Neighborhood:
Brewery Blocks Ah, the difference 150 years can make. The Brewery Blocks existed long before the Pearl District become Portland’s de facto spot for posh people-watching. (read more) The West’s oldest brewery, Blitz-Weinhard, operated on West Burnside from 1856 until the turn of the 21st century. When the historic building was sold in 2000, it spawned a massive redevelopment that led to five blocks of upscale retail (the North Face and Anthropologie) and yuppie grocery stores (Whole Foods). Once a gateway drug to the neighborhood, Powell’s City of Books (1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651)—still an undisputed mecca for lit geeks the world over—has new competition in the form of celebrity sightings: P.F. Chang’s (1139 NW Couch St., 432-4000) has a rep as the best spot to watch the Blazers (the new, likable ones!) chow down on lettuce wraps. Parking is a nightmare, so unless the weather is spotless, travel by streetcar—that is, unless you live in the ’hood. With luxuriant condominiums like The Henry (Northwest 10th Avenue and Couch Street) opening on nearly every street corner, though, the rent ain’t cheap here. That’s the premium residents pay to live smack-dab in the middle of one of the city’s most bustling areas. —Michael Mannheimer.
