Nightlife

Portland is the Northwest's number-two cultural center (after Seattle, of course). The city's symphony orchestra, ballet, and opera are all well regarded, and the many theater companies offer classic and contemporary plays. In summer, festivals move the city's cultural activities outdoors.

To find out what's going on during your visit, pick up a copy of Willamette Week, Portland's free weekly arts-and-entertainment newspaper. The Oregonian, the city's daily newspaper, also publishes lots of entertainment-related information in its Friday "A&E" section and also in the Sunday edition of the paper.

The Performing Arts

For the most part, the Portland performing-arts scene revolves around the Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA), 1111 SW Broadway (tel. 503/248-4335; www.pcpa.com), which comprises five performance spaces in three buildings. The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Southwest Broadway and Southwest Main Street, known locally as the Schnitz, is an immaculately restored 1920s movie palace that still displays the original Portland theater sign and marquee out front and is home to the Oregon Symphony. This hall also hosts popular music performers, lecturers, and many other special performances. Directly across Main Street from the Schnitz, at 1111 SW Broadway, is the sparkling-glass jewel box known as the New Theater Building. This building houses both the Newmark and Dolores Winningstad theaters and Brunish Hall. The Newmark Theatre is home to Portland Center Stage, while the two theaters together host stage productions by local and visiting companies. Free tours of all three of these theaters are held Wednesdays at 11am, Saturdays every half-hour between 11am and 1pm, and the first Thursday of every month at 6pm.

A few blocks away from this concentration of venues is the 3,000-seat Keller Auditorium, SW Third Avenue and SW Clay Street, the largest of the four halls and the home of the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theatre. The auditorium was constructed shortly after World War I and completely remodeled in the 1960s. In addition to the resident companies mentioned above, these halls host numerous visiting companies each year, including touring Broadway shows.

The PCPA's box office is open for ticket sales Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Tickets to PCPA performances, and also performances at many other venues around the city, are also sold through either Ticketmaster (tel. 503/224-4400; www.ticketmaster.com), which has outlets at area G.I. Joe's and Fred Meyer stores, or Tickets West (tel. 800/992-8499 or 503/224-8499; www.ticketswest.com), which has outlets at area Safeway stores. The PCPA does, however, have a Half-Price Ticket Hotline (tel. 503/275-8358) that sells day-of-show, half-price tickets to theater performances by some of the area's smaller companies.

One other performing arts venue worth checking out is The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave. (tel. 503/222-2031; www.oldchurch.org). Built in 1883, this wooden Carpenter Gothic church is a Portland landmark. It incorporates a grand traditional design, but was constructed with spare ornamentation. Today the building serves as a community facility, and every Wednesday at noon it hosts free lunchtime organ recitals on the church's 1883 organ. There are also many other performances held here throughout the year.

Opera & Classical Music

Founded in 1896, the Oregon Symphony (tel. 800/228-7343 or 503/228-1353; www.orsymphony.org), which performs at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1111 SW Broadway, is the oldest symphony orchestra on the West Coast, and is currently under the baton of conductor Carlos Kalmar. Each year between September and June, the symphony stages several series, including classical, pops, Sunday matinees, and children's concerts. Ticket prices range from $7 to $85 (seniors and students may purchase half-price tickets 1 hr. before concerts).

Each season, the Portland Opera (tel. 866/739-6737 or 503/241-1802; www.portlandopera.org), which performs at Keller Auditorium, SW Third Avenue and SW Clay Street, offers five different productions that include both grand opera and light opera. The season runs November through May. Ticket prices range from $37 to $145.

Summer is the time for Portland's annual chamber music binge. Chamber Music Northwest (tel. 503/294-6400; www.cmnw.org) is a 5-week-long series that starts in late June and attracts the world's finest chamber musicians. Performances are held at Reed College and Catlin Gable School (tickets $21-$40).

Theater

Portland Center Stage (tel. 503/274-6588; www.pcs.org), which holds performances at The Gerding Theater at the Armory, is Portland's largest professional theater company. They stage a combination of six to seven classic and contemporary plays during their September-to-April season (tickets $20-$51).

Portland's other main theater company, Artists Repertory Theatre, 1516 SW Alder St.(tel. 503/241-1278; www.artistsrep.org), often stages more daring plays. They can be hit or miss, but they're frequently very thought-provoking. The season often includes a world premiere. Tickets run $15 to $40.

If it's musicals you want, you've got a couple of options in Portland. At the Keller Auditorium, you can catch the Broadway in Portland series (tel. 503/241-1802; www.broadwayacrossamerica.com). Tickets range from around $30 to $135.

Dance

Although the Oregon Ballet Theatre (tel. 888/922-5538 or 503/222-5538; www.obt.org), which performs at the Keller Auditorium and the Newmark Theatre, is best loved for its performances each December of The Nutcracker. The rest of each season includes performances of classic and contemporary ballets (tickets $13-$66).

Fans of modern dance should be sure to check to see what's being staged by White Bird (tel. 503/245-1600; www.whitebird.org). This organization brings in such celebrated companies as Twyla Tharp Dance, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Also keep an eye out for performances by Imago Theatre, 17 SE Eighth Ave. (tel. 503/231-9581; www.imagotheatre.com), which, though it is also a live theater company, is best known for its wildly creative productions of Frogz and Big Little Things, both of which are fanciful dance performances that appeal to both adults and children. Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theatre (tel. 503/231-1232; www.dojump.org), is another highly creative dance company worth watching for. Their performances incorporate dance, acrobatics, aerial work, and plenty of humor.

Performing Arts Series

The Museum After Hours series at the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave. (tel. 503/226-2811; www.portlandartmuseum.org), is a great place to catch some of the best local jazz, blues, rock, and folk bands. Performances are held October through April on Wednesday nights from 5:30 to 7:30pm, and admission is $8 if you aren't a museum member.

When summer hits, Portlanders like to head outdoors to hear music. The city's top outdoor music series is held at Washington Park Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd. (tel. 503/226-1561; www.oregonzoo.org), which brings in the likes of the Indigo Girls, Gipsy Kings, Pink Martini, and John Hiatt. Ticket prices range from $9.50 to $26.

Brewpubs

Although brewpubs have now become commonplace throughout much of the country, here in Portland, they're still brewing beers the likes of which you won't taste in too many other places on this side of the Atlantic. This is the heart of the Northwest craft-brewing explosion, and if you're a beer connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to go directly to the source.

Brewpubs have become big business in Portland, and there are now glitzy upscale pubs as well as funky warehouse-district locals. No matter what vision you have of the ideal brewpub, you're likely to find your dream come true. Whether you're wearing bike shorts or a three-piece suit, there's a pub in Portland where you can enjoy a handcrafted beer, a light meal, and a convivial atmosphere.

With almost three dozen brewpubs in the Portland metropolitan area, the McMenamins chain is Portland's biggest brewpub empire. The owners of this empire think of themselves as court jesters, mixing brewing fanaticism with a Deadhead aesthetic. Throw in a bit of historic preservation and a strong belief in family-friendly neighborhood pubs and you'll understand why these joints are so popular.

A Portland Original: The Theater Pub--Portland brewpub magnates the McMenamin brothers have a novel way to sell their craft ales -- in movie pubs. Although it's often hard to concentrate on the screen, it's always a lot of fun to attend a show. The movies are usually recent releases that have played the main theaters but have not yet made it onto DVD. Theaters include the Bagdad Theater, 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (tel. 503/236-9234), a restored classic Arabian Nights movie palace; the Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St. (tel. 503/223-4527), which was the first McMenamins theater pub; the Kennedy School Theater, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. (tel. 503/249-3983), in a former elementary school; and the Edgefield Theater, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale (tel. 503/669-8610). You can also have beer and pizza with your movie at the Laurelhurst Theater, 2735 E. Burnside St. (tel. 503/232-5511; www.laurelhursttheater.com), which is not a McMenamins establishment.

Dance Clubs

See also the listing for Saucebox; this restaurant and bar becomes a dance club after 10pm, when a DJ begins spinning tunes.

Gay & Lesbian Bars

The area around the intersection of SW Stark Street and West Burnside Street has the largest concentration of gay bars in Portland.