Portland is typically known as a bike-friendly city with a flourishing foodie scene, a serious coffee culture, and a bit of quirkiness.  What you may not know is that Portland was named one of the fastest growing cities in the US by Forbes in 2016, and with that growth comes an influx of consumers.  According to a yearly United Van Lines survey, Oregon has been the top moving destination for the last 3 years, with over 70% of people moving here from out of state.  Portland is quickly becoming a melting pot of diversity as people from all over are realizing everything the city and the surroundings have to offer.

The LAB is located in Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood formerly home to Portland’s lumber mills.  The mills would discard the rounded edges of lumber, providing a cheap source of heating and cooking fuel for the working-class neighborhood.  These slabs of wood were then stacked in front of homes resulting in the name Slabtown.  Today, Slabtown and nearby NW 23rd are home to trendy restaurants, brewpubs, bakeries, boutiques, and coffee shops – perfect for a stroll in between focus groups or ideation sessions.