For most visitors, downtown Portland is just the launchpad from which they explore the city’s patchwork of neighborhoods. But amid the central city's staid maze of banks, federal buildings, and big name stores hides a vibrant pocket of high-end, locally owned boutiques; fancy, semi-secret bars; amazing food carts; and old-school Portland weirdness.

FYI: While not an official Portland neighborhood designation, the West End is generally agreed to float somewhere between West Burnside and Southwest Morrison St, stretching from Southwest Broadway to SW 14th Street. In other words: from the downtown Target to Powell’s Books; I-405 to Broadway.

In This Feature:

Where to Eat in Portland's West End

Subterranean cocktail bunkers, a Northwest brunch mecca, and one of the city's best food cart pods. Explore this neighborhood while you're hungry.

05/15/2017 Edited by Kelly Clarke By Staff

What to Do in Portland's West End

Bouncy dance floors, peaceful pulpits, and high-end cinema—this neighborhood has 'em all.

05/15/2017 Edited by Kelly Clarke By Staff

Where to Shop In Portland's West End

Modern housewares to eclectic, high-end local designs, this pocket of downtown is a treasure trove for chic shoppers.

05/15/2017 Edited by Kelly Clarke By Staff

Five Things You'll Find Only in Portland's West End

From strip institutions to periodical paradises, Old Portland is alive and well around here.

05/15/2017 Edited by Kelly Clarke By Staff

Where West End Insiders Really Eat, Shop, and Play

The people who live and work in this oddball corner of downtown Portland explain its charms.

05/15/2017 By Kelly Clarke