ISSUE #34.32 • SPECIAL SECTION •
Table of Contents: | Find A Copy Near You!
Finder
Willamette Week's Guide to Portland - on newsstands now!
 |
BY SAUNDRA SORENSON & ETHAN SMITH | 503-243-2122
[June 18th, 2008]
To the outsider, Portland can seem intimidatingly hip. Or it can be downright inscrutable. It is a sea of grandpa sweaters and vintage dresses, a town where every touch of grime, every aging neon sign, seems intentional—all populated by purposeful masses of every imaginable clique, pursuing agendas creative or corporate or downright hedonistic.
THE BEER AND THE MUSIC ARE PRETTY REMARKABLE.
That’s because Portland retains that balls-out ambition from Oregon’s earliest days. Where our forerunners battled dysentery and ornery oxen to claim their plot of land, settlers now go up against different kinds of adversity—seasonal affective disorder and an often combative job market—to claim a more liberal definition of the American Dream. Want to stride boldly through your 20s and 30s without deciding what you want to be when you grow up, and still get by? Want to dress like a cracked-out Jackie-O? Want to work in advertising?
WELCOME TO STUMPTOWN.
Finder is assembled with residents—both sophomore and longtime—in mind (and it provides a crash course for tourists). In lieu of a short-stay itinerary, we give you a packed-to-the-gills guide to the Portland lifestyle—the best places to brunch, an expert’s bar crawl, a scrutinizing rundown of local retailers, a quick how-to on biking and the organic lifestyle, even an introduction to the suburbs—to help you get your bearings. Because you don’t sightsee here, you absorb.
Let Finder help you explore or reconsider this fine city: Is Portland a green metropolis that keeps things simple, or is it the next viable hub for entrepreneurs? Is that a town-wide appreciation for local brews, or are we all just functioning alcoholics?
We’ll admit it, Finder proudly retains the independent tone of parent publication Willamette Week. This guide is beholden to no one, and does not shy away from sassy backtalk (or from naming a beloved spot as a city institution). It’s a loving collaboration between those born and bred in Portland, and a few who have lived an itinerant lifestyle all over and still approach this city as a novel gem.
Welcome!
Saundra Sorenson & Ethan Smith
PUBLISHER » Shawna McKeown
EDITORS » Saundra Sorenson, Ethan Smith
ART DIRECTOR » Tom Humphrey
^Find a copy near you!
Comment on Editor’s Letter 
Comment RSS feed
Tried to find one today, but the Tualatin Library didn't have copies and they close tomorrow for an entire month.
How about the nearby Whole Foods or the Bridgeport Borders, Bette?
If you're still empty-handed, let me know--we'll get you hooked up one way or another.
Nice writing, but what's with the artwork? Finder looks about as exciting as a phone book.
Finder is a good resource, but like so many of these guides, neighborhoods in outer NE and SE are ignored. I'm tired of not being considered an area of interest in Portland.
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Hey Tony: Which SE & NE neighborhoods are you talking about? We try and add more neighborhoods to Finder each year. If you have some suggestions on what we're missing please let us know. You can reach me at kclarke@wweek.com. Thanks!
Thanks Kelly! I e-mailed you but it was returned as your box is full. Stop being so popular. ;)I'll try again later.
teresa writes on Jun 24th, 2008 11:15am
Is it available either on-line or for purchase? As a Washington, DC-based Portlander, I'd love to read it. thanks!
MOI writes on Jun 27th, 2008 12:14pm
I also would love to know if it could be online...
thanks
Danielle K. writes on Jul 1st, 2008 4:43pm
Another AWESOME Finder! Great job, guys!!
Nicole writes on Jul 3rd, 2008 5:29pm
How about showing some love to Salem! You can get a copy of the Eugene Weekly in downtown Salem near Willamette University. I suspect a lot more folks in Salem visit Portland than Eugene.
Tommy writes on Jul 6th, 2008 10:32pm
Um, yeah, why IS this not available online, especially if it's targeted at tourists? And tourists notwithstanding, many of us here in town would just as soon check it out on the web and not have to contribute to yet more resource depletion (I don't care if it is printed on recycled paper with soy based ink, it still has an impact)... C'mon, WW, step up and put it online!
pdxpatzer writes on Jul 7th, 2008 5:38pm
could you make it available online for download as a PDF ? That would be handy for out of town visitors ...
hilary greene writes on Jul 10th, 2008 9:19am
would you send me a copy? i'm moving to portland in september from the city of portland's namesake- portland maine. my adress is 62 lincoln st portland maine, 04103 thank you for the inconvenience if you're willing- i do appreciate it. i've been reading WW online- good paper!
Ryan writes on Jul 28th, 2008 1:42pm
For over a week I've been checking the stands at PSU, Powells, Whole Foods, Pioneer Square, and other locations, and you've been out. Do you plan to restock these locations? Or are the Finders out of print? Thanks.
Robert Lehrkind (circ director) writes on Aug 6th, 2008 1:15pm
To all who are still looking for a copy of Finder. The overwhelming popularity of this mag has pretty much depleted us of our distribution stock. Yes there are still some boxes and racks out there we need to pick up, but if you want one, swing by the main office here or email me ( rlehrkind@wweek.com ) to request mailed copies for $10. Thanks.
Matthew writes on Sep 17th, 2008 10:06am
I'm trying to find a soccer team to play on. Any ideas? Just moved here. Help, and please, and thanks, and don't hurt me.
Comment on the "Finder" article
sorry, i couldn't stop laughing long enough to get past this part: "To the outsider, Portland can seem intimidatingly hip."