Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon is the gold standard for book stores.
I can still remember the first time I went to Powell's Books in Portland. I had just moved to Portland, starting a new job, and decided to drive into the city center to check things out. I had a list of tourist activities that I wanted to do on my first weekend off and Powell's was at the top of the list.
That first trip was book lovers magical.
I ended up spending a few hours walking through the many sections of the store that were spread out over a city block with level after level of new and old books. In the end, I picked up half a dozen books, a cup of coffee, one of the best scones I had ever eaten, and didn't end up going anywhere else.
Three years later, I was living in downtown Portland and working remotely.
Powell's became one of my favorite places to work from in the middle of the week. Their cafe was quieter on Thursdays, so I would go in, grab a coffee, a scone, buy another book, and then work for a few hours in the morning.
Time and again, I look back at my time in Portland and my trips to Powell's with fondness.
I'm sure you have places like this in your life. However, if you have never been to Portland, or you have lived there for years but never decided to play tourist, I suggest you start with Powell's Books. It honestly is the gold standard for bookstores. They have it all and very rarely do you walk out of that place without purchasing something.
The Details On Powell's Books
Now, if you have never been there before, it might be worth mentioning you either need to set aside two to four hours of your day to check it out completely. Or, you need to have a game plan for your time there. Otherwise, you will be like me, purchasing six books and spending hours upon hours of your day there.
Here are the details on this magical, book-lovers, store:
Location
The flagship store is located at 1005 W Burnside St in Portland, Oregon. It is an entire city block however so there are four entrances to the building at each corner. This is in the heart of downtown Portland, so parking can be difficult, be prepared to park in a metered spot.
Hours
Store hours are from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. This may not seem like a big window, but it makes sense that they close around 6:00 PM as I am sure people have tried to hide out in the store or gotten lost and need help finding their way out.
Sad News: World Cup Cafe is Closed
While I was checking out Powell's website, I found out that the cafe that I loved to work out of is closed. Such a bummer, not sure if it was because of Covid restrictions or they needed more space for books, but it is a huge bummer because I loved being able to grab a book and read in there or work from there when working remotely.
Final Thoughts
You can find more details about visiting Powell's Books in Portland here. In fact, they have an entire section to help you figure out parking, best time to come, Covid requirements and more. Its actually quite convenient, especially if you are from out of town.
Neverthless, I regularly miss my visits to Powell's Books.
If you are in Portland and have never gone, or traveling through, you should stop in and check things out. It is totally worth it and a lot of fun. By far, it is the best bookstore I have ever been to and potentially ever go to.
So, be sure to stop in on your next trip to Portland!