Shopping

Without a doubt, Portland offers the some of the best shopping on the West Coast.  A shopper-friendly downtown core is surrounded by distinctive neighborhood avenues dotted with quaint boutiques and prominent malls combining large retail establishments and smaller specialty stores.  Add to that the fact that Oregon has no sales tax, and it becomes apparent that Portland is a shopper’s paradise.  Just in case you didn’t hear it the first time PORTLAND HAS TAX FREE SHOPPING! 

Pearl District

You can sample haute couture and hot cuisine in Portland’s Pearl District, which has quickly become the place to see and be seen. The Pearl is composed of 50 city blocks of industrial warehouses turned sleek loft apartments, cutting-edge art galleries and vibrant international restaurants.  Diesel, Puma and Addidas are some of the big name stores that run along side the trendy and local boutique specialty stores

Though the neighborhood features outstanding brewpubs, delicious international cuisine and the world’s largest independent bookstore, the soul of the Pearl is in its galleries.  Check them out on the first Thursday of every month, when most galleries stay open late to showcase the talents of new and established artists.

Nob Hill/ NW District

You can also find great shopping areas in the bustling Northwest/Nob Hill neighborhood, another of the city’s hippest hubs.  Seemingly designed for people-watching, the main streets never fail to produce an eclectic mix of leather-clad Harley riders congregating outside Starbucks, immaculately dressed West Hills’ shoppers searching for imported linens, and boisterous Gen-Xers enjoying pizza and microbrews at sidewalk cafes.

Downtown

The clean and vibrant downtown is home to three major department stores: Nordstrom, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue (the only one other than the original to physically reside on Fifth Avenue).

Downtown boasts almost 2 million square feet of retail space. With Pioneer Courthouse Square as the anchor for retailers like Pioneer Place, Banana Republic, J. Crew and Abercrombie & Fitch, and specialty stores – like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. – shoppers don’t have to walk far to find a special purchase.

Portland is home as well to many local specialty stores, which are sprinkled throughout the downtown retail core. In addition, there are more than 800 shops, restaurants, boutiques and national chains to delight even the pickiest shoppers.

Lloyd Center

From downtown, hop aboard a MAX light rail train for a jaunt across the Willamette River to Lloyd Center, where 200 stores wrap around an indoor ice rink. Oregon’s largest mall, Lloyd Center houses a 17-restaurant food court, an 18-screen movie house and department stores. Lloyd Center is only seven minutes from downtown Portland, and the ride on MAX is free.

Hawthorne District/Beaumont Village/Alberta Arts District

If Portland had an anti-mall, it would be in Hawthorne.  This Trendy District famous for their funky boutiques, health food stores and alternative restaurants.  Beaumont Village and Alberta Arts District have a similar feel to Hawthorne with an eclectic mix of art boutiques and specialty shops.

Cultural District

From late spring to early fall, you can also hit the Portland Farmers’ Market, located in the Cultural District’s South Park Blocks.  Each week the market boasts organically grown produce, fresh-baked breads, seafood and seasonal flowers.

Beyond Portland

Outdoor Mall shopping has become popular in the past decade and Portlands Suburbs have two of the best.  The Streets of Tanasbourne in Hillsboro and Lake Oswego’s Bridgeport Village were constructed with California style shopping in mind.  Similar to Irvine’s Spectrum and Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade these high end shopping centers offer great name brand shopping alongside tasty eateries in a master-planned concept.

What would a city with tax-free shopping be without outlet shopping?  Well Portland has two destinations worth the drive.  Twenty minutes east of town, you’ll find the Columbia Gorge Factory Stores in scenic Troutdale, Oregon. And forty minutes to the south you’ll find the Woodburn Company Stores in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley.