Powell’s Books
If you enjoy books and are anywhere near the city of Portland, a visit to Powell’s Books is essential. Powell’s is a large independent used and new bookstore with a strong online presence. The bookstore occupies an entire city block with other buildings and branches nearby. The addresses of its three locations are 1005 W Burnside Street (flagship Portland store), 3723 SE Hawthorne Boulevard (also in Portland), and 3415 SW Cedar Hills Boulevard (Beaverton).
Booklovers will want to check out their events calendar which has interesting opportunities scheduled on almost every day of the week. All kinds of authors speak at Powell’s, and it also offers book clubs and children’s story hours. It is also an amazing place to just take a break, relax, and browse the bookshelves.
It nearly closed during the COVID pandemic in 2020, but customers and fans rallied support in record time that enabled it to survive.
A Personal Note
My father grew up in Portland, Oregon long before the 1971 creation of Powell’s. However, as a lifelong bibliophile, he discovered the bookstore on visits back to Portland to see his parents and became a great fan. He and my mother spent hours poring through the aisles and returned home to California with numerous unique book finds for us. Looking over those treasures still brings a smile to my face.
Powell’s Books is the second stop on our Oregon Author Adventures Trail.
Rebecca Blake Beech
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