LOCATION PROFILE

Valentine's

(503) 248-1600

232 SW Ankeny St.

valentineslifeblood.blogspot.com

Neighborhood: Old Town/Chinatown

Old Town-Chinatown achieves a balance rare in Portland neighborhoods, retaining elements from bygone Portland but mixing in stylish, modern amenities. (read more) Some of the city’s best walking blocks are here. An afternoon stroll is always an excuse for the dumplings and delicacies of dim sum at Fong Chong (301 NW 4th Ave., 228-6868). Later, stop in for retro video games at Ground Kontrol (511 NW Couch St., 796-9364, groundkontrol.com), which recently hosted a pinball tournament attended by former NBA center Todd MacCulloch. At the ’hood’s eastern edge, near the waterfront, the Oregon Maritime Museum (115 SW Ash St., 224-7724, oregonmaritimemuseum.org)—so legit it’s actually inside a steam-powered sternwheeler—offers local shipyard history and the chance for kids to (almost) discover what it’s like to be out at sea. The White Stag building (70 NW Couch St.), built in 1907 and former home to Norcrest China Co. and the White Stag sportswear line, has been gutted and taken over by the University of Oregon. One of the few sites in the country that is both LEED certified and on the National Register of Historic Places, it now hosts journalism and architecture classes. If all the walking tires you out, hop on one of the PDX Pedicab tours that start in Old Town ($15, 733-4222, pdxpedicab.com). —Michael Mannheimer

Also in Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood:

Embers Stage
Wilf's Restaurant and Bar Stage
Goldsmith Performance Lab Stage
Brody Theater Stage
Oregon Casket Building Stage
Valentine's Live Music
Amazon Cafe CLOSED Live Music
Backspace Live Music
Barracuda Live Music
Berbati's Pan Live Music
Darcelle XV Live Music
CLOSED Dirty Duck Tavern Live Music
CLOSED Food Hole Live Music
Ground Kontrol Live Music
Tube Live Music

Featured in Drink 2008

Valentine’s looks like your college buddy’s unfinished attic-turned-bar, a half-decorated bohemian nook that acts more like an art space than your average pub and has a crowd to match. Beer selection is limited and the happy hour is pretty basic, but young aesthetes crowd Valentine’s for the music (if that’s what you call a cow bell and orgasmic screaming) and cocktails like the Sacagawea ($6). Don’t go if you value your ear drums—the music can be incredibly overbearing. On show nights—Sundays through Tuesdays—service can be flaky.
Perfect Patron: College students and unemployed artists looking for a place to wear off their midweek buzz and sway to bands with names that came straight off the Scrabble board. (SK)
HAPPY HOUR 5-9 PM NIGHTLY: $3 WELL DRINKS, DRAFT BEERS AND HOUSE WINE.
LIVE MUSIC, SMOKING LOUNGE.

Shefali Kulkarni

Events Today

Tuesday November 24

LIVE MUSIC

Carcrashlander, Rey Villalobos, Grandchildren

[REMADE HORIZON] Over the past two years, Carcrashlander has undergone a self-inflicted facelift. The Portland six-piece has sloughed off the jangly folk sound of yesteryear and replaced it with fresher, prettier, experimental electro-rock. This shift has resulted in a polished end product, centered on frontman Cory Gray's coy whispering voice, which holds a strong resemblance to A Weather's Aaron Gerber. The crowd will certainly snag a sneak peek of tracks off Carcrashlander's new release, Where to Swim, slated to drop Dec. 11 on Bay Area sustainable eco-label Parks and Records. Also, rumor has it there will be Carcrashlander beer cozies for pre-orders. WHITNEY HAWKE. Valentine's 9 pm. Free. 21+.