If coffee shops exist, in part, to provide a third space that’s neither private or publicly owned, I’d say Backspace has some of the best third space around town. There you are on 5th between Couch and Davis, where Downtown, Old Town, and the Pearl District all come together. You’re rubbing elbows with PNCA students, computer geeks, hobos, and yuppies. You have a unique mix of offerings in one business: a modern arcade, live music evenings, an art gallery, a pool table, couches and board games, as well as a full cafe at your fingertips. What more do you need?
No surprise Backspace bills itself as “entertainment mecca of Portland.”
Not being a gamer, I’m not the best one to evaluate Backspace in terms of the computer games. Actually, I’ve never actually played a computer game at Backspace, so please go do that and post comments to tell me how it went (ahem…Simon). I go to Backspace to be entertained, sure, but mainly I enjoy the general milieu and the snappy wifi connection. I keep going back because it seems to always be on the way to where I’m headed next and the coffee’s good. Whether framed on the wall or scrawled in the bathrooms, the art wows me.
Because it does such a good job of providing that third space, I think it’s an ideal spot to arrange to meet people downtown.
My opinion is that Backspace has improved considerably with time. I recall exploring Backspace right after it’s inception, back when the shop primarily focused on computer games and the coffee was, frankly, mediocre. I’m glad to have re-discovered Backspace, and glad to announce: those days are over. The computers (which had felt like standardized testing terminals) are available but no longer dominate the main room, the coffee is much better (switching to Stumptown will do that), and the space generally feels friendlier and more social. By broadening their focus, Backspace won me over.
Location: 115 NW 5th, 97209
Hours: Mon-Wed 7am-11pm
Thu-Fri 7am-12am
Sat 10am-12am
Sun 10am-11pm
www.backspace.bz
503.248.2900.
To view an interactive map of the Pearl District, click here!
