Old Town Chinatown

About Old Town Chinatown

Nestled in to a corner of downtown, Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon, is an unusual Portland neighborhood that is appreciated by people who seek the "edge" of city life. With the Willamette River running to the East, and the much contrasting well-polished Pearl District to the West, Old Town Chinatown is easily accessible by the MAX line and a plethora of buses. This neighborhood is home to Portland's famous Saturday Market, where local artists and craftsmakers gather in huge quantities to sell their goods in the street, in a "fair"-like atmosphere where people can enjoy various musical entertainment and delicious treats like elephant ears and bento chicken from one of the many food stands. Coming down one of Portland's major streets, Burnside, you can't miss the entry into Chinatown because of the massive, vibrantly colored and dragon-esque Chinese gate that stretches high over the busy avenue. Chinatown, while less active in Portland than the Chinatown areas in cities like San Francisco, has over two-dozen Chinese owned business, most of which are restaurants, as this is the area where people are drawn when curing a craving for Dim Sum or Cantonese noodles. Other than authentic Chinese restaurants, there are plenty of gift and import shops, as well as Asian food markets, where locals often go to find hard-to-find specialty food products that can't be found in regular grocery stores. After dark, Old Town Chinatown has a few clubs, such as the Ohm and Barricuda, which are often the places to go for after-hours. Old Town Chinatown is also home to the famous Roseland music venue, which features a variety of acts weekly.