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FAQ
What do you wonder about the Pearl? Our most frequently asked questions are included below. If you might have a new FAQ, please submit it to pdba@explorethepearl.com. We’ll be happy to add it to the list. The more you ask and we answer — the more everyone knows about the Pearl District.
History of the Pearl
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What kinds of people live in the Pearl?
Originally it was thought that the Pearl would be a village of empty nesters, seniors giving up their homes, yards, and moving into this urban environment for the quality of life and access to facilities. The Pearl District has become a mecca for people of all age groups who want a simpler way of life in an urban lifestyle. Portland ’s reputation as North America’s “Best Big ” is alive and well in the Pearl.
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How did the Pearl get its name?
Years ago when this was an industrial warehouse area with its contingent of abandoned buildings and street characters, Thomas Augustine, Gallery Director of Janice Griffin Gallery, saw through the surface to the artists and their environs and referred to them as “The Pearl” within the shell. The name stuck over such other names as the “warehouse district” or the “brewery district.”
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Why do people live in the Pearl?
- High quality of life rich in culture and diversity
- Many LEED (Green Building Rating System) renovations and new designs
- Eco-friendly district with transportation options
- Availability of services, including health care
- Proximity to other areas of the city and core downtown
- Views that include city, river and mountains
- Access to parks
- Simpler, greener lifestyle in a clean and safe area
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Is the Pearl a good place for families and children?
The Pearl is a great place for families with spaces like Jamison Park with its continually evolving water feature that attracts kids of all ages to play and where parents can recline on the grassy areas beneath shade trees. Ice cream shops abound along with many retailers featuring children's clothing, furniture and toys. Another great place is Tanner Springs Park which offers a quiet contemplative retreat. Most of all, the Pearl District is safe for families, diverse, rich in culture and has many of the services families need: healthcare, grocery stores, educational institutions, retail services and much more!
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Is the Pearl District a good place to retire?
CNNmoney.com rated Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District one of the “top places to retire in America”. Moderate climate, a healthy lifestyle with walking and biking routes, America’s best light-rail system, top medical services, and progressive culture all add up to making the Pearl District a perfect place to call home for retirees.
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What will I find in the Pearl?
Where do we begin to answer that question! The Pearl District offers:
- Historic buildings restored into living and commercial spaces
- Design Central for home with more than 70 stores
- The best of Portland’s dining establishments
- An amazing assortment of cultural activities including theater, music and art galleries
- Chic, hip and trendy fashion as well as unique gifts
- The historic Powell’s City of Books, the world’s largest independent bookstore
- Interesting and soothing urban parks
- Spa, salons, beauty and health services
- No sales tax!
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What is life like in the Pearl?
Hip and trendy are overused adjectives and the best way to describe the Pearl lifestyle is that it is a community of people who share the work, live and place space that is the commonality within their neighborhood. Locals nod to familiar faces with that smile that comes from knowing and appreciating the special place that is the Pearl District. Many residents live without cars and use alternative transportation as every needed service is within a walk, bike ride, or mass transit ride away. Many have left their single family homes for a shared vision of a community that will sustain into an uncertain future. Community is not something a developer can build; it’s a magic that happens when people come together and share their humanity.
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Getting around the Pearl
The Pearl was created with a vision of it becoming a pedestrian environment. The Pearl is laid out on an easy grid of numbered streets running north to south and named streets are in alphabetical order and run east to west. The Portland Streetcar connects the RiverPlace area and the Nob Hill business district. Enjoy the fareless area between downtown and Irving Street in the Pearl.
Portland is the most bicycle friendly town in America. Bike racks, bike lanes, and bike safety are all top priorities in the City and in the Pearl District.
