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
