Planning a trip to Portland OR
When To Go
In Portland and Seattle we like to say that summer begins on July 5th. It’s mostly true—or as true as anything can be in an age of rapid climate change. So if you are planning to spend your holidays in either city, and want to maximize your chances for sunshine and warm weather, July 5 through September 15 are the best months to visit.
The summers truly are splendid, and life in both cities moves outdoors as much as possible. The parks are verdant, the gardens are glorious, there are outdoor festivals galore, and you can sit outside comfortably all evening, until it gets chilly enough for a sweater. That’s the beauty of summer in Seattle and Portland—no matter how hot the day, the nights cool down (sometimes by 30 degrees) so that you need a blanket. And when it’s hot, it’s dry, not humid, because the hot air comes from the deserts east of the Cascades and flows down the Columbia Gorge and through the valleys to Portland and Seattle. The downside when it gets very warm and the winds stop blowing is inversion and air pollution. Ick.
Nobody but gardeners believe me when I tell them that Portland and Seattle actually have what is considered a Mediterranean climate. What this means is that it generally rains almost constantly in one form or another from mid-October through June, with plenty of clear days and periods of truly great weather along the way. From November through March, the temperature remains temperate, rarely dipping below freezing and usually hovering in the 40s. By April it starts warming up, though the precipitation persists, and by May and June temperatures rise to the mid-70s with (of late) sudden spikes into the 80s and even low 90s (all temperatures in Fahrenheit). Plants love this climate, and so do gardeners.
June is when Portland holds its famous Rose Festival, but I’ve often thought it should be called the Rain Festival because it always seems to rain during the two big parades. Why not celebrate what makes life out here so green?
But can I convince you to come earlier in the year? If you are a gardener, in love with the egregious excesses of spring, come to Seattle or Portland in late April through May. You will be dazzled by the exuberance of spring in the Northwest, as cherry trees burst into pink bloom; camellias open; rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, and dogwoods flower; and the tulip fields near Portland and Seattle rival—maybe surpass—those in Holland. Yes, the springtime weather is very changeable, and you will have rain, but you also won’t miss the floral fecundity of these two cities when spring is at its freshest and richest.
The heavenly summer weather often stretches out through September, sometimes into early October. This, too, is a fabulous time to visit because of the bounty you’ll find at the farmers markets and the cultural pleasures you’ll enjoy as the performing arts venues swing into performance mode.
As for winter—well, if you’re a skier or snowboarder, you know why winter would be a good time to come. The mountain (Mt. Hood) is generally ready to chairlift skiers up its slopes by mid-November—though I hasten to add that in recent years the snow has been arriving later and staying longer.
Travel Portland, 701 SW Sixth Ave. (www.travelportland.com; tel. 877/678-5263 or 503/275-8355), is in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. Hours are Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–4pm, Sun (May–Oct only) 10am–2pm. Travel Oregon (www.traveloregon.com; tel. 503/284-4620), the state tourism office, has an information desk in the baggage claim area of the Portland Airport; open daily 9am–10pm.
City LayoutPortland is in northwestern Oregon at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers. (Contrary to what many people think, Portland is not on the Pacific Ocean but about 90 miles east of it.) The Willamette (pronounced will-am-met) River, spanned by eight bridges in the downtown area, cuts through the heart of Portland, dividing it into east and west. Burnside Street is the north-south boundary line, dividing the west side into northwest and southwest, and the east side into northeast and southeast. The west side rises steadily from the Willamette to about 1,000 ft. in the West Hills, while the residential east side of Portland is relatively flat, though it is punctuated here and there by the hilly remnants of several volcanoes. Just east of the city, the landscape changes to rolling hills that extend about 50 miles to the Cascade Mountains and Mount Hood, the most prominent peak in the Oregon Cascades (11,235 ft.). The Columbia River, to the north, forms the boundary between Oregon and Washington.
The Greater Metro area also includes Vancouver, Washington, just across the Columbia River to the north of Portland, although that is an entirely separate city. About 2.35-million people now live in the combined metropolitan areas, and the figure is rising by the day
Main Arteries & StreetsI-84 (Banfield Fwy. or Expwy.) enters Portland from the east. I-205, east of the city, bypasses downtown Portland and runs past the airport. I-5 runs through the city on a north-south axis. I-405 circles around the west and south sides of downtown. U.S. 26 (Sunset Hwy.) leaves downtown heading west toward Beaverton and the coast. Ore. 217 runs south from U.S. 26 in Beaverton and connects to I-5.
Fast Facts
Area Codes -- The Portland metro area has two area codes—503 and 971—and it is necessary to dial all 10 digits when making local calls.
Dentist -- Contact the Multnomah Dental Society (www.multnomahdental.org; tel. 503/513-5010) for a referral.
Disabled Travelers -- Thanks to provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act, most public places are required to comply with disability-friendly regulations—almost all public establishments (including hotels, restaurants, and museums, but not certain National Historic Landmarks) in Portland, and all modes of public transportation—bus, light rail, streetcar—provide accessible entrances. Portland is a particularly wheelchair-friendly city, at least on the relatively flat streets of downtown and the east side; using a wheelchair is much more difficult in the West Hills neighborhoods. (For more information on traveling with a disability in the Pacific Northwest, visit www.frommers.com/destinations/washington-state/planning-a-trip/tips-for-travelers-with-disabilities.)
Doctor-- If you need a physician referral while in Portland, contact Legacy Referral Services (www.legacyhealth.org; tel. 503/335-3500).
Emergencies -- For police, fire, or medical emergencies, phone tel. 911.
Family Travel -- Most restaurants in the Pacific northwest can supply a booster seat or high-chair, but special kids’ menus are more likely to be found in chain restaurants and neighborhood eateries than in fine-dining establishments. Nearly all attractions offers a reduced rate for children. In general, you will find Portland, Seattle, and the Oregon coast very kid-friendly.
Hospitals -- Two conveniently located area hospitals are Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1015 NW 22nd Ave. (www.legacyhealth.org; tel. 503/413-7711), and Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St. (www.providence.org; tel. 503/215-1111).
Newspapers & Magazines -- The Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com) is Portland’s daily paper. Portland Monthly (www.portlandmonthly.com) is a good lifestyle monthly. For arts and entertainment information and listings, consult the “A&E” section of the Friday Oregonian, or pick up a free copy of Willamette Week (www.wweek.com/homepage/) at sidewalk newspaper boxes.
Pharmacies -- Fred Meyer and Safeway grocery stores have pharmacy departments that are open 7 days a week. Also look for Walgreens and CVS.
Safety -- Portland and Seattle are generally safe cities, but exercise the usual cautions on the street and while using public transportation. Car break-ins and bike thefts are the most common crimes, so do not leave items in your car in plain view, and if you’re riding a bike, make certain you have a good lock and don’t leave the bike unattended for long periods of time. State parks along the coast are generally safe, but again, don’t leave anything valuable in your car. This is particularly important to remember at the waterfall parking lots in the Columbia River Gorge area.
Smoking -- Smoking indoors in public places is banned in Oregon.
Taxes -- Portland is a shopper’s paradise—there’s no sales tax. However, there’s a 14.5% tax on hotel rooms within the city and a 17% tax on car rentals (plus additional fees if you pick up your rental car at the airport, adding anywhere from 10–16%.)
Time Zone -- Portland is on Pacific time, 3 hours earlier the East Coast.
For more information about traveling in the Pacific Northwest (packing, electricity, mobile phones, time, customs, etc.) visit www.frommers.com/destinations/washington-state/planning-a-trip/fast-facts.
Oregon's Cannabis Laws
You’ve probably heard that since 2015 the recreational use of marijuana has been legal in Portland. That doesn’t mean you can stroll down the street puffing on a reefer. You must be 21 years of age to purchase pot from a licensed retailer (they will check your I.D.). Smoking marijuana in public in Oregon is illegal, even if you're smoking with a vape pen. You can only consume at home or on private property—but not in your hotel (because of anti-smoking laws enacted to control the use of tobacco in hotels). This means no bars, community parks, public outdoor smoking areas, on buses and airplanes, or federal land. And don’t smoke in your car and then drive when you’re stoned: it’s dangerous. Getting busted smoking weed in public could result in fines and even jail time.
Neighborhoods in Brief
Downtown Portland Attractions
Ask a Portlander about the city’s must-see attractions, and you’ll probably be directed to the Portland Japanese Garden, the International Rose Test Garden, and the Lan Su Chinese Garden. Gardening is a Portland obsession, and thanks to the moist and mild weather here, you’ll find some of the finest public gardens in the country. Visiting all the city’s noteworthy parks and gardens can easily take up two or three days. Seattle, and not Portland, is the place where you’re more likely to encounter big museums and splashy traveling art exhibitions. This isn’t to say that the Portland Art Museum, which often hosts interesting traveling exhibitions, isn’t worth visiting, or that the Oregon Historical Society Museum is not worth your time. They are, but they have a local rather than an international focus. The city’s really not so much about spending hours in museums as it is about exploring neighborhoods, parks and gardens, and nearby nature.
Attractions in and Around Downtown Portland
Tea in the Chinese Garden
Tea has been a part of Chinese life and culture for over a thousand years. Introduced first as medicine, tea later became associated with Taoist philosophy. Monks used tea to stay awake during long meditation sessions. By the time teahouses became popular, during the Ming dynasty, tea was firmly established as a social beverage, and serving tea had taken on its own elaborate etiquette. The teahouse located in the two-story Tower of Cosmic Reflections in the Lan Su Chinese Garden is a perfect spot to sample authentic Chinese tea and teacakes while enjoying a view of the garden.
Along the Willamette River.
The Bridges of Multnomah County
Six Portland bridges can be seen by strolling the length of Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The three most notable are the buff-colored Hawthorne Bridge (1910), the oldest lift-bridge in the country; the Morrison Bridge, which opened in 1887 as a wooden toll bridge—the first span across the Willamette—and was replaced in 1905 and 1958; and the Steel Bridge, the world's only telescoping double-deck vertical lift bridge.
Washington Park Attractions
Washington Park Choo-Choo
Beloved by generations of kids, the little Washington Park and Zoo Railway travels between the zoo and the International Rose Test Garden. Tickets for the miniature railway are $5, free for children 2 and under. There’s also a shorter route that just loops around the zoo. It’s a kid-sized train, just big enough for adults, with open windows, and it winds its way through the forest.
Portland Rose Festival
The Portland Rose Festival (www.rosefestival.org), held every year in June, coincides with the roses in the International Rose Test Garden’s peak blooming period. It is one of the largest floral-themed extravaganzas in the country, with two parades, the crowning of a Rose Queen (a high school competition), and a fun fair set up in Tom McCall Waterfront Park . This Portland tradition dates back to 1907.
Northwest Portland Attractions
You might want to explore urban Northwest Portland by strolling through the Pearl District, or down NW 23rd Avenue from East Burnside to NW Thurman Brief. But if you want to enjoy the natural side of Portland, put on some good walking shoes or hiking boots and head up to giant Forest Park.
Southeast Portland Attractions
Urban adventurers will enjoy southeast Portland’s hopping neighborhoods, including SE Hawthorne, SE Division, Sellwood, and Eastmoreland/Westmoreland . There is also a heritage amusement park, a superlative garden, and a popular science and technology museum on the east side by the river.
Walking Along the willamette
It’s pronounced Will-am-ette, not Will-a-met, and it flows right through the heart of Portland. This river played an important role in the lives of the Native American Multnomah tribe (Portland is in Multnomah County) and was an essential route for the pioneers who trekked across country on the Oregon Trail and poured into the Willamette Valley in the mid-19th century. Pioneers took boats and rafts down this tributary of the Columbia to Oregon City, which marked the end of the Oregon Trail. It was in Oregon City that land claims could be made. The river was deep enough to allow Portland to become a major inland port—hence all the historic drawbridges that you can see downtown. On the west side, you can stroll along the river downtown at Tom McCall Waterfront Park . On the east side, a paved pathway connects OMSI to the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade to the north. The path from OMSI also heads south 3 miles to Oaks Amusement Park. Along the pathway beside the museum, several interesting informational plaques tell the history of Portland and its relationship to the Willamette.
Getting There
By Plane
Portland International Airport (PDX; www.flypdx.com; 📞 877/739-4636 or 503/460-4234) is Oregon’s biggest and busiest airport and is served by major national and two international airlines. The airport has direct international service to Amsterdam and Tokyo and direct service to New York, Chicago, Denver, and several other airports throughout the U.S. PDX is located 10 miles northeast of downtown Portland, adjacent to the Columbia River. This is one of the easiest airports in the U.S. to navigate, and it’s consistently ranked the most user-friendly airport in the U.S. PDX is linked to the city by the easy-to-use MAX light rail system. There’s a Travel Oregon Visitor Information Center in the baggage claim area where you can pick up maps and brochures.
By Car
From the airport, follow signs for downtown. From I-205 you’ll exit onto westbound I-84, which crosses the Willamette River via the Morrison Bridge exit and brings you into downtown Portland. The trip takes about 20 minutes if there’s no traffic, up to 45 minutes if it’s rush hour.
The distance to Portland from Seattle is 176 miles (285 km); from Spokane, 350 miles (563 km); from Vancouver, British Columbia, 285 miles (459 km); from San Francisco, 640 miles (1,030 km); and from Los Angeles, 1,015 miles (1,633 km).
I-5 runs through the length of Oregon and continues north toward the Canadian border and south to Los Angeles, passing through the heart of Portland. I-84 runs from Idaho and points east into Oregon, ending in Portland.
By Light Rail
The easiest and least expensive way to get into town is to take the Airport MAX (Red Line) light rail line, operated by TriMet (www.trimet.org; 📞 503/238-7433). MAX operates daily about every 15 to 30 minutes between 5am and midnight. Buy your ticket from the vending machine on the airport station platform. The fare on MAX is $2.50 for adults and $1.25 for seniors (or “Honored Citizens,” as they’re called in Portland). The trip from the airport to Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland takes about 40 minutes. (Many downtown hotels lie within 4 or 5 blocks of Pioneer Square; plan on walking from there, or continuing to your hotel via streetcar, bus or another MAX line, because taxis in Portland don’t cruise for fares.)
By Taxi
A taxi to downtown generally costs between $35 and $45 before gratuity. Taxis are usually available at the lower level Ground Transportation area. It is also legal to use Uber or Lyft.
By Train
Amtrak (www.amtrak.com; tel. 800/872-7245) trains stop at historic Union Station, 800 NW Sixth Ave, about 10 blocks from the heart of downtown Portland. Taxis are usually waiting to meet trains and can take you to your hotel, or you can use Lyft or Uber. If you are renting a car from a downtown car rental office, the agency will usually pick you up at the station. The MAX Yellow and Green lines both run past Union Station and can take you into downtown Portland or across the Willamette River to Portland’s east side. Amtrak's Coast Starlight train connects Portland with Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. Between Portland and Seattle there are both regular trains and modern Talgo trains, which make the trip in 3 1/2 to 4 hours versus 4 1/2 hours for the regular train. The Talgo train, called Cascades, runs between Eugene, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia.
By Bus
Greyhound (www.greyhound.com; tel. 800/231-2222 in the U.S.; tel. 001/214/849-8100 outside the U.S.) connects Portland with cities nationwide. The Greyhound bus station is at 550 NW Sixth Ave., on the north side of downtown near Union Station. You can take MAX from the Greyhound station into downtown. Although you can also easily walk from the station into the heart of downtown, you have to pass through a somewhat rough neighborhood for a few blocks; it’s fine during the day, but I wouldn’t recommend it after dark or on weekend evenings.
Bolt Bus (www.boltbus.com) is a low-cost bus service to Portland from Vancouver, BC and Seattle to the north, and from Eugene to the south. The Bolt Bus drops off passengers right downtown on SW Salmon between 5th and 6th avenues. Bolt Bus makes the trip between Seattle and Portland in about 3 1/2 hours and offers free Wi-Fi on board.
Getting Around
You don’t need a car while in Portland because the city is well served by public transportation (light-rail, streetcar, buses). However, if you want to take day trips to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, the wine country, or Mount Hood, or explore the Oregon coast, a car is necessary.
Major rental-car companies with offices in or near Portland International Airport or in downtown Portland include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
One of the most important benefits of belonging to the American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com; tel. 800/222-4357) is that it supplies members with free maps and emergency road service. In Portland, AAA is located at 600 SW Market St. (www.oregon.aaa.com; tel. 800/452-1643 or 503/222-6767). Members of AAA also can get detailed road maps of Oregon by calling their local AAA office.
In Oregon, you may turn right on a red light after a full stop, and if you are in the far-left lane of a one-way street, you may turn left into the adjacent left lane of a one-way street at a red light after a full stop. Everyone in a moving vehicle is required to wear a seat belt.
Oregon is one of only two states in the U.S. with no self-service gas stations. So when you pull into a gas station, an attendant will fill your tank.
By Public TransportationEven if you have a car, I would encourage you to use public transportation while you’re in Portland. Why hassle with the sometimes-awful traffic and search for a scarce parking space, when you can travel around the city via bus, MAX light rail, or the Portland streetcar? They are all operated by TriMet (www.trimet.org; 📞 503/238-7433). Buy your 2 1/2-hour tickets and day passes on the bus (exact change required), at vending machines at bus and light rail stops, at vending machines on board the streetcar, or at the TriMet Ticket Office (701 SW Sixth Ave.), located in Pioneer Courthouse Square behind the waterfall fountain. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Bus and MAX passes and schedules are also available at most Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Albertsons grocery stores throughout the metro area.
The following fares are valid and interchangeable on all forms of TriMet transportation for 2 1/2 hours: adults 18–64 $2.50, seniors (“Honored Citizens”) 65+ and youth 7–17 $1.25. There is a lower “streetcar-only” fare described below.
Save Money with TriMet Transportation Passes
A 1-day transportation pass, which includes all forms of public transportation, costs only $5 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $3.30 for ages 7–17. Use it for only two trips and you’ve paid for the pass, use it for additional trips during the day and you’re saving a lot. You can buy a 7-day pass for $26 adults, $7 seniors, and $8 ages 7–17.
By Bus: TriMet buses operate daily over an extensive network. Adult fares are $2.50, $1 for seniors (“Honored Citizens”) 65 and older, and $1.65 for children up to age 17. You can make free transfers between the bus and both the MAX light rail system and the Portland streetcar. Tickets are good for 2.5 hours.
By Light Rail: The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is Portland’s aboveground light rail system, connecting downtown Portland with the airport (Red Line), the eastern suburb of Gresham (Blue Line), the western suburbs of Beaverton (Red and Blue lines) and Hillsboro (Blue Line), North Portland (Yellow Line), and Clackamas (Green Line). The new Milwaukie extension (Orange Line) runs from Union Station through downtown, crosses the new Tillicum Crossing bridge to Eastmoreland/Westmoreland, and continues on to Milwaukie. Fares on MAX are the same as on TriMet buses. Be sure to validate your ticket on the platform before you board MAX. There are ticket inspectors who randomly check to make sure passengers have stamped tickets and issue fines to those who don’t.
By Streetcar: Portland streetcar (www.portlandstreetcar.org; tel. 503/238-7433) runs on three lines, traversing both sides of the Willamette River. The NS Line travels from NW Lovejoy and Northrup, through the Pearl District, downtown, and Portland State University to the South Waterfront District. The A Loop and B Loop run in opposite directions on the same route connecting SW Market (downtown) to the Pearl District, across the Broadway Bridge to the Rose Quarter, Convention Center (Central Eastside), and OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). The streetcar lines are a great way for visitors to get from downtown to the eastside neighborhoods. Streetcar fares are $2 for adults 18-64 and $1 for seniors 65+ and youth 7–17, but that’s for the streetcar only; you cannot use a streetcar-only ticket to transfer to buses or MAX.
By Car
Car Rentals: Portland is a compact city, and public transit will get you to most attractions within its limits. However, if you’re planning to explore outside the city—and the Portland area’s greatest attractions, such as Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge, lie in the countryside within an hour’s drive—you’ll definitely need a car or a tour company to take you there.
The major car rental companies all have desks at Portland International Airport on the lower level: Avis (www.avis.com; tel. 800/331-1212 or 503/249-4950), Dollar (www.dollar.com; tel. 800/800-3665 or 503/249-4792), Enterprise (www.enterprise.com; tel. 800/261-7331 or 503/252-1500), Hertz (www.hertz.com; tel. 800/654-3131 or 503/528-7900) and National (www.nationalcar.com; tel. 877/222-9058 or 503/249-4900). Outside the airport, but with desks adjacent to the other car rental desks are Alamo (www.goalamo.com; tel. 877/222-9075 or 503/249-4900), Budget (www.budget.com; tel. 800/527-0700 or 503/249-6331), and Thrifty (www.thrifty.com; tel. 800/847-4389 or 877/283-0898). Zipcar (www.zipcar.com) and Car2go (www.car2go.com) let you rent a small two-seater car or larger cars (including Mercedes) from spots all over Portland, drive it as long as you need to, and return it to a convenient drop-off spot—not necessarily where you picked it up—for a standard rate of 35-49¢ per minute. You don’t have to pay for gas when you use the car. You do need to become a member before you begin using the service, but after the initial charge there is no annual fee. The same basic rules apply for ReachNow Car Sharing Portland (www.reachnow.com/portland), but this service provides various BMW and Mini cars and offers a flat-rate pricing system ($20 for 1 hour, $50 for 3 hours).
Parking: Electronic parking meters take coins, credit cards, and debit cards and issue receipts that must be placed on the curbside window of your car. The receipt remains valid elsewhere if you move your car, as long as there is time remaining on it. In most parts of town, you don’t have to feed the meters after 7pm, but you do pay for parking on Sundays from 1 to 7pm in some parts of the city. The hourly rate is $2.00.
The city operates Smart Park garages at First Avenue and Jefferson Street, Fourth Avenue and Yamhill Street, 10th Avenue and Yamhill Street, Third Avenue and Alder Street, O’Bryant Square, and Naito Parkway and Davis Street. Many downtown merchants and restaurants validate Smart Park tickets for 2 hours if you spend at least $25.
You can forego credit card and cash payments for parking by using the city’s new Parking Kitty mobile parking app (www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/73554). Every parking meter has an identifying Zone number posted on the side that you type in along with the amount of time you want to park. Some people find it easy to use, others say that it’s neither faster nor more efficient. If you’re tech-savvy and app-friendly, you may find it useful, but it also requires that you sign up with a password to create an account.
Special Driving Rules: Oregon state law prohibits texting and talking on a handheld device while driving; stiff fines may result if you are caught doing so. You may turn right on a red light after a full stop and left into the adjacent left lane of a one-way street. If a pedestrian is crossing at a white-striped pedestrian crossing, motorists must come to a complete stop until the pedestrian has reached the sidewalk. There are now green bike-only lanes throughout the city; bicyclists have the right-of-way in the bike lanes.
You won’t find cabs cruising the streets—you or your hotel concierge will have to phone for one. Broadway Cab (www.broadwaycab.com; tel. 503/227-1234) and Radio Cab (www.radiocab.net; tel. 503/227-1212) charge $2.50 for the first passenger, $1 for each additional passenger, and $2.90 per mile.
By Bike: With traffic a growing problem in Portland, getting around by bike is an increasingly popular mode of transportation—and now it’s easier than ever for you to hop on a bike and pedal to your destination. BIKETOWN, launched in 2016, is Portland’s bikeshare program, designed for taking quick trips around downtown and the close-in east side. The bright orange bike stations are located in busy areas throughout the Portland core. BIKETOWN (www.biketownpdx.com) offers three payment options: a single 30 minute ride for $2.50, a day pass including 180 minutes of ride time for $12, and an annual pass with 90 minutes of ride time per day for $12/month. The plans are available for purchase through the website, mobile app, or at a station kiosk. At the station, you enter the personal identification number (PIN) you received with sign-up or hold your member card above the touch pad, remove the lock, ride the bike, and return it to an open space at any other bike station. It’s fun and simple.On Foot
City blocks in Portland are about half the size of most city blocks elsewhere, and the entire downtown area covers only about 13 blocks by 26 blocks. This makes downtown Portland a very easy place to explore on foot. From downtown you can easily walk to the Pearl District, NW 23rd, and Washington Park. (There are also public transportation options to all those destinations.)
Neighborhoods in Brief
Everyone who comes to Portland—and even some of us who live here—comments on its many lovely neighborhoods. As the city has grown and diversified, older neighborhoods have been “rediscovered” and their original shopping and retail streets re-invented. The commercial/retail/restaurant areas of several areas, mostly on the east side, are virtually unrecognizable from what they were as recently as the 1990s. Portland has always been community-minded, and the old neighborhoods with their new infill remain the heart and soul of the city.
To get a feel for the Portland of today, the New Portland, hop on a streetcar or the light rail system and go hang out in some Portland neighborhoods. Once upon a time not so long ago, they were just neighborhoods, some better than others, with a strong community spirit. Today, people flit from one neighborhood to the next because the restaurant/coffeehouse/bakery/microbrewery/boutique phenomenon has spread all over. There are neighborhoods and streets that have been completely transformed, particularly in North Portland, where North Russell Street, North Mississippi, and North Alberta have blossomed in ways unimaginable a few years ago. The Pearl District, created in an old warehouse and light industry area, is one of the most successful urban developments in the country. Over in southeast, Division Street and Belmont Street have changed dramatically with new buildings that combine retail, restaurants and residential. And downtown Portland, which remains as attractive and vital as ever, is being upgraded and reinvented everywhere you look. The urban center is not an anonymous warren of designer skyscrapers; it’s fairly low-rise (height restrictions prevent tall buildings from usurping the views from the hills) and has a wonderful mixture of architecture and parks to keep it interesting. As you visit residential neighborhoods, don’t be surprised if you hear clucking—raising chickens is a new urban pastime in Portland.
So where do people hang out? Portland has more microbreweries than any city in the world, and coffee shops are big small businesses. People order, sip, start to gab with their friends, and never leave except to go to the bathroom. You also hang out at bars during happy hour, which is huge in Portland. I always thought it was because drinks were cheap, but actually it’s because the food is half-price.
The nice thing about hanging out in different parts of Portland is that you don’t have to travel for miles to do it. The city is compact and easy to navigate, though you’d be wise to avoid driving during morning, afternoon, and evening rush hours. As you explore, you’ll discover what really makes this city so special—its scale, its variety, and its still-charming livability. So goodbye Old Portland. I will miss you. But I have to say, the New Portland, aggravating as it is at times, is a lot more fun and exciting. And there’s enough of Old Portland left to “Keep Portland Weird,” our other civic motto.
Southwest Portland
Downtown: Thanks to far-sighted planning efforts, Portland's attractive downtown area has become a model for cities around the country. Compact and pedestrian-friendly, with short 200-square-foot blocks and three historic districts, it’s a destination for residents and workers from all over the city. Parks, fountains, public artworks, hotels, restaurants, and a rich texture of building and street materials add to the human-scale appeal. Brick-paved Transit Malls, completed in 1978 along SW 5th and 6th Avenues, bisect the main retail and business core.
Starting at the Willamette River, the central downtown area is bounded to the south and north by the curve of I-405. Clustered along the south end are the buildings of Portland State University (bounded by I-405, SW Market Street, SW 12th Ave., and SW 5th Ave.). Rising at the north end is the sleek, rhomboid-shaped U.S. Bancorp Tower (111 SW 5th Ave.), known locally as "Big Pink." Oregon's tallest building (43 stories), it has a reflective orange-pink facade that plays off the changing light. Downtown extends west to the I-405 Freeway, a monstrosity that cuts right through southwest and northwest Portland at 13th Avenue.
Pioneer Courthouse Square, a brick plaza flanked by the lovely old Pioneer Courthouse, office buildings from the 1920s covered with white glazed terra-cotta tiles (it’s officially the Glazed Terracotta Historic District, but nobody knows that except me, and now you), and a large Nordstrom store from the 1980s, is a gathering spot called “Portland’s living room.” Within downtown’s Cultural District (along Broadway and the South Park blocks) are the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, home of the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, and Keller Auditorium—the city’s largest performing-arts venues—as well as the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon Historical Society Museum. The South Park Blocks, a tree-lined park-promenade created on land donated by Portland’s early settlers, runs from SW Salmon Street through the campus of Portland State to the I-405. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a wide pedestrian esplanade and park, runs along the Willamette River and is the site of numerous festivals (an amusement park is set up here during the Rose Festival). You’d never guess that this popular riverfront greenway was once a six-lane highway.
The Yamhill National Historic District, bounded by SW Naito Parkway, Morrison Street, Taylor Street, and 3rd Avenue, is also considered part of downtown Portland. This compact, six-block area, known for its fine examples of late-19th-century cast-iron architecture, marked the southern end of the city’s first, waterfront-based commercial core. In the 1950s, when many buildings in the area were demolished for parking lots and to facilitate construction of the present Morrison Street Bridge, the area became isolated from its contemporaneous extension to the north, the area now known as the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District. Restoration and renovation of the remaining buildings began in the 1970s.
Skidmore/Old Town District: Portland’s original commercial core is bounded by SW Naito Parkway, SW Oak Street, Third Avenue, and NW Davis Street. Running parallel to the Willamette River, and straddling sections of northwest and southwest Portland, this area, along with the Yamhill Historic District to the south (considered a part of downtown), was part of the 1843 land claim that led to the establishment of Portland. From the mid- to late-19th century it served as the city’s main riverfront business and entertainment district. Skidmore Fountain, a graceful fountain built in 1888—with caryatids holding aloft a bronze basin in the center of an octagonal granite pool with the inscription, "Good citizens are the riches of a city["]—acts as the centerpiece of the district. Cast-iron artifacts from demolished 19th-century Portland buildings are set into an adjacent brick wall and covered arcade that leads to the popular Portland Saturday Market. The area began to decline in the 1890s when the logging boom ended and railroads decreased the city’s reliance on river trade. Union Station (800 NW 6th Ave. near the Broadway Bridge), with its 150-ft. tower proclaiming “Go By Train,” was built in 1896 and is a prominent landmark from the railroad era. As the city center shifted west toward higher ground, Old Town gradually became a neglected skid row, and many of the district's brick and cast-iron "commercial palaces" were demolished, leaving gaping holes. Since its designation in 1975 as a National Historic Landmark District, most of the remaining late-19th-century buildings have been restored. Despite the presence of the Portland Saturday Market, the neighborhood has never become a popular shopping district, mostly because some welfare hotels and street people give parts of it a rough edge. With its many clubs and bars, however, it is the city’s main nightlife district. The neighborhood is safe during the day, but visitors should exercise caution at night.
Portland Heights Portland Heights, nestled in the hills south of Burnside Street and west of SW Vista, is Portland’s oldest and most affluent neighborhood. In gorgeous Washington Park, you’ll find two of Portland’s great gardens (The International Rose Test Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden) as well as the renowned Hoyt Arboretum and the Oregon Zoo. This is otherwise primarily a residential neighborhood.
South Waterfront Portland’s newest neighborhood is a collection of high-rise offices and condominiums about a mile south of downtown’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The South Waterfront is home to the lower terminal for the Portland Aerial Tram that glides up to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), the huge medical facility that dominates “Pill Hill” above the South Waterfront. There’s otherwise not much here to draw visitors.
The Benson Bubblers
Scattered throughout downtown Portland are dozens of cast-bronze four-bubbler drinking fountains installed around 1912 to 1913. They were a gift from Simon Benson, a teetotaling lumber baron who believed a supply of fresh, cool water would help detract from the lure of the saloons. Portland’s drinking water comes from Bull Run, a watershed on the northwest slope of Mount Hood, and it is delicious.
Northwest Portland
Chinatown Two carved lions stand in front of the colorful Chinatown Gate (NW Fourth Ave. and W. Burnside), erected in 1986 to commemorate 135 years of Chinese contributions to the city of Portland and the state of Oregon. The five-tiered gate marks the official entrance to Portland's low-key Chinatown District, bounded by NW Second and Fifth Avenues, West Burnside, and NW Glisan Street. This small area, with its handful of Chinese groceries and restaurants, is wedged between the Pearl District and Old Town. The neighborhood’s main attraction is the impressive Lan Su Chinese Garden. Because of its proximity to bars on West Burnside Street and the homeless missions and welfare hotels in Old Town, Chinatown is not a good neighborhood to explore late at night.
Pearl District This relatively new (and recycled) neighborhood of galleries, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, brewpubs, parks, and residential and business lofts and condos is bounded by the North Park Blocks, Overton Street, I-405, and Burnside Street. It is rather phenomenal how this former warehouse district has grown up and matured into a really pleasant city neighborhood over the last 20 years. It has all the urban amenities a Portlander requires, including Powell’s City of Books, Jamison Park with its fountain where kids play in the summer, and public transportation provided by the Portland streetcar. Crowds of people come to the Pearl for First Thursday (the first Thursday of every month), when galleries premiere new shows and are open late. The Pearl is Portland’s well-planned version of new urbanism and one of the city’s main upscale neighborhoods for young families, singles, and boomer retirees.
Northwest 23rd & Nob Hill Small in scale and long on charm, NW 23rd is the focal point of one of the most attractive neighborhoods in Portland. It’s now a hot destination street, known for its shopping, sidewalk cafes, restaurants, and good people-watching. The avenue and its less fashionable twin, NW 21st, extend from West Burnside to NW Thurman Street; the blocks between West Burnside and NW Lovejoy streets are the busiest. The upscale commercial aspect of NW 23rd is a fairly recent phenomenon. Two decades ago it was a quiet residential street, a bit shabby around the edges, with little more than a drugstore, a bank, and a couple of stores to serve the needs of the neighborhood. Gradually, the old houses were turned into small shops; existing structures were renovated; and new coffeehouses, boutiques, and restaurants moved in. In the latest phase of development, big “lifestyle” stores like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware have grabbed a piece of the commercial action.
The Nob Hill neighborhood around NW 23rd Avenue became fashionable in the prosperous 1880s, and there are still many fine Victorian homes to be seen on the streets between NW 17th and NW 25th avenues and NW Everett to NW Thurman streets. These homes are still private residences or have been converted into offices. Farther west, and extending from northwest to southwest, is giant Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation. Pittock Mansion is literally the high point of Northwest Portland—it sits about 1,000 feet high in Forest Park and overlooks downtown and east Portland.
Northeast Portland
Irvington One of Northeast Portland’s oldest and most diverse neighborhoods, Irvington is bounded by NE Broadway and NE Fremont between NE 7th and NE 24th. NE Broadway and NE Weidler serve as Irvington’s primary commercial streets, with giant Lloyd Center mall between them. Like other city neighborhoods, Irvington has undergone an amazing renaissance in the past 2 decades. With its lovely old Victorian and early-20th-century homes on quiet streets shaded by giant trees, it’s no wonder that it was “rediscovered” and, after years of being rather run-down, became one of the most expensive residential neighborhoods in Portland.
Alberta Arts District This newly redefined neighborhood, a few miles north of downtown Portland and a mile to the east of I-5, is Portland’s most multicultural and creative neighborhood. Now. It used to be pretty run-down and just called Alberta. Because the old houses here are fairly small and used to be relatively inexpensive, it became a popular neighborhood with young, liberal families. Neighborhood shops are full of alternative-lifestyle fashions, on-the-edge (for Portland) art, and lots of the unexpected and the uncategorizable. Cafes, pubs, and restaurants provide plenty of places for making the scene. On the Last Thursday of every month, the neighborhood throws a blocks-long, art-oriented street party. Before all this “urban renaissance” happened, Alberta was an area where African-Americans who came to Portland during World War II to work in the Portland shipyards lived.
North Mississippi District All these “districts” are new inventions by real estate agents and developers. This area didn’t really have a name before it became white, young, and arty. Anchored by the ReBuilding Center, a sort of warehouse-sized thrift store full of recycled building materials, the North Mississippi District is 2 miles north of downtown. With plenty of good restaurants, a brewpub, popular music venues, and a couple of great coffeehouses, North Mississippi is a fun neighborhood to explore if you want to get a feel for what it’s like to live in the “new” Portland.
Southeast Portland
Hawthorne This southeast Portland neighborhood, once a countercultural enclave and still “alternative” around its gentrified edges, is full of eclectic boutiques, moderately priced restaurants, a couple of famous old theaters (the Aladdin for live music and performance, and the Clinton Street, which has been showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night since 1978). Just south of Hawthorne Boulevard, beginning at SE 12th Avenue, you’ll find the unique Ladd’s Addition neighborhood, the oldest planned community in Portland, which has five rose gardens and an unusual (and confusing) street layout. SE Belmont Street, just north of Hawthorne Boulevard, and SE Division Street, to the south, are two of the city’s newly rediscovered and revamped neighborhoods, and both areas are well worth exploring.
Laurelhurst The Laurelhurst neighborhood takes its name from lovely Laurelhurst Park, its centerpiece and showplace. Stretching from about SE 30th to SE 39th and from NE Sandy to NE Belmont, Laurelhurst is a sedate, rather low-key, and family-oriented neighborhood. Development started in the first decades of the 20th century, and the area contains a rich mix of residential architecture styles and sizes.
Sellwood Sellwood is the city’s antiques district and has many restored Victorian houses. It’s a small-scale area with a real neighborhood feel. Oaks Park, perched above the Willamette River, is one of the oldest amusement parks in the U.S. and retains a low-key, family-friendly atmosphere. Adjacent Oaks Bottom was Portland’s first designated wildlife refuge. Sellwood was once a separate city from Portland, and its quiet residential streets still have a kind of lost-in-time feeling.
Westmoreland & Eastmoreland Just north of Sellwood, surrounding the intersection of SE Milwaukie Avenue and SE Bybee Boulevard, is the heart of the Westmoreland neighborhood. Westmoreland and adjacent Eastmoreland are primarily residential neighborhoods, mostly laid out and built from the 1920s to 1940s, with a charming mix of bungalows and mansions on curving, tree-lined streets. This area is the home of Reed College, a famous liberal bastion. Across from Reed is the beautiful Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. The Eastmoreland neighborhood is under siege by developers tearing down its old homes and erecting multi-dwelling units; residents are trying to get National Historic Landmark status for Eastmoreland to help preserve its unique characters.
