Portland

Old building labeled "Outdoor Store." Oak St. and 3rd Ave., Waterfront District.

Portland

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Portland, Oregon is one of the oldest cities on the west coast of the United States. Walking around town -- it's a very walkable city -- you encounter excellent restaurants, interesting shopping, and gorgeous old, brick buildings that would have been replaced by skyscrapers had this been Seattle or San Francisco. Portland lies on the bank of the Willamette River, with the magnificient Willamette Falls less than an hour away by boat.

Waterfront District and Downtown

Portland's downtown has many charming buildings, although other neighborhoods, such as Pearl and Alphabet seem to be a bit more "happening."

Stumptown Coffee, with patron in elegant dress. Stark St. and 10th Ave., Downtown.

Old building. 1st Ave. and Couch St., Waterfront District.

Doorway. 2nd Ave. near Ankeny St., Waterfront District.

Old building. Naito Parkway, Waterfront district.

Decorative drinking fountain. Tower District.

Downtown building, with old Fish Grotto sign painted on side.

Cabaret building. Burnside St. and 5th Ave., Tower District.

Old brick building labeled "1905 Rich Block." Couch St. and 2nd Ave., Waterfront District.

Old buildings. 3rd Ave., Waterfront District.

Old brick building labeled "Erickson Saloon 1895." 2nd Ave. and Burnside St., Portland.

Made in Oregon sign. Waterfront district.

Chinatown

Chinatown is quite small, encompassing only a few blocks. The area seems a bit shady. In the first photo below, a man is being arrested.

Saturday Market

This market is outstanding, with street performers and a wide array of interesting goods for sale, including food, clothes, housewares, and jewelry. The market is located on SW Naito Blvd, under the Burnside Bridge and in Ankeny Park. Despite the name, it's open on both Saturdays and Sundays.

Pearl District

This district, just north of Downtown, is one of the more upscale parts of the city center. Restaurants, shopping, galleries, condominiums, and lofts coexist side-by-side, filling old, brick warehouses and modern buildings.

Old brick building with Carton Service painted on it. 13th Ave. and Hoyt St., Pearl District.

Old building with green roof, Broadway and Everett, Pearl District.

Building at 12th Ave. and Everett St., Pearl District.

Old brick building. Couch St. and 12th Ave., Pearl District.

Graphic Arts building. Couch St. and 12th Ave., Pearl District.

Old brick building with Biltmore Hotel painted on it. Everett St. and 6th Ave., Pearl District.

Condominium at 11th Ave. and Flanders St. Pearl District.

Shopping

Cargo, a shop in the Pearl District, sells imports from all over the world.

Cargo store (exterior). 13th Ave. and Flanders St., Pearl District.

Cargo store (interior), with mannequins and spheres. 13th Ave. and Flanders St., Pearl District.

Cargo store (interior), with Buddhas. 13th Ave. and Flanders St., Pearl District.

Cargo store (interior). 13th Ave. and Flanders St., Pearl District.

Hunt and Gather is another interesting Pearl District shop, containing home furnishings and original artwork.

Hunt and Gather store (interior). 13th Ave. and Hoyt St., Pearl District.

Hunt and Gather store (exterior). 13th Ave. and Hoyt St., Pearl District.

Alphabet District

This historic area, northwest of Downtown, is mostly residential (and it looks like a great place to live), with the exception of a couple streets including the bustling 23rd, a.k.a. Trendy-third, Ave.

3 Monkeys. Shop on 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Mio Gelato Caffe Italiano on 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Shops on Hoyt St., near 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Houses on Johnson St. near 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Houses on Hoyt St. near 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Houses on Pettygrove St. near 23rd Ave. Alphabet District.

Rams Head

A fixture of 23rd Ave is the Rams Head pub, built in 1912. A mural on the wall depicts people drinking alcohol from coffee cups during Prohibition. Another shows a turn-of-the-20th-century dance hall. A third, inexplicably, shows a man threading spaghetti through his nose.

Mural: A spontaneous band of unlikely music. Interior of The Rams Head pub. Hoyt St. and 23rd Ave., Alphabet District.

Mural of patrons drinking alcohol in coffee cups during Prohibition. Interior of The Rams Head pub. Hoyt St. and 23rd Ave., Alphabet District.

Mural of man threading spaghetti through his nose. Interior of The Rams Head pub. Hoyt St. and 23rd Ave., Alphabet District.

Mural of Alfred and Anna Burkhardt, who built a home in the neighborhood in 1906. Interior of The Rams Head pub. Hoyt St. and 23rd Ave., Alphabet District.

Willamette River and Falls

Portland Skyline

Willamette Falls

This is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest, stretching 1500 ft wide and 40 ft tall.

Bridges

Burnside Bridge over the Willamette River.

Marquam Bridge over the Willamette River.

Sheriff boat in front of Hawthorne Bridge, Willamette River.

West Linn/Oregon City Bridge over Willamette River.

River Industry

Industry on the Willamette River includes paper production, hydroelectric power (the world's first major long distance hydroelectric power plant is here), and grain transport (surprisingly, this is the 3rd largest grain exporting region in the world).

T. W. Sullivan power plant, the first major long distance hydroelectric power plant.

Houseboats

The first of the houseboats below appeared in the movie Hear No Evil, See No Evil.

Houseboat that appeared in the film See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Oregon Yacht Club, Willamette River.

Houseboats. Oregon Yacht Club. Willamette River.

Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)

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