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!

Such a great, hip neighborhood! Genuinely enjoyed walking around 23rd street with my friend on a…read morebeautiful summer day. Tons of cool shops, restaurants, and cafes. Would definitely return to explore further.

I'm from Southern California, visiting Vancouver but insisting on seeing what's become of Portland…read more I convinced my crew to take me to the Pearl District, remembering how vibrant it used to be, just five years ago. Now, the zombies crouch and the small businesses are gone. We moved on to the Alphabet district and found the charming pubs, restaurants, shops and businesses I had come to see. The best store is Paxton Gate--treasures and oddities. A wonderful restaurant is Fireside. So relieved that there's a sign of life after all the troubles. It's worth defending, Portlandia.

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.

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.

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! :)

So many fantastic options with unique and interesting stores, restaurants, food cart pods,…read morepubs/bars & entertainment along Mississippi Avenue in Portland! It's nice to spend a day or afternoon just walking the area and checking things out.

This street has it all! Vibrant shops, unique bars, several music venues, and lots of restaurants…read morespanning a variety of cuisines and price ranges. Thai, Italian, Sushi, Burgers, Southern comfort food, Korean, Mexican, ice cream - it's all there! The shops are small business - no chains - and range from eclectic little boutiques perfect to browse and shop for treasures, to gourmet food shops with a plethora of local items, and a store that has every lightbulb known to exist - Sunlan - that truly is worth a visit. I really like Ink & Peat gift shop. So many fun items like warm and comfy throws, jewelry, chocolates, garden items, perfume. Hard to visit without a purchase! For those looking for adult beverages day and night, there are lots of pubs, bars and music venues. This street really comes alive in the summer with the Mississippi Street Festival, typically held on a Saturday, mid July. Definitely do a search and put the date in your calendar. The street is lined with vendors selling food, jewelry, handmade items and crafts. At different points along Mississippi, there are stages set up with several bands performing throughout the day and evening. All for free! N. Mississippi is definitely a Portland vibe and gem!

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

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.

I learned about this museum from an article I read and had this placed bookmarked for ever. It's…read moredefinitely worth a visit. Their collection of vacuums is really quite stunning. I asked and most of them have been acquired through donation. I found the history of vacuums really interesting. It was remarkable to see how the very first vacuum is still reflected in our current vacuum use, the Bissell. Visiting this museum is also free so absolutely no reason to pay them a visit. **NOTE: if you try to find this place on google it will try to take you to NE19th street. This is incorrect and the address on Grand is the correct one. Instead of typing into your gps Stark's vacuum museum, just type in Starks vacuums.

No longer here but, as it turns out, a better use of the space than a disco Instagram bakery…read moreflorist that was only open about half the time. This room simply held old vacuums and lasted about five times as long as the shop that followed. It required a base level of Portland knowledge to know why the city valued weird old vacuums it could stare at for free over $17 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches it was asked to stand in line for.