Boys’ Fort

What a fun place! I’ve been here a couple of times and could only look in through the window because I was too early. I always wanted to go inside — the little peeks are tantalizing! Is that a steampunk lamp? What are those braided belts over there? I know that is a guitar, but what does the front of it look like? Plants? They sell plants?
Well, yes! It is a steampunk lamp and there are several other styles, and I don’t give a single thrip what they cost. If I had the money I’d buy them, and since I don’t I’m content to gaze at them and imagine them in my living space. Knives, bags, mugs, benches, shave kits, wall decorations, leashes. More.
In a store like this value is exchanged. You buy something, maybe, and the store makes the money they need to stay open. But you get something even if you buy nothing. You look around and daydream and delight in novelties and that is your payoff. I think I come out ahead no matter what, because I love walking through here, picking things up, holding them in my hands, admiring the creativity and craftsmanship that goes into each piece.

This place is pretty magical.
Lots of things to find and explore within the space. It’s a large and tall retail space for downtown. Creatively decorated and managed by the most lovely gentleman. Special containers, wallets, plants, decorations and clothes… a little bit of anything!
While people’s main complaint is the prices it is a specialty shop with most goods made right here in Portland. Thoughtful designs and clever ideas. No, most of us (including myself) can’t afford to shop here regularly but we should consider it a fun treat to go look and find surprises once in a while for a gift or for ourselves. And in a sea of downtown corperate retailers I find this a perfect antithisus to what most folks go do downtown.
They have a website and some items available to buy online so check it out!
Gay friendly and operated so support our LGBT community shops as well as local goods!

Overpriced kitsch if you ask me. I find it a lot more fun finding crap like this in garage sales and what not. Also, the «vintage photo cards» that they were panning were nothing more than old photos downloaded from the web (you could easily see the jpeg artifacts) and thus, not actual vintage photos at all. With that in mind, take a close look around, BF is not as vintage as they make themselves out to be.

This new to me shop is really cool. Its located on the ground floor of a parking garage at a MAX stop. They have a lot of really cool stuff, though much of it is at ridiculous high prices. They share their space with a nice plant shop with often similarly high prices.
If nothing else it was cool to see all that they had. I didn’t buy much though that was because I have what I need now. Otherwise… my credit card bill might be a problem.
For me some standouts were some of the art for walls, pots for plants (found one I needed), and just cool objects. I also found a few objects that were familiar to me at surprisingly high prices, like plastic army men.
I would recommend a visit just to see it all, its a fascinating shop to get out of the cold until your train comes.

Boy’s Fort is a mixed bag. Their selection is intriguing, though it’s their prices which are less than impressive. There is an occasional item which could come in handy at home or practical items such as bottle cap opener keys. Small paper cards for a dollar are all over the joint. This can also be a good place to kill time while waiting for the light rail train to arrive.
I think that this is a good store. Their selection of old axes, plants and arrowheads stood out. However, I did see big items that don’t do much for too much. There were old radios in the age of the smartphone and the ridiculous thing was the enthusiasm that I heard for that pathetic item. Still, I got the spear since I sometimes want a quick way to open things or to poke holes in my microwave entrees when needed. Employees were friendly amidst all this.
Look around carefully before deciding what to purchase.

I am told by the owners Jake and Rolfe hat the store has hundreds of cool things from local NW artists, I just happened across it while at Pioneer square, love this place

Awesome shop in Portland. Lots of cool local stuff, a little more expensive than my broke ass can afford but cool things None-​the-​less. I’ve passed this place a million times and finally stopped in while trying to keep cool. Glad I did.

Favorite store in Portland. Hands down.
What a fantastically arranged business! This shop is beautiful from every angle, and full of such a wide variety of merchandise. All of which I want to take home. Home décor, clothing and accessories, all with a masculine bent. And true to the name «Boys’ Fort», it’s got an adventurous spirit and more than a dash of whimsey. Whomever owns this store not only has a keen eye for selecting goods, but also has an uncanny ability to display it in the most interesting way possible.
I don’t want to keep on gushing, so I’ll stop. Just know that if there is anybody in your life with a Y chromosome, you can find the perfect gift for him at Boys’ Fort.

This store was awesome! Everything was high quality and pretty cool. It’s organized pretty well and has lots of cool items. If I actually lived on the west coast, I would buy a lot of t hese things. Unfortunately, I can’t bring these back with me to the east coast.

This place is very confusing to me. As far as I can tell it in no way caters to boys or men. It’s more like… a store full of things that would be tagged «for him» on Pinterest… by women. (e.g. anything that doesn’t explicitly have a butterfly or sparkles on it.) Also, there’s a flower shoppe in one corner FFS.
That being said, it is a pretty cool place to walk through. The people who own this store clearly care a lot about what they do. If you had some kind of track with a motorized cart you could ride through this place on I think it might rate 5 stars.
As an amusement park ride called The Hipster House I think it’s a slam dunk.
As an actual store… I’m not so sure.
While they did have a fair amount of cool stuff (uploaded photos give you a great idea of the things they sell there — wish they also showed price tags too), there was also a lot of head-​scratching. They seem to care more about creating a cool environment rather than actually selling merchandise. And for that you pay a premium.
My biggest problem (as of 11÷6÷2014) is the notion that this place is still rated as «$$» — I’ve never seen a more clear cut case for «$$$» — Hell, let’s be honest. Even though some of this stuff is I guess what you’d call reasonably priced in and of itself, it’d be totally impractically for most people to shop here regularly — even for gifts.
I get it though. There are going to be some people who love this place for the same reasons I was backing out after 15 minutes with a long drawn-​out «Ooooookkaaayyy…»

Your first thought upon walking in this shop is «wow, cool, what a great bunch of stuff,» but your mind is changed very shortly to something more like «what a well-​curated store.» Everything is of high quality and something that would add an interesting touch either to your home or to yourself. For instance, I was very taken with a stump (all sanded down, I think, and super smooth and shiny) with a red drawer in the middle. I’m not sure what I’d use it for, but just like I said it would add edge to your décor. If you want to add something different to your wardrobe but not go all Brooks Brothers (just across the street), there’s a collection of bow ties in interesting fabrics. But this only scratches the surface. There’s a nice balance of vintage, upcycled, and new products.
Boys’ Fort shares their space with Solabee, a florist, and the two spaces fit very well together and you almost forget they are two separate businesses because their products are so carefully picked out and work so well together as you wander through the whole space.
I heartily recommend Boys’ Fort for any time of the year gift-​buying, but wth Father’s Day so close, don’t you think it’s a good idea to stop by and get your dad something much more interesting than a tie (well, OK, you can opt for a bowtie if you buy it here)?

Boys Fort has a lot of fun and interesting items for sale. It’s always fun just to go in and browse around even if you are not looking to purchase anything. They have items that are in a lower price range, but also have products that are spendy but worth it if you have the money to spend. I purchased one of their lamps that I’ve been eyeing for a couple weeks now and I’m very happy with it. It’s purchasing a lamp that’s also a piece of unique art work. I went on a Saturday and it was a little busy so it took a while of walking around before an employee finally noticed me so he could grab the item off the floor for me. I’m very happy with the purchase and will be going back once I figure out what other fun item I’d like to purchase next.

Boy’s Fort is a unique & adorable shop in downtown Portland! If you’re looking for gifties for your guy (or for yourself), you HAVE to pay Boys’ Fort a visit! As soon as you walk in, you see a canine honor bar with a doggy dish of water and a few treats. I’m going to assume that this means this place is pet friendly, but at the time I went, there weren’t any. There are all kinds of goodies here to choose from: jewelry, coasters, maps, cards, mugs, succulents, lighting, soaps, bags & backpacks, shirts, art, leather goods, typewriters, etc. I could go on and on. The staff is friendly, helpful and available even at a busy time like a holiday shopping weekend. We walked around and admired the displays. You can tell that the owners took good care to place things *just right*. Also, they’re part of Little Boxes PDX, so you know you’re supporting a local shop and local artists. I found some adorable stocking stuffers for my husband and dad and a few things I could like for myself. They describe themselves as «a manthropology of locally designed wares and nostalgic curiosities.» Perfect! Whether you’re looking for a big gift, a small gifty or just looking to kill time, you owe it to yourself to stop by this shop, and keep coming back, and keep coming back.. .. .

I see the displays online on their Instagram page and I only wish that I was in Portland and could visit them to check out the wares. I love their artistic collection of curated goods!
–kryztyne

Great place to get gifts for that special man in your life. This store is really fun and their displays are a joy to look at.

The name says it all… It’s unique house and home ware for boys, What caught my attention was the hollowed out cabbage patch dolls used as potting plants. The prices are hit and miss, however, it is a very cool store for gift inspirations.

An affordable curation of unique, handmade and well-​designed gifts for yourself or others.

Boys Fort, you are a favorite of mine in downtown Portland. I frequently pop in on my lunch break just to see your collection of beautiful items. From candles to dinnerware to manly jewelry to sweaters to baby-​doll-​planters… you’ve got a little bit of everything. The two men who own/​run the store are always friendly and cheerful.

I was crazy about the Boys’ Fort Pop-​Up Shops during the Holiday Seasons, 2011 & 2012, but missed them during the rest of the year. I go out of my way to shop local & this place features Portland-​centric merchandise by Portland artists & crafts people. Cool stuff: furniture, lighting, art, accessories, messenger bags, guitars, jewelry, back packs, bike stuff, books, clothing, toys, baby doll head planters… all for guys.
There is nothing prissy about Boys’ Fort in its new all-​year-​round location, it is simply the best curated shop I have ever experienced. Plus, the girlfriend can find plenty to like & they share a space with a flower shop.
Some stuff is pricey, but there are items for just a few dollars also.
Cool merchandise, friendly, helpful staff. I want to hang out there!