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Craft your own unique, handmade ice cream and cookie sandwich at Ruby Jewel.
Credit: Catalina Gaitán

Downtown’s West End

Downtown's West End comes into its own.

1 min read Downtown

Portland’s historic West End has emerged as a center of creativity, fashion and nightlife. Tucked between Powell’s City of Books and the downtown retail core, the area is home to a growing number of local and international design shops, fashion boutiques, restaurants, cafés and hotels. Newest on the block is Union Way, a galleria that opened in summer 2013. Portland’s Danner Boots, Bridge & Burn and denim clothier Self Edge have high-profile spaces, and eateries include Wailua Shave Ice, a traditional Hawaiian shave ice shop, and Boxer Ramen, a noodle bar.

Union Way Shopping Arcade

Evoking Paris’ intimate passageways and Scandinavian architecture, this shop-filled alley connects downtown Portland’s West End with the Pearl District.

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The West End’s redevelopment was spurred by the arrival of the Ace Hotel, Stumptown Coffee and Clyde Common (home of the world’s first barrel-aged cocktails). The new McMenamins Crystal Hotel has enlivened the lodging scene and nearby boutiques such as Frances May, Adorn and Tender Loving Empire feature local designers and artisans, while Woonwinkel offers a curated selection of housewares and jewelry from local and international artists.

The West End’s redevelopment was spurred by the arrival of the Ace Hotel, Stumptown Coffee and Clyde Common (home of the world’s first barrel-aged cocktails).

Dayna Pinkham, an internationally recognized couture hatmaker, has moved her Pinkham Millinery into the neighborhood. The lauded drinking chocolate of Cacao gives visitors plenty of energy for the next adventure, and to further sweeten the location, sister-owned local favorite Ruby Jewel Scoop Shop opened its second location at Southwest 12th Avenue and Stark Street, offering decadent handcrafted flavors, ice cream sandwiches and a vintage soda fountain.

Shopping, Weird
Places to visit in Downtown West End

  • Union Way

    Union Way is an indoor alleyway full of hip, local shopping destinations and eateries.

  • Danner Store at Union Way

    Since 1932, Danner has been making rugged boots meant to withstand long treks in the great outdoors.

  • Bridge & Burn

    Bridge & Burn specializes in classic, functional and distinctively Northwest apparel for men and women. Since 2010 they’ve been creating well-crafted clothes that can go straight from dinner to the woods.

  • Self Edge

    Self Edge carries the world’s finest denim and leather accessories, all with a distinct aesthetic and details that are second to none. Selvedge lines made of metallic red silk, rivets of sterling silver, and poisonous python skin tags from Okinawa.

  • Boxer Ramen – Downtown

    Stop by for warm bowls of Japanese noodles from Micah Camden (of Little Big Burger and Blue Star Donuts fame).

  • Ace Hotel

    A stylish business-class boutique hotel that features vintage furniture, original art and eco-friendly elements. The Ace Hotel’s 79 rooms are modern, bohemian and pet friendly.

  • Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Downtown

    In 1999, Stumptown Coffee Roasters took Portland caffeine lovers by storm. What started as a single roastery on Southeast Division Street quickly expanded to the rest of Portland — and now, to the rest of the country.

  • Clyde Common

    Clyde Common is a lively and acclaimed European-style tavern in the Ace Hotel that offers a regional take on classic dining. The daily menu emphasizes meats butchered and cured in house, along with local produce and seafood.

  • McMenamins Crystal Hotel

    A historic hotel with 51 comfortable guestrooms, each inspired by a song or performance from the past 100 years at the nearby Crystal Ballroom, the McMenamins Crystal Hotel also features an on-site cafe, bar and subterranean saltwater soaking pool.

  • Frances May

    This boutique stocks hard-to-find goods and features independent, up-and-coming designers.

  • Adorn

    Adorn offers fashion-forward designs, hand craftsmanship and one-of-a-kind products.

  • Tender Loving Empire – Downtown

    Since 2007, indie record label Tender Loving Empire has released albums from celebrated local artists and sold a range of goods crafted in Portland.

  • Pinkham Millinery

    Dayna Pinkham designs and constructs her stylish hats in this downtown design studio and boutique.

  • Cacao

    Cacao offers the best in American chocolate bars, in addition to a selection of great chocolates from the Portland area. Cacao also serves house-made drinking chocolate and hot chocolates.

  • Ruby Jewel Ice Cream – Downtown

    Ruby Jewel uses fresh, all-natural, all-Northwest ingredients in their handmade ice cream. The menu consists of five permanent flavors, two vegan options and five frequently changing flavors.