Margaret Seiler helps keep Portland Monthly clear, readable, and grammatically correct. She also writes about local politics, history, sports (from the Thorns to Tonya Harding), and her hobby of extreme transit. The native Kentuckian landed in Oregon after youth-hostelling her way around the continent (before cell phones!) and worked at Willamette Week and the Portland Tribune before joining Portland Monthly in 2010. She lives in North Portland with her brewer husband and their two children.

Best of PDX

50 Things to Do in Portland

From markets to movie houses to museums, here's your expert list of the absolute best things to do in this city.

05/26/2023 By Shannon Daehnke, Michelle Harris, Fiona McCann, Conner Reed, Margaret Seiler, Julia Silverman, and Matthew Trueherz

Event Calendar

Things to Do in Portland This Week

Looking for something to do in Portland, Oregon? Here's a list of upcoming Portland-area events, activities, exhibits, shows, and more.

05/25/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Road Trips

Concerts and Events Worth a Trip Out of Town This Summer

Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, rodeos, big-time fairs, and more can be found in other places around Oregon, Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest.

05/24/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Going Yard

Portland Baseball by the Numbers: Hops, Pickles, and More

The stats on the new Hillsboro Hops stadium, wacky Portland Pickles promos, and the MLB dream that will never die.

05/24/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Farm Fresh

Fabulous Farmers Markets in Portland, Beaverton, and Beyond

Where to stock up on the best of the bounty of every season.

05/22/2023 By Dalila Brent, Katherine Chew Hamilton, and Margaret Seiler

Thrills

Oaks Park vs. Enchanted Forest: Oregon Amusement Park Showdown

Which classic theme park is for you, a Southeast Portland gem with carnival games and a roller rink, or a storybook village just south of Salem?

05/19/2023 By Margaret Seiler

La Grande to the Filipinas

Another Oregon Connection at the Women’s World Cup 2023

Former Eastern Oregon University soccer player Kiara Fontanilla might be in goal for the Philippines at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

05/19/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Real Estate

Portland Neighborhoods by the Numbers

Home sales prices, rent costs, crime numbers, and commute times for every neighborhood, from Linnton to Laurelhurst, Multnomah to Montavilla

05/18/2023 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Real Estate

Portland Suburbs by the Numbers in 2023

The burbs are booming! Home sales prices, rent costs, demographics, and commute times for Ridgefield, Sandy, Hillsboro, and other Portland-area suburbs.

05/18/2023 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Adult Contemporary

Portland Has a Branding Problem: John Mellencamp’s Portland Video Not Portland

A video for the aging rocker’s terrible song about the homelessness crisis in Portland shows South Central LA, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.

05/17/2023 By Margaret Seiler

In Short

Hot Takes on Portland's Latest News

Real news in small packages, from a Portland State alum's NASA gig to new airport bar at PDX to Nike saying no to white shorts.

05/17/2023 By Margaret Seiler

PDX Food History

A Look Back on a Century of Portland Burger Joints

From Yaw’s and TikTok to Bless Your Heart Burger and Mike’s Drive-In, local fast-food restaurants have held their own with Shake Shack and In-N-Out.

05/16/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Portland in the Movies

A Nike Historian Weighs In on What Air Got Right—and Wrong

The movie, with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Viola Davis, nailed the vibe, even if the characters and Portland-area geography are way off.

04/28/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Events

What to Do in Oregon in May

Learn about UFOs and close encounters in McMinnville, race between breweries in Bend, celebrate Oregon wine in award-winning viticulture regions, and ride a fat-tire bike in Cannon Beach.

04/28/2023 By Sam Stites, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Michelle Harris, and Margaret Seiler

Trails

Hike of the Month: Mosier Plateau by Transit

With the CAT bus, you don’t need a car to get to this wildflower standby in the Columbia River Gorge. Bring a bike and hit the Mosier Twin Tunnels, too.

04/27/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Books

A Margaret Talks to Margarets about Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

Margarets everywhere, including a few in Oregon, are excited about the "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" movie, opening April 28.

04/19/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Kitchen Gear

2 Pandemic-Born Portland Businesses Bring Some Style to Food Storage

Add some color to your counter with cool, mod cookie jars from Astro the Studio and washable food covers from Hanuk Design.

03/27/2023 By Margaret Seiler

In Memoriam

Darcelle Has Died. Long Live Darcelle.

Also known as Walter Cole, nightclub owner Darcelle held a Guinness World Record as “oldest living drag queen” for most of the past decade.

03/24/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Shoe Review

We Try Dansko's New Translucent Clogs

Choose your socks carefully for these colorful clear clogs—a Scandinavian-inspired cross between ’80s jellies and ’90s iMacs.

03/17/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Best Bars

Portland Irish Pubs for St. Patrick's Day, or Any Day

From somewhat authentic throwbacks like Kells and T. C. O'Leary's to the spots where "Irish nachos" are the extent of the Emerald Isle offerings

03/15/2023 By Fiona McCann and Margaret Seiler