Thriving commercial districts are part of what makes Portland great. It’s these distinct neighborhood hubs, each with a unique character, that draw out the coffee drinker, vintage clothes connoisseur, vinyl collector, or simply the hungry. When you look at the history of these neighborhoods, and their commercial corridors in particular, you’ll soon discover that they weren’t always bustling. The Pearl District, for more...

In a shift away from the country’s once hyper-consumptive ways, many Portlanders have been discovering how to participate in a local, and more resourceful, sharing economy. Based on models of collaborative consumption, in which owning becomes less necessary, our innovative and community-minded citizenry has expanded an economy centered around bartering, borrowing and sharing. Portland has, in many ways, led the charge in what we more...

UPDATED 12/6/2011 In a forlorn storefront, hidden behind the shadow of the Village Square strip mall it abuts, many see an empty commercial space that exemplifies the surrounding neighborhood’s neglect. To others, however, the future site of the Rosewood Cafe is a sign of hope that heralds the change to come in a neighborhood better known for drugs and crime than coffee and community activism. The future cafe, which also serves more...