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Shop, Eat, ExplorePortland has a wide array of opportunities for shopping, eating, and exploring. Our vibrant retail core is enhanced by neighborhood centers, each offering a unique assortment of goods. Finding a restaurant to suit the casual diner or the gourmet is easy to do in the Portland region. Of course, the natural environment offers a multitude of ways to have fun with family or friends. Shopping in PortlandWithout a doubt, Portland offers the best shopping on the West Coast between Seattle and San Francisco. A shopper-friendly downtown core is surrounded by distinctive neighborhood avenues dotted with quaint boutiques and prominent malls combining large retail establishments and smaller specialty stores. Add to that the fact that Oregon has no sales tax, and it becomes apparent that Portland is a shopper's paradise. Take advantage of special shopping promotions through Destination Downtown.
Downtown Downtown boasts almost 2 million square feet of retail space. With Pioneer Courthouse Square as the anchor for retailers like Pioneer Place, Nordstrom, Macy's, Banana Republic, Saks Fifth Avenue and Abercrombie & Fitch, and specialty stores - like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. - shoppers don't have to walk far to find a special purchase. Portland is home as well to many local specialty stores, which are sprinkled throughout the downtown retail core. In addition, there are more than 800 shops, restaurants, boutiques and national chains to delight even the pickiest shoppers. TriMet's Fareless Square makes it easy to shop the downtown area's flagship stores including the world-famous 68,000-square-foot Powell's City of Books, the original NikeTown and Columbia Sportswear. A quick ride on MAX across the river offers Lloyd Shopping Center, with more than 200 stores and restaurants and an indoor ice-skating rink. Portland's unique Saturday Market is the largest open-air crafts and farmers market in the United States. Saturday Market features baked goods and one-of-a-kind crafts from more than 275 artists and craftspeople. Street musicians, jugglers, dancers and more entertain shoppers and shop keepers alike. Neighborhood ShoppingBeyond the downtown core area, quaint neighborhoods offer unique boutiques and restaurants. The northwest Pearl District and Nob Hill neighborhood features trendy shops and eateries. On the east side, Sellwood offers an array of antique shops, and the Hawthorne and Alberta neighborhoods are famous for their funky boutiques, health food stores and alternative restaurants. Shopping CentersWhether you're looking for discount outlet malls or giant shopping centers anchored by large retail chains, you'll find it in the Portland Metro area. Located in Northeast Portland, Lloyd Center was once the largest shopping center in the world. It's still Oregon's largest shopping center, with more than 175 specialty shops and four major department stores: Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears and Marshall's. There is also a world-class ice-skating rink and an eight-screen movie theater. To the north, Jantzen Beach SuperCenter boasts twenty big-name retail department stores - one of the largest such collections in the country. The center also offers an assortment of shops and restaurants. There are plenty of shopping opportunities in the suburbs as well. To the southeast, Clackamas boasts Clackamas Town Center. Its more than one million square feet include more than 185 specialty stores, restaurants and department stores. Southwest of the city, Tigard offers Washington Square, an upscale mall anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, Sears and JC Penney. Across the river in Vancouver, Wash., is Westfield Shoppingtown, a full-service mall including five major department stores and 130 restaurants and shops. Looking for a bargain? Twenty minutes east of town, you'll find the Columbia Gorge Factory Stores in scenic Troutdale, Oregon. And forty minutes to the south you'll find the Woodburn Company Stores in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley. Whatever you're shopping for, you're sure to find it here. Eating and drinkingThe Portland Metro area offers more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States. Portland cuisine rivals that of better-known Seattle or San Francisco while offering a substantial savings over other West Coast cities. The online Dining Guide will help you find the best restaurants in the Central City. Restaurants, cafes - even gourmet food carts - provide a diverse offering of local and ethnic cuisines, reflecting more than twenty-five different cultures from around the globe. Dress is almost uniformly casual and the coffee just as uniformly tasty. And speaking of coffee, when you're in Portland, you're never more than a few blocks away from a gourmet coffee shop offering an assortment of fresh pastries and freshly brewed drinks. You can find a list of great restaurants, many located in the Central City, in the Alliance online business directory. Just click here. You can also visit the Portland Oregon Visitor's Association, OregonLive.com, or PDXGuide.com for more information on the restaurant scene in Portland and the rest of Oregon. If you're thirsty, Portland also boasts the highest number of microbreweries in the country. More than thirty breweries produce award-winning beers available at local restaurants and grocery stores. Popular tasting tours are another option. The Willamette Valley, just south of Portland, is fast becoming one of the premier wine-producing areas in North America. More than forty local wineries produce a wide variety of award-winning wines. Regularly scheduled wine tasting tours are available year round, and many of the wineries have tasting rooms open to the public. Exploring the Portland region Looking for something to do with friends or family? Adventures abound in and around the Portland metro area. Portland also offers an array of cultural experiences that honor the rich diversity of the region. Attractions Oregon Zoo Oregon Zoo Founded in 1887, the Oregon Zoo is home to more than 200 species of animals. Visitors have the opportunity to observe more than a thousand specimens from around the world, including Peruvian penguins, African rhinos, and Asian elephants. The Oregon Zoo holds the world record for the most elephant babies born in captivity. Besides the animals, the Oregon Zoo offers special events and activities to delight young and old alike. The zoo train runs daily from March through October, and there are concerts in the summer time and a special display of lights at Christmas. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, founded in 1944, ranks among the top ten science museums in the country. Its 219,000 square feet offer a wide variety of interactive exhibits covering many different fields of scientific study, from biology to technology and everything inbetween. In addition to the displays, OMSI boasts the largest planetarium in the Northwest, with the world's only digital star-projection system. There's also the 330 seat Omnimax theater with its 10,000-square-foot domed movie screen, and a 219-foot submarine. The USS Blueback is one of the last non-nuclear submarines built by the U.S. Navy. Day TripsWhether you want to spend the day at the beach, on the slopes or touring miles of scenic fields and vineyards, you'll find your heart's desire within an hour-and-a-half or less of downtown Portland.
Ocean Beaches Ocean Beaches Just over 90 miles to the west of Portland on Highway 30 sits the historic town of Astoria. Nestled into the basalt cliffs over looking the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria is the oldest city on the West Coast. Or hop on 26W for a brief 80-mile drive to the coast to visit picturesque dairy farms of the coastal town of Tillamook. Stop and tour the galleries in Cannon Beach, play a game of golf at Salishan in Lincoln City, or visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, with its 200-foot-long acrylic underwater tunnel. Then don't forget to stroll a mile or two of Oregon's 326 miles of public beaches before finishing the day with a freshly prepared seafood dinner at one of the Oregon Coast's premier restaurants. The Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood Twenty minutes east on I-84 brings visitors to the gateway to one of the most scenic stretches of highway in the United States. Take the Columbia River Scenic Highway exit, and cruise one of the oldest highways in the state, past river beaches, trails, breathtaking viewpoints and waterfalls, including the second highest waterfall in the nation. At 620 feet, spectacular Multnomah Falls draws visitors from around the world. Further down I-84, the slopes of Mt. Hood offer world-class skiing and snowboarding. At 11,000 feet, Mt. Hood is the tallest mountain in the state. Historic Timberline Lodge, a WPA project built in the 1930s, sits at the 6,000-foot level and offers the only year-round lift-serviced skiing and snowboarding in the United States. The Willamette Valley Looking for a break from city life? Head south on I-5, and in about 30 minutes, you'll be driving through the pastoral fields and vineyards of the Willamette Valley. Take the 99W scenic drive through Oregon's wine country and stop for a taste at the family-owned wineries that dot the landscape. Purchase hazelnuts, apples and other seasonal produce at roadside stands and markets. SportsWhether you're a spectator or a participant, Portland has a way for you to enjoy your sport of choice. Portland boasts CART races; an NBA franchise, the Trail Blazers; a World Hockey League franchise, the Winter Hawks; a United Soccer League franchise, the Timbers; and the Beavers, the AAA affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Want the excitement of major league baseball? Chartered buses and Amtrak packages make getting to a Mariner's game in Seattle (three hours north of Portland) almost as much fun as watching. Parks In and Around PortlandWith an abundance of parks and nearby recreation areas, Portland is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. City Parks & Gardens City Parks and Gardens With more than 37,000 acres of parks in the Portland metro area, there's always a bit of nature nearby. From Mill Ends Park, the smallest city park in the world, to Forest Park, the largest forested urban wilderness park in the United States, you'll find a park to suit your taste. If it's gardens you're after, Portland has an assortment of gardens, both beautiful and unique. Washington Park, on the west side, features the International Rose Test Garden, with more than 400 varieties of roses on over 8,000 bushes; the Japanese Garden, which is the most authentic ceremonial garden outside Japan; the World Forestry Center; the Oregon Vietnam Veteran's Living Memorial; and the Hoyt Arboretum. The Japanese-American Historical Plaza, in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, pays tribute to the Japanese-Americans interred during World War II. A few blocks away, Portland's classical Chinese garden, known as the Garden of Awakening Orchid, is the first authentic urban classical garden outside China. Located near the Reed College campus in southeast Portland, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden's seven acres feature more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas and other native Oregon plants. Crystal Springs Lake attracts a wide variety of birds and waterfowl, and the garden is available for weddings and other special occasions. Forty miles south of Portland, the Oregon Garden is a 240-acre display garden featuring 1,000 plants arranged in twenty specialty gardens. In the Oregon Garden, you'll find water features, garden art, wetlands - and even a child's garden. One of the garden's most popular exhibits is the Gordon House, the only house in Oregon designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. State Parks The state of Oregon operates 230 state parks featuring facilities for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, boating, swimming and camping. Many of the parks also include interpretive exhibits and scientific and historical displays to educate and entertain. Recreational OpportunitiesOpportunities for recreation abound in and around the Portland metro area. Whether you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing or mountain biking, you can do it here. For skiers, there's Mt. Hood, less than two hours from downtown Portland, with year-round skiing. If windsurfing is more your speed, Hood River, about an hour east of the city, proclaims itself to be "the windsurfing and kiteboarding capital of the world." Numerous lakes and rivers make boating a popular sport in the City of Roses and its environs. If you'd prefer to recreate within the city limits, Portland offers a variety of activities. There are forty-one 18-hole golf courses located around the metro area. There are annual golf tournaments like the Jeld-Wen Tradition and the Safeway Classic, which draw top professional competitors from around the world. If you like running, walking or jogging, Portland offers hundreds of miles of trails and paths; and for the competitive runner there's the Hood to Coast relay from Mt. Hood to Seaside on the coast, the Portland Marathon, and the River City Distance Classic, all of which attract runners from around the world. Want to go for a bike ride? Portland was voted the "Most Bicycle Friendly City" by the League of American Bicyclists. Rather play tennis? The city operates 115 municipal outdoor, and two indoor, tennis courts. If you enjoy camping, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department offers more than 50 overnight campgrounds. Most of these campgrounds provide potable water, picnic tables, fire pits, clean toilet facilities, and showers. Reservations are either recommended or required at 26 of these campgrounds, and an 800 number (800.452.5687) is provided to deliver up-to-the-minute information on the campground of your choice. With more than 62,000 miles of fishing streams and rivers and 1,600 lakes and reservoirs, Oregon is a fisherman's paradise. For hunters, Oregon offers seasons for a wide variety of game, including deer, elk, bighorn sheep, cougar, and bear. For more information, contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at 503.872.5275. Culture and the Arts in PortlandWhatever your taste in entertainment, you'll find offerings to fill your evenings-and even your afternoons-throughout the Portland Metro area.
Film Film With more movie theaters per capita than any other city in the United States, there's always something to watch in Portland. Whether you prefer blockbuster hits in giant megaplexes, second-run gems in antique theater-turned-pub houses, the latest art film in a trendy cinema, or bargain entertainment in single screen, family-owned neighborhood theaters, you'll find it in Portland and the surrounding communities. Symphony Portland boasts one of the top symphony orchestras in the country. More than 100 years old, the Oregon Symphony is the oldest symphony in the west. Acclaimed by the likes of Gramophone and The Washington Post as "first class" and "a virtuoso ensemble," the Oregon Symphony offers classical and popular concerts throughout the year. The symphony shows its commitment to bringing music to the community by offering free summer concerts in neighborhood parks, educational presentations in the schools, and Symphony Storytimes in the local libraries. Established in 1924, the Portland Youth Philharmonic is the oldest youth orchestra in the nation. Critically acclaimed, the Portland Youth Philharmonic provides 260 students, aged 7 to 22 and representing more than 100 schools, the opportunity to learn, grow and perform in a professional setting. Ballet The Oregon Ballet Theater season consists of four productions and 100 performances. Headed by Christopher Stowell, the OBT also operates the School of Oregon Ballet Theater, offering professional instruction in ballet to young people from around the metropolitan area. Their highly acclaimed Creative Movement Outreach Program brings the benefits of dance to disabled and disadvantaged children throughout the metro area. Opera The Portland Opera Company ranks in the top 15 opera companies in North America. Headed by Christopher Mattaliano, the Portland Opera Chorus and Portland Opera Orchestra not only perform classic opera, but they are also the only professional opera company in the country to offer a full season of touring Broadway productions. Theater Portland offers a vast array of theater companies presenting the finest in live theater, from Shakespeare to the latest in experimental drama. Portland Center Stage, headed by Chris Coleman, is one of the 25 largest theater companies in the United States. Artist's Repertory Theater, lead by Allen Nause, performs both contemporary and classic works and reaches out to the community through Actors-on-the-Go, a unique program that brings actors into the schools. The cultural and ethnic diversity of Portland is reflected in theatrical organizations like the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Teatro Milagro, the Oregon Children's Theater, and the Tears of Joy Puppet Theater. Galleries and Museums Galleries and museums abound throughout the city. An innovative new program is making art accessible to an ever-increasing number of Portlanders. "First Thursday" in the downtown area and Pearl district, and "Last Thursday" in the northeast Alberta neighborhood allow patrons, students, and average-guy-on-the-street types the opportunity to view the best visual art Portland has to offer. Armed with maps and comfortable shoes, people wander from gallery to gallery on the first and last Thursdays of the month to see what's new and learn more about the arts. Founded in 1892, the Portland Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest. Currently housing more than 32,000 works of art, the Portland Art Museum is among the 25 largest art museums in North America. During 2005, the Oregon Historical Museum is celebrating the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition by featuring the largest collection of Lewis and Clark artifacts ever assembled in one place. The Oregon Maritime Center and Museum honors the city's connection to the river with models, photographs and navigational instruments, including artifacts from the battleship USS Oregon. For more than 50 years, The Children's Museum has been a place for parents and children ages 12 and under to play and learn. |
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