Parking spaces in front of the Pacific Way Cafe & Bakery in Gearhart's town center sit
vacant. But the restaurant brims with hungry diners, some of them waiting outside for a
table. These friendly patrons have worked up quite an appetite, walking rather than
driving from their homes. "That's the Gearhart way," says resident Cindy Hawkins, pointing
to passersby. "This is a walking town. Even in summer, when the vacationers come, there
isn't much traffic to speak of because everyone would rather go anywhere by foot than by
car."
Established in 1890, this Oregon city has long enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with
visitors, whose seasonal presence triples the population. Locals, who number 1,100
year-round, rarely hesitate to give thanks for some 2,000 additional summer people, who
pump money into their economy. Most of the temporary folks flock here from busy Seattle or
Portland to be near this stretch of spectacular sea. Still, Gearhart hasn't grown like
Cannon Beach (10 miles south), where signs of tourism are far more obvious. Nor have small
businesses been vanquished by commercialization.
The junction at Pacific Way and Cottage Avenue features specialty shops, small
businesses, a corner grocery, and the café. All of these structures bear the town's
signature ornament: a Fitzgerald's hanging basket, fat with flowers. The neighborhood
gardening and interior decor shop provides these oversize floral arrangements that sway in
the ever-present breeze. Fitzgerald's owner, Don Burdulis, says people come back each
summer to see the flowers around town. He was one of those admirers before he acquired the
store that started this colorful tradition.
"My wife and I came here every year from Bellevue, Washington, and we always stopped
by Fitzgerald's to see the flowers and the garden art," Don says. "Then one day we heard
the owner of Fitzgerald's was selling, and I think we were both surprised at how sad we
were. So we played with the idea of keeping it alive. And here we are. And here we're
going to stay."
Fitzgerald's wears the same weathered shingles as many of the town's houses. "We're
right by the Pacific Ocean and we look like we belong in Cape Cod," says Jill Graham,
owner of Gearhart Grocery. "But the weather is as Pacific Northwest as it comes: fog and
drizzle and magnificent storm watching."
Six months of the year—mainly late fall, winter, and early spring—clouds hover
overhead, the rains fall with regularity, and locals retreat to the comfort of their
homes. "Winter is our hibernation time, our book-reading days," says Cindy, "because when
summer comes, we do three times as much work, making up for whatever we lacked in the
slower season. And we get to know the vacationers. The advantage is that even if we don't
go anywhere, we feel like we've been on a vacation to the beach because they make us see
the beauty we have here with fresh eyes."
The beach pulled Nina Kristiansen to Gearhart from San Pedro, California. "I grew up
near the water, so I knew I couldn't ever live without it. I was drawn to Oregon, so
I drove from Astoria down to Newport, checking out houses and rentals along the way. And
then I stumbled upon Gearhart. I didn't think towns like this existed anymore. Many
folks from Oregon haven't even heard of us yet. And that's part of why I love it. Our
anonymity allows for this incredible spirit, where everyone does know each other, where
your kids can still play outside without your worrying, where neighbors help you out if
you need anything. And isn't that what a community is, after all?"
(published 2003)
