Thanks for sharing this. I worked at Portside from the beginning. What a fun place it was. Too bad it did not last

Was there for the opening...came back a year later. Asked one of the shop guys how it was going because I hadn't been around for a year. He told me..."You're one of the few who came back".

This was an optimistic bet on Toledo’s downtown. Hindsight 2020 (2021, actually ;) had the Japanese not eaten our lunch in car production in the 90s, 80s for that matter.… This would’ve been a solid real estate endeavor. Portside ruled for at least two years maybe three. The riverfront was routinely packed as was portside. As the years progressed, the money dried up along with the rest of the auto industry in that area of the country. Hats off to the developers who took this risk. Make no mistake, this place rocked. Jam packed. People in all sizes of significant cities moved downtown. Sad it didn’t work out.

In 1985 I moved into my first apartment with a couple buddies. We were walking distance to Portside. 85-89 I spent so much of my summers hanging out down there. Sitting at the Oyster bar (name?). The 2 story boat/bar (name?) the place with the swimming pool(name?) Party in the park every weekend. The Jazz bar that was in the basement of the building across the park(name?) Theo’s & Greek fest, Angry Sea. Memory’s are flooding back to me………..seems like I remember a lot of bars.

Born and raised 5 minutes from there. It was a big thing until the blight of the surrounding neighborhood made people with the money to spend there afraid to go downtown anymore. It sat vacant for most of the 90s until Cosi opened up there.

25:52 Looking good Connie!

Sad it didn't last long.

Took my roller skates down there May 2023..Watched as a kid all of Port-Side being built. Purchased my first Iron Maiden Tape…And Black light “Number of The Beast” poster got my Alice Cooper ticket to “Constrictor” Tour🤘 All at The Abbey Road 🇬🇧

You have to clear surroundings of bad elements first, so people will feel safe and want to come down. Shame they didn't learn that till late. And they still haven't figured out parking, still trying to gouge people. The polish festival stop being on Lagrange why ? The Element you have to clear it out.