"Looking to take home a piece of Portland? Your new best fronds are here to help. Solabee Flowers & Botanicals is your source for succulents, staghorn ferns, stately palms, and just about anything else you can imagine from the world of houseplants, ceramics and pottery, crystals, and palo santo , the popular South American incense sticks. All those plants make for a sunny bi-level shop that’s an olfactory heaven. The helpful staff of plant experts are happy to consult with you and troubleshoot any issues you may have with your cacti. This very Portland store even boasts a corgi mascot that’s often featured on Solabee’s Instagram feed."

"Anyone taking diligent notes on Portland decor is sure to notice similarities in design from location to location beyond a love for taxidermy. Much of that Rose City decorating style emanates from Schoolhouse Electric. Located in a 115-year-old redbrick warehouse and factory building in an industrial part of the city’s West Side, Schoolhouse Electric sells everything from perfect reproductions of 1960s-era IBM clocks to more vintage sconces and analogue clocks than you can shake a stick at. The store’s Ristretto Roasters coffee bar provides a caffeine boost when your energy for curated doorknobs reaches its limit."

"All those Willamette Valley pinot noirs you’ve heard about? This is the wine shop in Portland where you’ll find many of them. Fresh off a move in 2016 to a former brasserie, Park Avenue Wines now covers 8,500 square feet of space and includes a wine bar called Bardot, storage for your wine (wine lockers!), and plenty of room for evening tasting events. Northwest wine aficionados will want to join one of the wine clubs, one of which focuses solely on wines from the region. As a place to start an education about the wines from the Willamette Valley and environs, it’s hard to beat."

"Growler-to-Go There was a time in the not-too-distant past when folks would wander down to their neighborhood brewery and come home with a pail or two of fresh beer. Today's growler industry was born from these humble beginnings. The Tin Bucket takes the practice and geeks it up with modern technology to insure every container they fill leaves fresh. This NoPo pit stop is on the bike route and a popular pause for cycling commuters needing a boost. The Bucket is filled with a great selection of bottle beers and ciders and sports 40 virtual tap handles for pints and growlers. The filling stations are a Jetsons-like operation imported to PDX from down south. The high-tech nature of recycling your container for beer refills pairs perfectly with Portland 's sustainability culture. The selection is ever-evolving and the staff is up-to-speed on taste profiles and beer trivia. There are a few tables in this small space to sample and ponder what to take home. Just don't leave empty growler-ed."

"The Only Way to Spend Saturday Morning When traveling, I love to spend Saturday morning at the farmers market. There's no better way to meet the locals and get to know the town culture. What produce do they love? What coffee do they sip? What's the overall mood? One of the best Saturday morning farmers markets I've been to was in a giant park in Portland , Maine . The stalls were packed with reasonably priced, locally grown produce (of course, Maine blueberries were abundant). Despite the chilly morning temperatures, children played in a splash park and adults sipped locally made apple cider while listening to the various jazz musicians who had set up around the farmers market. Despite the crowds, parking was abundant (such a rarity!) as was the "Maine nice" that we found around the entire state."

"This is the best way to explore Portland’s budding dispensary scene. At Serra Modern Druggist’s flagship downtown location, you’ll get a one-on-one walkthrough of edibles, flower, and every other form of cannabis product imaginable. The space screams high-end retail: glass, white oak, marble, white walls, succulents and plenty of branded items. Entry is limited so that customers receive one-on-one service when they enter the store. Snag a set of “feel all the feelings” matches and prepare for a learning session with a knowledgeable docent. The overall effect is calming, as well as a fascinating window into what legalized cannabis stores will look like as they spread to other parts of the United States."

"Powell’s City of Books An iconic name in Portland retail—as well as among readers who have never been to the city—Powell’s has multiple locations on both sides of the Willamette. The downtown store remains the one best suited for visitors to explore, with miles of used reads, a tightly curated selection of books from the knowledgeable staff, and every Portland-themed book you could hope to find under one roof. A renovation in 2014 opened up the space and made it feel less like a warehouse of dusty stacks, an improvement that bodes well for the future of the business. Author appearances, even those at the satellite branches, are some of Portland’s best events for interesting discussions."

"Weird Bikes R Us This is a beautiful bike shop in the Hawthorne neighborhood catering to the conventional —and the not-so-standard—two-wheel transport. I was astounded at some of the new "looks" in cycling. It's eye candy even to the most disinterested shopper. The folks at Clever are knowledgable in a PDX kind of way and they wont attempt to give you a hard sell. Instead, expect plenty of anecdotes with no shortage of "I happen to commute on this..." sort of talk that keeps things real. Stop in, pedal out. Now that's clever. Whether you're a serious shopper looking for a new set of wheels or just curious about how bizarre bike design is becoming, a stop by Clever is sure to satisfy your curiosity. I went into Clever with a friend who was in the market for a high-end folding bike—specifically, the Brompton. Made in the UK, this handful of masterfully designed machine can easily set you back over a grand. Clever has some in stock and handles special orders, shipped to anywhere. My friend did buy a Brompton, special order because they didn't have his color. Critical component. More important than brakes. I couldn't help but ask myself, "Do I really need this quality in a bicycle? I mean, two wheels, a chain, some pedals, a seat and some bars, done." Apparently for the bike enthusiast, that's not clever enough."

"What to Wear in PDX This is a cool clothing store in the Pearl featuring gear and fashion from a variety of mainstream and boutique brands. The Lizard collections coalesce into a catalog of functional apparel with style and sustainability at the heart of their designs. While the Lounge has a great selection of brands, the real draw for me is the Nau gear. From natural and recycled materials in the fabrics, to the cut and fit of clothes designed for people who move, Nau is an essential part of my packing routine. Their designers once told me they want their clothes to be comfortable—whether the wearer is reaching for a hand hold in a 5-9 pitch or reaching for the top shelf tequila behind the bar. The Nau down shirt was the first of what's become a ubiquitous piece of all-season gear. The Lounge is also known for its own style of events, supporting local, social and environmental causes with food, drink, music, and mingling. Nau also donates a small percentage of each sale to select nonprofits fighting the good fight at the local and global levels. The Lizard Lounge is not just about retail. It's about wearing your way into a better world and so Portland in the process."