Welcome to War-Torn Portland
Reed College is a small liberal arts school that seems to get smaller every day, but eventually you’ll know everyone's first and last names and their Instagram handles. Eventually, you’ll feel the need to explore what some orange man calls “war-torn Portland.” Although Portland isn't the same bustling city that Manhattan is to NYU, you can still find a decent $7 matcha latte and an overpriced thrift store. Located 15 minutes away by car or 30 minutes by bus (TriMet 75 towards Cesar Chavez) is Portland’s very own thrift store strip on Hawthorne. You can easily stroll the whole boulevard, or skip to the best: Straight from NY Pizza for a bite to eat; Kids at Heart to buy Jellycats; and House of Vintage, 2nd Street, and Red Light for decently priced thrifted pieces.
Of course, Portlandia’s metropolitan hub is downtown, where you can easily walk to most places once you get there. Skip the Pearl District unless it's the first Thursday until October, which houses an afternoon market from 5–9pm on NW 13th Avenue. Otherwise, by law, you must visit the world's largest independent bookstore, Powell’s Books, at their first location on W Burnside St. Founder Michael Powell was a rare book collector who bid audaciously on a UK first edition of The Whale (the alternate title of Moby-Dick), which helped launch Powell’s Books into success. On the corner of NW Couch and NW 11th, there's a side entrance into the bookstore and a concrete column of books, the first of which is Moby-Dick.
From there, you can wander until you find Caffè Umbria or the pink-walled Voodoo Doughnut (the “Keep Portland Weird” wall is next door). Don’t forget to visit the Waterfront, especially if it's on a Saturday, when you can catch the artisan market. The Portland Art Museum just finished construction and is ready for your visit, which is free on the first Thursday of every month. Skip the museum cafe and go across the street to Behind the Museum Cafe to grab yourself or your friends a matcha parfait and debrief. For balance, visit Kinokuniyama down the street and buy yourself everything that you know you don't need. From Smiskis, Sonny Angels, and Miffy merchandise to pens, pencils, and yuri manga, Kinokuniyama truly has it all.
The dream of the ‘90s is still alive in Portland, as the best TV series ever created, Portlandia, once said. Your college experience isn't limited to the campus, so make a friend with a car, call a Rose City cab, take a bus, walk, or bike (you can rent a bike from the Backpack Co-Op!) and take a gander. There are so many pocket neighborhoods with their own unique hidden gems and it’s up to you to find them.