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.
Events Today
Saturday November 7
Ben Franklin: Unplugged
One morning, while shaving, monologuist Josh Kornbluth realizes he has lost enough hair and gained enough girth to resemble the man on the hundred-dollar bill and, at the urging of a particularly forceful aunt, considers creating a Franklin-centric stage show. He really gets interested in Franklin’s story only after he discovers ol' Ben had an illegitimate son, William Franklin, who was, contrary to his father’s wishes, the colonial governor of New Jersey. It’s not long before Kornbluth finds himself struggling to sort through academic rivalries, popular myth and Franklin’s own self-aggrandizement. Along the way he meets a mildly crazy Franklin scholar, gallivants around Manhattan in a Franklin costume, and gets revenge on Yale University. All this, delivered at considerable volume with much thrashing of arms and spraying of spittle by a short, pudgy bald man wearing black jeans and a terrible Hawaiian shirt adorned with blue sunflowers. Kornbluth’s persona is a schlemiel in the classic mold, but he is cannier than he looks, and his toying with the self-generated myth of Franklin is a blast to watch. BEN WATERHOUSE.
Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 7:30 pm Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2 pm Sundays, noon Thursdays, alternating 2 pm Saturday and 7:30 pm Sunday shows. Closes Nov. 22. $24-$45, $20 day-of-show rush tickets available.
Upcoming Events
Sunday November 8
Ben Franklin: Unplugged
One morning, while shaving, monologuist Josh Kornbluth realizes he has lost enough hair and gained enough girth to resemble the man on the hundred-dollar bill and, at the urging of a particularly forceful aunt, considers creating a Franklin-centric stage show. He really gets interested in Franklin’s story only after he discovers ol' Ben had an illegitimate son, William Franklin, who was, contrary to his father’s wishes, the colonial governor of New Jersey. It’s not long before Kornbluth finds himself struggling to sort through academic rivalries, popular myth and Franklin’s own self-aggrandizement. Along the way he meets a mildly crazy Franklin scholar, gallivants around Manhattan in a Franklin costume, and gets revenge on Yale University. All this, delivered at considerable volume with much thrashing of arms and spraying of spittle by a short, pudgy bald man wearing black jeans and a terrible Hawaiian shirt adorned with blue sunflowers. Kornbluth’s persona is a schlemiel in the classic mold, but he is cannier than he looks, and his toying with the self-generated myth of Franklin is a blast to watch. BEN WATERHOUSE.
Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave., 445-3700. 7:30 pm Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2 pm Sundays, noon Thursdays, alternating 2 pm Saturday and 7:30 pm Sunday shows. Closes Nov. 22. $24-$45, $20 day-of-show rush tickets available.
