I'm sure that title is too strong. It could be a mellow blending on the inside. Outside, however, you can see that we have to be careful when we're driving or walking. I really hate one-way grids, and that's what we have throughout the downtown area of Astoria, Oregon. In other places, it always seemed much simpler and safer to me when everyone knew we had to look both ways at all intersections. The rules didn't change from place to place. After a little checking, it seems that the statistics on safety are . . . well . . . conflicted.The old Ocean Crest auto repair building at the corner of Duane and 14th Street has been empty for several years until recently, when it was purchased by the owners of the Fort George Brewery and Public House just around the corner. If they do for it what they did for the other building, we'll see the place come alive. Of course, what caught my attention was the primitive-looking cool art. Inside there are already barrels. And there's art. Whatever the plans are, I'm sure it will be interesting.
I also like this photo because it shows how buildings accommodate Astoria's crazy slopes.
I used to wonder about the name Fort George, until one day I read that this was the name for the entire town at one time. In 1813, Astoria's name was changed in honor of the King of England. The British-owned North West Company had purchased the town; there was incentive to sell to them, because a British ship was headed this way that would have attempted to take it by force as an act of the War of 1812 if the owners had not sold it! The town continued to be called Fort George until 1846, although the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 had caused ownership to be returned to Americans.
