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PORTLAND'S PEARL DISTRICT
Just north of West Burnside, the Pearl District is best known for Powell’s City of Books flagship store. Originally an industrial district, the neighborhood’s rebirth came in the early 2000’s with the rebuilding of the Henry Weinhard’s brewing and bottling complex, now known as the Brewery Blocks. The area is dense with mixed-use retail, dining, and housing and while much of the area is new, it retains the character of its industrial past. The Portland Street Car (portlandstreetcar.org) links the Pearl District with the TriMet bus and light rail system so visitors can move about sans car.
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Must Do
Portland Center Stage
128 NW Eleventh Avenue pcs.org
Portland Center Stage makes its home in the Gerding Theater, housed in the former Portland Armory originally built in 1891 as the Oregon National Guard headquarters. PCS, first established in 1988 as Oregon Shakespeare Festival Portland. PCS is now Oregon’s largest theater company and moved into the renovated, LEED Platinum building in 2006. Between the building’s two venues: U.S. Bank Main Stage and Ellyn Bye Studio, the company presents eight productions a year.
Jamison Square
810 NW 11th Avenue portland.gov/parks/jamison-square
Jamison Square is in the heart of the Pearl District, attracting families, dog walkers and neighbors to the open space, interactive fountain and splash pads, art installations, and seating areas. It is also home to the first “Portland Loo,” a restroom designed in Portland for use in city parks and public areas. The park plays host to events throughout the year like the Alliance Française de Portland’s Bastille Day Festival in July. afportland.org/events/bastille-day
First Thursday
810 NW 11th Avenue
Since 1986, the Pearl District’s art galleries have hosted First Thursday events; opening their doors and launching new exhibits to thousands of aficionados. There are currently five galleries located on the Portland Art Dealers Association (padaoregon.org) online map of the neighborhood: Elizabeth Leach Gallery (elizabethleach.com), Blackfish Gallery (blackfish. com), Gallery 114 (gallery114pdx.com), Laura Vincent Design and Gallery (lvdesignandgallery.com), and Waterstone Gallery (waterstonegallery.com).
