The core of rambunctious 1890s Portland, the once-seedy Old Town used to be the lurking ground of unsavory characters, but today disco queens outnumber drug dealers. It's one of the city's livelier places after dark, when nightclubs and bars open their doors and the hipsters start showing up.
Running beneath Old Town's streets are the shanghai tunnels , a series of underground corridors through which unscrupulous people would kidnap or 'shanghai' drunken men and sell them to sea captains looking for indentured workers. Call the Cascade Geographic Society for tours.
The ornate Chinatown Gates define the southern edge of Portland's so-called Chinatown – but you'll be lucky to find any Chinese people here at all. There are a few token Chinese restaurants, but the main attraction is the Classical Chinese Gardens . It's a one-block haven of tranquility, reflecting ponds and manicured greenery. Free tours available with admission.
