Giving Back

19 Ways to Make a Difference in Portland

Volunteering opportunities across the city, from serving lunch to planting trees.

11/26/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Best of the City

Top Doctors, Nurses, and More 2026

Our annual list of the best health care professionals in the Portland metro area.

11/19/2025 Edited by Portland Monthly Staff

Self-Care

6 Local Spas Where You Can Shake the Cold Weather Blues

A Hawaiian massage, a float tank, a wine-infused bath, and your choice of soaks and facials.

11/10/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Portland Monthly Staff

Hot Spots

The Best Saunas In and Around Portland

Bask in fir-scented steam, lounge near the hearth in a 200-degree cabin, or blast Mitski in your own private suite at one of these Portland spas.

11/05/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Isabel Lemus Kristensen, and Allecia Vermillion

Long Story Short

Vera Mysteria’s Spandex-Clad Sunday Service

Meet the Lloyd Center’s lively, colorful, and unapologetically ridiculous mall walker, host of the Food Court 5000.

11/04/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Photography by Michael Raines

Activism

With Slashed Budgets, AIDS Walk Is as Relevant as Ever

As cuts to HIV prevention and care programs loom, Cascade AIDS Project leans into its 40th annual waterfront march.

09/11/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Fire Season

What to Know About Oregon Wildfires Right Now

Where the fires are burning, how to track them, and how to stay safe.

07/25/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Best of the City

Top Dentists 2025

Our annual list of the best dental practitioners in the Portland area.

03/19/2025 Edited by Portland Monthly Staff

Public Health

Portland’s Fraught Fluoride History, Explained

The city has voted down fluoridation four times. How did we get here?

03/19/2025 By Erin Ross

Plague

Please Don’t Give Me Norovirus

A layperson’s tips on how to stop the spread of the vomit-diarrhea nightmare. (Hint: Laundry is dangerous.)

01/23/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Fact Check

What Is Contrast Therapy and Does It Work?

Advocates say alternating between hot saunas and cold plunges can have major wellness benefits. The research is a little more complicated.

11/05/2024 By Erin Ross Illustrations by Derek Abella

Sauna 101

A Beginner’s Guide to the Wide World of Sauna and Steam

Should you go electric? Wood-burning? What the heck is infrared? And how do you avoid the spa faux pas?

11/04/2024 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Illustrations by Derek Abella

Zero Proof

Oregon-Made Nonalcoholic Spirits Are Fueling Portland's Mocktail Renaissance

As bars begin to expand and rethink their zero-proof beverage menus, Oregon brands like Wilderton and Dhōs have become major players.

10/01/2024 By Alex Frane

Your Worst Nightmare, Solved

Can You Get Rid of Bedbugs on Your Own?

Before you bonfire your mattress, consider the options.

04/12/2024 By Winston Ross Illustrations by Jack Dylan

End Game

How Much Does Living in a Senior Community Cost in Portland?

Finding Atlantis might be easier than answering this apparently rhetorical question.

03/22/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

How Refreshing

Oregonians Get Some of the Best Sleep in the Nation

How do we sleep at night? Better than most.

02/28/2024 By Zoe Sayler

Sanity

Why Are Oregon Therapists Training for 500 Fewer Hours?

Alarming as it sounds, it’s a good thing.

12/13/2023 By Arianne Cohen

Health & Wellness

Where to Get an Updated COVID Vaccine in Portland

Which pharmacies have the new 2023 vaccine in stock? Here’s where you can book an appointment to boost your protection.

10/10/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Helping Others

How One Portland Neighborhood Partnered with a Homeless Encampment

Faced with an influx of homeless neighbors, a Southeast Portland neighborhood association got creative.

09/21/2023 By Hannah Wallace

Weight Loss

Looking for Wegovy, Ozempic, or Semaglutide in Portland? It’s the Wild West.

We sent a reporter in search of the weight loss drug, and found dead ends and sky-high bills—and a work-around.

08/30/2023 By Jacob Fenton