Guide to Downtown Portland Neighborhood
Location
Downtown
is located in Central Portland. It is bordered by the Goose Hollow, Northwest,
Pearl District, Southwest Hills, and Corbett Terwilliger neighborhoods, and the
Willamette River.
Downtown
Neighborhood Map
Downtown
can be located on page 596 The
Thomas Guide - Portland Oregon Street Guide .
Description
Portland offers one
of the most beautiful downtowns of any city, anywhere. Portland's downtown area
is vibrant and alive. Neighborhood concerns are focused on improvements to the
downtown area while maintaining a balance of quality urban living space, a
thriving business community, unique shopping, and natural beauty offered along
the riverfront, in the Park
Blocks, and other integrated
green spaces. "Portland's Living Room", Pioneer
Courthouse Square, is a
centralized community hangout where millions visit annually. Downtown is home to
the Portland
Saturday Market, where local
artisans sell a variety of arts and crafts. Portland
State University is Oregon's
largest, most diverse, and only urban university.
Homes
Downtown Portland is an urban neighborhood, with
many older buildings, apartments, and loft style condominiums. Downtown Portland
Oregon is alive and well, and unlike many downtown areas in other cities,
remains active and vibrant after the business workday ends. There are many
beautiful parks to enjoy, as well as numerous theatre, music, and entertainment
events Downtown.
If
you are interested in buying or selling a home in Portland's Downtown
neighborhood, visit our Portland
Real Estate Page for more information, or visit our Portland
Real Estate Map to search the RMLS for Downtown Portland homes for
sale.

Enjoy our video with images of Downtown Portland!
Downtown
Information
Neighborhood
Statistics
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Waterfront
Park
Pioneer
Courthouse Square
O'Bryant
Square
North
Park Blocks
South
Park Blocks
Portland
State University
Portland
Saturday Market
Historic
Preservation League of Oregon
Portland
Public School Information
Portland
International Airport
Portland
Police Bureau
Portland
Classifieds on Craigslist.com
Portland
Off-Leash Dog Parks
Tri
Met - Interactive Maps and Schedules for Bus, Max and Streetcar
Hot
Eats
The Heathman Restaurant and Bar
A touch of class never hurt nobody, capiche?
But if it did, you’d want to steer clear of The Heathman, or things
could get a little rough, if you know what I mean.
Housed in the lobby of what Travel
& Leisure named one of the “500 Best Hotels in the World,” the
Heathman features Executive Chef Phillipe Boulot, the 2001 James Beard Award for
Excellence.
Let’s put it this way, this is the kind of place that has
a menu just for cheese.
Not to be outdone by curds and whey, the dinner menu may
include, depending on the season, Wild Sturgeon Vallee d’Auge, Anderson Ranch
Willamette Valley Lamb, Oregon Sand Dabs, or Alaskan Halibut Confit as examples.
Or stop by their Happy Hour, featuring such items as Smoked Salmon and
Endive, Crab Deviled Eggs, Grilled Short Ribs, and Grilled Lamb Tongue, to name
just a few.
But don’t overlook the cocktail menu while you’re
stuffing your face. After all,
they’ve gone to the trouble to break down the offerings by era. Yeah, you read that right.
Era. Simply put, if you make
it through this particular menu - divided into “Early Days and Golden Years
(1806-1920),” “Prohibition and Beyond (1920-Today),” and “Modern
Cocktail Creations” – you’ll be history.
The Heathman Restaurant and Bar
Weekday breakfast 6:30 – 11:00, Weekend breakfast 7:00
– 9:00
Weekend brunch 9:00 – 2:00
Lunch 7 days 11:30 – 2:00
Dinner Mon – Thurs 5:00 – 10:00, Fri – Sat 5:00 –
11:00, Sun 4:00 – 10:00
Happy Hour 7 days 4:00 – 6:00, 9:00 – Close and all
night Thursday after 4:00
1001 SW Broadway (at Salmon)
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 790-7752
www.heathmanrestaurantandbar.com

Park Avenue Café
Been thinking about taking a few courses?
Well, must say we were schooled recently on exactly what it takes to make
the prerequisite, college scene coffee shop work.
Answer: Don’t just cater to college kids, and don’t just serve
coffee. Located where the South
Park Blocks meet Market, and therefore the gateway to Portland State University,
this place screams college hangout. And
it is. But it’s so much more.
On any given visit, there are the students who, if not in
public, would be freebasing their caffeine.
But this genteel atmosphere requires that they sip it from bowl-sized
cups instead, eyes on their laptops as their professors sit nearby arguing the
merits of a maintenance versus prevention oriented society.
Next to them might be the retired couple who rents in the adjacent
building complex, seated near a yuppie condo type who is “working from
home.”
Park Avenue Café draws them all. And sometimes several at once as evidenced in the line that
regularly forms at the register. But
a queue is not a problem here. Service
is quick, and, besides, was it Confucius or my grandfather who said, “A line
just means there must be something worth waiting for.” And there certainly is.
Owner/proprietor Essam Buker and his staff have composed a menu that,
from paninis to wraps, salads to spanokopita, visits several locations on the
world map and all over your palate. In
other words, any college vocabulary will define this place yummy as hell.
So, with three homemade soups made daily as well as two different types
of quiche and plenty of tempting dessert on the offering, this menu will speak
to everyone in your crowd whether they carry a backpack or billfold and ride a
bike or a Benz.
Park Avenue Café
Open Weekdays 7:00 – 8:00, Weekends 7:00 – 7:00
1525 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 225-9335

Pazzo Ristorante
Located adjacent to Hotel Vintage Plaza, Pazzo is simply a
wonderful night out. This past
Valentine’s Day, in fact, was spent sitting with my squeeze at the dining bar
overlooking the kitchen at the back of the restaurant.
(Said squeeze has it out for Hallmark Holidays and didn’t even hint
that he would deign to deliver on dinner goods until well after dark.
Hence, no reservations.) But
they had a couple seats open at the dinner bar – and we had a flippin’
blast! Dinner was awesome.
Service was very friendly, and frankly it was just so dang interesting to
watch a professional kitchen at work on a night that should represent utter
mayhem. But there wasn’t a chance
of that with Executive Chef John Eisenhart at the helm.
Cool Cucumber, that man policed an operation that came off like butter.
(Said squeeze was so impressed, he even shook the chef’s hand and
congratulated him at the end of the evening.)
Personal favorites on the menu include the Cinghale, which
is a pork leg braised in duck fat and herbs with savoy cabbage, green apple,
celery, and horseradish – in other words, Italian for delicious.
I’ve never been to Pazzo that somebody didn’t order the Gnocchi and
love it. Handmade, of course, these
little potato pillows are mingled with a beef shortrib ragu and pecorino sfizio
– obviously more words for delicious. Will
they never run out?
Pazzo also has and is its own bakery.
One can simply buy loafs of Beer Walnut Bread, Raisin Bread, Ciabatta or
waltz in and order a pizza by the slice on homemade crust.
Pazzo Ristorante
Weekday breakfast 7:00 – 10:30, Weekend brunch 8:00 –
2:00
Weekday lunch 11:30 – 2:30
Dinner Mon – Thurs 5:00 – 10:00, Fri 5:00 – 11:00,
Sat 4:30 – 11:00, Sun 4:00 – 9:30
Happy Hour 7 Days 3:00 – 6:00
627 SW Washington (at Broadway)
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 228-1515
www.pazzoristorante.com
West Café
What’s in a weekend brunch, I ask you?
After all, eggs, potatoes, meat portion of some kind – what’s the big
deal? Sadly, dear reader, this is
not the first of my forays into gross naiveté.
But it does explain why when something fresh and exciting is offered up
for morning dining, I for one take notice.
And that, my friends, is what we have going on at West Café.
Me, taking notice. ‘Cause
this stuff’s good. Two poached
eggs on Dungeness crab corn fritters and wilted greens (I prefer to order my
greens on a separate plate,) served with soy mustard sauce and the best home
fries I’ve ever tasted. I kid you
not, the best home fries ever. Or
try your eggs on homemade black bean cakes with cheddar, salsa, and sour cream.
Delish.
Located on SW 12th and Jefferson, West Café
offers everything from Tarragon Egg Salad sandwiches to Pan-Seared Cumin Rubbed
Salmon and a slew of clever sounding martinis in between.
And from the chic décor sporting uniquely formatted photos of local
flare to the friendly and informed staff, including bar manager, Christopher,
and servers who won’t let you be seated without asking to take your coat –
this place also serves up a slice of Portland that we’re oh so glad that
owners Sean Concannon and Douglas B. Smith decided to share with us.
West Café
Weekday lunch 11:00 – 2:00, Weekend brunch 10:00 – 2:00
Dinner Sun – Thurs 5:30 – 10:00, Dinner Fri & Sat
5:30 – 11:00
Happy Hour 7 Days 4:00 – 6:00 and 9:00 – close
To Go operation serving coffee, breakfast and lunch fare
begins daily at 8:00
1201 SW Jefferson Street
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 227-8189
www.westcafepdx.com
Focus
on
Powell’s City of Books
Yup, check this one off the list right away – and then
check it again. This is a must-do,
must-see place if your destination is anywhere in the state. But fuggetaboutit if you’re in downtown Portland – or in
the Pearl District as Powell’s actually sits on the border. If you haven’t been here, you haven’t done downtown or
the Pearl.
Even if you don’t consider yourself much of a reader.
Let’s say you hate to read. Not
sure what you’re doing reading this then, but all of that doesn’t matter.
This isn’t your grandma’s bookstore.
This thing’s on ‘roids. A
full city block of new and used books covering sixty distinct sections between
nine color coded rooms on four floors - Powell’s comes with its own map.
And it’s a good thing it does because this place has got to be seen to
be believed. All of it.
Powell’s City of Books
Main Location
Open 7 days 9:00 – 11:00
1005 W Burnside St.
(800) 878-7323
www.Powells.com
The Northwest Film Center
Right in our own backyard we have an organization
completely devoted to the art of the moving image.
A component of the Portland Museum of Art, the Northwest Film Center
provides education, exhibition, and outreach.
The Outreach Program provides opportunities and support for
media artists while the School of film includes a curriculum in filmmaking,
video production as well as animation. Enrollment
options cover non-credit, transferable college credit through Portland State
University, a certificate program, and cooperative degree options.
But if you just want to watch really interesting,
hard-to-lay-your-hands-on movies, the Center offers an incredibly comprehensive
exhibition program covering foreign, classic, experimental, and independent
films. Screenings typically take
place at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum.
The Northwest Film Center also plays host to unique rooftop screenings
during the summer and an assortment of festivals, including the prestigious
Portland International Film Festival, which screen at various locations.
If you’re into movies, and who isn’t right, drop by and
pick up a schedule of events or check them out at www.nwfilm.org.
Northwest Film Center/
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

Fox Tower 10
For some reason, and we can regale you with several,
Portland is the destination city for a tremendous percentage of indie films that
might open in just a handful of other locations. When money is scarce,
distributors will often decide to shell out just for a few target markets.
Typically those markets will sound something like Los Angeles, New York,
Chicago, San Francisco, and very likely – you guessed it – Portland.
The Fox Tower 10 is simply devoted to art house and foreign
fare. And versus those theaters
that jump on the bandwagon after awards’ season has proclaimed the winners,
you can nearly set your Academy Award watch by Fox Tower ahead of time.
If it plays at Fox Tower, it’s got a good chance to be courted by
Oscar.
Fox Tower 10
846 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
(800) 326-3264

Portland Center for the Performing Arts
Boy, that back yard of ours must be huge!
Better to bedazzle with, my dear. And
that’s just what Portland Center for the Performing Arts aims to do.
Nationally recognized as one of the top ten performing art centers in the
country, PCPA is comprised of five different venues – yup, all located in
downtown – offering over 900 performances annually ranging from plays and
concerts to ballet, lectures, stand-up, Broadway shows – I could go on.
Originally built in 1917 and known as the Civic Auditorium,
the Keller Auditorium is the largest of the venues with a seating capacity of
2,992. With two balconies and a
very large stage, this is a save-the-ticket-stub kind of theater, regardless of
show. In house companies include
Portland Opera, the Oregon Ballet Theatre, and the Oregon Children’s Theatre.
Side note:
Across the street from Keller Auditorium is the Keller Fountain, an
enormous series of flowing pools that is so popular during the summer that if
Pioneer Courthouse Square is considered Portland’s living room, then Keller
Fountain is its bathtub.
Overlooking Keller Fountain, the Keller Café on the second
floor of the Auditorium offers dinner, drinks, and dessert before the show.
The next oldest venue is also next largest.
Built in 1928, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is an opulent affair
with 2,776 seats, an orchestra pit, and a choir loft.
Its iconic “Portland” sign out front heralds a theater that is home
to the Oregon Symphony, White Bird Dance Company, Portland Arts and Lectures,
and a host of others.
Located inside the stunning Antoinette Hatfield Hall, which
is now to be renamed The New Theatre Building are three different venues: the
Newmark Theatre with 880 seats, the Dolores Winningstad Theatre with 292 seats,
and Brunish Hall at 200 seats. With
all this under one roof, one would think that there would be noise crossover or
at the very least patron congestion issues.
Such is not the case. This
place is a well-oiled machine. Speaking
from experience, audience members are completely oblivious to any other theater
than the one they are attending.
The spacious lobby features a five-story rotunda above
which is an art-glass “Spectral Light Dome” skylight. Overlooking the lobby are three levels of balconies that are
designed like box seats. It’s fun
to grab a martini and relax in one of these box seats while people watching
theatergoers in the lobby below. This
particular theatergoer has spent many an afternoon working on the old laptop in
this very lobby. A public space,
the lobby is open to all during the day.
The building is also home to the ArtBar & Bistro,
serving northwest cuisine, appetizers, and pre-performance cocktails.
Keller Auditorium
222 SW Clay
Portland, OR 97201
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
Antoinette Hatfield Hall
Housing:
The Newmark Theatre
The Dolores Winningstad Theatre
Brunish Hall
1111 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
ArtBar and Bistro
(503) 432-2905
Main PCPA phone number: (503) 248-4335
www.pcpa.com
GETTING YOUR GROOM ON... a.k.a. Personal Services
GiGi Salon & Spa, an AVEDA Concept Salon
You know how it is. You’re
far from home or you’ve actually taken the plunge and moved, and in the
process you’ve had to – freak out of all freak outs – leave your stylist
behind. Maybe you feel your locks
are the unworthy type, unable to be handled by anyone but that trusted soul
whose scissors and spray you’d know anywhere, whose vacations and holidays
you’ve tracked for years because you never wanted to be left out in the
coiffure cold.
Never fear. On
the South Park Blocks is an inviting salon that has its share of answers.
Owner Johnny Hoang is a Master Stylist who comes at you like Clint
Eastwood with two blow dryers in his hand at once and a holster slung around his
hips with all necessary tools of the trade.
This is no joke, especially not to Johnny.
A smile on his face, he is yet extremely serious about hair.
This is the man who actually freed me from my dependence upon my former
hair stylist back in SoCal. I can
now say that it’s been exactly fifteen months since my last cut by her. Never thought I could do it on my own. But Johnny’s been by my side.
Along with a second location in Washington Square Mall,
Gigi’s offers a full spa experience including massage, manicure, pedicure,
facials, and a host of other services -plus all those terrific AVEDA products.
GiGi Salon & Spa, an AVEDA Concept Salon
Downtown Location
Mon – Sat 9:00 – 8:00, Sun 9:00 – 6:00
1503 SW Park Ave., Suite B
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 295-9539
Washington Square
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 10:00, Sun 10:00 – 7:00
9585 SW Washington Square Rd.
Portland, OR 97223
(503) 295-9539
Check out www.gigisalonspa.com
for a full list of services.
Downtown Cleaners & Tailors
Okay, why the heck would we include a dry cleaner on a
website devoted to what makes Portland tick?
Aren’t all dry cleaners created equal?
Not this one. Conveniently
located on SW 3rd and Alder, they are easily reached by the corporate
crowd that clusters near there, not to mention several hotels.
But to me, all that doesn’t matter so much.
I will and have gone out of my way to patron this establishment.
For those of us with consistent dry cleaning needs, it’s important to
be able to trust those in charge of caring for the clothes we care most about.
They do a fantastic job. I
have never, with all the seemingly countless items I’ve laid upon their
detergent alter, suffered even the slightest snafu.
Well done, I’ll say.
But it’s more than that, isn’t it? When you return to a business again and again, often it’s
because they offer more than professionalism.
At Downtown Cleaners & Tailors, you get the neighborhood friendliness
of owners Yun Suk Ko and Soon Young Ko. Always there with a smile or a joke, this couple makes
walking through their door feel nice. Heck,
they recognize me and kindly offer up a wave and a grin if I’m just walking past
their door. They’ll help me to my
car if my arms seem laden, even if it’s raining.
They’ll tell me about visiting their son away at college. So, you know, maybe some people are there just for the pants.
And believe me, this fine couple will deliver.
But I’m there for the neighbors.
Downtown Cleaners & Tailors
Open Mon – Fri 7:00 – 6:00, Sat 10:00 – 2:00
609 SW 3rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 227-7881
Community
Event Calendar

More
Information
If you would like to share your experiences of
living or working in Downtown, please
contact us.

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