Powell's Bookstore

Powell's is, for me, one of the three must-visit places in Portland. The other two are Jake's and the Japanese Garden.

Powell's is probably not the biggest bookstore in the world, but it has to be the best. Its main store—there are several—occupies an entire city block and is 3 stories tall. It carries both new and used books. It has a separate technical bookstore down the street. Carrying new and used books on the same shelf is thought to be the secret to Powell's tremendous success.

How to Get There

• Hop on the MAX and take it to the Galleria/SW 10th Avenue stop.
• Either walk north on 10th Avenue or take the streetcar to Burnside.
• The city block across Burnside and on your left will be Powell's.

From there you can go down to Powell's Technical Bookstore.

• Walk east on Burnside (slightly downhill) to NW Park Avenue.
• Turn left and it will be just on your left.

Here is what Powell's looks like from the outside:

Here is what the Technical Bookstore looks like:

Here is what a part of one of the bookrooms in Powell's looks like: