Downtown Portland

Downtown Portland does not yet have an impressive skyline, but the city center is well connected to the rest of the city by trams. This makes the center around Pioneer Square very lively. The center is on the left bank of the Willamette River and is bordered on the west by the 405 freeway. In the Pine Street Market (Pine St./2 Ave) there is a food court with various restaurants. Even if the city center is quite small, there are many restaurants from all parts of the world. The best view of the Portland skyline is from the opposite bank and from the Rose Garden on the hill west of downtown. The tallest skyscraper in Portland is the Wells Fargo Center with 166 m.

 

Pioneer Square

http://downtownportland.org

 

Portland Building

The postmodern office building of the city of Portland was designed by New York architect Michael Graves. The 15-storey building was opened in 1982. Graves was a representative of the New Urbanism.

 

SW 4th Ave./SW Main St.

 

Ira Keller Fountain

The fountain built in 1978 was named after Ira Keller, the chairman of the Portland Development Commission. It was designed by Angela Danadjieva in 1970 and consists of concrete cubes and plates creating a Waterfall. 

 

SW Market/SW 3rd Ave.

 

Chinatown Portland

Portland Chinatown is where the city originated. This is the place of the "Old Town". In 1986 the Chinese archway was erected. Compared to the Chinatown of San Francisco, the Portland Chinatown is rather small. The inscription on the gate says: "4 oceans one family"

 

NW 4th Ave./W. Burnside St.

 

Portland Chinese Garden

The "Lan Su Yuan" was built with the help of the partner city of Suzhou, which is known for its enchanting gardens throughout China. The Portland garden is one of the most beautiful Chinese gardens outside China.

 

Northwest Third/Everett

www.lansugarden.org

 

Charles F. Berg Building

The beautiful Art Deco building from 1902, served as shop for Charles Berg's classy ladies' clothing store. The decorations in the elevators are designed by Tiffany. Golden inlays and beautiful facade motifs make the "Charles F. Berg Building" unique, not only in Portland. In 1983 it was listed in the "National Register of Historic Places". 

 

615 SW Broadway, Portland

 

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

The theater was opened in 1928 with the name "Portland Publix Theater" and became the "Paramount Theater" in 1930. Today, the "Portland Center for the Performing Arts" is located here. The Schnitzer family is one of the city's largest art collectors, and the theater was named after Arlene Schnitzer. Many people call it just "The Schnitzer". Because of its large "Portland" sign, it became a landmark of the city.

 

1037 SW Broadway, Portland

www.portland5.com

 

Broadway Bridge

The 531 m long Broadway Bridge is a jumper bridge, spanning the Willamette River. The bridge was built in 1913 and has besides car lanes also a tram line to cross the river. In 1963 the former black bridge was painted red.

 

NW Broadway Bridge

 

Steel Bridge

The two-storey "Steel Bridge" was built in 1912. The 64-meter (192 feet)-long center section between the two towers, can be lifted 50 m (150 feet) upwards, to allow large ships to pass along the Willamette River.

 

Glisan Street, Portland

 

Portland Japanese Garden

The "Japanese Garden" in Washington Park was opened 1967. By the humid climate in Oregon, Moss can grow well, so this garden can get very close to ist's role models in Kyoto, Japan. The Japanese Garden is one of Portland's top tourist attractions.

 

611 S.W. Kingston Ave.

www.japanesegarden.com

 

Map of Portland with sights & attractions

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Portland Guide

Welcome to Portland

Portland is not a metropolis with many attractions, the special thing about Portland are its inhabitants. In the city, there is a creative spirit, people are open to new things. The say: "Keep Portland weird". Getting together and generating positive energy, is a huge feature it's people.

In Portland you can find organic food everywhere, it is the hometown of "Powell's City of Books", the largest bookshop for new and used books in the USA. Portland is famous for outdoor activities and outdoor clothing companies. In the suburb of Beaverton there is the world headquarters of  "Nike". 

 

A weird institution of Portland is "Voodoo Donut" with several locations: 

www.voodoodoughnut.com

 

 

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Leisure quality

The weather in the American Northwest is often cold and rainy, but Portland is still a great recreational destination. The Pacific with endless beaches, wild rainforests, the Columbia River with countless waterfalls and the mountain chain of the "Cascade Range" with the 3425 m high "Mount Hood" offer varied leisure opportunities. The sparsely populated Oregon is a nature lover's paradise.

 

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