Cart Blocks | |
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| Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
  Cart Blocks  Cart Blocks | |
| Coordinates: 45°31′21.4″N122°40′43″W / 45.522611°N 122.67861°W | |
Cart Blocks is a food cart pod in Portland, Oregon's Ankeny Square, in the United States. It is operated by Friends of the Green Loop [1] and has capacity for 24 to 26 carts. [2]
The pod opened in 2021, following closure of the Alder Street food cart pod in 2019. [3] [4] Permitting for the pod took longer than expected. [5] Some of the food carts that had been displaced by the closing and developing of the former location were temporarily housed at a nearby Post Office and eventually moved here to continue their businesses. [6]
The pod is part of a vision to revitalize downtown Portland through building a “culinary corridor,” which would allow carts to occupy parking spaces across several North-South blocks [7] stretching from Portland State University to NW Burnside Blvd as part of the Green Loop. [8] Former mayor Ted Wheeler supported the Cart Blocks by setting aside financing for them in his budget recommendations for 2021 [9] and a federal grant was obtained in 2022 to connect the Cart Blocks with Darcelle XV Plaza. [10]
The city hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the pod's opening. [11] In December 2023, Portland signed a five-year deal to keep the pod open. [12]
The pod has hosted events. In 2023, the site hosted a floral installation, [13] as well as a dance party and ice cream social following the Pride Bike Ride. [14] [15] [16] In 2024, the Cart Blocks hosted another dance party for Pride [17] and a Juneteenth market highlighting Black-owned businesses. [18] In 2025, the pod hosted "illuminated" performances as part of an LED drag show. [19]
Businesses that have operated at the site include:
Media related to Cart Blocks at Wikimedia Commons
