4 Best Sights in Pearl District, Portland

A local legend, and rightfully so, Powell's is the largest independent bookstore in the world, with more than 1.5 million new and used books along with a good selection of locally made gifts and goodies. The three-level store covers an entire city block—maps are available at the info kiosks and rooms are color-coded according to book type. On the top floor, the Rare Book Room is a must-see, even if you’re not planning to splurge for an 1829 volume of the Waverly Novels or an autobiography signed by Anwar Sadat; there are rare prints and mint-condition first editions in just about every genre. Check online for upcoming author readings, which draw some of the world’s top literary names. There's another branch in the Hawthorne District.

Officially named, but rarely referred to as, the Natural Capital Center, this striking building has a handful of organic and environment-friendly businesses and other retail outlets, including Hot Lips Pizza, Laughing Planet Café, and a wonderful little Latinx-owned coffeehouse, Perlita. Built in 1895 and purchased by Ecotrust in 1998, the former warehouse has been adapted to serve as a landmark in "green" building practices. Guided tours are available by appointment and showcase the original "remnant wall" on the west side of the parking lot as well as the "eco-roof," a grassy rooftop, with its great view of the Pearl District.

This gently terraced park surrounded by tony lofts, shops, and restaurants contains a soothing fountain that mimics nature. Rising water gushes over a stack of basalt blocks, gradually fills the open plaza, and then subsides. Colorful 30-foot tiki totems by pop artist Kenny Scharf stand along the park's west edge. There are tables and chairs in the park, and wading in the fountain is encouraged. The streetcar stops right at the park.

Tanner Creek, which once flowed through the area, lends its name to this unusual urban wetland park that's surrounded by soaring modern condo towers. Today the creek flows underground, and this quiet, man-made oasis and spring with alder groves was built in the middle of the Pearl District as a reminder of what the area was once like. The Artwall was created using hundreds of upright railroad tracks and hand-painted fused glass.