Pearl District

Bordering Old Town to the west and downtown and the West End to the north, the Pearl District comprises a formerly rough-and-tumble warren of warehouses and railroad yards. The neighborhood began to see an influx of stylish condos, restaurants, and retailers in the late ‘90s, and the boom continues. Much of the Pearl is new construction, but dozens of the district’s handsome, historic industrial buildings have been converted into trendy, loft-style housing and commercial concerns, too. You’ll find some of the city’s most buzzed-about restaurants, galleries, and shops in this neighborhood. Most of them are independent, but the Pearl has quite a few chains as well, especially on the three or four blocks nearest to Burnside Street, which separates the neighborhood from downtown and the West End. The Portland streetcar line passes through here on its way from Nob Hill to downtown and Portland State University, with stops at ecologically themed Jamison Square and Tanner Springs parks.