Where to head now that the rain has let up and the sun is tempting you to indulge in an afternoon of
“me, me, me!” time?
Tell the office you’re taking care of some long-put-off dental work, then drive the “This is What Norway Must Look Like!” expressway (a.k.a. I-84) and spend three or four hours shopping in Hood River, Ore.
You’ll have an all-day smile when you return to your desk—promise!

Seedy motels and a nonexistent street scene used to define this inner east gateway to downtown Portland, but the transformation of a former Travel Lodge into the hipster The Jupiter Hotel has helped turn this district into a worthy shopping outpost.

There’s more to exploring Northwest Portland than shopping up and down the bustling N.W. 23rd and N.W. 21st avenues. North and south of Thurman St., when the vibe starts to go industrial, the pickings become more one-of-a-kind. Here are some of our favorite shops to explore after you tire of the national chains’ outposts and the hipster boutiques.

One-of-a-kind merchandise, shopkeepers who still have the Chatty Cathy gene and a nice variety of restaurants (from pizza places to bistros) make Beaumont Village a good place to meet a friend for lunch and a boutique crawl.

The East Bank District – some 39 blocks on the east bank of the Willamette River – was hot in the 1900s as Portland’s industrial center. Now it’s a major draw for homeowners in search of a gritty, ‘shop among the loading docks’ day.