The Paladins League Will Open on NE Fremont in Portland

For a few months now, there has been speculation as to what is going on in the old Alameda Hop/Alameda Brewing space on NE Fremont. Well, wonder no more: The Paladins League will open there, focusing on analog games of all kinds, providing a warm community space, tasty food and drink, and a family-friendly atmosphere.

I spoke with Jess Monsey, the force behind The Paladins League. We had a great conversation about our respective times in NYC (she was born and raised in Brooklyn), our mutual love of LOST, the resurgent popularity of games through the pandemic, and the joy and community she looks to cultivate and bring to the neighborhood via the business.

She told me a little about her previous work. “I used to work in advertising,” she explained. “And I have a coaching business on the side. I coach creative leaders.”

She continued: “This is the first time I’ve tried to build something in the real world on my own. I’m very excited about it, and through this I hope that I can support others who are doing similar things.”

Who Is the Paladin?

As someone who is married to a D&D player, over time I’ve become aware of the various character classes, including the Paladin. So I was curious: Why did she hone in on the Paladin? Why not a Bard or a Ranger, or someone else?

“The Paladins League is a tribute to a character I played throughout the pandemic, at a time when we were all going through it and there was a lot of fear and uncertainty,” she explained. “My husband invited me into into a game he had been playing for a long time on the east coast, virtually. The character was a dragon-born Paladin named Ariadne. I named her after the Ariadne in The Labyrinth Song that was featured on the TV series Dark.”

“I just loved her as a character,” she said.

Ariadne is, of course, a character of myth. She helped Theseus get through the labyrinth and escape the Minotaur.

“I remembered through that game about how important it was to use your imagination and make time for play—even when your life is busy,” she said. “At the time I was working in advertising and I wanted to prioritize playing with my husband and friends.”

“One of the things I loved Ariadne was that she was inherently good. Not perfect, but wanted to do good,” explained Jess. “She really was geared toward bringing her party together and protecting them, healing them, making them braver. Paladins have an aura around them that benefits their people.”

The Mission of Games at The Paladins League

Deep in the foundation of the work of The Paladins League is to help people play games—and to help more people play more games. That could be board games (e.g., Clue, Azul) , social bluffing games (e.g., Blood on the Clocktower, Mafia/Werewolf), tabletop games (e.g., D&D, Pathfinder), or strategy games (e.g., Chess, Go). They’ll also have a couple of private rooms—a very big party room/classroom in the back and an additional room on site.

One thing they won’t prioritize is collectible card games like Pokemon and Magic the Gathering. However, cards are not out of the picture

“We are bringing Giant UNO in the space,” said Jess. “The cards are the size of a book! It’s very fun to play for the spectacle of it, which is just another element of hilarity.”

Foundational games like Chess, Mahjong, and Go are encouraged, too. And through all of this, building community is also high on their list.

“We are trying to create a space for folks who don’t yet have that community or are curious about games,” she explained. “And I really want it to be warm and joyful here. And fun! But joy is even more profound than having fun.”

We talked about how flow happens when you’re playing games. “One of the whole reasons my husband and I decided to go on this quest is because we want to help people connect to each other and experience that feeling of flow and joy,” she explained. “You connect on a different level and express yourself differently when playing games. You get to do things that are different than what you encounter in daily life.”

“I’ve never felt more alive doing this and I hope it works—for everybody’s sake,” she remarked.

The Location on NE Fremont Street

I was very curious to know why she chose this space, so I asked. The answer yielded both practical and nostalgic reasons. “From the very first moment, I knew I wanted to be on Fremont,” she explained. “We live in Beaumont-Wilshire, and my husband and kids will be part of this in one way shape or form. If it was in another place it would be tough. We wanted to do this together as a squad. This makes it manageable.”

She continued, “Fremont is such an incredible street and there are so many businesses there. It’s missing a spacious family-friendly gathering space. There are so many children in Northeast, and young people and families—and older people looking for community.”

Her connection to this space has deep roots, too. “When my daughter was born, the Alameda Brewhouse was one of the first restaurants we took her to,” she said. “I have vivid memories of bringing my daughter there. It was like our go-to with our kids—it means something to me.”

She says that everybody has been very supportive and excited to see them in the neighborhood. “It makes me feel really good!” exclaimed Jess. “And once we are off the ground, if there’s any way The Paladins League can help to support and nurture our local businesses, we will do it.”

Community? Competition?

Like their neighbors to the west, Pip’s, they value community over competition. “We will not sell games,” she explained. “Instead, we will partner with games stores in the neighborhood, like Puddletown. We hope to feed business to the game stores.”

She believes we need a variety of ways to participate in community, especially for young people. “If you’re a kid who’s not into team sports, you deserve community, structure, and challenges, too. How do you find that?” She wants to provide that space where these youngsters can be, connecting with others in the real world instead of online.

Eats and Drinks at The Paladins League

As you know, the previous tenants where Deeply Rooted, which was a sports bar, and that is not the vibe they are going for. As I mentioned earlier, family-friendly is their goal:

“We want to be much more focused on a soda fountain/ice cream parlor kind of scene, rather than a bar. We will have food, with an emphasis on things that are family friendly and crowd-pleasing.” Think burgers, fries, sandwiches—and ice cream.

“We will have some alcohol, but a very much larger selection of non-alcoholic drinks,” she added.

The Paladins League: The Opening

They are hoping to be open mid-to-late October and have a very big Halloween trick-or-treating experience there around the time they open their doors to the public. Currently they are in the middle of renovations.

As for their hours, they are still figuring that out, so no final decisions just yet. However, they do plan to be open 7-days a week, with longer hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays compared to the rest of the week.

When they do open, look for a schedule of various events and programs in the space for everyone, including those geared toward young people and families. 

“A huge part of what we want to do is to create moments in time for people to get together to have a shared experience,” said Jess. “I’m really thankful to meet people who are enthusiastic about what we want to do, and to have this opportunity to make this dream real!”

Wishing Jess and her team all the best as they put together the space for what sounds like a wonderful community and gathering game space in NE Portland.

The Paladins League [projected opening October 2024]
4765 NE Fremont Street, Portland
https://www.thepaladinsleague.com | Instagram