Locals and visitors are certainly made comfortable in every nook and cranny of this multifaceted plaza, literally by design. All week long people of all ages and walks of life enjoy the Square’s features, which are equally diverse: chessboards built into stone columns, a collection of public art, food carts and even a flower stand. Catering to one of the city’s obsessions, a coffee shop is conveniently perched on the park’s northwestern corner. All this only adds to the elegance and beauty of the multi-hued brickwork, decorated columns, and a granite waterfall fountain.

With all its amenities, the park is still roomy enough for the 26,000 people flowing through it almost every day, partly due to its role as the main public transport hub, leading riders to 3 corners of the metropolitan area and everything along the way. It can also handle 25,000 people coming together at once, as they do for the holiday season’s tree-lighting. A record crowd of 55,000 gathered in 1994 to hear then-First Lady Hillary Clinton speak at a live appearance.

The Square’s - and Portland’s - social calendar includes everything from a splendid Festival of Flowers in the spring to the castle craze of summer’s Sand in the City, as well as heart-warming winter celebrations. Music concerts, movie nights, and health fairs also take place there. Its prominence in the city’s life, however, also includes less happy times, as befits a true living room: public outcry finds a home in the form of vigils and political rallies. All in all, the park hosts over 300 events a year, some sponsored by the Square’s management, some by corporate and non-profit groups.

What to bring: A camera, journal, or recording device - there is always something to see here, and you might want to remember it. If you want to explore or take a walking tour from here, bring comfortable shoes. Bring a hat or umbrella if you are not as rain-friendly as Portland residents. You can also bring your lunch here and eat while you listen to a concert or watch a hackey-sack game.

Hours and Fees: As a public park, the Square is open all days and hours, with the exception of certain holidays, when the city may choose to disperse large crowds due to safety and security concerns. The Portland Oregon Information Center is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.