Where should I go a readin' in Portland?

July 11, 2007 8:02 PM

Where are the best places to read in Portland, OR?

So, I am starting a new job next month, and, until then, I have no money and a stack of books to catch up on. Where are your favorite places in the city to read? Not necessarily coffee shops (I hate reading in Powells, uncomfortable chairs and too loud...), anywhere comfortable and cheap is good. I'm in SW downtown, and I can't see myself going over to the east side in this heat.

posted by MostHolyPorcine to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

I don't know the area, so I apologize for that, but as a general thought: What about the library?
posted by tcv at 8:14 PM on July 11, 2007

Right around the SW/NW split there are a lot of nice coffee shops. Stumptown isn't bad for reading during the day/early evening. Depending, it can get busy. The one I go to is on 3rd near Burnside. I hear there's a new one on Stark somewhere, but I haven't been to it.

Anna Bannana's is another favorite (yes, two n's in bannanas). The one I go to is in North, just a bit north of UP, but I think there's one in NW too. Its a little bit louder, but has a bit less hipster & bit more hippy vibe (and they have couches instead of leather chairs, at least in North).

I really miss coffee, wow. Feel lucky while you're there.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:30 PM on July 11, 2007

The Central Library is going to be your new best friend, MostHolyPorcine. It's a few blocks from Pioneer Courthouse Square, and so from your description, it's a few blocks from you. Quiet, comfortable, cool, and central: Learn to love it.

(The Peet's Coffee behind Powell's downtown is also all right as a place to sit and read, but it's not free.)
posted by cgc373 at 8:32 PM on July 11, 2007

(The Stumptown devilsbrigade mentions has really good coffee, but it's often loud as hell and crowded.)
posted by cgc373 at 8:33 PM on July 11, 2007

Since you said not necessarily coffee shops (but really, why wouldn't you go to them?), I should mention the PSU library. Its at the south end of the park blocks, and is open to non-students. They have seriously shitty hours during the summer, but its a nice building.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:34 PM on July 11, 2007

SW is pretty skinny on hip reading places that are indoors. NW seems to be the same way, but I didn't venture up there much. Avoid Coffee Time or whatever the 24 hour coffee place is, it's all annoyingly underaged ravers. The west side is mostly the business district ... people ony hang out there at night at the clubs close to Burnside, and that's no fun.

Well, outdoors, Waterfront Park is good, but away from the fountain. I like the green down by the hotel on south waterfront. There's also a number of great fountains scattered throughout the city, especially down by the Keller Auditorium on 3rd and Market.

I would suggest PSU's student union, but around the time I graduated in 2004 word had it that their security started checking student IDs in the second floor lounge on a regular basis to discourage homeless people from camping out... but the park blocks in SW really are great down by the university. Also, there is a little coffee shop buried somewhere on campus that is good for reading .. it's built in an old residence hall so there's lots of quiet rooms.

The McMenamins on 10th and SW Market is good. I used to study there all the time. In the same vein, there's a tea house / coffee shop on 19th and Madison that is excellent. It used to be a regular breakfast-and-coffee destination when I lived at 20th and Main.

In NW, up in the pool hall at Henry's is good, once it's open. Comfy chairs and beeeeeeeer. There used to be a couple of good places just on the North side of Burnside right on the bus mall ... I had a few business meetings there and there were regular art showings at the video game place.

Honestly, my favorite places to read were in SE. Pied Cow was #1, but there were tons of little restaurants that wouldn't mind if you sat and hung out as long as you bought something.

All of this info is 1.5 years old ... I moved away in January of 2006. I understand that Portland's changed quite a bit since then.
posted by SpecialK at 8:37 PM on July 11, 2007

portland has many awesome parks of which you should definitely avail yourself.
posted by violetk at 8:49 PM on July 11, 2007

Second Anna Bannana's. That was my favorite place to hang out and work on fiction when I lived in Portland.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 8:55 PM on July 11, 2007

I second the Central Library. It's beautiful, climate controlled, and not too loud.

The park blocks -- north or south -- would be good places on nice days. Or Pioneer Courthouse Square, although it can get very bustling.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 10:17 PM on July 11, 2007

Palios (1996 SE Ladd Ave.) is a pain to find, but probably the best coffee shop in the world.

Crema (2728 SE Ankeny St) is also quite nice.
posted by furnace.heart at 10:39 PM on July 11, 2007

Ok I do this & stuff like this a lot. You're probably aware of the downtown park blocks which can be a pretty nice spot. The waterfront spots SpecialK pointed out are pretty good too. I am not so much a fan of the fountains and Pioneer Courthouse square is far too distracting, it won't work, teenagers will bother you if you're there for any length of time. There's a park at about Hoyt and NW 19th that's pretty nice if you don't mind dogs.

Coffeeshops – yeah the downtown Stumptown is not such a good place for quiet unless you're there in the morning. The downtown Peet's on Broadway is a nicer and more expansive spot than the one behind Powell's usually. Also, the World Cup that's in Powell's is always crowded and noisy, but the one on NW Glisan and 18th is not, it's a nice spot. Coffee Time always looks real cramped and the Pharmacy Cafe – the 24 hour place SpecialK is talking about – doesn't have that bad of a crowd actually but sometimes they keep it uncomfortably hot. Now, possibly the best spot that nobody ever mentions is a place called Coffeehouse Northwest, on the north side NW Burnside and Trinity (between 19th and 20th Ave. I think). It's got a studenty hipsterish crowd that's like 80% regulars. That can bother you or it can not.
posted by furiousthought at 11:02 PM on July 11, 2007

furnace.heart writes "Palios (1996 SE Ladd Ave.) is a pain to find, but probably the best coffee shop in the world."

Seconding Palios. Quiet, small, and in a beautiful location. It's not terribly hard to find, it's just smack in the middle of Ladd's Addition.
posted by mullingitover at 11:56 PM on July 11, 2007

I do most of my reading in Portland in the upstairs guest room, stretched across the bed. At least one cat will join me, and there's a nice breeze that comes in through the window.
posted by browse at 6:09 AM on July 12, 2007

I also like the PSU area. Another favorite spot of mine is down by Riverplace. There's a little park that is well designed so that most of the benches offer privacy. It's between those new condos and the stairs that go to the restaurant on the river.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 8:37 AM on July 12, 2007

When I was last there, I got quite a bit of shade and quiet sitting and reading at coffee shops down in the area around Couch Park.
posted by solid-one-love at 8:43 AM on July 12, 2007

Also, the World Cup that's in Powell's is always crowded and noisy, but the one on NW Glisan and 18th is not, it's a nice spot.

D'oh. That's exactly one of the places I wa thinking about.
posted by solid-one-love at 8:44 AM on July 12, 2007

Recently discussed.
posted by matildaben at 12:01 PM on July 12, 2007