If Dr. Seuss were to design a neighborhood, it would be Piedmont. Each house my husband and I passed on our tour of this very walkable neighborhood was my new favorite.(Specifically in the Gainsboro Subdivision) There are hobbit homes, homes with turrets, bungalows, condos, homes where trolls probably live, homes for middle-aged goth children, factory workers and more.

Located east of the Willamette River, the Brooklyn Neighborhood snuggles up against Reed College and is home to popular attractions such as Edelweiss, Pok Pok Wings, Original Hotcake House and everyone’s favorite superfund site, Ross Island. Since most people know about those destinations, I’m not going spend any time on them, and instead feature some of the more interesting places worth a visit.

Not every museum is a showcase for grandiose works of art, or priceless artifacts. In fact, if you want to transition an item from mundane to extraordinary you only need to showcase it with some lights and a written history, and… POOF! You’ve got a museum. Portland is loaded with these gems!

For our next Walk on the Weird Side adventure, you’ll need to put on a good pair of walking shoes or grab your bike or unicycle because we’re headed to the Cully Neighborhood. This neighborhood of 2.74 square miles borders the Roseway neighborhood and is a very diverse, “working class” neighborhood with a strong underlying sense of pride.

This adventure starts with my friends Rick and Janet. As transplants to the area, they have embraced the weird and unusual sights and neighborhoods in Portland and take newcomers on a tour called The Rick and Janet Alternative Tour. Their goal (and mine) is to go beyond the hipster attractions and donut shops and show visitors a different side of Portland’s history and businesses not often seen in the glossy travel magazines or online travel guides. When I was offered an opportunity to write for Weird Portland United, I immediately thought of Rick and Janet and modeled this piece after their tour.

With a host of his favorite weirdos, The Unipiper successfully launched an organization to support the colorful characters who make living in Portland unique. With their non-profit Weird Portland United, he and many Portlanders look to retain the spark of artistry, different perspectives, and the fun-loving attitudes that have been carefully cultivated in our weird little city. They look to recognize the past, present, and future of offbeat arts that usually don’t receive mainstream attention.

Portland Brewing and Portland’s beloved celebrity, The Unipiper, announced today the upcoming release of a new collaborative beer–Unipiper Hazy IPA. Through its beer sales Portland Brewing will raise support for The Unipiper’s newest initiative, Weird Portland United (WPU), ushering in a whole new chapter of Portland weirdness. Unipiper fans and craft beer drinkers can find the beer starting with a small run of limited-edition 22 oz silk screened bottles, featuring artwork by local artist Beth Kerschen, as well as draft throughout Portland beginning on January 25. 12 oz cans of the hazy IPA are planned for a March release.