By Annie Gillis
To aid you in getting around the city, Portland is neatly divided into 4 areas, with the Wilamette River dividing the east & west, connected by just enough bridges to confuse outsiders. Portland is serviced east/west by Max, our public light rail transit. There are also plenty of city buses, and taxis if you need, but venturing into the farther reaches of the city will require a car.
The basic areas:
Southwest: cultural center, home to Portland State University, the beautiful Arlene Schnitzer concert hall, Center Stage Performance Center, Northwest Film Center, Portland Art Museum.
Northwest: NW Portland Fact: all streets running north/south are in alphabetical order=navigation simplicity. On NW 23rd between Burnside (yes, B) and all the way down to is "Trendy-Third" a satisfying mix of corporate and boutique shops, cafes, places to see those wishing to be seen. Also in NW: Old Town, a mix of the Portland Rescue Mission (aiding the homeless) the Burnside bridge skate park (yes, under the bridge), Chinese Garden, old China Town, Pearl District
Northeast: The Rose Garden Amptitheather (where the Blazers play), Lloyd Mall (urbanized, but still a mall), NE Broadway between 8th and 25th is a mix of eclectic cafes, independent stores, and multiple coffee shops. Irvington/Alameda areas are full of beautiful, historic register type homes
Southeast: Hawthorne area---Hawthorne street from around 45th to 11th is a long line of music stores, used clothing stops, Ben & Jerry's, cafes, bars, etc. Mostly centered from the Fred Meyer on 39th to around 28th, Clinton Street: an intersection of cool: hipster mecca bar (DOTS), art house cinema (Clinton St. Theater), art school Mexican café (La Cruda),indie music store (Green Noise)
P-town drinking & eating on a budget
The cultural mix of Portland lends itself to a mix of food options, among a few of the best,
NW Drinks:
Berbatti's Pan: good mix of Mediterranean food, live music at night
China Town: home to what else? Many Chinese restaurants & bars
Dante's: 1 SW 3rd (503) 226-6630 Scary as it sounds. Ok, not scary…but lots of red velvet and a "fire sculpture" consisting of a large flame in metal once trash-now-art-can, drinks, walk-up pizza window
Hung Far Low: 112 NW 4th (503) 223-8686 No, not kidding. Really the name. If you've got the courage (and lungs) to walk up the steep & daunting stairway, through the luncheon room lighting to the back room, with it's darkened interior you will be rewarded with some of the strongest drinks served-an end of the night spot (or early if you are tough)
McMenamins: McMenamins' brothers own enough buildings in Portland to rival that of Starbucks. They specialize in renovating historic landmarks as hotels, eateries, & music venues, many McMenamins pubs of theirs are located in all areas of the city. Easy to locate for newcomers & a friendly introduction into the NW pub/microbrew scene.
NE Drinks:
Colosso: 1932 NE Broadway (503) 288-3333 Bohemian tapas bar on NE Broadway, full of art school kids who apparently have trust funds, it's pricey but delicious and the red walled interior makes the vibe slightly sinister. Excellent bar.
Billy Reed's 2808 NE MLK (503) 493-8127-Located on a revitalized block of MLK Blvd. Big portions, live Jazz weekends, and engaging atmosphere in old dairy bldg.
SE Drinks:
Bar of the Gods (BOG) 4801 SE Hawthorne (503) 232-2037, Dark but friendly neighborhood bar, patio has heaters for the colder nights, many wines and beers are available plus old classic movies flicker on the wall as a backdrop to your drinking.
SW Drinks:
Shanghai Tunnel: 211 SW Ankeny (503) 220-4001 When you walk in the door, walk through the main sitting area, down the red lit stairway and you will find the tunnel, with all it's hipster inhabitants, well mixed drinks and tasty Thai tinged bar food.
Candlelight Room: 2032 SW 5th (503) 222-3378 Home of the blues in Portland. Count on hearing excellent blues music here most nights
NW Eats:
Alexis-215 W. Burnside (503) 224-8577 owned by Alexis family: excellent Greek food, belly dancer, lots of ouza
Thai Orchid: 2231 W. Burnside (503) 226-4542 Along the chaos of Burnside traffic, parking may be difficult, but enter and you will be served large & tasty portions of all foods Thai.
NE Eats:
All Y'all BBQ: 1337 NE Broadway (503) 493-9277. BBQ has found a home in Portland, This is not a chain, it is a couple run kick-ass BBQ joint, for large and small BBQ lovers
Saigon Kitchen: 835 NE Broadway (503) 281-3669 Vietnamese & Thai--You will first notice the Xeroxed enlarged restaurant reviews wallpapering the entryway, and a few windows. They are there for a reason: this place is serious, cheap & you will have leftovers from the generous servings.
Eagle Thai: 822 NE Broadway, (503) 282-1399 Delicious Thai cuisine
Koji Osakaya 1500 NE Wiedler (503) 280-0992 well managed restaurant (with a sister location downtown), full-on sushi bar that serves succulent morsels of tasty raw fish
SE Eats:
Bombay Cricket Club 1925 SE Hawthorne (503) 231-0740: Delicious but pricey Indian cuisine, fragrant with exotic spices plus a delicious mango margarita Full bar with featuring videos of professional cricket games.
Nicks Famous Coney Island 3746 SE Hawthorne (503) 235-4024 Stepping back in time, this narrow bar/restaurant offers the finest in wall memorabilia of baseball legends, Coney island hotdogs, hamburgers, and PBR on tap.
Hawthorne Café: 3354 SE Hawthorne (503) 232-4982 the brunch spot on Hawthorne, lots of waiting in line, but seems to be worth it
SW Eats:
Pasta Veloce, numerous downtown locations: quick, hearty pasta meals, lunch mostly, but good for dinner out on town
Arts:
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Ave
Phone: (503) 226-2811
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 1037 SW Broadway
Phone: (503) 274-6564
Artists Repertory Theatre 1516 SW Alder St
Phone: (503) 241-1278
Cinema:
Is it the rain? Perhaps. Portland is very into it's cinematic experiences with loads of indie art houses and a few corporate cinemas as well, all the following feature independent & art house runs, unless otherwise noted:
Bagdad Theatre & Pub: 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (503) 225-5555 x8831 A McMenamins owned historic theatre in the middle of the Hawthorne neighborhood. Eat pizza, drink beer & enjoy cheap movies (usually $2-$3, second runs). The building itself looks like an old Masonic temple, inside chandelier adds a feeling of importance.
Cinema 21 Theatre 616 NW 21st (503) 223-4515
CineMagic Theatre 2021 SW Hawthorne (503) 231-7919
Clinton Street Theatre 2522 SE Clinton (503) 238-8899
Northwest Film Center 1219 SW Park (503) 221-1156
Guild Theatre 9th Ave & SW Taylor (503) 221-1156
To do:
Tom McCall Waterfront Park SW Front; Harrison to Glisan Phone: (503) 823-2223 Scenic waterfront park, on sunny days a beautiful view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. The park borders the Wilamette River. Named after Oregon's governor who was a proponent of the urban growth boundary in the city of Portland.
Oregon Zoo: Natural habitat, if you are into zoo attractions this is worth a trip
Pearl District: Formerly mostly industrial area, now home to various art galleries, cafes, bars, coffee stops, etc. Known city wide for "First Thursdays" where on the first Thursday of every month all the galleries in the Pearl throw open the doors, locals meander through the streets, and if it's a dry night, musicians congregate and festivities ensue.
Portland Classical Chinese Garden 245 NW Everett St
Phone: (503) 228-8131
beautiful city block space created by Chinese artisans, filled with Chinese
native plants, flowers, trees-and filled with serene spaces for reflection.
Portland Rose Garden: Portland is known as the 'city of Roses" and this NW Portland hilltop rose garden offers an epic vista: postcard worthy view of downtown Portland, Wilamette River, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and on clear days sometimes Mt. Rainier (located near Seattle)
Powell's City of Books: 1005 W Burnside Street (503) 228-4651. See it to believe it: an entire city block, 3,500 specific stations and more than a million new and used titles
Beyond Portlandia:
Pacific Ocean: Portland is a 90-minute drive, though scenic mountain range from the Pacific Ocean. Not a warm and sunny ocean usually, but an emotional, beautiful & rocky shoreline. Remember Goonies? It was filmed near Canon Beach, Oregon on the coast. You will need a wetsuit or ignorance of hypothermia to swim.
Mt. Hood: Striking mountain, sits just beyond Portland, numerous ski/snowboard/snowshoe opportunities in the winter, plus hiking, camping, fishing, etc. Beautiful mountain amid lush forests and streams.
Columbia Gorge: This is what happens when a gigantic river millions of years ago carves it's way out to sea: breathtaking riverscape, follows along I-84 east of Portland through the length of Oregon. A definite drive for tourists, numerous waterfalls line the route, including Multnomah Falls, Bridal Veil Falls & Horse Tail Falls---all conveniently located just seconds from I-84 for your viewing & hiking pleasure.
Silver Falls State Park: About a 90-minute drive south of Portland. If you've got the time, enjoy hiking and waterfalls this is a must-you can even walk behind a few of the falls in the park, which drives home the power of hydro.
More Info:
Willammette Week: weekly independent newspaper, also has website: www.wweek.com, useful for music/arts/movie listings
Portland Mercury: another useful independent weekly
