WHETHER YOU'RE NEW to Portland or a longtime resident, you need STUFF. And while you could always order things online, or purchase said stuff at a big-box chain, you can rest assured that if you do, your new stuff won't be as interesting and the experience won't be as rewarding.
To help you find the best places to get said STUFF, the Mercury put together a shop local guide!
SHOP LOCAL—MOVIES
TOP PICK: Hollywood Theatre
In an era of streaming, actually leaving the house to watch something can seem like a challenge. But one visit to the Hollywood Theatre will remind you why heaving yourself off the couch is worth it. While the theater's dramatic façade pays tribute to old-school grandeur, what's inside makes it one of the preeminent arts organizations in Portland. In addition to offering both mainstream and arthouse films, the Hollywood's the only theater in town that regularly shows films on both 35mm and 70mm (this July, they'll have 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lawrence of Arabia, West Side Story, AND Aliens in 70mm), and they host super-fun, recurring series like Kung Fu Theater, B-Movie Bingo, and Hecklevision. Throw in filmmaker Q&As, one-night-only screenings of classics and oddities, community-minded educational programs, and great beer and popcorn, and you can see why the 90-year-old, nonprofit Hollywood isn't just the best theater in Portland—it's one of the best theaters, period. ERIK HENRIKSEN
4122 NE Sandy, hollywoodtheatre.org
ALSO DON'T MISS:
Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark) and Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside). With cheap tickets ($4!), pizza, and second-run movies—plus old-school repertory titles—these are two of Portland's finest beer theaters.
Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne). Part of the McMenamins empire, this grandiose movie palace is Portland's best place to see blockbusters—it's cheaper, nicer, and has better picture and sound than any of the chain theaters.
Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st). Northwest Portland's recently expanded arthouse theater (now with three screens instead of one!) consistently books some of the best films in release.
Movie Madness (4320 SE Belmont). Part museum of Hollywood props, costumes, and creatures, and part massive video store, you're guaranteed to find amazing stuff here that Netflix and Hulu don't even know about. (Start by browsing the "Rampaging Teenagers" and "Turkish Action Cinema" sections.)