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"A sober club? Is that when they cut you off at two drinks?" It's a question that was repeated in various forms by several bystanders outside 4th Dimension Sober Club (2410 N Mississippi Ave., 4thdimensionsoberclub.org) as they walked past the crowd of 100-plus on a recent Friday night. Just to clarify: Alcohol is not served at 4th Dimension. The hangout spot fills a gaping hole within Portland's recovery community. I found myself asking the obvious: What is there to do if you don't spend Friday nights drinking craft beers at bars? Well, the Sober Club has some answers. For starters, grape slushies and Red Bull. The club has a concession stand that serves everything you might expect to find at a high-school volleyball match. Bob Marley's "One Love" blasted from two speakers, and a teenager shot pool with his mother. Men in jeans and button-downs played three-on-three basketball, and other men played pinball or pingpong. Yes, there are lots of men. "That's mainly who attends these things," said a 20-year-old who preferred not to be named. Indeed, the founders of 4th Dimension Sober Club have created a place reminiscent of a teenage basement hangout. The sober club is located across the street from Widmer Brothers Brewery and shares a parking lot with Oregon's Finest, a medical marijuana dispensary. Multiple patrons see the location, within smelling distance of intoxicating substances, as essential to their recovery. "It's symbolic of our struggle," says one regular. "I find it's good to form our community in these places. Just so we know what we can deal with." The 4th Dimension believes that everyone wants—and needs— a night out with friends. Grape slushies certainly help. But you'll have to get the attention of the cashier first. He's flirting with a girl next to the basketball court.
WWeek 2015