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First they came for Ray's Ragtime, which will close on the westside this March.
Now, it looks like Philo House Thrift Shop on East Burnside—long one of Portland's true hidden treasures, a Greek-run thrift store often home to the elegant and well-tended old-world clothing of proud Mediterranean immigrants—will be forced to close by March 12, after 37 years in business.
Philo is a charity thrift store run through volunteer staff from the congregation at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral—receiving clothing donations through the church and selling them out of their little East Burnside space. All proceeds go to programs like the Raphael House for victims of domestic violence, and to a Holy Trinity-run program for children with cancer.
"We have a cancer program that's connected to our property out on the Sandy River," says Nancy Doulis at Philo. "We take kids with cancer and their family out for a carefeee week."
They have enjoyed a long and friendly relationship with their landlord, Richard Leipzig, who has long run his accountant's office in the same building. But as he retires, Doulis says, he plans to rent out the whole building as a single space. Philo couldn't take the rent hike.
The little store has no plans to re-open anywhere else. "A lot of us are getting long in age," says Doulis. "And it's getting more difficult to put as much time in."
Many never knew the Philo house existed, but I will be forever grateful for the kindly assistance of the ladies who worked at the shop over the years, for their endless advice and suggestions upon buying button-down shirts and suitjackets at terribly reasonable prices, especially when I was 22 years old and had no idea how to buy a decent jacket.
As one last mighty "Opa!" Philo house is closing with a bag sale. From now until March 12, it's $5 a bag. Go get some.
Willamette Week