In my efforts to try to review almost everything reviewable, I've managed to not review this MAX stop here at Pioneer Courthouse Square. And I've been using it since about the early 1990s when it became the hub for the blue and red lines on their westbound and eastbound journeys.
And in some ways there's really not much to review. You get on the train and off the train, buy tickets or tap your Hop pass, and cruise off more or less to work or head home. Biut that's the short view. The long view reveals so much more.
To my mind, this transit center is at the top of the heap because it is one of many "pillars" that holds Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland's crown jewel and living room, together and makes sense of Downtown Portland. It's also a major reason why so many people have moved to Portland.
Where else can you jump off the train and: buy coffee and treats, make travel plans and buy bus tickets, watch the television news live, people watch, and watch political demonstrations and sand castle competitions (among 100 or more events per year). Right here! Two things I do here are jump off the train and get coffee at Starbucks or run down to Rite Aid just half a block away and pick up needed household items without missing a train or a beat. There's so much more going on here, of course, and it's all usually of high entertainment value, particularly during Rose Festival week And the Christmas holidays.
Take it from me, this is such a fabulous place to wait for the train. Give it a try sometime and I think you'll see what I mean! read more