Win "The Portland Stairs Book" By Laura Foster | Handy Guide To All Things Stairlike In PDX
September 14, 2010 — PDXPIPELINEWe are giving away a copy “The Portland Stairs Book” here. To win, comment below on this post why you would like the book. Winner will be drawn and emailed on Friday, Sept 17th @ 3PM.
From our partners at Timbers Press:
The Portland Stairs Book
Hundreds of hidden stairways offer intriguing and heart-pumping ways to take in the considerable charms of Portland, Oregon. This handy guide to all things stairlike explores the best public staircases for mountain views, for portals in the city's stories, and for vertical, urban adventures.
From Mount Tabor's 282-step stair climb to the glass cupola atop 115 steps in the old Pioneer Courthouse, highlights include: The 20 Portland staircases with 100 steps or more; five mapped stairway treks traversing 48 staircases; all public staircases within Portland; stair trivia, history, and stories
Laura Foster writes about exploring one of America's most livable cities and the small towns around it. When she's not writing about Portland, she's creating new urban adventures or leading walks for local governments, civic groups, and nonprofits. Laura is also the author of Portland Hill Walks and Portland City Walks.
More information about book and Laura Foster at http://www.timberpress.com.
September 14, 2010 at 11:32
Cool! I have been wondering if there was a map of all the stair cases in Portland. I lived in NW and am always on the look out for new “secret stairs” to take while out walking my dog. My sister even teaches a workout class and we are always trying to find new fun stair runs to do. This book would be helpful in more ways then one, and just fun!
September 14, 2010 at 11:36
I work in architecture and I have an odd obsession with stairs. I’d love to have this book!
September 14, 2010 at 11:36
I own copies of both Portland Hill Walks and Portland City Walks and have used them extensively to explore the area and they are wonderful. I am always intrigued by the amount of crazy, hidden stairways I have seen and would tackle this book like mad if I got a copy.
September 14, 2010 at 11:40
What a fabulous book! I love Portland and I love stairs, and didn’t realize that there were so many secret staircases here!
September 14, 2010 at 11:40
Hi! As a taxi driver, there is nothing I like more than a good walk when I’m not driving. I live at the foot of the SW hills, and already know a few cool stairways, but I’m sure this book will introduce me to many more :) Someday I intend to make some walking tour maps people can use to explore the city; this book would help make those even more interesting :D
September 14, 2010 at 11:43
sweet! this would be a great addition to our library!
September 14, 2010 at 11:44
I used to live in a little house up in the hills that had over 100 steps to get to. It was a great little block lined with houses that had no car access, just the stairs and you wouldn’t even know it existed from the street. Pure bliss, and I’ve been in love with unusual stair laden hideaways ever since!!! I would love a copy of this book!!!
September 14, 2010 at 11:47
Ooh, I want these books so I can run the various staircases up & down. It’s a great workout often with beautiful views!
September 14, 2010 at 11:52
I live in NW and love to climb the staircases on my walks. Finding hidden staircases that I didn’t know existed is always exciting!
September 14, 2010 at 11:58
This is fantastic! I have been hunting stairs myself for the last 10 yrs and would love to have this to find new territory!!
September 14, 2010 at 12:08
My boyfriend and I have been trying to find all the stairs and doing so only by what we find on the internet. I would love to have this book!
September 14, 2010 at 12:09
We just love “urban hiking” around Portland. Walking around the city gives us the opportunity to find things like hidden stairs, tiny parks, and all kinds of beauty hidden when zipping through town via car or even bicycle. This book would be an awesome addition to our collection and we’d really love exploring all the places she highlights!
September 14, 2010 at 12:19
I walk all over Portland already, but tend to stick to my normal routes. I’d like to explore new areas, especially with stairs!
September 14, 2010 at 12:24
I’m ready to build up some calf muscles!
September 14, 2010 at 12:30
hmm.. i saw this show on OPB/PBS a while ago about the stairs in portland and very fascinated to go see them since then. This book might come in very handy!
September 14, 2010 at 12:30
I have a phobia of stairs, that I’m working on conquering by taking the stairs every chance I get. I’d love to have a book that shows me all the stairs I can use to challenge myself.
September 14, 2010 at 12:50
This is great! I have a friend who would especially love this book.
September 14, 2010 at 14:01
There’s an out of print book called “The Little Red Book Of Stairs.” I’ve been trying to get my hands on that for years without any luck. This looks to be even better; I’d love to win a copy!
September 14, 2010 at 14:58
Climbing is fun! Climbing stairs in Portland is even more fun! :)
September 14, 2010 at 17:25
Hello! I hope to make all of my stair climbing aspirations come true with this book!
September 14, 2010 at 17:41
I want to walk all the stairs in Portland. When I stop for a drink from my water bottle, this book will look so pretty peeping out of my bag.
September 14, 2010 at 22:20
I have a little OCD thing where I count how many stairs are in the staircase I am going up/down…..or up AND down ’cause I count them both directions. Hey! Maybe I made a mistake the first time or they changed. Could use some new staircases to climb……I know how many steps are in all the ones I do now.
September 15, 2010 at 07:14
I won the last contest, so I guess I’m outta luck. Drat!
September 15, 2010 at 07:55
I have Laura’s other Portland Walk books and have enjoyed discovering neighborhoods and trails in the city. Her new book on Portland stairs would be a nice addition.
September 15, 2010 at 18:15
I want to win this book
September 16, 2010 at 09:30
Time to find out more about this city.
September 16, 2010 at 10:04
Sounds like a great book to find out the best places to get a scenic quadricep-punishing walk in Portland.
September 16, 2010 at 13:13
Looks like a great book – here’s a site that has more P-town walks (including Alameda ridge and stairs)
http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=27574
September 16, 2010 at 14:20
[...] Win “The Portland Stairs Book” By Laura Foster | Handy Guide To All Things Stairlike In&… [...]
September 16, 2010 at 14:34
I could use a step up in life. This book would help.
September 16, 2010 at 15:37
I should get the book because nothing would give me more incentive to stimulate the economy and buy a coffee table than an awesome book that would look great in my living room.
September 16, 2010 at 15:40
I want to have some new places to go walking with my kids and visitors to Portland, so this book would be great!
September 16, 2010 at 15:41
I recently lived in Silverlake for a couple of years and spent many afternoons discovering the ivy-covered and little-used staircases in my neighborhood and beyond. It was one small way I attempted to preserve my Oregonianness in the car culture of Los Angeles. Did you know that the staircase from the Laurel & Hardy movie “The Music Box” is in Silverlake? I bet there are just as many intriguing, beautiful, and historically significant staircases in my beloved rainy city. I’d love to have this book because it would provide even more reasons Portland is better than Los Angeles.
September 16, 2010 at 16:39
Flight Of Stairs (by Arthur Seymour John Tessimond)
Stairs fly as straight as hawks;
Or else in spirals, curve out of curve, pausing
At a ledge to poise their wings before relaunching.
Stairs sway at the height of their flight
Like a melody in Tristan;
Or swoop to the ground with glad spread of their feathers
Before they close them.
They curiously investigate
The shells of buildings,
A hollow core,
Shell in a shell.
Useless to produce their path to infinity
Or turn it to a moral symbol,
For their flight is ambiguous, upwards or downwards as you please;
Their fountain is frozen,
Their concertina is silent.
That’s Why ;-)
September 16, 2010 at 17:16
I just moved to Portland and have had a great time exploring with the walking/biking maps. This book is prettier and might make me look like less of a newbie!
September 16, 2010 at 18:38
I own and treasure “Portland Hill Walks” and many a weekend we leaf through the pages (now tarnished with underlines when the passages instruct us to turn, or waffly from use in the rain) and select a walk we haven’t done yet. Or one we haven’t done in a while. When i got knee surgery the hills had to wait as i reaquainted myself with level ground. During recovery I learned the hardest thing to do for a delicate knee is to descend stairs, and so stairs were something I thought about a lot. “Once I’m well,” I’d think, “I’ll be able to go down the stairs”.
A few months have passed, and now I can go down the stairs. My pride and sense of acheivement is emmense, as though mounting and dismounting stairs were something only skilled professionals can master. No staircase is safe. If I see one, I have to go up and down, to revel in my knee’s abilities. To think there is a book just full of staircases! Staircases i may not have visited! Oh my.
September 16, 2010 at 18:38
I love any and all stair trivia, and I am trying to get fit! This would be a boon for me!
September 16, 2010 at 21:36
I’ve strolled the waterfront
(both sides of the river);
I’ve skated the bridges,
and biked the paths,
To climb the stairs,
both hidden and seen,
long and short,
would complete me.
Please don’t leave me uncompleted :(
September 17, 2010 at 02:10
that’s a beautiful cover!
just returned from d.c., and sought out the infamous stairs used in the exorcist. recall that in the day, georgetown students would charge tourists to see them, dressed in priestly garb, throw themselves down the stairs, recreating that part of the movie.
will be interesting to discover what secrets our own stairs share!
September 17, 2010 at 12:37
Home visiting, but everyone’s doing this thing called “work”… If I had this book I could explore new architectural treasures not yet discovered and then entertain my family post-work with fab tales &quick jaunts. Also, I am staying at my brothers and this would be a great leave behind in exchange for his yogurt I’ve eaten ;) yummm
September 17, 2010 at 15:50
I love the stairs in Goose Hollow and the various ones in NW. I’ve been looking for more to photograph, and this seems like the perfect resource.
September 25, 2010 at 11:45
Thanks, guys!!!! I’m thrilled to have won the Portland Stairs book. It arrived yesterday. Now I have something to do this weekend! :-)
-Minda