Where should I go in Portland?

kns1988 · May 2015

My friend is getting married in Portland, OR this summer, and I booked my trip today. I'm only there for 3 days, so what restaurants, cafes, areas, whatever should I go to if I want to hit some good places? Is there a fun, walkable part of the city? I'll have a rental car, but I was getting confused looking at the different neighborhoods. H can't go, so I'll be exploring by myself!

julieanne912 · May 2015

I've only been there a few times and it's been a few years, but I always liked to visit the shops and restaurants on NW 23rd.

I also don't think you need a rental car there if you're adept with public transportation...depending on where the wedding is of course. If it's way out then you'll need one, but if it's in the city proper, don't bother... all the public transit in the city center is free, and it's really convenient to use. I've yet to rent a car when I go there, and my brother lives there and didn't have a car for 5 years.

madamerwin · May 2015

Portland is the best! Though I am biased...

Here's a rundown of the city, just because I think it's interesting:

Portland is divided into quadrants: NW, SW, NE, SE. The east and west is divided by the Willamette River. The north and south are divided by Burnside Street. Downtown is on the west side of the river, but most of the residential areas are on the east side. Most neighborhoods have their own little downtown "strips," with grocery stores, shops, theaters, etc. Most neighborhoods are walkable, but some more than others. You definitely don't have to be downtown to find stuff to do; in fact, I avoid downtown for the most part. Also, public transportation is really clean and efficient, so if you stay on the east side, it's super easy to take a bus downtown.

That said, I would either try to find a place to stay along Hawthorne or Belmont in SE, Alberta or Mississippi in NE, or downtown (because downtown has a ton of hotels and bars, and shops). I do not, however, recommend driving around downtown if you can avoid it.

Touristy things you should check out:

- Bagdad Theater - Old, historic building with a pub and movie house. You can order beer and wine and food in the theater (relatively common in Portland).

- Mt. Tabor, a large park that is actually a volcanic cinder cone. Excellent views of downtown

- Powell's Books: The largest independent bookstore in the US. You can get lost in there.

- Breweries! Lots of them all over.

- If you like to hike, drive out to the Columbia River Gorge. Beautiful waterfalls.

- Food carts! There are food cart pods all over. They are fun and cheap.

A few places to avoid:

- Don't stay on SE 82nd Ave. It's all used car lots and prostitutes. The nicest neighborhoods in SE are between SE 12th and SE 52nd.

- Anywhere along MLK Blvd. It's not a BAD area, just not very walkable or interesting.

- Anywhere too far north of downtown on the west side of the river. It's an industrial area.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions - I love helping people get acquainted with the city!

madamerwin · May 2015

julieanne912 said:
I've only been there a few times and it's been a few years, but I always liked to visit the shops and restaurants on NW 23rd.
I also don't think you need a rental car there if you're adept with public transportation...depending on where the wedding is of course. If it's way out then you'll need one, but if it's in the city proper, don't bother... all the public transit in the city center is free, and it's really convenient to use. I've yet to rent a car when I go there, and my brother lives there and didn't have a car for 5 years.

Unfortunately, they ended the fareless zone last year. But it is $5 for a day pass, which will get you all over the city.

julieanne912 · May 2015

tfmrserwin said:

julieanne912 said:
I've only been there a few times and it's been a few years, but I always liked to visit the shops and restaurants on NW 23rd.
I also don't think you need a rental car there if you're adept with public transportation...depending on where the wedding is of course. If it's way out then you'll need one, but if it's in the city proper, don't bother... all the public transit in the city center is free, and it's really convenient to use. I've yet to rent a car when I go there, and my brother lives there and didn't have a car for 5 years.
Unfortunately, they ended the fareless zone last year. But it is $5 for a day pass, which will get you all over the city.

Oh man really? That sucks. But $5 a day is a pretty sweet deal. I haven't been there in about 3 years. I'd totally live there if it weren't for the weather. My brother has no plans to ever leave.

julieanne912 · May 2015

Also if you still need a hotel, I've stayed at both of these and had good experiences:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g52024-d112198-Reviews-Hotel_deLuxe-Portland_Oregon.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g52024-d102033-Reviews-Hotel_Monaco_Portland_A_Kimpton_Hotel-Portland_Oregon.html

The Monaco is in a slightly better location in terms of being really close to stuff, but I was still able to deal with the Deluxe with no car without any issues.

behsco90 · May 2015

Make sure to check out Salt N Straw for good ice cream! On NW 23rd, although be prepared to wait in line for awhile. And Voodoo Donuts, also a long line.

Where are you staying? Depending on the hotel, you should be able to walk to some fun places (Waterfront, Saturday Market).

louxnoelle · May 2015

I second a visit to Powell's, and they have a fabulous theatre scene if you're into that!

ashley8918 · May 2015

behsco90 said:
Make sure to check out Salt N Straw for good ice cream! On NW 23rd, although be prepared to wait in line for awhile. And Voodoo Donuts, also a long line.

Where are you staying? Depending on the hotel, you should be able to walk to some fun places (Waterfront, Saturday Market).

Hey, I know someone who works there!

FiancB · May 2015

Oh gosh. Everything is amazing. We went to a breakfast place that was super delicious and cheap, trying to remember the name. Pok Pok is very popular, and of course Voodoo Donuts (hipsters say it's too mainstream but whatever it's still really good). But overall, it's all very walkable and safe and fun. Waterfront is beautiful. I like walking around the general area around Pioneer Square.

I agree that public transportation is super easy. The easiest I've ever experienced. Plug in where you want to go on your phone and it'll tell you where to go. If you will be staying in the city, I wouldn't even bother with the rental car.

If it's the weekend and you're in a residential area, don't expect to get a cab. There's some weird taxi mafia thing going on. I was just a couple miles outside of the city and was trying to get a cab back since it was late and different companies said they'd pick us up and then wouldn't, and then they said if two cabs from two companies ended up showing up, they'd both leave us. We ended up being stuck at her house for hours. It was really weird. They'd just really rather all hover around the old town clubs apparently.

When we stayed (I'm not from Portland but from the coast), we stayed in the Double Tree across from Lloyd Center, which is sort of seen as a sketchy area but it really isn't. It's a little out of the way but it was still really easy to get downtown and to the Schnitzer for a concert (which is gorgeous btw if something strikes your fancy there).

I love Portland

Still my fave city hands down.

kns1988 · May 2015

Thanks for all the tips! My hotel is in Hillsboro which I guess isn't too far of a drive from stuff.

behsco90 · May 2015

@ashley8918 - small world!

@kns1988 - just a small tip if you are driving downtown on a Sunday - you DO have to pay for parking on Sundays...a lot of people don't realize that and end up getting tickets, I've seen it a lot.

[Deleted User] · May 2015

Dittoing Powell's. I just went to Portland for the first time this year on a business trip and I can't say enough about it. It's absolutely beautiful! I recommend checking out the forestry center if you like that sort of thing. The view is gorgeous and you take an elevator through a mountain to get there!

mklam · May 2015

Ditto PPS but dont forget about Vodoo Donuts!

Some crazy donuts there, tang, bacon, froot loops etc

I lived in Portland about.... 13 years ago and am planning to move back in 5. I love it there. Its my favorite city.

madamerwin · May 2015

FiancB said:
Oh gosh. Everything is amazing. We went to a breakfast place that was super delicious and cheap, trying to remember the name. Pok Pok is very popular, and of course Voodoo Donuts (hipsters say it's too mainstream but whatever it's still really good). But overall, it's all very walkable and safe and fun. Waterfront is beautiful. I like walking around the general area around Pioneer Square.

I agree that public transportation is super easy. The easiest I've ever experienced. Plug in where you want to go on your phone and it'll tell you where to go. If you will be staying in the city, I wouldn't even bother with the rental car.

If it's the weekend and you're in a residential area, don't expect to get a cab. There's some weird taxi mafia thing going on. I was just a couple miles outside of the city and was trying to get a cab back since it was late and different companies said they'd pick us up and then wouldn't, and then they said if two cabs from two companies ended up showing up, they'd both leave us. We ended up being stuck at her house for hours. It was really weird. They'd just really rather all hover around the old town clubs apparently.

When we stayed (I'm not from Portland but from the coast), we stayed in the Double Tree across from Lloyd Center, which is sort of seen as a sketchy area but it really isn't. It's a little out of the way but it was still really easy to get downtown and to the Schnitzer for a concert (which is gorgeous btw if something strikes your fancy there).

I love Portland Still my fave city hands down.

This is a really good point that people from bigger cities have trouble with... You CANNOT hail a cab unless you are downtown, and if you're too far out of the city, certain cabs/companies can be dicks. Rose City Cab is generally good if you need it, and Uber just started running here too.

If you're staying in Hillsboro, definitely rent a car. You can take the MAX (train) into town, but it can be a long ride depending on where in Hillsboro you are.

As for Voodoo Doughnuts - I deliberately left it out knowing someone else would probably mention it. It's a tourist destination; expect to stand in line for up to 45 minutes if you go on a weekend. It has a quirky appeal, and it's fun, but if you want the best doughnut in Portland, go to Blue Star Doughnuts downtown. They are phenomenal.

FiancB · May 2015

I think we stayed in Hillboro when we went to my friend's wedding. It still wasn't far from a MAX station and we didn't rent a car. There was a bus here and there. We even took a bus to the coast, though there's only a couple of those that run each day so it's not really a day trip without a car.

Actually, now that I think of it, we were in Oregon City. Best Western.

AlPacina · May 2015

Currently living in Portland, so I thought I'd chime in! I've never actually posted on this board.

I vote skip Voodoo Donuts if you don't want to wait in line. The donuts are expensive, and yes they have some quirky flavors, but they're not very good donuts in my opinion...... But if you're up early, Portlanders typically aren't. That's the only time I'll visit there.

If you're already staying west of Portland, you should check out the rose garden! It's beautiful!

For neighborhoods to walk around in, my favorite is Mississippi Ave for its quirky clothing stores, bars with cocktails that they put so much effort into (lavender whisky, for example), and Ruby Jewel ice cream has an awesome sampler tray of their crazy flavors (They'll even custom make you an ice cream sandwich!) My second favorite street to wander around on is Hawthorne. There are so many unique shops on that one.

Favorite restaurants include:
- Le Bistro Montage : Cajun food, with a plethora of mac n cheese options as well. You can put alligator in any dish! Their jambalaya is also amazing. Plus, your leftovers get turned into tin foil art! One kid left with a giant sword last time I was there. Pretty sure his food only filled half the handle. They do penguins and crabs especially well.
- Toro Bravo : Spanish tapas restaurant, so you order lots of small plates. It gets expensive pretty quickly, but it's so darn delicious and is a great chance to try stuff you wouldn't try otherwise. I highly recommend their sangria!
- Tin Shed : For breakfast/brunch. You'll want to get there early because it's popular, but the food is SO GOOD!

Where should I go in Portland?

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