Neighborhood:
Pearl District With national and international media shining bright lights into every nook and cranny of Portland culture, this saccharine-sweet spot gets the most hype of all. (read more) In what used to be one of Portland’s grimiest locales, the Pearl District’s upscale retailers have come a long way from their busted-warehouse beginnings—a transformation both lauded and severely scoffed at, depending on whom you ask. For better or worse, there’s no apparent end in sight to the high-rise construction. Spendy though it is, all this dense mixed-use development makes for readily walkable retail, food and gallery bounty. Couple that with the alphabetical street names, and it’s easy to navigate through high-end local shops like Bubble Boutique (1238 NW Glisan St., 219-0098) and Lizard Lounge (1323 NW Irving St., 416-7476) that commingle with giant chains like REI (1405 NW Johnson St., 221-1938) and Diesel (30 NW 12th Ave., 241-1355). For a morning bite, scribble your party’s name on a waitlist at the French-American Everett Street Bistro (1140 NW Everett St., 467-4990), or nurse your hangover at kitschy Byways Cafe (1212 NW Glisan St., 221-0011). Should the sun decide to pop up, head over to Jamison Square (810 NW 11th Ave.), where condo-dwelling MILFs and their preppy offspring splash in the fountain and take PB&J breaks at Sip & Kranz (901 NW 10th Ave., 336-1335). For a reality check, pop by the Low Brow Lounge (1036 NW Hoyt St., 226-0200) for some killer tater tots and a brew, or wallow in the blues at Jimmy Mak’s (221 NW 10th Ave., 295-6542). —Elianna Bar-El.
Art critics should remember that to use irony or sarcasm is to borrow heavily from all available expression. It grows boring and gets old quickly and infects any other genuine and insightful observations.