Carl Abbott and Marge Abbott, Parkview Charter Members, reflect on their decision to make their move
Carl Abbott and Marge Abbott
American Urbanist and Historian, Author and Retired Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University
How long have you been in Portland?
My wife, Marge and I moved here in 1978 from Southern Virginia after deciding that we wanted to move to a city in the West near mountains. Marge got a job at the Port of Portland doing marine terminal and environmental planning. Then she went into private consulting – and for the last 20 years she has been teaching and writing about Quakers – the Society of Friends. I found a position at Portland State in the Urban Studies and Planning Department. I began in the late 70’s and retired in the early teens. Over 34 years – but overlapping five decades.
What has kept you here in Portland?
The place. The city itself. The attractions of Mount Hood. We’ve been in the same house for 43 years and watched the neighborhood change around us.
How did you come to the decision to become a Charter Member at Parkview building?
Terwilliger Plaza was on our radar because my mom had lived there for several years. She was in an apartment and then transitioned to the assisted living wing and had a very good experience. We had a positive impression.
We went to the first presentation that Terwilliger gave for Parkview, saw the floor plans and made the decision to put down a deposit. When we thought about our own transition from a nice apartment to assisted living – who knows when and where those transitions will happen – we think Terwilliger is the right place. We had been telling ourselves that we wanted to make a move on our own terms. When we decide to do it – not because one of us suddenly finds themselves in need. You don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. You also don’t want to be forced into making a move under duress and instead, have the time to process through the evolution of change.
What are the benefits of securing a Charter Membership at Parkview?
One of our criteria was that it had to be a place with a balcony so that we can sit outside. We are signed up for an apartment on the North side of the building with a city view. We’ve planned out a journey and we are moving along. We both are still actively writing, so we are anticipating that we will be doing the same type of things in Parkview that we are doing here in our house. Not a retirement. There is going to be a lot of continuity of what we are doing, just in a different location. It will not be a complete break with what we do with ourselves, but we will be prepared for the need to change if it were to occur.
How do you go from a house that you have lived in for 40+ years to an apartment at Parkview?
We have been downsizing deliberately for the last 2 years – and can see that we have a lot less stuff in the house. And, with the completion date of the building still a couple of years away, it will give us time to make decisions about what furniture is coming and what is not – and will have time to work our way up to crunch decisions. We are meticulous planners so we will be planning out the floor plan – figuring out what will go where. Which is fun!
Are you looking forward to living in downtown Portland?
We are anticipating that the Parkview apartment will be like having a downtown apartment that happens to come with very useful facilities – an exercise space, a pool, events and programs. We are also city people. Portland has become so interesting. Not as interesting as New York, but it’s pretty interesting. Downtown is going to come back – not like it was a year ago. It may look like it did 15 years ago – but it will build momentum and we want to be able to enjoy that. Being centrally located will be a real plus. My career in Portland has focused on understanding the city. For many years I taught a course on downtown revitalizations, looking at downtowns, neighborhoods and main streets. I see Parkview as part of that continued revitalization of central Portland.
What are you currently working on?
I am starting to revise a book that I published about ten years ago on the history of Portland, Portland in Three Centuries: The Place and the People (Oregon State University Press) to include more about Indigenous people, Asian American Portlanders, Black Portlanders, and to write about the last 10 years. I am also the co-author of American Journey, a US history college textbook now in its eighth edition, and responsible for the chapters from WWII to the present. I need to write about the last 4 years in about 4,000 words! I also am a contributor to the online magazine, CityLab- Bloomberg, and the Los Angeles Review of Books writing on topics such as urban history, urban issues or science fiction – which is my other academic interest.
Urbanism and science fiction – what is the connection?
There are a lot of science fiction cities!