Towne Storage

I’ve rented a large photography studio space here for about 9 years. I love it. The community of professional creatives and small business is fabulous and it’s a small family once you’ve been there a while. It’s very secure. Debbie, the manager, is great, friendly and helpful. It’s hard to get into the building for a studio sometimes so subletting with someone else helped me get my foot in the door the first year. It’s an old building and both super hip & beautiful but also carries sound easily through brick and wood. I also rent a small unit for extra equipment and that’s a big plus. The freight elevator you can drive close to is really nice for moving in/​out or hauling our lights to shoots. Overall a really great building and community.

Full Disclosure: I rent a small office space in the Towne Storage Building and have been here for 15 months. The experience has been wonderful and I cannot say enough about Debbie, the manager. She might be one of the most courteous, helpful and professional people I’ve come across in my many years in business. And the rent is very affordable.
I hear there is a quite a wait list to get in as a tenant. If you are looking to get in, I recommend finding out who you know or find a 2^nd degree connection with in the building. The Towne Storage Team likes to find tenants «within the family» so to speak.

Ok, this review is based solely on two conversations with Debbie. She is just great. I don’t rent space yet because they’re always booked out, but both times I called she was helpful, friendly, and willing to go the extra mile to try to find me something. Towne Storage offers artist studios with 6mo — 1 year lease periods and 5×5 and 5×10′ storage units for less $ than most other companies.
A+ you guys!

Okay, Okay. In the interest of full disclosure I should state that I actually rent space at this building for my small business and I have for five years now. I’ve developed a warm and personal relationship with the management and many, many of the other studio tenants. So I’m a little biased.
Having said that I’d like to just go ahead and give this business the highest praise that I can muster for both of the services that they provide. ((Personal storage and small business/​artist studio space.))
I moved to Portland five years ago from the lovely capitol city of Washington state, Olympia. Olympia is a warm and insular bubble in which people retreat from the harsh realities of American life while enjoying the fellowship of the co-​retreaters surrounding them. If you spend enough time in Olympia things will just fall into place. Just so with me. I rented a lovely studio to accomodate my small craft related business in a centrally located building from very supportive local business people and I payed very, very little for the privilege. Moving away from that comfort and security was a scary thing. Happily I had the good fortune of chancing upon the Towne storage building upon first moving to Portland. I’ve never looked back.
Towne Storage provides two services: storage stace for individuals or business that just need temporary/​semipermenant storage space for their things and small to midsized office/​studio spaces for folks that needs offices or studios.
As it turns out I need both.
There are approximately 40 studio spaces in Towne storage building, ranging in size from 200 square feet to 2500 square feet, most averaging about 600? The price per square foot is inexpensive and the views range from compelling to spectacular. I’ve been the lease holder on five spaces so far in as many years. ((what can i say? I’m a glutton for punishment.)) All of them have served my needs very very well.
The interior of every floor is divided up into myriad small storage spaces ranging in size from 50 to 400 square feet? Most averaging around 100 square feet, i should think. I rent one to store the backstock of hardcover books that constitiute my stock in stade. It’s an impressive site.
There is a functional freight elevator that will lift you and your things all day long if you let it.
The studio tenants of the building range through an impressive array of professions and avocations. It’s really a diverse and interesting group. We have bicycle builders, ergonomic brainiacs, painters, photographers ((galore)) illustrators, record labels, design dorks, movie editors, wooden instument creators, craftspeople and thinkers… all within shouting distance. ((though, generally, no one shouts. you get the sense that we’re all here to work and we manage very well.))
The entire faciltity is managed by the sweetest, most helpful woman that you’d ever hope to meet. Seriously. Don’t take my word for it… I encourage you to call this company up if you need to store things or if you need stiudio space.
That is all.