The Lloyd Center is having a bit of a revival and it’s been so fun to watch people come into the mall that haven’t seen what’s been going on lately. The pandemic changed the way we live and shop and it seemed like there was no hope for the little Lloyd Center, but a combination of factors has changed that, including lower rents, lots of locals, and the incubator-esque nature of the institution.
The Oregonian’s Samantha Swindler has had a number of lovely pieces on mall life, including 5 ways a 65-year-old mall became Portland’s coolest hangout spot, for now… and How Portland’s ‘ghost mall’ became the city’s coolest startup incubator. As Swindler points out, there are more than 60 local businesses who are putting down roots, but that could be complicated if the plans for the Lloyd Center redevelopment goes through. We are guaranteed a space through the end of 2025, but it could get dicey after that.
For now, we are enjoying the atmosphere and have a number of events planned for August and beyond. The tenants have come together to highlight the events by creating a monthly Lloyd Center Mall Crawl, that happens every second Saturday of the month. The next Mall Crawl is scheduled for August 9th, which coincides with the 65th anniversary of the Lloyd Center.
This month at dicepool, we are hosting a RPG Happy Hour Social on August 9th, from 3-5pm with birthday cake and drinks to celebrate the mall's 65th anniversary. We have two regular weekly events: Craft Night with Little Baby Chicken Head on Wednesday from 3-7pm and Miniatures Painting at the shop on Thursday from 3-7pm.
Wandering Monster is hosting Land of Eem drop-in sessions on Sundays in August (Sunday, August 10th from 4-6pm, no session August 17th, and Sunday August 24th and 31st from 1-2pm). This is what Wandering Monster has to say about Eem: What is Land of Eem? Well, within a landscape of Very Serious RPG’s, Land of Eem is an oasis of whimsy and lighthearted exploration where “The Muppets meets Lord of the Rings.” Play as a goblin rascal, a gelatinous goo dungeoneer, or even a mushrum loyal chum! The gameplay is fast with a focus on storytelling and failing forward, with rolls creating complications rather than a binary success/failure system.
All in all, the mall is a lot of fun and we hope to see you in the shop soon!