Elementarypenguin.

Especially good for families, OMSI is a museum full of interactive displays and crazy science information. It's learning and fun at the same time. They have some sections which are permanent, like the room with the earthquake machine/simluator, but then there are always new exhibits coming through as well.
The gift shop is full of science toys and experiments-in-a-box, and there's an IMAX theater located here, too. Don't forget to get a tour of a genuine submarine anchored in the Willamette when you're there!

too bad there's only five possible. I'm from Portland, and i'm used to Stumptown, so I know my coffee... but this place, WOW! its amazing! I'm quite partial to portland coffee over seattle's, as I normally think seattle has become diluted with all the starbucks-y-ness... but Espresso Vivace is really bringing back the heat, challenging portland's coffee-supremacy. Don't go to capitol hill and not get a cappucino here.

ps. the cafe is gone, but there is still a sidewalk walk-up shop. look for it.

Escape from New York is not only amazing new york pizza, with the thin crust and juicy toppings, but it's cheap too - you wont pay more than $3 for a massive slice, unless maybe you get one of the specials. Count on Cheese, Pep, veggie, and possibly one special. They have a wide selection of beverages, and you can get a whole pizza, too, if you dont mind waiting. They're real-for-real New Yorkers, as you can tell by their accent, and the place has a real Portland-meets-New York charm to it.
Be careful, though.. its pretty easy to miss, as its one of those genuine hole-in-the-wall places, and the sign is on the door, not on the awning!

Stumptown in the ace is great because its stumptown coffee -- which is the best in the USA, if not the world, and then you can have a seat in the lobby of the Ace Hotel, one of the coolest hotels in portland, which coincidentally has very very comfortable couches. While you're there, get your photo taken in the old-time photo booth!

Pioneer Courthouse Square is the center of portland. But you can also find out where it is from any other place in the world, thanks to the handy-dandy signpost on the east end of the square. Just look for the tall post with dozens of black signs pointing out from it. Apparently Crozet Basin is what we would hit if we drilled straight through the earth..
Besides that, the square is a pretty awesome place. It's not really much of a lunch place, unless you're a starbucks or hot dogs fan, but there always seems to be something going on, and if not, its a great place for people watching, as its the central downtown transit point for the Max, Portland's main public transportation system. Pioneer square is surrounded by lots of old buildings, and is in the center of the shopping district, with Pioneer Place shopping center only a block east.
Make sure to check out the old Pioneer Courthouse, the namesake of the square. It's across the street to the east, and you can climb up to the top for a great view. It's free, and a little-known fact that you can do this, so there won't be much of a crowd.
Also make sure to say hello to Seward Johnson's sculpture "Allow Me", more commonly known as "Umbrella Man". He's definitely suited for portland, with his umbrella up 24/7. You can catch him on the top level of the circular stairs on the south side of the park, just in front of the food carts and the Max stop.

the South Park Blocks, besides being ridiculously gorgeous (especially in the fall with all the turning leaves), are also the location of many of Portland's top art venues. The Portland Art Museum is here, along with the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall. Along the blocks there are little alcoves where random musicians will sit and play, and if you walk uphill (south) to the urban campus of Portland State University (which itself is part of the park blocks) on a sunny day, you're bound to catch a musical act on the central pavilion.

This is basically the hugest, most massive vintage shop i've ever been in... and i've been in a lot of vintage shops. At first you think it looks like a small shop, but then it just keeps going and going and going...
And the prices are really reasonable, too. In the far back corner (if you were standing out front, it'd be the far left corner) there's a really good LP record selection, too. There's tons of clothing, but it almost too much to wade through unless you have hours. What House of Vintage is best for is household furnishings. There are amazing couches for under $200... cheaper than urban outfitters, and much cooler than craigslist!

Every summer the residents of the 4 blocks around the intersection of SE 33rd and Yamhill paint their intersection and erect various other art & neighborhood development pieces. It's really cool, and even in late spring when all the paint is wearing off, the houses surrounding it are colorful, and the crazy benches and other artistic structures are fun to look at.

I'm a portland native, and yet as I've grown up I've constantly been finding new places and discovering new areas I love. I'm in college now and recently have sort of re-discovered the Hawthorne District. It's full of amazing shops, and I havent even been into all of them yet. It's a great place to get a bit to eat, or to park the car and just meander, seeing what you find.

Yes, they sell tshirts.. complete with the little Powell's squirrel logo. Yes, there are hundreds of waterbottles, postcards, and other 'touristy' items. But don't be dismayed by all this and think that powells is a tourist attraction. No matter how many tourists come to powell's, it is above all, Portland's bookstore. World Cafe on the middle floor is a great place to get a cup of coffee (okay so the coffee isnt as good as Stumptown a block south, but its still alright) and either read a book or people-watch out the windows that face directly onto Burnside St, the unassuming main artery of the city. If you've never been there before, grab a map.. and don't feel bad. As a native portlander speaking, I still had to use a map up until this year, when I started going all the time to get books for classes. Powell's is a wonderland of books, and quite possibly the best bookstore in the world.

Voodoo donuts is about so much more than donuts. Yes, they DO taste great. And yes, they can also seem a bit sketchy at times. But one thing is for certain: you will never go into another pastry shop like this one. Portland's weird, creative vibe doesn't pass over this hole-in-the-wall (quite literally) shop, and tasting their donuts is like getting another little taste of portland. You can buy their donuts at other shops around town, as many coffee shops carry them along with stumptown coffee, but going into the original is an experience in itself. Don't miss it!

Yes, i said 'turning table'. not turntable. There is a TURNING table at rimsky-korsakoffee house. I made the mistake the first time I went of thinking they ALL turned, and then was really confused when the one I was sitting at never did... the only one that turns is the massive circular one. You'll know which one when you see it. but chances are, it'll probably already be taken :) haha. This is a really good place for dessert, though. Their coffee is so-so, especially compared to the portland powerhouses of stumptown and albina press, but the dessert..? Scrumptious. And the entire coffee house, of course, has that unmistakable quirky portland flair.