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Sights Overview

Portland has one of the most attractive, inviting downtown urban cores in the United States. It's clean, compact, and filled with parks, plazas, and fountains. With a mix of new and historic buildings, architecture aficionados will find plenty to admire. Hotels, shops, museums, restaurants, and entertainment can all be found here, and the entire downtown area is part of the Tri-Met transit system's Fareless Square, within which you can ride MAX, the Portland Streetcar, or any bus for free.

The Skidmore Old Town National Historic District, commonly called Old Town/Chinatown, is where Portland was born. The 20-square-block section, bounded by Oak Street to the south and Everett Street to the north, includes buildings of varying ages and architectural designs. Before it was renovated, this was skid row. Vestiges of that condition remain in parts of Chinatown; however, renovations underway along Northwest 3rd and 4th avenues should help make it more inviting. The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is also here. MAX serves the area with a stop at the Old Town/Chinatown station.

Bordering Old Town to the northwest is the Pearl District. Formerly a warehouse area along the railroad yards, the Pearl District is the fastest-growing part of Portland. Mid-rise residential lofts have sprouted on almost every block, and boutiques, outdoor retailers, galleries, and trendy restaurants border the streets. The Portland streetcar line passes through here on its way from Nob Hill to downtown and Portland State University, with stops at two new, ecologically themed city parks.

The showiest example of Portland's urban chic is Northwest 23rd Avenue -- sometimes referred to with varying degrees of affection as "trendy-third" -- a 20-block thoroughfare that cuts north-south through the neighborhood known as Nob Hill. Fashionable since the 1880s and still filled with Victorian residential architecture, the neighborhood is a mixed-use cornucopia of old Portland charm and new Portland hip. With its cafés, restaurants, galleries, and boutiques, it's a delightful place to stroll, shop, and people-watch. More restaurants, shops, and nightspots can be found on Northwest 21st Avenue, a few blocks away. The Portland Streetcar runs from Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Nob Hill, through the Pearl District on 10th and 11th avenues, connects with MAX light rail near Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown, and then continues on to Portland State University and RiverPlace on the Willamette River.