Old Town/Chinatown: Portland Oregon Neighborhoods

In This Section

Eat
Shop
See & Do

Below the streets of Portland’s original city center, the “Shanghai Tunnels” serve as a reminder of the days when unsavory characters kidnapped (or “shanghaied”) untold numbers of unsuspecting sailors, loggers and ranchers.

Nowadays, Old Town is rich in shopping, entertainment and dining options —like the famous Portland Saturday Market, the nation’s largest and longest running open-air crafts market. Chinatown, which makes up much of the neighborhood, is home to Lan Su Chinese Garden, one of the largest Suzhou-style gardens outside of China.

Quick facts:

• Old Town/Chinatown is primarily in city’s northwest quadrant, where street addresses are labeled “N.W.” A small portion of the neighborhood is in southwest.
• The Transit Mall, on Fifth and Sixth avenues, carries the MAX light rail yellow and green lines, as well as most bus lines.
• Old Town/Chinatown is inside the Free Rail Zone, where all train and streetcar rides are free.
• Portland’s Union Station, served by Amtrak, is located at the north end of the Transit Mall.