Downtown Portland is not your typical industrial urban cityscape filled with skyscrapers and office buildings. Instead, the heart of the city is full of character, with a small-town, slightly European aesthetic and vibe. Dotted with upscale shopping malls and hotels, mom-and-pop shops and restaurants touting local, seasonal fare, grassy green nooks, museums, urban parks, and compact shopping districts that are easy to navigate on foot, downtown Portland is a hub of family-friendly activity with something to offer for all ages.
Go: Year-round!
What to see: With children in tow, your first stop should be Finnegan’s Toys. A treasure of a toy store that has been catering to the kid in everyone for over 30 years. The largest independent specialty toy store in the Pacific Northwest, Finnegan’s features aisles and aisles of classic toys and arts & crafts. Sports-loving families may want to make a pit-stop at the world’s first Niketown ever opened. Then stroll to the most visited site in Portland, Pioneer Courthouse Square, an urban park dubbed the city’s ‘living room.' If it happens to be a Monday, enjoy one of several free ‘Mondays on the Mall’ events. Children 17 and under will enjoy free admission to the Portland Art Museum which features many family-friendly activities (story time and drop-in art-making) and tours on Sundays. On weekends, cruise through the Portland Saturday Market (open on Sundays too), to peruse goods made by local artists at this largest continually operating outdoor arts and crafts market in the country. If you’re downtown on a Saturday, stock up on some delicious fruits and vegetables and delectable local fare at the Portland Farmer’s Market downtown on the Portland State University campus grounds.
How to dress: Casual: jeans, a seasonally appropriate coat and good walking shoes -- and pack an umbrella.
Possible lunch spots: For a quick meal, Elephants Delicatessen (the Flying Elephants at Fox Tower location downtown) makes their locally sourced foods from scratch daily. Choose from prepared sandwiches, salad and soup options which include vegetarian, vegan, wheat and dairy free varieties. After you purchase your food, the only glitch may be finding a table to dine at if you go during peak lunchtime hours. Save room to try what’s sure to be the most creatively crafted and outrageous doughnut you’ve ever eaten at Voodoo Doughnut, topped with everything from bubble gum to Tang.
Need to know: If you or your little ones get tired from touring downtown on foot, hop on the MAX light rail or the Portland Streetcar, which are free to ride throughout most of downtown within the Free Rail Zone.
Bonus: Located just minutes from downtown, enjoy a lofty view of the city from the Portland Aerial Tram. Children age 6 and younger ride for free, and they’ll get a kick out of soaring through the sky in one of the sci-fi-looking pods.
Cost of trip: Free to moderate depending on types of activities enjoyed.
Online: http://www.downtownportland.org/ or http://www.travelportland.com/
—Beth Shea
