Portland's Living Room

January 06, 2013 01:13

Hip to be Square in Portland’s Living Room
by Wade Nkrumah, Photos by Claudia Porter

Summer has taken hold of Portland, for sure.

The proof is the abundance of outdoor options for eating, greeting, meeting.

Finding your spot in the sun is as easy as making your way downtown to the city’s Living Room, Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Most everyday through summer’s end and just beyond in September, you can enjoy a combination of or either the sights (a movie), sounds (music), tastes (food) of the city. All are part of “Summer at The Square’’ (pioneercourthousesquare.org).

For a sneak peak, check out the accompanying pictures by local artist Claudia Porter.

Next, make your move by experiencing:

• Noon Tunes concerts 12-1 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday this month;

• Flicks on the Bricks movie Friday, August 19.

Hungry, too? No worries; there’s plenty of food offerings.

Portland Farmers Market operates in the Square 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday this month. Other days, there’s often event-associated food carts or stands.

In addition, there’s the Square’s permanent, year-round staple of food carts, and a coffee shop that’s open during the day and well into evening. And, of course, there’s lots of seating and room to roam in the Square. It’s best to bring cash for the food carts.

So, there you have it: Sunny summer weather. Food. Movies. Music. A place to sit. Space to spread out. All downtown in Portland’s Living Room.

Now you’re more than ready to take hold of summer in the city.