Portland: 11 Fun/Weird Hidden Gems
Part of the fun of being a flaneur is constantly seeking new things to see and do. Your eyes and ears are always looking and listening for that new hidden gem. You are constantly searching google maps to see if there is something you missed. This was definitely the case for our recent trip to Portland just before the COVID-19 outbreak.
This was our third visit to Portland over the past 30 years and each time we have found fun new hidden gems. In no particular order, here’s what we discovered this time:
#1 Witch’s Castle Walk
Near the end of our visit and looking for something walkable to do from our Slabtown Airbnb, I found on Google Maps an icon labelled “Witch’s Castle.” Immediately attracting my attention, I zoomed in and found there was a park and trail along Balch Creek just 15 minutes away. We made that our designation for the next day and we weren’t disappointed. The Lower Macleay Trail is amazing - a temperate rainforest at the northwest edge of the City Centre. How had I missed it in my earlier research?
And yes, there is a stone house along the trail that some locals have nicknamed the “Witch’s Castle.” Though, more of a cabin than a castle, the story reads a bit like a Hollywood movie. It makes for a fun destination for an afternoon walk.
Learn more: Witches Castle Story
#2 Central Eastside
Another day when wandering the Central Eastside, an area in transition from a gritty industrial warehouse district to a quirky hipster village, uncovered two gems. In the seedy underbelly of the Morrison Street bridge, sits City Liquidators (823 SE 3rd Ave), a huge warehouse of new and used “stuff.” Everything from furniture to posters, from vintage arcade games to huge model planes hanging from the ceiling. Heaven for treasure hunters and those with eclectic tastes.
Continuing to wander the Central Eastside we happened upon Urbanite (1005 SE Grand Ave), a more upscale, large boutique home furnishing/fashions collective of 30+ local vendors. Enjoy a coffee while you browse ($1 donation) everything from mid-century furniture to vintage guitars, from designer fashions to home décor.
The Central Eastside is a fun “bobo” district that includes some quirky old and new architecture, murals and street art.
Central Eastside Slideshow
#3 Goodwill Motherload
It was in Portland where we clearly learned that not all Goodwill stores are created equal. The Goodwill Superstore on SE Grand and Stephens Street is the motherload of thrift stores. This is huge store with the shelves loaded with product and new product (clothing, housewares, electronics etc.) being added continuously. And, if you are looking for a good selection and good deals on books. this is the place. Though it is not as big as the downtown Powell Books, the prices are better. Bonus: It is easy to get to by street car.
#4 Book Story
In a tiny, bright green, quaint house at 2752 N Williams Ave with huge letters spelling “Book Story” above the door is home to Microcosm Publishing, a bookstore filled -from floor to ceiling – with books of indie authors neatly displayed. We did ask about the fire code violations and they said they had been inspected recently and everything was OK. The staff person was super friendly.
#5 Hippo Hardware
Whenever meandering, we keep our ears open in case we hear of someplace interesting. That was the case for Hippo Hardware located off-the-beaten path at 1040 E Burnside Street. Can’t believe we hadn’t found it on our previous trips to Portland, given it opened in 1976. It is a huge (30,000 square feet) used hardware store. It has everything from kitchen sinks and bathtubs, to 1,000s of hinges and 100s of vintage light fixtures and old door handles. If you like eccentric places, this is the place for you. Like a museum without all the labels and didactic panels, but it does have lots of fun vignettes.
Link: Hippo Hardware
Hippo Hardware Slideshow
#6 Alberta Avenue /Arts District
Commonly referred to as Portland’s Arts District, Alberta Avenue is probably not at the top of the list for many tourists when visiting Portland. However, many hidden gems await those who do venture there. Alberta Avenue (a long main street from 14th Ave to 31st Ave) is a mixed bag of new upscale shops, older bohemian places, ugly rundown buildings and vacant lots.
It is literally like an outdoor art gallery as every block has one or more artworks painted on the sides of buildings. There are even entire buildings painted to become a work of art. And, what’s with plastering stickers over everything these days? Seems like the locals have turned Alberta Avenue into one huge sticker book. Are stickers the new graffiti?
Our first fun find was CORD (2916 NE Alberta St), an upscale boutique offering everything from high quality portable backyard fire pits to knives, outdoor gadgets and books (for Calgarians, think Kent of Inglewood). Next door, is Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books which offers a thoughtfully curated selection of unique modern art books and artworks.
Speaking of fine books, we also happened upon Phi (1627 NE Alberta), an eclectic shop with local artisan-made slab wood tables, some home décor items, as well as a small collection of first edition books. I was very tempted to buy Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” with drawings by Leslie Sherman, a Beat Generation painter active in San Francisco in the mid-20th century.
Alberta Avenue Slideshow
#7 Angel’s Donuts & Ice Cream
While Portland is known for its doughnut (or is it “donut” I can never remember what is the correct spelling) shops including the world famous Voodoo Donuts (est 2003) and newcomers like Blue Star (loved the apple cider fritter), there is an old fashioned donut shop/ice cream shop on Alberta Avenue that offers just as tasty donut/coffee experience – Angel’s Donuts & Ice Cream (2805 NE Alberta). We discovered this gem last time we visited Portland and were delighted it had survived the city’s gentrification movement. We are just as delighted to report still makes great doughnuts and serves good coffee – for third the price of the "fancy pants” places. Plus, it offers great street-side tables for people watching.
#8 Portland State University (PSU) Campus
One of the things we love to do when travelling is explore post-secondary campuses. Portland State University at the southern edge of downtown, is very much an urban campus with both street-cars and MAX LRT running through it - literally! It is hard to tell where downtown ends and the campus begins.
We were hoping to take in a concert in the circa 1911 Lincoln Hall, but unfortunately, the concert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. Fortunately on the way out we discovered the Broadway Gallery, basically a hallway that has been cleverly turned into an art gallery. We then headed to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art where we found not only a lovely gallery space but two enlightening exhibitions – one by Arvie Smith and another by Daniel Duford (both exhibitions will be the subject of a future blog).
We then headed to the nearby Art Building to check out its MK Gallery and the AB Lobby Gallery, and though both are tiny, they had engaging exhibitions. PSU is definitely a hidden gem for those into the visual arts.
PSU Campus Slideshow
#9 ReBuilding Centre
The City of Portland bylaws require all homes built before 1916 to be deconstructed i.e. salvaging as much of the old home as possible, rather than demolishing them and throwing everything in the landfill. But where does it all go?
A lot of it goes to the Rebuilding Centre (3625 Mississippi Ave), a massive 53,000 square foot warehouse full of salvaged materials all neatly stacked and sorted. It is like Home Depot meets Habitat Restore meets antique shop. Not only does the ReBuilding Centre keep waste out of landfills, but it also has skill development programs for those in need. The store has become an anchor and catalyst for the revitalization of the Mississippi neighbourhood - it is a “must visit” for any urban treasure hunter.
Link: ReBuilding Centre
ReBuild Slideshow
# 10 OJMCHE
While the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (724 NW Davis Street) is not that big, it is definitely worth a visit. It encompasses a permanent exhibition space that explores the Jewish experience in Oregon, as well as two temporary exhibitions spaces that focus on examining indifference and discrimination.
Particularly compelling on my visit was “Southern Rites: exhibition by photographer Gillian Laub. In it she documents how discrimination still exists today by looking at high school graduation proms in Southern American states where even today blacks and whites still have separate proms. The large format colour photographs each with an informative didactic panel were enlightening and very moving.
While you are in the area you should also wander over to the Pacific Northwest College of Art located a historic 1918 post office building located at 511 NW Broadway. It is definitely a hidden gem for anyone into architecture. The security guard was very friendly and let us wander the lobby which includes an art gallery for temporary exhibitions.
#11 Montgomery Park
As we wandered further and further from our cozy Airbnb I noticed a huge roof-top “Montgomery Park” steel-framed neon-sign on a ghost-like building next to a huge reclamation site. I did some research when I got home and discovered the building was the former Montgomery Ward mail-order catalogue warehouse and department store. Built in 1920 it is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is on the property that was once used for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. The nine-floor building was the largest in Portland at 569,000 square feet when it was built and is the second largest today.
The warehouse closed in 1982 and sold to a developer who converted it into a mixed-use space for trade shows, banquets and offices. The frugal developer changed the name from “Montgomery Ward” to “Montgomery Park” which meant on the “W and D” letters needed to be changed on the roof-top sign.
For anyone interested in architecture and adaptive reuse it is definitely worth the trek to the far NW edge of the City Centre see this beauty. The halls are full of art and the interior glass elevator is worth the ride. There is small café open to the public and an Adidas Employee Store, if by change you know somebody who has a connection with Adidas you might get in – otherwise you are limited to window shopping.
Honorable Mentions
“The Freaky But True Peculiarium Museum” full of strange and creepy exhibits complete with a fun gift shop. You can’t miss as the museum’s collection of gory things spills out onto the sidewalk at 2234 NW Thurman St. However, check before go as they are planning on moving.
Though Stark Vacuum Museum that used to be attached to the Stark Vacuum store (107 NE Grand Ave) is closed but the store is still open and has a wall of vintage vacuums that is definitely worth seeing if you are in the area. The mid-century vacuums, with their space age designs are very fun.
Last Word
We are glad Portlanders continue to “Keep Portland Fun & Weird.”