'Dogs Can Read'
"We in Portland know not to drink out of the toilet," Adams, who has acted in the cable television series as an assistant mayor, said in an interview at City Hall. "And why yes, our dogs can read."
On a serious note, Gerding Edlen's projects represent the quirky creativity and concern for the environment "in Portland's underlying DNA," he said.
"We act on our values and I think that's expressed by this company," Adams said. "They were the first to build deeply green buildings when, at the time those first sustainable buildings were constructed, everybody told them they were idiots."
In the Los Angeles beach-front district of Venice, the Frank, a 70-apartment complex, had a waiting list two months before its scheduled April 7 opening, Edlen said. Rents start at $2,995 for a 776-square-foot one-bedroom apartment, according to the property's website.
Vegan Restaurant
The Frank, where rooftop solar panels will heat an average 60 percent of the building's water, is designed to qualify for LEED Platinum certification. It will feature a community herb and vegetable garden curated by employees of an on-site vegan restaurant, Cafe Gratitude.
"I can't imagine a better location for what we do on Earth," said Matthew Engelhart, co-founder of Cafe Gratitude, which will open in May and serve locally grown, non-processed, organic food. Venice residents are "interested in health, yoga and well-being. And the disposable incomes are there," he said.
At the Indigo in Portland, amenities such as a roof garden, movie screening room and in-house gym with a personal trainer attracted Joe Vaughn, who lives with his cockapoo, Penny, in a 14th-floor, $1,525-a-month studio apartment.
Vaughn, 40, runs a business consulting company from his apartment, a short walk to such Portland landmarks as Powell's City of Books and Jake's Famous Crawfish restaurant. He drives his Jeep Wrangler about 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) a year, moving it so rarely that the battery once died from lack of use.