In my 22 years of flying in and out of Portland, OR, I was never aware of the popularity and following enjoyed by, of all things, the carpet at PDX. I was alerted to it by a recent article in the New York Times titled, “It’s Curtains for the Carpet,” (love it) in which I learned that the PDX carpet was being replaced, and many people were, apparently, distraught.
According to the December 2014 article, “The 25-year-old teal carpet has gained Internet fame in the past few years, with several social media accounts dedicated to it and more than 20,000 pictures posted to the #pdxcarpet Instagram hashtag.”
Sure, I’d noticed the carpet, and yes, I could identify it as the carpet at PDX if asked, but I had no idea people were so attached to it. I also had no idea the design portrayed the view of the runways from the control tower (fun fact I learned from the piece). On my most recent trip home I caught a national news segment (yes, NATIONAL news) highlighting the replacement, the reactions of the saddened masses and a sneak peak at the new carpet, which is made of recycled materials (yay, Portland!). I also decided that since it might be my final time treading on the famed flooring, I would join the many before me and snap the classic picture:
If you’ve become attached to this pattern and don’t want to see it disappear: good news! It seems the pattern has become somewhat of a Portland icon and will live on in the form of socks, t-shirts and other locally made goods. Sound enticing? I guess you’ll just have to visit Portland! The carpet renovation is happening throughout 2015 and is meant to be finished before the holiday season. That means if you hurry, you may still be able to catch a glimpse of it in its natural habitat.