COURTESY OF THE OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Some say Portland is a small town on steroids, and nowhere is that more evident than in the city’s outsized arts and culture scene. For a metro area of just over 2.5 million residents, you’ll find an unexpectedly diverse range of live music, theater and world-class museums. Even better, the marquee venues are clustered within the downtown area, making for a walkable day trip. Start at the 1 Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA; 511 NW Broadway), an internationally recognized center of design and creativity that acquired the collection from the Museum of Contemporary Craft, which shuttered in 2016. PNCA often hosts special exhibits showing work by visiting artists as well as students. Cross Northwest Eighth Avenue and take a walk through the 2 North Park Blocks. First established in the 1880s, this Europeanstyle park stretches for five blocks from West Burnside Street to Northwest Glisan Street. Enjoy the shade of large trees that are more than 100 years old, as well as a series of public sculptures including Da Tung and Xi’an Bao Bao, a bronze pair of elephants, and Dog Bowl, a fountain designed by Weimaraner photographer William Wegman. Walk across Burnside and stop for lunch at the nearby 3 Portland City Grill (111 SW Fifth Ave.). Its location on the 30th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower building offers unparalleled views of the central city, Mt. Hood and far-flung neighborhoods. Continue south into the verdant 4 South Park Blocks and arrive at the 5 Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave.). You could spend a day here exploring the collection of more than 42,000 objects in 112,000 square feet of galleries. Permanent exhibits include American, European, Asian, Native American and modern art collections. American-history buffs need only cross the park to find the 6 Oregon Historical Society museum (1200 SW Park Ave.), home to permanent and traveling collections that document the region’s history and life of its residents. Their 7,000-square-foot exhibit “Experience Oregon” features artifacts and multimedia displays that highlight the state’s diverse cultures and geographies. Pause for dinner at 7 Mucca Osteria (1022 SW Morrison St.), an upscale Italian restaurant by chef/owner Simone Savaiano. Sample the antipasti and housemade pastas like the radiatore with crispy octopus, shrimp, calamari, cherry tomatoes and a black squidink butter sauce. Choose from the extensive list of local and international wines. For evening entertainment, the sky’s the limit. 8 Portland’5 Centers for the Arts includes five separate venues — the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, the Brunish Theatre, the Keller Auditorium, the Newmark Theatre and the Winningstad Theatre — which host an ever-changing lineup of live theater, contemporary music, literary lectures and other cultural events. If classical music is on order, take in a show with the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Symphony Orchestra or the Portland Symphonic Choir. Groove the night away with live music and a craft cocktail while listening to live music at 9 Santé Bar (411 NW Park Ave.), a favorite local hangout that is women-, POC- and LGBTQ-owned. NE FREMONT N FREMONT NW 23RD SW KING SW PARK SW VISTANW 23RD NW IRVING NW JOHNSON NW IRVING NW KEARNEY NW WESTOVER SW MAIN TILIKUM CROSSING Red Line MAX (Airport) Green Line MAX (Clackamas) Orange Line MAX (Milwaukie) Yellow Line MAX (Expo Center) Blue Line MAX (Hillsboro/Gresham) A Loop Line Portland Streetcar B Loop Line Portland Streetcar Portland Aerial Tram Multi-Use Pedestrian Path North South Line Portland Streetcar SOUTHPARKBLOCKS NORTHPARK BLOCKS Springwate Corridor Trail Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade Waterfront Park 4 5 3 1 6 2 7 8 9 “Experience Oregon” permanent exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society museum Tour: Culture Highlights Stroll between the Pacific Northwest’s top history, music and art attractions. 51 PortlandUncovered.com
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