Portland
Portland is a city located near the intersection of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. With an estimated population of 568,380 it is Oregon’s most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington. Approximately two million people live in Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.
Portland is proud of its parks and its legacy of preserving open spaces. Parks and Greenspace planning dates back to John Charles Olmsted’s 1903 Report to the Portland Park Board, inspiring generations of urban greenspace advocates.
Portland along with Bend, Oregon are the only cities in the contiguous U.S. with extinct volcanoes within their boundaries. Mt. Tabor Park was inadvertently built on one of Portland’s; it is known for its scenic views and historic reservoirs.
Forest Park is among the largest wilderness parks within city limits in the United States, covering over 5,000 acres. Portland is also home to Mill Ends Park, the world’s smallest park (a two-foot-diameter circle, the park’s area is only about 0.3 square m). Washington Park is west of downtown, and home to the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park runs along the west bank of the Willamette for the length of downtown. The 37 acre (150,000 m²) park was built in 1974 after Harbor Drive was removed and now plays host to large events throughout the year. Portland’s downtown also features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space; they are referred to as the North and South Park Blocks.
The only state park in Portland is Tryon Creek State Natural Area; its creek still has a run of steelhead. Adjacent to the park is the Tryon Life Community Farm, an aspiring urban ecovillage and educational center.
The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden, which immortalizes three of the award-winning author’s best known characters with bronze sculptures, quote plaques, and a fountain, is located in Grant Park, just a few blocks from the real Klickitat Street of “Henry Huggins” fame.
Leach Botanical Garden is a 15.6 acre botanical garden in the Southeast section of the city, emphasizing plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a 9.49 acre garden in the Southeast section of the city, adjoining Reed College, featuring more than 2,500 rhododendron, azalea, and companion plants.
Hoyt Arboretum is a much-beloved Portland open space, covering 185 acres (0.7 km²) of ridge-top about two miles (3 km) west of downtown. It is home to a collection of trees representing more than 1,100 species gathered from around the world.
Audubon Society of Portland, founded 1903, is one of the largest local Audubon chapters in the country with over 10,000 members. The Chapter’s book store, wildlife care center, and administrative offices are located on a 143-acre (0.6 km²) sanctuary nestled against Forest Park only 5 minutes from downtown Portland. The sanctuary trails are open to the public.
Arts and culture
Portland is home to a diverse array of artists and arts organizations, and was named in 2006 by American Style magazine as the 10th best Big City Arts Destination in the U.S.
Major performing arts institutions include the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony, Portland Center Stage, and the Portland Opera. Over 75 other arts organizations produce theatre, music, dance, folk art, media arts in Portland, helping Portland achieve its reputation as an arts destination for cultural tourists.
Some of the town’s many theater companies include the following: Portland Center Stage, Artist Repertory Theater, Theatre Vertigo, Northwest Children’s Theater, Stumptown Stages, Oregon Children’s Theater, Miracle Theatre, Northwest Classical Theatre Company, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, defunkt theatre, Imago Theater, Blue Monkey Theater Company, Tears of Joy Theatre, and Profile Theatre.
The Portland Art Museum owns the city’s largest art collection and presents a variety of touring exhibitions each year and with the recent addition of the Modern and Contemporary Art wing it became one of the United States’ 25 largest museums. Art galleries abound downtown and in the Pearl District, as well as in the Alberta Arts District and other neighborhoods throughout the city. Other organizations displaying visual arts include the Portland Art Center, Disjecta, and Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA).
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is located on the east bank of the Willamette River across from downtown Portland, and contains a variety of hands-on exhibits covering the physical sciences, life science, earth science, technology, astronomy, and early childhood education. OMSI also has an OMNIMAX Theater and is home to the USS Blueback (SS-581) submarine (which was featured in the film The Hunt for Red October).
Portland is also home to Portland Classical Chinese Garden, an authentic representation of a Suzhou-style walled garden. Local construction workers provided the site preparation and foundation, and dozens of workers from Suzhou, using material from China, constructed its walls and other structures, including a tea house.
Portlandia, a statue on the west side of the Portland Building, is the second-largest hammered-copper statue in the U.S. (after the Statue of Liberty). Portland’s public art is managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
Powell’s City of Books says it is the largest independent bookstore in the United States and the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi River.
As a city with a strong tradition of bizarre festivals such as the Keep Portland Weird Festival,[27] Portland hosts the world’s only HP Lovecraft Film Festival[28] at the Hollywood Theatre.