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Portland’s West End (you know, that area in downtown south of Burnside and west of the streetcar?) has been seeing a lot of retail activity lately. And as more retail tenants open in the area, some already established businesses are taking note of the West End’s heavy foot traffic – and cheaper rents.

Most recently, two retail shops planned to open in what used to be called the Portland Medical Building. , a hat store, is moving from the underground trenches of downtown’s Morgan’s Alley, and another store, , a women’s clothing boutique, is moving shop from is location in the Pearl District.

Both retailers said they were attracted to the spaces for their cheaper rents and higher foot traffic.

“I see a trend,” said broker Jordan Menashe with Menashe Properties. “I believe retailers see something in the West End. It’s a very, very busy area.”

It’s part of a larger trend of holes filling up in Portland’s West End. Across the street from Pinkham and Parallel is the pricey and trendy shop . Around the corner on 10th Avenue is and . Finnegan’s Toys recently moved into the Stevens Building a block away, the same building where Under U4 Men is opening its new expanded store. And another Pearl District shop, Dress Code, is planning to open in the 10W building on 10th Avenue and Washington Street.

In a sense, the retailers are making the move in tandem.

“Everybody knows everybody in the fashion community around here,” said Dana Pinkham, who owns Pinkham Millinery and talked about making the move with several retailers. “This is great timing for all of us.”

But to be fair to Menashe, he did his part in orchestrating the transition. He recently moved from Los Angeles to work with his father Barry, who owns the Portland Medical Building. Jordan gave a facelift to the interior of the building – by far not the prettiest in Portland – and he rebranded it as the 511 Building. Sure, plenty of patients come in and out of the building for dental appointments, etc., he theorizes, but now on their way out, they’ll be tempted to do some shopping. Maybe buy a hat.

And so far, even though the retailers’ rents are cheaper, their prices haven’t changed much. Good for the retailers; maybe not so great for you and me.