Portland, Oregon, a city of just 640,000 seems like it has more barre studios per capita than larger cities like Manhattan, LA or London. When I visited last summer, I couldn’t get over the number of barre businesses in town. You have all of the major players like Pure Barre, Barre3, The Bar Method and at the time Xtend Barre. As well as some local favourites like Industrial Barre. Side note: I wrote a whole article about how I was convinced that Portland, Oregon is the barre capital of the world. If you’re interested in some related reading, check this out.
So what makes this city standout as a barre-friendly town? First of all Barre3 was founded here in 2008 and also has their headquarters in Portland. They are by far the biggest player in town, with 5 of their 123 locations in the city and surrounding area.
Their flagship location is a beautiful space outfitted with two studios. Upon walking up to the entrance I was instantly drawn to their floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the studio. Their reception area has the latest in athletic wear along with a large play lounge where parents can drop off their children while they workout.
Not only can you find Barre3’s flagship in the Pearl District but they have a handful of other locations in the surrounding area, which include: SE 22nd Avenue and Division Street, Kruse Village, Cedar Mill and North Williams Avenue near the corner of North Shaver. This also happens to be the company headquarters.
The Barre3 flagship studio in Portland, Oregon.
With an average 280 classes taught per week, Barre3 definitely has the largest presence in the city in terms of brand awareness. When I was there, they were hosting a Barre3 in the Park event. It literally took over the entire Fields Park, a nearby green space a few blocks from their Pearl District location. Hundreds of people came out to watch Barre3 founder Sadie Lincoln teach a class.
Trailing behind Barre3 in terms of popularity is Portland’s Industrial Barre, which has all three of their locations in the city. It has one of the more beautifully appointed interiors, with its exposed beams, branded wallpaper and recycled construction materials. You can read more about that in my post about the most stylish barre studios in the world.
Source: Industrial Barre
Just down the road from Industrial Barre on NE Broadway Street is Pure Barre, a staple of most American cities, so no surprise they have two studios in this mid-size city. Their other location is in the popular Pearl District, along with The Bar Method which has a presence along NW Hoyt Street.
Other notable local studios include: The Pilates Barre and Mod Physique.
