Powell&#x27;s Books on Hawthorne

On the Grid : Powell's Books

"Powell’s City of Books downtown may get the spotlight, and all the tourists, but don’t sleep on the independent bookseller’s Hawthorne location. It’s much bigger than it looks from the storefront, with over 200,000 new and used books, plus games and gifts. Handwritten staff recommendations dot the shelves, great for finding a new favorite author or two. And a book store wouldn’t be complete without a coffee corner, a little reading space." - Kevin M. Fitzgerald

"Powell's Books, Hawthorne by Kevin M. Fitzgerald. Powell’s City of Books downtown may get the spotlight, and all the tourists, but don’t sleep on the independent bookseller’s Hawthorne location. It’s much bigger than it looks from the storefront, with over 200,000 new and used books, plus games and gifts. Handwritten staff recommendations dot the shelves, great for finding a new favorite author or two. And a book store wouldn’t be complete without a coffee corner, a little reading space."

Snacking in Saudi

Google

A smaller version of the original Burnside branch, but still full of great books, gifts, and souvenirs. Staff is friendly and helpful. I wish there were some chairs and maybe a carpet in some of the empty corners/spaces to accommodate those who want to hang around and read, plus it would give the place a warmer, more inviting atmosphere.

Chris Curtis

Google

Very courteous, resourceful staff. Literally the social center of Hawthorne (beer free environ) on Saturdays (there'sa line for eason) and masterful barristas. The coffee shop ensconced inside is the perfect conversation and chill nook. This adjunct store, cozier than the flagship one in the NW end, was well stocked (even found some excellent-condition used works for awesome prices!

Hope Joyce

Google

Powell’s is THE place to be for book lovers. It’s amazing. And I love all the ceramics and trinkets they have too!

Google

First time at this particular location. It's well organized and much larger than it appears from out front. Great selection of gifts and a wide variety of books. Good vibes. Can't speak much on customer service as no one spoke to me, aside from the cashier, who was nice. I bought a new book that had been on my to-read list. It was about $5 more expensive than with some of the online retailers, but I prefer to support a local bookstore such as Powells. There's a coffee shop attached... mighty convenient. Will definitely be back.

Google

Great service! There was an employee there with red shoulder length hair and a maroon cardigan. They went out of their way to help me find a book. When we initially couldn't find it, I told them to not worry and that they did more than enough to help. Well, it turns out this lovely person kept looking and found me about 20 minutes later (and the book) about! I am grateful to have run into such a kind person.

Melia

Google

Hawthorne is always bustling with lots of people and this Powell’s location is often very crowded which makes it difficult to browse books in the narrow aisles. I love the staff recommendations sections and different book rooms. I arrived seven minutes before they opened to sell some books and there were about 9 of us already waiting at the door by the time they opened right on the dot. Out of the 20-something books I brought, they only took three which was disappointing but understandable, I guess. A lot of my books were old/study/unpopular books. I was given a Powells gift card as compensation for my books and I do not believe they do cash payments. I think I might try selling books elsewhere next time but I do like spending time at Powells (when it isn’t super busy).

Jennifer Adler

Google

All the Powell’s Bookstores are great but this one had a unique charm! Great gift items. Cafe with coffee smells throughout. Still huge selection of books despite being smaller of the 3 - I was able to find a lot of great finds!

Colton Loyola McIntosh

Google

I recently came to this location asking if there was a book title I was interested in acquiring. This location did not have the book but I was given a $5 purchase coupon to buy the book at the Burnside location downtown where it was in stock. Very cool gesture and consideration. This is how Portland really does it. Thank you!

Saphace A.

Yelp

3 floors filled with books?! I'm in! I didn't end up buying any books but I looked through a few and added some to my list to read. You could definitely spend hours here. They do have benches for seating which was nice. We also checked out the coffee shop. The matcha was fantastic! I would order again. And my friend enjoyed her latte. Great place to hang out!

Caroline L.

Yelp

There's something magical about going to Powell's with endless book possibilities. The long rows of wood book cases filled with every genre in the world. I got lost going upstairs and downstairs, going through the cafe and back omg it's amazing how well it's stocked. The staff were nice and helped me get to the baby section which is pink or purple and also the bathroom code. We bought some books without online price checking as we would love to keep this place open as long as possible so please PLEASE buy a book from this fine establishment for future readers to enjoy a wonderful local bookstore.

Shaeli Z.

Yelp

Great store! We went to several locations and this was a cute one. They have a great selection

Jason V.

Yelp

No Powell's location is going to leave you short on options or selection. Whether new or lovingly used, you're likely to find something you're looking for, or perhaps even something you're not, if you spend any amount of time here. While the experience may not be as grand as the flagship store downtown, this is still a languorous literary labyrinth that is lovely to get lost in. I even found a hardback copy of a book I was looking for, that the "City of Books" did not have in stock, so I left an even more blessed and beatific bibliophile than when I entered!

John W.

Yelp

Powells had a super large selection of books! It was such a cozy bookstore. I loved all of the employee recommendations. It's a pretty massive book store & had a lot of stock. They even had used books mixed in with the new ones if you need a discount. It was decently busy too. This was a cool place to shop for books!

Shane S.

Yelp

Powell's Books on Hawthorne is an excellent bookstore just like the mothership downtown. Downtown is on several floors yet the location here is on one floor yet plenty of books on offer. Many great titles to choose from along with staff picks and recent arrivals. Recommended!

Nathan B.

Yelp

Stop #6 "The One Day Portland Adventure"Stop #6 - The One Day Adventure in Portland I have to admit. One of the first things that crosses my mind when I visit a city is books. There's something calming about the look, the smell, the ambiance of a bookstore. I walked into Powell's on Hawthorne (spelled like the scarlet letter) knowing I wasn't buying any books. Which breaks my first rule of bookstores: always buy a book. But I didn't have any room in my backpack. So I bought a sticker. It was nice that they had some souvenir style items like mugs and so forth. The bookstore was clean, well-lit, and the aisles among the books, narrow. And since there were LOTS of people in the store, stopping to browse and look was out of the question. Excellent selection!

Alison D.

Yelp

Had no clue this was going to be so big!!!! It just kept going!!!! That was really exciting. Picked out some awesome notebooks and some yoga cards. Love getting stuff local instead of using Amazon. Make sure to check out this Powells too if you're in the area

Kim G.

Yelp

Like all Powell's locations, they have a great selection of books, not just the top titles, but the hard to find. Even used books. Computers make it helpful to find your title and the staff is always happy to assist as well. If they don't have the book you are seeking, they will check other stores or order for you. I love checking out the various displays throughout the store, each centered on a specific genre or theme. Especially the local books on Portland and Oregon or books written by local authors. Sprinkled in with the books are local products like Jacobsen's Salt or Moonstruck Chocolates. In addition to books, there are lots of peripheral items - socks with funny sayings, cool readers, coasters, greeting cards, note paper, journals, tall drinking glasses embellished with iconic Portland sites. Very tempting! You may come in for a book and leave with a gift for yourself or a friend! No matter how many Powell locations, they are all crowded, especially on weekends. I stop in during the week for a more enjoyable experience.

Jennifer J.

Yelp

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of this satellite Powell's location. After all, their downtown superstore is nothing short of huge and amazing. And from the outside, this spot on Hawthorne looks sorta like a regular ol' run-of-the-mill bookstore. But I was in the area doing some Christmas shopping and figured it was easier to pop in to this location than drag myself all the way to downtown PDX. I was pleasantly surprised! First, this place is huge. It may look sorta small-ish from the street, but the building goes wayyyyy back. There's the main store area that you can see from the street, but behind that there's a whole separate ginormous room full of even more books. And they have a pretty impressive selection here, with new books intermingled with used ones as the main Powell's store does. And while the selection isn't nearly as good as the warehouse-sized location, it's worth stopping in. I found several items for friends and family on my Christmas list.

Stephanie A.

Yelp

Even on a busy Sunday this was such a fun spot to grab a coffee and wander the shelves on shelves of books. Staff was super friendly in helping me look for a book, the store was clean and well organized, and it's way bigger than I thought it would be especially when you see it from the street it seems like it will just be a small shop. Already excited for my next visit!

Chris B.

Yelp

Great selection and great HVAC. Prices are better than Beaverton store but maybe I was lucky. Got a paper back of Amazing Grace as seen on Reading Rainbow and it has a cute message from a teacher to a student and was just $3. They still have some pretty pricy books but you pay for a unionized store so I'm happy for the experience and happy to support them.

Dan G.

Yelp

Great book store - I prefer this location over the giant one. They have great selection and I feels it's a much more manageable store to navigate.

Elinor M.

Yelp

I'm in a 2-person book club with someone whose taste in novels is highly discriminating, so when it was my turn to pick the next book and inspiration failed me in my online research I went to Powell's on Hawthorne hoping for some guidance. I encountered employee Nan in the fiction section and realized very quickly that I had just happened upon probably the best person there for the task at hand. Nan is a wealth of information about books in my desired genres and she really understood the nuances of what I was searching for. I bought several of her recommendations, including North Woods, which I have been recommending to friends since I binged it last week. I look forward to diving into Nan's other recommendations and picking her brain when I'm ready for some new reads.

Joan F.

Yelp

It is no longer easy to sell books with Powell's--limited hours, long lines and no way to ensure the posted hours are actually staffed. Pity. The parking is limited to crowded street parking so if one has a more than a bag or box of books, it's a slog to get to the line that likely awaits. Still, the store is great and the service, albeit limited in Covid, is friendly and efficient. It's still a great book store, and Hawthorn is more friendly than City of Books downtown, it just took more time, effort and patience to sell books than in the past. To be fair, there is an online method of selling back books--I assumed entering isbns would be time consuming, but now I think it's a faster, easier way.

Jim W.

Yelp

We had originally planned to visit the downtown location of Powell's but we happened to have dinner in Aloha, OR. This branch was relatively close, so we stopped by here instead. This is a large bookstore. If I lived in the area, I could picture becoming a 'regular' here. From what I observed, the store is well laid-out and labeled for easy reference. They appeared to have an extensive selection. It reminded me of a long-defunct 2 - 3 outlet chain in Atlanta from the 70s - 90s (Oxford Books), which I miss. This location also appeared to connect to a small mall-type shopping area, though it was closed and the large mostly-glass garage-type doors were shut. I'm glad we stopped by, but I'm sad that there is not some analog to this place where I live.

Marilyn O.

Yelp

This location doesn't always have what you want, but they are really great at helping you locate a copy or show you a similar item.

Andi F.

Yelp

Oh Powell's on Hawthorne, how I love thee. Let me count some of the ways. 1. Friendly employees. You are greeted when you walk in, there are many employees available on the floor, working hard, ready with answers to any questions. 2. Cleanliness. Everything is so neat and clean. In these Covid times, there aren't any chairs to sit in, but there are stools spaced throughout the store for a quick seat while looking. 3. Organization. There is a specific area to sell books (though I think you have to make an appointment), and all of the aisles are clearly labeled and well organized. It is so easy to maneuver through the store. This location was the first location I visited when I moved to Portland many years ago, and I still love coming here. I look forward to the day I can come back and get lost in the aisles.

John B.

Yelp

This will be the last time I ever visit this location as the employees have usually always been not the friendliest, but this last visit I simply asked the worker if he could help me find a book and he acted extremely inconvenienced even after I told him I found the correct isle and section, but still could not find it. He finally did and after I told him "thank you" he didn't even reply and acted like I was dumb for not being able to find it on my own. Then the clerk who checked me out (older woman) glared at me and was very standoffish and didn't even say anything after I paid and said "thank you." Whether I caught both of them on horrible days or not, it's not that difficult to at least be kind to the customers, speaking as somebody who worked in customer service for 10+ years. I will not be returning to Powell's on Hawthorne. Do better.

Chris S.

Yelp

Came by here while waiting for a food order to finish, and super glad I did! Such a cute vibe with rows and rows of books and personalized, written recommendations/signage everywhere! I picked out a queer design book (near the cashier wall in the design section). If I was more of an avid reader, I could spend so long in there! I think they intermix the used and new books which is cool. Also lots of little knick-knacks and gifts you can buy! Definitely recommend you drop by here while in the area.

Charlotte F.

Yelp

A less overwhelming version of the main Powells. Powells on Hawthorne is great. Love the location as well.

Gabrielle B.

Yelp

I love Powell's and almost prefer this location because it's more low key and also more conveniently located. I come here all the time for gifts, to browse at books, get Portland souvenirs or study in the adjoining coffee shop. There are so many great gift ideas here and it's just fun to stop into!

Jessica S.

Yelp

I always have a great time when I come to Powell's! I really enjoy this location and the cute coffee shop attached makes it that much more inviting. I could spend hours in this store getting lost, roaming from isle to isle, reading every nook and cranny. It's such a delight! I always find an eclectic book, an unusual find, or something that stimulates the senses. I love purchasing from here and feel good about the purchases I make, so definitely a win-win!

Cindy I.

Yelp

I go here for Christmas shopping. I like all the gift ideas and variety that they have. It can be hard to park but I'm sure easier than Burnside. This store has really helped revitalize the shops nearby. Lots of buy local options.

Joanne D.

Yelp

Amazing! Beautiful!we spent over an hour looking at all by the books! Cozy snd warm !

Nicola B.

Yelp

Obviously, if you're visiting Portland for the first time, you're gonna want to go to the big Powell's. I was excited to give this place a visit too, though, as it seems to be more where the locals shop. It's an average bookstore size and well appointed. Definitely a great spot for day-to-day browsing. It's a classic independent bookstore - well curated tables of bestsellers and new releases up front, tons of books, high ceilings, and as many bookcases as they could cram in. It feels kind of delightfully messy. It's actually very neat, what I mean to say is it's sensory but not overwhelming. The selection is great for the size of store and they have used books mixed in with new. I never saw a battered copy - if you're saving on a used copy it's always just a little loved and, IMO, worth the price difference. I was shopping with a friend so I didn't take as close notice of the arrangement as I normally would, but they had a few titles I was looking for and even drew me in in the front tables (which is rare). They had plenty of translated fiction and a good mix of new and backlist titles. I quickly had an armful. The other patrons are friendly too, everyone was conscious of each other's space and we had a nice chat with someone who overheard us talking about a particular book. Definitely one to visit if you find the main store intimidating.

Ed U.

Yelp

I knew Powell's was just way too big and robust to be contained on one city block, but I didn't know this outpost existed until we ventured out to the funkier southwest area and saw it from the TriMet bus. If we weren't aware of the main store on Burnside, we would have thought this was Portland's largest bookstore since it offers 10,000 square feet of retail space with an inventory of over 200,000 books. At the same time, the more industrial style of this store actually provides a more claustrophobic feeling than the City of Books. That must be why all the books on home improvement and cooking were placed in its own space two doors down on Hawthorne (review: http://bit.ly/2PFSJUu). I just wished they had seating to allow for a fuller browsing experience. Those polished cement floors didn't encourage much in the way of hanging out. Still, Powell's is Powell's even if it is a junior size. RELATED - Going to Portland? Here are the places I visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2B0haJD

Lisa H.

Yelp

I love this Powell's location in addition to the large, main location. This store is easy to navigate because it's smaller but still manages to have a large selection. It doesn't have near the selection of the Burnside Powell's, of course, because it can't. The parking in the neighborhood is ample. It's a busy area of town on evenings and weekends so you may try going on a weekday and have better luck. People are so helpful and cheery when I've visited. I appreciate the computers throughout the store to look up your author or book of choice. I usually just do that myself and have had good luck. Powell's also has a great website to order books for pickup or ship, in addition to an awesome email list that they send out recommendations and book event news too! For those who like a bargain, they buy and sell used books and you can typically find your book used! Yay!

Kenneth Z.

Yelp

I inherited a lot of books that I wasn't interested in reading and some of them were rather collectible so I decided that I would sell them and get some books that I wanted. I was overjoyed by the amount of money I got for them and was able to buy a great number of books I've been wanting to buy but didn't have the money to purchase. It was pretty fantastic

Camila C.

Yelp

Slightly overwhelming but in a good way. I would say a lot less overwhelming than the DT Portland location, just because it's downtown of course. (personal preference/opinion) However, parking is a bit challenging. Plenty of small businesses in the area so once I found parking it was nice to explore a bit and seeing many others do the same, especially on a nice sunny day. Staff is very nice and helpful, definitely would come again :)

Alex M.

Yelp

Top notch hybrid experience for me with this location. I called to confer with someone about the condition of an uncommon used book I saw online and was interested in buying it for my father for Christmas. I decided to place my order over the phone, and pick it up in a week when I was back in town. Christmas Eve rolled around and I was very pleased with the condition of the book, the speed at which I was helped in the store, and the great banter and help I received checking out. A great experience through and through. Come here with all your reading needs.

Susan A.

Yelp

Great place to find books although not as big as the downtown store. employees are very friendly and helpful

Jessie P.

Yelp

It's not the massive downtown location, but I happen to like this one better. The coffee shop is good, and speedy. Helpful literary staff. Good kids book section. Cute gifts and keepsakes.

Ed M.

Yelp

Got recommended by friends to visit this store. Book store lovers will definitely have their fill of knowledge, fiction, and whatever genre may float their creative minds. There is a coffee shop located inside as well to keep book readers in the store a bit longer. I was also impressed at how clean their restroom was here. The overall operation of this store is evident in how neat and organized the store is.

Melanie P.

Yelp

Love this place. Go when ever I'm in Portland! Amazing book selection both new and used

Ashley P.

Yelp

Visiting Portland and stumbled across this Powell's location. I didn't know another existed, as I've only been to the downtown location previously. This was so nice. Still very large with a great selection of books. But a lot less crowded. Everyone working was so friendly. And it was nice to be able to spend the rainy afternoon browsing all the books!

John L.

Yelp

LOVED this place. Bought a few books and grabbed a few references from others. Just a really cool place. I especially would like to give a shout out to an associate named Sherry working the information desk. She is intelligent, articulate and really cared about helping me find my book. A level of professionalism and helpfulness that is so rare these days, thus all the more appreciated. Thanks Sherry!

Toma C.

Yelp

Impressive you can spend hours, what happen to the day and age we don't use books anymore. I wanted to support this place and buy a book. I didn't want a book that I wanted to lug back on the plane. A reading book? Sounded like a good idea but it didn't happen. Either way come down and enjoy the books. There is every topic in there. I was looking for a book about helping someone that was grieving of the illness of a spouse and I turn around and there was books about sex. Not the isle I want to be at.

Heidi B.

Yelp

Like the original location, but smaller. How you can still get lost in here, I have no idea. Must be the magic that they put in these book stores. Staff is friendly, and personable. It's like you are asking a friend for help, it's that nice. Along the book shelves, you will find little tags letting you know what is new, on sale or a favorite. Even the quirky merch you can find in here is just really fun. One of my favorite reasons to come here, is the sheer size of their independent book collection. Zines, anthologies, you name it, they most likely have it. I managed to find a used copy of an anthology series that was out of print for 20 bucks. That made my day. Never leave please. Whatever you guys are doing, keep it up.

Megan E.

Yelp

Not gonna lie, the big Powell's intimidates me so I love visiting this one because it's more condensed but still has all the goods. Great selection, friendly staff, and lots of cool merch!

Stephen C.

Yelp

I like this place a lot. You get the Powell's experience without having to go downtown. This location still has a vast selection of books with no shortage of toys. There is literally a book for any one in this store. I love the recommendations they have posted around the store. Overall: will return

Sumner M.

Yelp

Heard about this multi-story book store that took up a whole block in downtown Portland and had to spend a couple hours there. They have everything, great prices, nice reading nooks, easy layout and organization. Could spend a whole day here easily

Ariel J.

Yelp

A cute little bookstore in a great location, with a good donut shop and nice stores close by. There is a decent selection, but not quite as many used books as I expected. Worth stopping in but I wouldn't make a trip specifically to see the store. Like I said, donuts are close by ("Blue Star,," very yum), as well as a "GoodWill" so it makes for a nice little outing to walk down Hawthorne.

Ciera P.

Yelp

This Powell's location is a bit (a lot) smaller than the main one, but I love this location for its charm and its indie bookstore vibes. The storefront looks like any normal storefront, but once you step inside, you realize that the store is actually a lot bigger than anticipated! So it's safe to say that the store is definitely smaller than the main Powell's, but still quite large. This store has both used and new books, and a couple of big displays showcasing used bestsellers books that are under $10. There is also a cafe adjacent to the store and was the perfect place for my friend to read while she waited for me to finish walking through all of the stacks.

Mark L.

Yelp

The independent bookstore shall rise again and it will declare literature will reign once again. This bookstore has it all (even a coffeeshop and Hanukkah Children's books). With new, vintage, classics and rare finds, you will be in a playground if you are an avid reader. Don't let the size scare you, but do set time aside to browse. The aisles are so well laid out and described at the end of each aisle. The staff is knowledgeable and well verse on the selections and the prices are fair and accurate. This is a place where book lovers come to find spiritual enlightenment and get a fill of new reading material. From graphic novels to philosophy to poetry to military. There is not a topic you will not find in this store. I promise you that.

Bobby A.

Yelp

Powell's needs to basically expand all over the world, that's how great they are. This was my first time visiting a Powell's besides the downtown location and having a Powell's outpost in Portland's bohemian and funky SW area is just the thing. Clearly it's smaller than the one downtown but the book selection is just as good, the staff are just as friendly and BONUS, there's a great cafe located inside the bookstore. If you're in Portland, SW Hawthorne Boulevard is definitely an area to explore and check out and Powell's is a required pit-stop.

Quinn A.

Yelp

4 stars for every wonderful thing that Powell's is and minus one star for no parking and a gauntlet of neer-do-wells doing what they do out on the sidewalk in front. Love love love the selection of books. It is much easier to hang out here than it is at the downtown location. I also enjoy browsing all the gifts, cards, hats, bowls, and other ephemera that is usually only at the check out. At this Powell's there is much more of that stuff to look over. The coffee bar is crowded but friendly and they make good drinks. Now if only I didn't have to park in the residential neighborhood a couple blocks over, and I didn't have to step over two stoners and their dogs, it would be great.

Chee K.

Yelp

This bookstore has everything I need in a more condensed version of the Burnside one. Kids book, fiction on sale, and knick knacks. Sometimes I feel a bit claustrophobic in here because it is pretty popular bookstore and shelves are close together but most of the time, I know what I'm looking for. I would say their selection is pretty comprehensive. I like to wander and look and read and look some more. The employees are for the most part friendly and helpful. They have an information desk at the front of the store and when I was looking for a specific sci-fi book, the employee walked me to it. Which was good because it wasn't on the regular shelf but on an end cap. They also have the usual, socks, bags, blank books and eclectic assortment of t-shirts and toys. If you're looking for cooking or garden/Home books, wander a few stores down and go to their Home and Garden store. It's wider and more brightly lit. I love all the Powell's and this one is not an exception. It's definitely on the regular rotation!

Michael B.

Yelp

QUAINT ! We finally made it to this bookstore which was our target destination after our long walk along Hawthorne Blvd so my wife could look at books for our little grand daughters. We found a book !

On the Grid : Powell's Books