News & City Life

Best of PDX

Your Quintessential Portland Bucket List: 50 Things to Do in Town

These are our city's can't-miss activities, whether you’ve lived here all your life or are just passing through.

10/27/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Book Review

Romance on the Basketball Court in Play You for It

The debut novel from sports journalist turned romance author Samantha Saldivar hops between Portland and Eugene.

10/22/2025 By Margaret Seiler

ICE

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Has Left Oregon Wine Country in Fear

The president’s increased pressure to deport and detain immigrants has left the Willamette Valley bracing for the worst.

10/22/2025 By Alex Frane

At the Museum

A Bike Path Now Runs Through the Portland Art Museum

PAM’s $111 million expansion is named for Mark Rothko instead of a benefactor and designed for Portlanders over tourists.

10/20/2025 By Matthew Trueherz Photography by Michael Novak

Oregon Trails

The Boom-and-Bust Tales of 8 Oregon Ghost Towns

Hopeful homesteaders, gold mining boomtowns, and resorts that slid into the sea.

10/15/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Jordan Kay

Q&A

Ripping the City with Debbie Bailey

The owner of a Beaverton witch shop is casting good vibes with tarot, brooms, and spiritual guidance.

10/13/2025 By Dalila Brent Illustrations by Betty Turbo

Opinion

Trump’s Portrait of Portland Is a Violent Fantasy

No, Portlanders aren’t “living in hell.” But even if we were, it wouldn’t justify a military takeover.

10/07/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Gearing Up

Meet the Outdoor Store Designed for Latinx Adventurers

BaseCamp, from the outdoor education nonprofit Loco por la Aventura, wants to make gear shopping more accessible.

10/06/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Activism

With Slashed Budgets, AIDS Walk Is as Relevant as Ever

As cuts to HIV prevention and care programs loom, Cascade AIDS Project leans into its 40th annual waterfront march.

09/11/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

In Short

Hot Takes on Portland's Latest News

Real news in small packages.

09/10/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Dead Air

Musicians Loved PCC’s Sonic Arts Program. The College Killed It Anyway.

As enrollment dwindles and federal decisions loom, community colleges are axing programs to cut costs.

09/08/2025 By Karly Quadros

Education

Portland Private Schools, by the Numbers

Application deadlines, tuition costs, demographics, and more key info on Portland-area K–12 private schools.

09/03/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

PDX Index

Portland Public Schools’ Numbers Problems

The new bond will help school buildings, but will there be enough kids to fill them?

08/25/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Coast Is Clear

The Burly All-Terrain Wheelchairs Rolling Across Oregon’s Beaches

David’s Chair helps people with mobility challenges access the joys of the shore.

08/19/2025 By Amelia Arvesen

Land Rights

The Fight for Willamette Falls

As tribal communities and local governments imagine a future for the country’s second-largest waterfall, they’ve exposed the long-standing rifts born from the wounds of colonization.

08/18/2025 By Karina Brown Photography by Kari Rowe

Book Club

The Bike Library Connecting Portland’s Housed and Unhoused Residents

Street Books has made a lot of friends in its 15 years—and divined a uniquely effective form of mutual aid.

08/12/2025 By Jaydra Johnson Photography by Michael Novak

Animal Planet

Have the Vaux’s Swifts Ditched Chapman for Good?

Last fall, the birds abandoned their longtime roost. Now, a city waits in suspense.

08/11/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

On Line

The Gen Z Kids Behind the Busiest Matcha Café in Portland

It’s been around for decades. Why does it feel like we’ve never actually tasted matcha until now?

07/31/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Knives Out

Portland’s Cutting-Edge Knife Shops

Portland’s culinary fervor and abundance of artisans make for a razor-sharp knife scene.

07/30/2025 By Alex Frane

Soil Deposit

The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley

New money famously draws skepticism when coming into the valley. What’s different about the Ground’s mini wellness empire?

07/29/2025 By Jordan Michelman