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.

Transit Trip

We Took the Bus to the Oregon Coast for a Car-Free Getaway

Bar trivia, a tunnel to a hidden beach, steaming chowder, and wild-yeast beer are just a $25 round-trip bus ticket away.

01/21/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Oregon Trails

Step Inside the Oregon Coast’s Historic Bowling Alleys

Life’s a beach. Then you bowl.

01/07/2025 By Margaret Seiler Illustrations by Jordan Kay

Nifty Gifties

Holiday Markets, Bazaars, and Pop-Ups in Portland

The time is nigh, but you can still shop local.

12/18/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Deep Fake

We Took a Spin Around OMSI’s Plastic Ice Rink

The Swiss-made synthetic surface is Glice, Glice, baby.

12/17/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

We (Eventually) Rode the Current to Downtown Ridgefield

It took a couple of tries.

12/09/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Mountain Highs

Where to Ski in Oregon and Washington

From Timberline and Meadows in Portland's backyard to road-trip getaways across the Northwest, here are the slopes to seek out.

11/22/2024 By Margaret Seiler, Sam Stites, and Portland Monthly Staff

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in December

Make crafts at Silver Falls, hunt for ornaments in the forest, hop aboard a Christmas train, and spot gray whales swimming south.

11/22/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson and Margaret Seiler

Shopping

9 Portland-Area Malls, Ranked

Pioneer Place, Clackamas Town Center, Washington Square, and more—which ones are retail heaven, and which should come with a sad trombone?

11/20/2024 Edited by Margaret Seiler By Portland Monthly Staff

Superfan

Children of the Cornmeal Crust

Alison Hilton gave her neighborhood pizza joint plenty of business, and the staff gave her their kids (sort of).

11/12/2024 By Margaret Seiler Photography by Michael Raines

Blades of Glory

Portland’s Downtown Ice Rink Is Back

Get ready to glide.

11/08/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in November

Taste olive oil in Dayton, dance to Celtic music in Yachats, gorge on sausage and kraut in Forest Grove, and celebrate Thanksgiving in wine country.

10/25/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson and Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

A Day in Forest Grove via TriMet’s Westernmost Bus

College town vibes, a sweet main drag, vegan doughnuts, a historic-home walking tour, and a dash of Avonlea.

10/16/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Superfan

Fat City Café’s Pancake Patron

No, Tom Kervin doesn’t work at the Multnomah Village breakfast institution, but he still fixes things and runs errands.

09/17/2024 Photography by Michael Raines By Margaret Seiler

Ballot Bonanza

Portland’s Upcoming Election, by the Numbers

Historical turnouts, close calls, and all those new ranked choices.

09/04/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Superfan

Dive Bar Devotion: The Mock Crest Tavern

Veggie slider fans David Finley and Cam Schwartzkopf are among many regulars at the beloved North Portland bar.

07/12/2024 By Margaret Seiler Photography by Michael Raines

Swimming

Portland Is a Beach Town. It's True.

But which in-the-city Willamette River swim spot is the one for you and your crew?

07/09/2024 By Margaret Seiler, Michelle Harris, and Matthew Trueherz

Dive In

Cathedral Park’s New Swim Dock Opens Under the St. Johns Bridge

The beach area has a lot less concrete to trip over, too, thanks to volunteers and the Human Access Project.

06/28/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

We Took the Bus to Camas and Washougal

Find river paths, vintage clothes, a floating restaurant, art galleries, woolly Pendleton temptations, and an indoor-outdoor barbershop.

06/21/2024 By Margaret Seiler

Real Estate

Portland Suburbs by the Numbers 2024

Are you hot for Happy Valley? Rarin' for Ridgefield? Gaga for Gresham? Check out home sales prices, rent costs, demographics, and walkability for Portland's suburbs.

05/29/2024 Edited by Margaret Seiler

Real Estate

Portland Neighborhoods by the Numbers 2024

Home sale prices, rent costs, commuting habits, and demographic info for every neighborhood, from Buckman to Bridlemile, Hillsdale to Humboldt.

05/19/2024 Edited by Margaret Seiler