Portland earned its name in a coin toss in 1845 when Francis W. Pettygrove won two out of three for the right to name his new hometown after his old one. If Mr. Pettygrove hadn't won, you might be visiting Boston instead!
In recent years, Portland has become well known nationally and internationally. Locals take pride in their sustainability efforts, embracing a culture of recycling, reusing and reducing our impact on the environment. Portlanders enjoy the finer things in life: microbrewed beers, microdistilled spirits and microroasted coffees, as well as locally grown organic fruits, vegetables and meats. Enjoy a meal at one of our award-winning restaurants or grab lunch at a food cart.
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Portland is a favorite amongst "foodies." You'll find a variety of restaurants and food carts featuring cuisines from around the world. If you travel 45 minutes from Portland to the Willamette Valley, you can also explore many wineries and restaurants in towns like Newberg, McMinneville, and Dundee.
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Portland is overflowing with art and culture. The downtown area is full of public art pieces, ranging in size from our 34-foot high Portlandia statue, to smaller pieces like Kvinneakt, a famous statue that former Mayor Bud Clark "exposed" himself to.
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Portland is a very walkable city with excellent public transportation. It's also a very bicycle-friendly city, so think about renting a bicycle for the day to explore some of the sights.
Spend time walking around downtown Portland, enjoy lunch at a food cart, and take a look at the many public art pieces. Grab a cup of coffee and a pastry at one of the many cafes, sit down with a good book or the local indie newspaper, or just sit and sip while people watching.
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Portland is a nature-lover's dream come true. Enjoy being within minutes to Forest Park for hiking, trail running or mountain biking. There is green space everywhere, which means you are always within a few blogs of a park or nature reserve. If you need more adventure than the city can provide, you can head to the Oregon Coast for surfing (wet suit required!) or head in the other direction to Mt. Hood for skiing and snowboarding.
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Portland tends to frown on big box stores, so keep an eye out for small, local boutiques featuring handmade items. We have several shopping districts where you can find vintage clothing stores, antique shops, and record stores still selling vinyl.
More Shopping in PortlandThe "Entertainment" district in downtown Portland features more bars and clubs than anywhere else in the city. This is the place to see and be seen in Portland. You'll find clubs featuring everything from drag queen shows to hip hop--and everything in between.
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Enjoy the thrill of introducing a new place or experience to someone for the first time. Make money doing what you love.
