If you've got an hour, Absolutely. It's an average 15 Minutes to walk to Pioneer Square (or Pioneer Place Mall) along either 5th or 6th ave and both have access to MAX (public transit trains) if you either dont want to walk or have less time and get lucky. Going by MAX, 5th ave goes towards Pioneer Place Mall and if you get off at Couch St, you Can visit Ground Kontrol Arcade, Floating World Comics (on corner of 4th and Couch) several shops and even Voodoo donuts is on 3rd just a short skip away. Theres also a food cart block on 3rd/4th but I find the carts on 5th between Oak and Harvey Milk (next stop on MAX) to be much better (try the Trio Fajita Burrito at La Jarochita or the Lamb Gyro at Small Pharohs). Next stop off Max is Pioneer Place Mall, not as great as Lloyd Center Mall but decent and more of a landmark since it's only a block away from Pioneer Square. Some call the Square the Living Room of Portland and it is the hub of community in Portland.
There is only a 20 minute break if they're running on time & that happens rarely. So I wouldn't go too far out of the station. It's a very bad neighborhood there's a lot of drug activity and homeless people up and down the blocks in front of Union Station. If the train takes off without you- your stuck. I'd stay close. They have a little place to shop & eat inside of Union station.
The light rail is just 100 feet from the entrance. You can go and do pretty much anything depending on how much time you have
There is a new Mini Shopping Center nearby with a Dutch Brothers, Taco Bell, 711 and other new locations that were not open yet when I was at the mini shopping center months ago. You just have to carefully watch for the signs as you drive because them signs are not very big and I'm trying should guide you to that location. It is very close to the airport storage & around the right corner from the post office they have near the airport
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