The Zinester's Guide to Portland, 6th Edition: A Low/No Budget Guide to the Rose City

Billed as a "low/no budget guide to visiting and living in Portland, Oregon, the Zinester's Guide to Portland breaks down the PDX grid by neighborhood with descriptions of good restaurants, thrift stores, bars, bridges, places to loiter, etc. (lots of etc.). The newly overhauled and illustrated sixth edition gets shoulder-deep into the history and local lore, providing a well-rounded argument as to why (fill in the blank) deserves your time.

It also demystifies the TriMet public transportation system, bike events and culture, outdoorsy stuff, the public libraries — basically anything you need to know as the new kid in town. (Of which there seems to be tons; the Zinester's Guide has been on Powell's Books' top 20 since 2006.) To the wrong eyes the book's title might imply a guide to Portland zine culture, and indeed it originated in 2001 as a hand-stapled zine. But as editor Shawn Granton says in the introduction, the Zinester's Guide is not just for zinesters, that "It's always been about sharing the interesting and unique things that make Stumptown great, and also helping people get by that aren't swimming in scads of money." For those of us that can't so much as dog-paddle most days, this is community at its mightiest.

"Cuts through the chaff you're likely to find in other tourist guides and doesn't play anything up, providing a straight-forward, non-glossy account of all that is Portland, what to look out for and, often more importantly, what to avoid wasting your time and hard earned dough on...an invaluable resource." Riot 77 Magazine

"What's best about the book is its utility and unpretentiousness. It's written by and for people who ride their bikes and take Tri-Met and don't have a lot of money to spend on fancy restaurants." Oregonian

"Feels like a classic...profiles genuine gems and secret neighborhood spots." Portland Mercury

"...This guide is focused on making the travel experience a pleasant journey...Highly recommended." Staf Magazine

Shawn Granton is a freelance artist and contributor to the magazine Momentum. He lives in Portland, Oregon.