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Perched atop Old Town’s White Stag Building, The Portland, Oregon sign is a great stop on your first trip to Portland.
Credit: Justin Katigbak
Discover the secrets of this historic central-city district, from a traditional garden to a bustling nightlife.
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Perched atop Old Town’s White Stag Building, The Portland, Oregon sign is a great stop on your first trip to Portland.
Credit: Justin Katigbak
The city’s oldest neighborhood is filled with surprises. From authentic Chinese restaurants, tea houses, and a city-block-sized traditional garden, Portland’s original downtown is a bustling entertainment district and streetwear shopping hub. Whether you arrive by train at Union Station, MAX light rail, or via the Chinatown Gateway, your exploration will be rewarded. Read on for our favorite things to do and see in Portland’s historic Old Town Chinatown.
Where to Stay in Old Town Chinatown
This central-city neighborhood puts you in the heart of the action, situated along the westside of the Willamette River with easy access to the Pearl District, downtown and Northwest Portland. Choose from boutique hotels, modern hostels, and more.
Where To Eat and Drink in Old Town Chinatown
One of Chinatown’s relatively few Chinese restaurants is Chen’s Good Taste Restaurant, a small Cantonese eatery near the Chinatown Gateway renowned for noodles and barbecued pork. Golden Horse and Republic Cafe can also be found next door to one another just a couple blocks away.
Credit: Sara Sjol for PSAA
A walk down Ankeny Alley, where you can get in line for Voodoo Doughnut, will bring you to Dan & Louis Oyster Bar, which opened in 1907, serving classic chowders and oysters. Wander the alley to find other old-salt Portland bars, or over to chef-driven food hall Pine Street Market, where you’ll find Pine Street Taproom.
Just down the street from Voodoo is the perfect pit stop for a cup of coffee at Stumptown Coffee, a sustainably sourced and locally roasted caffeine fix at the ready. Anime fans and kids at heart may prefer to fuel up at GeekEasy Anime Cafe instead.
Things To Do in Old Town Chinatown
Art
The monthly First Thursday art event includes free shows and refreshments at dozens of galleries and stores throughout Old Town Chinatown, downtown and the Pearl District. Circle the block at the Everett Station Lofts to check out more than a dozen different mini-galleries.
Culture
A place to begin to learn about the Chinese American Community in the Rose City is Portland Chinatown Museum, which showcases the Chinese immigrant experience, and features Chinese American art, history and culture.
In 1999, a team of experts traveled to Portland from our sister city in Suzhou, China, to build an authentic 40,000-square-foot (3716 sq m) Ming Dynasty-style garden. Today, visitors to Lan Su Chinese Garden escape the bustle of the surrounding city to admire tranquil pools and seasonal foliage while wandering the grounds. In early 2025, the garden announced an expansion project that will add classrooms, an art gallery, performance spaces and more to the property.
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Credit: Celeste Noche
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This district was also once home to a vibrant Japantown. The Japanese American Museum of Oregon offers poignant and informative exhibits exploring the history of Japanese Americans in Portland and beyond. Explore the ‘lost Japanese American community’ virtually through a collaboration between the Japanese American Museum of Oregon and the Architectural Heritage Center with a web-based storytelling map and tour.
Nightlife
Whether you’re looking for an adult-friendly arcade, live music, DJs, cocktails, or rowdy dance floors, Old Town Chinatown delivers after dark.
Ground Kontrol arcade and bar goes kid-free at 5 p.m. Grab a pint and a slice at Old Town Pizza & Brewing, then join their tour of Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels, which is a fascinating journey back to Portland’s early days as a port town.
Dance clubs including CC Slaughters, BIZU, and Stag PDX often feature energetic live DJs, while you’ll occasionally find servers and even patrons rocking out on the bar at Dixie Tavern. Live music can be found on most nights at Roseland Theater or the Star Theater & Starlight Lounge. Dante’s rotates between rock shows, cabaret and a live band iteration of karaoke called Karaoke From Hell.
End your evening with glitz, glamour and a bit of risqué humor brought to you by an all-star cast of female impersonators (always inspired by the venue’s namesake, Darcelle, who was until recently the country’s oldest performing drag queen) at the West Coast’s longest-running drag show, Darcelle XV.
With boutique clothing, shoes, and skateboards, Old Town Chinatown packs storefronts of local makers in some of the oldest buildings in Portland. Since 1976, Cal Skate Skateboards has proven that skateboarding is not a crime, with a knowledgeable staff ready to talk shop or get you set up with a new deck from their vast selection.
Pick out a pair of sneakers at Index PDX, Portland’s premier sneaker consignment store, where shrink-wrapped Yeezys and mint-condition Air Jordans sell for thousands of dollars. Wear your latest pair to Deadstock Coffee and Gallery, where your love of sneakers will be matched by the staff and decor. This one-of-a-kind coffeehouse doubles as a gathering place for “sneakerheads” young and old.
Open Saturdays and Sundays, Portland Saturday Market, outdoor arts and crafts fair, runs from March to Christmas every year. The bustle of this river-side bazaar nestled between Old Town’s Archways and the Westside of the Burnside Bridge has been a beloved weekend tradition since 1974. The Portland Saturday Market features over 250 vendors of arts, crafts, wares, and freshly made food to fill the senses.
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