill the sidewalks and caf s, and trendy shops line the street selling local designer clothing, handmade accessories and imported gifts.

A food co-op owned and operated by Portland residents won't allow any product containing high-fructose corn syrup on its shelves. Menus prominently feature local food, and even the taco cart offers vegan burritos — no animal products at all.

Some businesses give discounts to customers who arrive on foot or bike, and dog owners tie their pooches to nearby trees or telephone poles while they shop or eat.

In need of free wi-fi while my sister's internet service was down, I returned repeatedly to an edgy coffee shop called Random Order at Alberta and 18th. I fit in among the tattoos, piercings and experimental fashion about as well as Lady Gaga would blend in on the square in Salisbury.

However, no one in the popular caffeinated hot spot uttered "there goes the neighborhood" when I entered with my decidedly conventional wardrobe. Although they may have been thinking it.

Despite our outward differences, we connected when one barista put on Lionel Richie's greatest hits and about 30 people began humming "Stuck on You" and "All Night Long" while sipping espresso and typing on laptops.

Apparently, Lionel Richie is the tie that binds.

One afternoon, when my sister, her new baby and I were all at the coffee shop, someone at a nearby table leaned over and asked if Laura and I had "had the baby together."

I knew I had really started to fit in.

Recently revitalized, the quirky Alberta neighborhood has a reputation as a burgeoning arts district and offers some kind of visual or performance art at every turn — galleries, studios, classes and murals, including a handpainted ceiling inside a converted vintage school bus that serves as a dining room for a grilled cheese restaurant.

Yes, the Grilled Cheese Grill is dedicated to one comfort-food staple, the grilled cheese. The food is prepared and served from a renovated trailer, and patrons sit at picnic tables under a large tarp or inside the school bus.

The grill stays open until 2:30 a.m. Dancing starts at midnight.

For vegans, the grill offers the Elvis, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Meat eaters can get the Fat Elvis, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich with bacon.

Eating (and dancing) at the grill is on the top of my list when I return to Portland. I already know what I'm going to have. The Hot Brie with brie cheese, red peppers, tomato and spicy mustard on sourdough.

Contact Emily Ford at eford@salisburypost.com.