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Category: Home & Garden [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pearl DistrictMICHAEL JACKSON CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS. oh hells yeah.
killing time pre-Andina, the mister and I wandered into Cargo (though, as he corrected me, is it really "wandered in" when the entire outside two floors are covered with bright, blinking, beckoning signage?) Like two eight-year-olds at a Dairy Queen, we were powerless to NOT go in Cargo.
If you're over a certain age (30?) you may remember when Pier 1 used to be cool. Eclectic, funky, and a little dangerous... kitchenware made without pesky Western paint standards, children's toys with more sharp edges than smooth, cheap, flammable furniture that lasted less than a season (okay some things never change.) It felt like a treasure hunt, and sure the treasure you scored was usually crap, but who cares? it was cheap and Asian and fun.
L.A.'s Chinatown still has a ton of these places, but Cargo is actually more eclectic than these... sure, they've got the usual collection of gag toys and cheap jewelry, and the "antiques" of questionable origin/age, but also architectural elements like doors and arches, and interesting metal ads and sandwich boards. And of course, the aforementioned Michael Jackson, "Obama Hope," and Buddha Christmas ornaments. Very, very cool.
I know I'll be back several times in the next few weeks holiday shopping. For now I'm just happy that the two pints at Rogue happened *after* Cargo, else I'd likely be the proud owner of a ten-foot Korean "Sanyo" metal billboard.
Part "Big Trouble in Little China" set, part dealer of eastern randomness, Cargo is killer way to blow an hour (and some dough if you got any).
While waiting for my much better half to get her bargain styling done across the street at Aveda's training salon, I wandered into this other dimension of oddities, jewelery, furniture, decor, and more. Part of me not so secretly hoped a large scale kung-fu fight scene would break out or that the stone creatures would come to life.
After having perused the pearlized aisles of West Elm and Design With In Reach this treasure trove of weirdness seemed out of place in the poshness of the Pearl. Looks of course are deceiving cause while the store definitely had an Old Town vibe some of the furniture prices were on par with the stores geography.
Don't miss the opportunity to head upstairs, where you'll discover more furniture, the frame for a little room, and some gamelan instruments. I think if they'd add dim sum vendors, some live stock, a few merchant hagglers, and a couple of street performers this could have serious Hong Kong street market potential.
Anyway this sort of rambling is what happens when I yelp at 5:25am. If you like funky, ancient, cool,or unique stuff (or Potato Guns, yes they have those too!) pay Cargo a visit. Who knows what sort of adventure awaits you, and at worst its a free admission museum of randomness. Yeah, I'm a fan.
A D D Photographer's Wonderland (no shortage of interesting subject matter here):
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
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Why is there an large antique Japanese laxative (didn't know the meaning at the time) sign on my wall today? Because I dropped by Cargo! Great selection of funky Asian decor.
This store is super cool. If you are looking for funky, unique and interesting furniture and house decor items this is the place. Most of the stuff is from Asia, but they also have lots of things from other places. My favorite items found there have been from Mexico. The prices are somewhat high on some items, especially for Portland, but considering the uniqueness of the items it's worth it. I bought a gorgeous Day of the Dead altarpiece there that is just fantastic! The owners are really nice too.
Other finds:
amazing brass snake earrings
weird tin toys
Cameroon feather headdresses
Chinese beds
Fun and funky store in the heart of the Pearl, but more reasonably priced than a lot of boutiques in the area. My office and home are filled with Asian items collected on my travels, so this is my kind of place. The majority of their stock appeared to be from China, but they have items from other countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Kind of a sister store to Cost Plus, but without the food items. And the place is huge. Don't miss the large selection of furniture upstairs.
I've been looking for an entry table and Chinese screen for my home and saw some contenders here. They also had some cool synthetic flowers to put in your pond or fountain.
When I was there, they were giving away Chinese finger puzzles for free. On the downside, I noticed that all sales are final. Whenever I'm in the Pearl, I will make sure to stop in and see what they have in stock.
Say what you will about them, but a pair of six-foot-wide eyes made out of white light-up tubing suspended in your front window is bound to make passersby stop and notice. As soon as I glanced up at them, they locked on, pulling me into the store with some kind of retail tractor beam --- and if that hadn't done the trick, then the big, colorful strings of puffy paper lanterns hanging from the exterior corners of the building surely would have. Cargo wants your attention, and it's not shy about it --- which is great, because it would be a shame to miss this bold, eclectic store full of Asian gewgaws and furniture.
As soon as you walk in, you'll realize two things: a) it's much, much bigger than you realized, and b) it's quite awesome. The front area of the store has novelty items, toys, handbags, and accessories; the front counter, where you bring your purchases, is also the jewelry department, with funky, bright pieces involving lots of silver and semi-precious stone. I had a brief love affair with a HOOGE bracelet featuring five mini-quiche-sized faceted quartz crystals set in sterling silver, until I saw that it was $255. The salespeople were very kind and let me prance around shooting imaginary laser beams with it until I got bored and brought it back. But you can also get an affordable, cute stone bead bracelet for $14, so there's something there for all budgets.
In the back, and upstairs, is furniture, most of it with a heavy Asian flair. There are giant lacquered cabinets, behemoth sideboards and wardrobes, and hefty, colorfully painted coffee tables. Smaller rooms in the back have carved and painted screens, and the occasional painting of a saluting Mao. Upstairs, they also have magic carpets, IKEA-cheap colored glass vases, and a bunch of anatomically correct, dismembered wooden mannequins piled in a corner. Against one wall is a bunch of painted and embellished doors, which look very cool displayed in the store and would probably look very cool in your home.
It will take you a good hour or more to wander both humongous floors admiring everything, whether or not you intend to buy. But between the home decor, creepy wind-up metal toys, and artsy jewelry, it would be pretty surprising if you didn't find something that you just had to have. The salespeople were very helpful (although I didn't see the pair of Corgis that others have mentioned), and wrapped up my small purchase in a very cute handmade gift bag with tissue paper. And, of course, no sales tax!
Cargo is a major highlight of the Pearl district's shopping, and fortunately, it's pretty darn easy to spot, what with the giant glowing eyes and the lantern chains. You have no excuse for not stopping by here if you're in the area --- some might say it's worth a trip to Portland in and of itself, especially if you're looking for bold, room-defining Asian furniture pieces. Just make sure to invite your friend who owns a truck, because you're going to need it.
This is probably my favorite shop in Portland.
It even looks cool from the outside. You'll know it as the huge brick warehouse looking building, covered in whirly-gigs, and windows FULL of Chinese paper lanterns.
Inside it's a sea of cool things. It makes me not understand how most rich people buy such boring stuff to fill their houses with, when you can buy pretty unique stuff like this!
Tubs of old postcards and Ma Jong tiles. Carved wooden chairs from India. Tons of great holiday gifts. This is the spot, yo! Nobody will have this stuff and they will love you for it! The jewelry is quite gorgeous, and well-made, too.
I love this store for many many reasons, and not just because it's literally like 3 feet from my office. It makes me feel like a little kid again, surrounded by colors and lights and twirly do-dads. Just a happy fun place to shop.
Try not to love it. I dare you. :)
When you walk into this gigantic warehouse you'll feel like you slipped into a brightly colored home furnishing dream. This is what all import shops should strive for - an ecclectic mix of fun and funky housewares from around the world with a heavy emphasis on Asian designs.
The prices are reasonable and the selection was well merchandised.
You should at least stop by to say hi to the Corgi's.
Cargo seems like the non-chain version of cost plus. They carry imports - mostly furniture - and some housewares and decorations. Much of it is Asian, so you have to love that style to love shopping here.
The space and selection is vast and you'll see items that are very original, but they are pricey.
Its laid out a bit maze like which says to me they need to scale back on the amount of items in the store.
Worth taking a look, but not my favorite furniture store.
Ready to carry some Cargo
Bursting with color and a lively spirit is how I'd describe the ambiance from the second you walk into Cargo. This place looks like a combination of Cost Plus and Pier One but better and bigger. You'll find some funky housewares, furniture and every little knickknack you can imagine from all over the world. It's hard to figure out just what to check out first.
Most of the stuff here has an Asian influence, especially the furniture, but there are plenty of other creative doodads from other countries. One central theme remains --- everything is priced reasonable and two Corgis will greet you at the door. The pups alone give it that universal, friendly vibe.
Tip: Check out the far-out, creative stone and silver jewelry collection near the front counter. This is one spot in the store where the price can climb but there's still something affordable for everyone in the collection.
well isn't this place just a little bundle of joy.
my friend informed me of cargo and all their fabulous little treasures inside. an eclectic mix of east meets west. mostly home furnishings. some jewelry and tons of knick knacks.
it's really hit and miss with the prices here. sometimes i almost faint when i look at the price of an item. other times, i was surprised and amazed at how reasonable it is.
i bought some of those tibetan prayer flags. 6 bucks. i can dig that.
even if cargo isn't your flavor for decorating, it's still fun to walk around and enjoy it's decor.
If you are a sucker for color and enjoy feeling as though you've gone for a short hike around the block after each shopping experience than Cargo is your girl.
At this home furnishing store and more big is beautiful, and the first time I visited, I didn't even see the upstairs, but was still amazed at how large this place was. Even though the prices are high for the merchandise, it's a fun place to visit and I can't help but think that this place would be a prime candidate for a tiny little in-store happy hour bar.
i don't wanna repeat what everyone else has said, so let me just add this:
the ladies who run this store are super cool!
also- every september they have a huge sale where everything in the store is at least 25% off.
very cool.
Huge and endless supply of household goodies you didn't even know you needed from antique Chinese furniture and kimonos, Accoutrements toys and gags, letterpress stationary, jewelery, lanterns, figure sculptures, folk art, i could go on, but instead I'll just say go there with some time on your hands for a wonderful browsing adventure.
In a nutshell, wild. It's like you've entered another world or clutter from China and Mexico. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of having things stacked on top of one another and having to dig in a store. I just don't have the patience for it. Cargo, however, Cargo I can forgive. I don't have the personality that has me spending hours lost in a store, Cargo is good for people with an attention span of cat that's been nipped up.; thus good for me. Were you looking for some sort of crazy decorating chinese lantern? Needed a Dia Del Muerta dancing skeleton poster? How about some old Chinese knockers? Cargo is the place to go.
Not generally a fan of clutter, trinkets, over-priced imports, or home decorating I was skeptical when entering the building but was pleasently surprised. Right now there is a store-wide 25% off sale so prices were fairly decent and I found myself actually attracted to a few pieces of furniture (a first for a gal with a stump as coffee table and antlers on the wall as decorations). Ultimately ended up with just a gift for a girlfriend and some paper hangings for my walls, but this is a great place to go for a unique something. One star off for lack of necessity and the sensory overload.
Once you enter you are greeted by the bosses of the wherehouse: two adorable little Corgis. They have imports from several parts of the globe similar to Cost Plus but the prices are considerably better and they have way more nicer stuff. I got a beautiful statue of Ganesh for $18! They have two huge (wherehouse huge) floors of neverending stuff from around the world: A wide variety of furniture from Asia. I am thinking about buying a majority of my furniture here and driving it back to SF. Its considerable cheaper than what you find here and have just
as much appeal and beauty. GUESS WHAT? Portland is tax free..yes!!! The price on the sticker is exactly what you pay!!!!!! They get a -1 star because the one thing I truly fell in love with was out of my price range at the time of my visit...oh dear antique silver bracelet from Mexico with your beautiful abalone shell details and intricate design..I will be back for you..all $255 of you.
This place is REEEE-DICKULOUS. I mean, it's got to be 20,000 square feet all told, each square foot jammed with as much stuff as possible. From the outside, you don't really get the feel for what's going on inside - it looks more like a kitschy import party store or something. But in fact, they have every kind of imported Asian style furnishings imaginable (with an emphasis on Chinese), some shockingly reasonably priced, some not so much. The cool thing is that they have antiques mixed in with all the new mass produced stuff, so there's pretty much something for everyone, as long as you like the Asian thing. It would take hours to actually see everything that's for sale in this store. If you love the Asian import thing, you'll be like a kid in a candy store. Even if it's not really your thing (confession: it's not really my thing) you're still liable to find something that catches your eye (like the antique Phillipine Santos statues or the aged teak Thai fenceposts mounted on iron bases like pieces of sculpture. If you've never been, it's definitely worth checking out.
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Furniture Stores
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Furniture Stores
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