True Portland: The Unofficial Guide for Creative People

This is an annual Japanese publication celebrating all things Portland.  You know how Portland and New York sort of love eachother, and the two cities' newspapers are constantly talking each other up?  Well this is that on a major scale.  Instead of just favorable newspaper mentions, we have a whole Portland guidebook from Japan!  And they have done a fantastic job of finding all the odd little Portland gems, from restaurants to lodging (McMenamins hotels are much featured) to out-of-the-way bookstores, cafes and laundromats-turned-cafe/bar, they have it all.  Organized by activity, rated, reviewed and intimately described, the places in this book may show even a Portland-native an unexpected good time.  I, for example, had never heard of the aforementioned laundromat/cafe/bar, Spin Laundry Lounge, until I flipped through this book, though others of the many marvelous places in here are my city favorites, and others still feel like home away from home for me.  As a Portland-born girl and exuberant explorer, I can confirm that this guide is true to Portland and any visitor or city-born adventurer alike would be lucky to have it.