Pioneer Courthouse Square

This is a lovely square. On the day I visited it was rainy and somewhat deserted, I would imagine it can get packed during public events. I love that it is a nice little break from the streets and sidewalks, felt nice to be in this more open space in the middle of the bustling city. It offers some great photo opportunities I feel so have your camera ready! I’d love to attend an event here sometime, perhaps on my next trip to Portland.

If you enjoy people watching this is the place for you.
At all times you can expect extreme Jesus bible lovers, homeless folk, lots of tourists, typical Portland natives, and the occasional «normal» person.
But seriously it’s a nice place to just sit back and relax.
It’s very accessible because it’s right near major tram/​bus lines and it’s very centrally located in downtown Portland.
I have been here in the spring when there are tons of beautiful flowers everywhere and I just went during Christmas time with a huge decorated tree and pretty lights strung up everywhere.
It’s a very picturesque square which lots of attractive architectural buildings.
It also has a poll with all the distance signs of places and what direction they are in. I’m not really sure what to call it but that’s my favorite thing in the square.

This is as centralized as the Trimet MAX goes in terms of downtown. It’s as iconic as say… American and Apple Pie for Portland. The only thing is, it takes up a whole block here. So if you are meeting up with someone, make sure you specify exactly what corner you are meeting up. What I really like is the amphitheater type seating here. It’s quite easy to see and it doesn’t really hold that many people. So for a small venue space that can accommodate easily over 2,000 people, this place is great!
One thing I don’t quite like here are the pigeons. I was holding a open cover drink when all of a sudden, I was almost sucking on a feather. Yuck! But that’s what happens when people openly feeds the birds here.
I was here for the Grand Tasting for Feast Portland. Super spread out (well, not quite the tents people) but I there were plenty of spaces as the festival and many other festivals and events often held here.

If your own living room gets boring, come hang out at Portland’s living room instead!
Rich with a storied history, including the community triumphing over corporate interests, the current square was opened in 1984. Its design was chosen out of 162 submissions from a design competition, and bricks for the initial construction were inscribed with the names of those who donated $ 15 to fund the square. Today, bricks can still be purchased for $ 100 and go to supporting the city.
The square is home to hundreds of events during the year, including free movie showings. There’s always a reason to come hang out with the local community, hence the living room nickname.
On the lower level of the square is a visitor’s center, with a walkway leading into it flanked by some cool-​looking water fountains. There’s information at the visitor’s center about tons of things to do around PDX.
And you can always count on the locals to bring a bit of weirdness of their own. The first day we were here, we saw two groups of people, red shirts and blue shirts, raising war cries and charging at each other gladiator-​style, armed with swords made of PVC pipes. Awesomeness!

Loved this place! Right across the street from a beautiful courthouse this place was busy with people and fun games to play. We got some coffee and sat down on the steps and enjoyed people watching while we rested our feet.

Came here on a Monday for the Farmers market. The size of the market is quaint but the vendors are extremely polite and knowledgeable. Got some peaches from a vendor and they were the juiciest I have eaten in a while.

Its hard to imagine downtown with out Pioneer Courthouse Square. It fits in so well and just sense. There are always events taking place here. Every year I come here to see Portland’s main Christmas tree and once I listened to the annual Tuba Christmas when a couple of hundred tuba players show up;.
It is a great space. It is shaped like a large amphitheater. There office space for Trimet and the space where the Powells travel store used to be under the upper level and a restaurant space up top in a corner. Near the restaurant there are some chess boards and a smaller speakers bowl. There are columns at the edges defining the space.
I am here often, and have seen: rallies, sand castle competitions, concerts and many other events;. There several pieces of art and a large fountain. It is surrounded by some great architecture and the steps are a popular spot for picnics and just hanging out. It attracts all kinds of people.

The square itself is small, but in the evenings, it seems pretty lovely with dancing.

This is a nice spot. There are always people around and I find this is were we get off the Max the most. I’ve come for different events throughout the year and have always been able to find a seat on one of the steps. Last time I was there, Piano! was too. Very nice. There always seems to be something going on here. Guess it’s the place to be.

Come here when they’re open and walk around and check out all the little vendors. You can buy fresh fruits and order lunch from one of the tents. Nice place to people watch as well. People are pretty friendly and the price is reasonable. The only negative is there is a noodle place at the end called Monkey Bowl and it was the only place that I would not eat at again. Their noodles tasted bland. Just added soy sauce and it still wasn’t good especially for $ 8 for a small bowl of a few strands of noodles and 3 piece of meat. We got a bit of everything from the places that served food/​drink and my favorite will be at a place called TasteBud. Pizza from there was delicious and their lux bagel was just as good! They’re generous with their slice/​amount. For a refreshing drink the watermelon drink at this Mexican stand next to the Monkey Bowl was really good and for only $ 2!

What else is there to say except that Pioneer Square is a great place to sit and hang out on a sunny day? We grabbed a bunch of food from the nearby food trucks then sat on the steps for lunch in the sun as the square was playing music through their speaker system. Great place to also people watch, as many come and go through here!

Once upon a time, I spent the night on the south steps on Pdx’s living room before. Why? Cuckoo Kone and the LRA, Invisible Children was campaigning across the country— civilians took a stand!
The simple fact is that here, we gather. Here we also get on and off the MAX, true– but this hub of familiar brick is for community to assemble and enjoy the out of doors.
Wired and available for many a community event. Feast takes place here each September — - the Voodoo mobile parks it here, facing west on Wed n Thursdays so you don’t have to queue up for donuts!
But the most recent interesting run-​in for me: super early morning Tillamook sponsored Great American Food drive. They cook you a cheese omelet and you defy the ease with which the individual lives selfishly, & become a bit others-​centered while you nosh on morning brekky before work.
A landmark gathering place— also home to the tourist info center and PDX perks guys.

In the spring/​summer time this place is so beautiful, they have flowers all over the place and has a huge water display. It’s very relaxing to sit outside at the near by Starbucks and enjoy your cup of coffee as you people watch.
They have a ton of events that happen here, on the weekends they have a huge farmers market with food stands and multiple fresh flower stands, all local. I like the fact I can park at a max station in Beaverton and take the max and it drops me off right in front so I do not need to street park.
Great place to take the family when they do movie in the park, they have food trucks and Starbucks close by that is open till 11pm on most nights. If Starbucks is not your cup of tea they also have an Ebar close by and if your not into coffee they have a berry hibiscus tea cooler that is awesome.

This place is just like how it is in the pictures! I love the wonderful street sign that they have, which everyone has had a billion pictures of in their cameras. I was awed just by standing at a place of historical value. The square was a big open area where plenty of events are held in Portland.
Parking is quite a hassle as I have had to park at least two blocks away from Pioneer Square. The architecture of the area is amazing. The courthouse is your frontside view, and also the block full of food trucks is only a couple minutes walk away.
Overall, this place is a must visit once you step into Portland. Not only is it beautiful, but history happened here. People of influence before our time set foot in this place and helped shape our country. For me, to be able to be in that same space is amazing! (I like history though, so maybe this review may be a bit biased, but I tried to be objective still. hehe.)
Scenery, food, and entertainment = 5 stars. Due to parking difficulty = 4 stars.

Great place to take a tourist and Honkin’ Huge Burrito’s food cart is there, but if I didn’t have to catch the Max everyday here I would stay away.

I am updating this because I was both impressed and inspired by Kerri L’s review of the downtown transit center.
I forgot that not all that long ago, downtown was kind of a shit-​pit.
I salute those who conceived and executed this.
Where are today’s heroes? Squabbling over parking meters, no doubt.
The concept of selling personalized bricks to the general public was genius.
I wonder how much they charged? I wonder how many they sold? In a word, oodles. Whatever it was, I bet they charged a lot more for the map, as that was the only way you were EVER gonna find that little thing.
There’s a lot of beauty here.
Try to look past the spare-​changers and layabouts, okay?

Main picturesque spot to take a snapshot in Portland!
I like the post of the many signs at this central square! It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland when visiting Portland!
You can sit on stone seatings on the side and just chill if you like!

Pioneer Courthouse Square hosts the annual Italian Festival which I absolutely love. It is also home to many other annual events and protests, most of which are entertaining to say the least.
Paid a visit to the square yesterday while waiting for a friend. In the 10 minutes I was standing there I was asked for change twice and hit on once… never a dull moment!
It certainty is Portland’s Living Room.

Apparently this is a great are in downtown Portland for people to congregate. Events take place here and we were in this area two days in a row and two differnet things were going on.
The first day was a farmers market and that was great. Veggies, vegan chocolate, jellies and jams, cookies, food vendors with burritos and Asian dumplings, Voodoo Doughnuts, lavender sea salt, sauces, cured meats, ice cream, kale chips, free farmers market reusuable bags to carry everything and even a cooking demonstration. And that was just day one.
Day two was live music sponsored by Ikea (Tues and Thurs) (but I think the whole summer events at the square are sponsored by them). It took place during lunch and there were people sitting everywhere and listening. Kids dancing, Ikea furniture set up right in the front. Free hand fans and chocolate from them and a local radio station was giving away free stuff as well. There were also food vendors scattered about and a pink trolly hawking tours of the city.
Very enjoyable place. We need more of that here in Texas. And we have Ikea too… they should get on that.

The Portland City Building (designed by Michael Graves) opened in 1982 to rave and not-​so-​rave reviews from all over the world. So, when Pioneer Courthouse Square opened in 1984, the international attention returned. It was so nice to see Portland getting attention this way. Those of us who lived here already knew most of Portland’s charm and quirkiness already knew that Portland rarely got mention in the press (San Francisco and Seattle ALWAYS mentioned in west coast stories, never Portland), so it was a thrill and vindication to get all the attention from these two architectural events.
Besides all that and a lot of civic uproar over cost, I’ve always loved that the square was very much a product of local participation. People bought printed bricks to help finance it, and it was a big adventure to go out and find your brick the day the square opened. Another fun thing was that a friend of mine had her wedding reception there soon after, and the wedding guests danced out on the square. I think hers might have been the first wedding reception there, but I don’t have any evidence to back that. No matter, it was a really great place for the reception.
Fast forward to today, Pioneer Courthouse Square has weathered lots of fun and Rose Festivals and other events, but most importantly dodged the bullet of the 2010 Christmas Tree Lighting explosion. The Powell’s Travel Book Store morphed into KGW’s Studio On The Square. One of my favorite things is the current Portland Farmer’s Market that sets up once a week, and I also enjoy the Sand In The Square in the summer. On the other hand, it’s pretty nice to find a place to sit down and just take a load off and people watch on a hot day with a cold drink in hand. You just never know what you’re going to see.
So glad and proud to have this fine venue to enjoy as the «living room» for our city.