the real Ritz

On Tuesday we went to Greenville, OH to tear down Midwestern Landscapes. On our way back, Zach and I stopped in Portland to visit with his mom and brother. I love when we get to spend the day in Portland. Zach will tell you "P-town" is not exactly the nostalgic place he remembers from his childhood.  Portland is where we lived right after we got married. There isn't a lot to do around town, but I love it because we got to be around his family all the time! There is something to be said about the small town charm and warmth that big cities lack. Small towns used to be about connection, community, and camaraderie, and for a certain part of the demographic they still are.  But they are also now more overrun with meth and poverty, and lack the economic essential of an 18-35 demographic. Zach's grandparents have lived there all their lives. They own a small business and have a long history of serving the community. Not many of the locally-owned mom-and-pop businesses survived when Walmart set up shop in a town. But theirs has, and it's because they provide a service and personal attention that big box stores don't.

We drove past the Ritz theater on the way into town. This is the theater that inspired Zach's creation when he set out to built his own version for Midwest Existential. It is a small theater with only 2 screens, but as you will see from the photos, this place has a lot of heart.