According to the Mental Floss website:…read more Portland's newest and most fashionable neighborhood was nothing but warehouses and industrial buildings until the mid-1980s, when it started to get the urban renewal (and gentrification) treatment. Formerly known as the Northwest Industrial Triangle, it was given its new name in 1985 by a gallery owner named Thomas Augustine, who told a magazine writer that the neighborhood's artists, toiling away in old, crusty buildings, were like pearls inside oysters. But it had a double meaning: Augustine had already taken to calling it "Pearl's district," after his friend Pearl Marie Amhara, an Ethiopian Christian polyglot who traveled the world raising money for the poor. The Pearl District is the number one most walkable neighborhood in the city. Most residents don't need a car for day to day errands. Beautiful sights, trendy restaurants and shops. Anthropologie, West Elm, Free People, Williams and Sonoma and so much more. We loved walking around here! A must see place to stay and visit while in Portland, Oregon.

The Pearl District is just amazing... Nice shops including…read morethe Powell book store which encompasses probably a block!

A hidden little gem…read more.. err...long, high GEM Definitely a local secret. The Skybridge connects OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital. One of the best spots in PDX to get a brilliant view of the surrounding area and Mt. Hood as well. I definitely spilled the beans on this one...damn tourists! ;-) Hitch a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram for $5 to the top while enjoying the scenery and peaking into peoples backyards...lol, then take a walk across the bridge and enjoy all the beady of PDX! As of this review, there is no cost to walk across the VA Skybridge nor to enter OHSU or the VA Hospital. Just remember, not a whole lot to see on a cloudy day... You won't regret it!

The Skybridge between OHSU University South Hospital and the VA Hospital is a godsend for patient…read morecare. There are tunnels in the basement once used for patient transportation dating back to 1919, but one wrong turn and who knows where you could end up. I once ended up in the old psych ward after a wrong turn. The old whirlpool baths (with the arm restraints and canvas covers) would have worked quite nicely in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I beat cleats to get back out of there - nightmarish enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. Yikes. The "new" VA Hospital was built in 1988 followed by the Skybridge in 1993. The Skybridge is really very nicely done, but I don't have words to describe it, so I've attached a picture from the VA website to give you an idea. There are house phones at frequent intervals throughout the Skybridge (super handy if you walk over from the VA to the main campus and have to sign in to the OHSU Payroll Time system and not be counted as late to work). There are also benches throughout in case the walk is too long (660 feet). I really hope you wouldn't have to use them,, but if so there are first aid stations available up and down the length of the Skybridge. What's fun, if you will, is how much employees and visitors use it for recreation. Patients are wheeled across in wheelchairs or just cruise along getting exercise after surgery or prolonged bedrest. They want you up and out of bed as soon as possible to regain strength and to prevent DVTs, and of course it's far nicer to walk in a light-filled space with a dynamite view of Portland. I walked with my stepmom back and forth across the Skybridge while she was in the hospital for three months after her liver transplant. If you walk across when it's cloudy or foggy, it looks like the Emerald City from Wizard of Oz (and spectacular when it snows). Employees come and use it in bad weather to "mall walk" for exercise. I once thought it would be a great idea to sit on one of the benches and eat lunch and take in the view. I do not recommend this. The Skybridge is essentially a suspension bridge that sways back and forth during wind and any other movement and is probably one of the most secure places anywhere here in Earthquake Country. I myself did not fare well because the bridge is in almost constant movement; my stomach did not appreciate the constant movement whilst eating lunch, so I had to get the hell out of dodge before lunch and I parted ways. I never ate there again. OHSU and VAMC are so lucky to have a link like this for patient transportation and even recreation. It's faster to be sure and so much more cheerful and attractive. It makes all the difference in the world for everybody. Now all I have left to do is ride the aerial tram between the Old Campus and the newer South Waterfront and my OHSU experience will be pretty complete!

On the Eastside Esplanade by the river is this lovely, large ship. This reminds me of one of the…read moreships from a child's story book in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series by C. S. Lewis. Very unique. This is just north of the Morrison bridge on the walking/ running/ bike path on the East Bank of the Willamette. It is one of the highlights of the walk, in my opinion.

The eight story Morgan Building, built in 1912 is designated as a Historical Building. This…read morebuilding is gorgeous people. Crafted from red brick, marble floors and with fancy pants brass facade just adds to the glory of the building. The real charm for me is Morgan's Alley. It reminds me of those magical little avenues in old Europe with darling shops. Morgan's alley has gone through several incarnations over the years. Today's refined shops are quite a departure from the 1960's when this is where you would come to find a head shop. Some of the current tenants include Derek's Shoe Repair which has been there for what seems like forever. The European Master Tailor, Adorn a unique jewelry shop, R-Crew Beauty Salon, Teuscher Cafe and Chocolates of Switzerland, and what kind of alley would this be without booze. Oregon Wine on Broadway is one of the first places you will see as you enter which is a great spot to people watch. The iconic Hunan Chinese Restaurant (RIP) was there for 35 years. Take stroll through this delightful little piece of Portland history and see for yourself how enchanting it is. 2015 - Review # 33

Our family are huge fans of the TV show Grimm! During our recent trip to Portland, we made sure to…read morevisit a few of the show's iconic spots-- Nick and Juliet's house and Monroe's house. Monroe's place has been repainted since filming, so it looks a bit different now, but it was still so fun to see it in person and snap a photo of our little one in front of it. My husband even recognized the wooded park area where Nick ran through to get to Monroe's house. Such a cool experience for Grimm fans.

I love the show Grimm. all the actors are amazing. I miss the cast and the show. I was trying to f…read moreanother driver since Oregon is almost 2,500 miles from where I live on the east coast. I know I can't drive by myself there. but I hope I can find someone.

Our family watches a few episodes of Grimm every Halloween, so visiting some of the filming spots…read morein Portland was a real treat! Our little one was so excited to see the house in person. Nick and Juliet's home is in a charming Portland neighborhood lined with beautiful chestnut trees. It's been repainted since Grimm filmed--maybe to move past its Grimm history--which is a little bittersweet, but it's still absolutely worth a stop for any fan of the show.

I might've tracked this house down in my recent trip to Portland!! Eeeek!! If you've watched the…read moreshow, Grimm...you'll understand! :)

The Unipiper is amazing! I feel so much lightness and fun in the Unipiper's presence. What would…read morePortland be without the Unipiper? I appreciate all the great work with helping highlight our weird community. Long live the Unipiper!

A pedal by birthday-gram anyone?…read more In lieu of an full blown 7th birthday party, our little educational pod was treated to a Starwars Themed Birthday-Gram. The littles were in awe, and the Unipiper was lovely in conversation with them. After the neighbors came out to see where the bag pipe Star Wars music was coming from, they were encouraged to sing Happy Birthday with us from their front steps! Beware, a birthday gram isn't cheap (The Unipiper's time is valuable!). But it is yet another event from this year my kid will remember- and fondly at that!

These are some cool modern takes on the northwest Totem Poles. They are located on one side of…read moreJamison Square. Brightly colored the full name is Tikitotmoniki Totems There are 4 of them in all. They are interesting and really fit into the area. Fun Fact: they hide poles for the trolley inside.

This is a pretty great open event space. The staff are pretty friendly. The bartender was great and…read morevery helpful plus a healthy pour is welcome though I did long for more than two vodka choices since it was well vodka or Grey Goose and I don't want either - just a middle road is ideal. I was glad a friend later said I am not alone is loathing Grey Goose and a lot of the supposedly higher shelf vodka's - weird after taste for those of us who actually like tasting our alcohol but a nice mid ground too. Also, I hear the upstairs is neat too but alas, that is a long stair way up - like a lot of the older buildings in Portland, those of us who are not able bodied and have yet to master levitation cannot do it. I had a great time at the Meow Mixer last week an look forward to more events in this space though!

Fun bar & went to support & watch drag queens & kings…read more They also have game consoles to play video games Do not order the food it was not goood however drinks are severely strong but delicious

Another Portland landmark when it comes to signage. This is an iconic sign and you see it in films…read moreand tv shows and such when the setting is in this particular city. Portland is indeed a weird place and that is one of the reasons that I love it so much. It's quirkiness and art oriented drive is the "weirdness" I am referring to which makes this sign highly relatable to me. Anything that can make you lovably eccentric. Of course there is the weird element where it can delve into creepy but most people can flesh out as to what is purposeful and with intent as opposed to the opposite. I consider myself to be a weirdo and people have accused me of just that throughout my life and it's something I learned pretty early on that it's a thing to be embraced rather than treating our uniqueness and eccentricities ( the harmless kind) as a crutch, burden or handicap. I remember when I was a fairly new transplant to the Pacific Northwest there was a friendly rivalry that I would hear off and on as to what was the weirdest city in America. Austin, Texas and Portland were neck to neck and from what I heard Portland won out but of course I haven't been to Austin in a very long time and before I ever heard of the rivalry so maybe down there they say they are the victors. I may find out when I go there later this Spring. But for me seeing this sign whenever I come across it is an enduring thing and I feel like I am with my tribe... both in Portland and the Pacific Northwest.

This is located right across the street from Voo Doo Donuts. The sign is pretty cool. There's…read morealways cars parked there so not sure how some folks get photos without any cars. Still, worth checking out when you're in downtown.