[jwaters943]

I'll be in Portland the 3rd week of June. I have a travel book on Portland, but I was hoping to get more feedback on things to see/do in the city. Any suggestions are welcome (shopping, dining, outdoor recreation, etc.).

Thanks! :)

[pdxstreetcar]

any particular kinds of things you like to see when visiting a city? tours? architecture? neighborhoods? the sights? outdoors/nature?

june 3 is around the time of the rose festival, this might be of interest

the aerial tram is up an running
exploring downtown and the pearl are must-dos

the under construction high rise 'south waterfront' neighborhood might be of interest also

i really wish there was a travel forum on the SSP forum because this gets asked quite often, let me see if i can find an old thread with similiar recommendations

[pdxstreetcar]

Visiting Portland
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=122901

[Black Box]

Mt. Tabor, the International Rose Test Garden. Hike around Forest Park. Walk around Northwest Portland, take the aerial tram, explore the Portland Saturday Market. You will not run out of things to do in Portland. What kind of shopping do you have in mind? Restaurants? Do you like wine? Beer? Coffee? The possibilities are.....

[tworivers]

The downtown farmer's market is in full swing every Saturday early am til 3 or so. In the south park blocks. Definitely a must-see.

[jwaters943]

Thanks for the recommendations thus far! I'm not sure how I missed that other thread on visting Portland since I did a search first. :shrug:

Anyway, to clarify, I enjoy sightseeing (gardens, architecture, etc.). As far as shopping goes, I prefer little, lesser known boutiques, but don't mind the occassional department store (e.g. Nordstrom, etc.). Any good home accessory store suggestions would be helpful. I LOVE coffee and my favorite types of cuisine are Italian, Thai, Chinese & Japanese. FWIW, I will have a car during my stay.

I booked a room at Hotel Lucia. It looks pretty nice, but websites can be misleading. Anybody have any experience with this hotel?

Thanks again! :)

[Black Box]

I have had no experience with Hotel Lucia. I hear it's a nice hotel. Maybe you should check out the Portland Ace Hotel and peak around at their design scheme. Stumptown is Portland's best coffee, but I'm sure a Portlander can refer you to more than just that. There is a Nordstrom in downtown Portland. I think that the Portland Mercury just put out a huge list of places to shop. One of y'all down there should know what I'm referring to. There are many boutiques listed and Portland has a great indie design community that puts out the threads. As far as food goes, I am not in the know. Portland is a great city for food, your real problem will probably be trying to choose. If you walk around Northwest Portland or the Pearl District, you will bump into quite a few trendy restaurants. Good luck.

[MarkDaMan]

Hotel Lucia is a nice boutique hotel. I believe forumer Urbanlife does/did work there so he could provide more info.

Since you have a car you should do a half day trip through the Columbia River Gorge on the historic highway, it is spectacular!

http://www.crgva.org/index.htm

[PDX City-State]

Stay at the Ace! It's cheaper, cooler, and closer to the pulse. You'll have the city's best coffee in the building, and you'll be a stone's throw from Powell's. And by then, the restaurant will be open in the building as well. Downtown doesn't feel as dynamic as it used to--it's kind of been overshadowed by the Pearl and the area just south of Burnside, which is were the Ace is located.

There will be about ten new restaurants in Portland--all opening in May and June--so the already impressive dining options will be even more impressive.

[PacificNW]

For home accessories...will Ikea be open? If it is, it is just a short ride on the Airport MAX from downtown.... I was in Portland a few weeks ago and the downtown was crazy with people strolling, purchasing and eating...sorry, PDX City-State, I disagree with your feelings about dt vs. the Pearl....anyway, it is easy to get from one district to the other...it all works.

[PDX City-State]

There's still a lot downtown, but the pulse has shifted. Downtown used to be where it was at--but that has changed. You have to admit that. Name the last up and coming chef that has opened a restaurant in downtown proper...Mostly the Eastside or the Pearl. This is going to change soon with all the development on the horizon--and the new transit mall.

[Eagle rock]

Home accessory store:
Canoe
www.canoeonline.net/salutations/

Coffee: Albina Press

[PDX City-State]

Go to Canoe--why check out Ikea--every city has one.

[brandonpdx]

Name the last up and coming chef that has opened a restaurant in downtown proper...

owner-chef Jeffrey Reiter, who used to be sous chef at Park Kitchen recently opened Blueplate Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain on 308 SW Washington.

I really like the simplicity and old fashioned menu; not to mention the food.

[pdxstreetcar]

theres no shortage of coffee in portland and a large number are independent

theres a thai restaurant in the lucia... typhoon

in addition to the rose test garden is the portland classical chinese garden on chinatown which is also a must-see.

[PacificNW]

Geez...not every city has a Ikea... I doubt if Reno has one. Some people, on this forum, strike me as very elitist, IMO. Canoe is good, also. You can purchase a condom dispenser for $35.00...or a shower mat for $115.00. Seriously, they some great "stuff" there. :D

[PDX City-State]

It's not elitism--I love Ikea. But there's nothing really Portland about it. I have the same cutting board here that I had in Madrid thanks to Ikea.

owner-chef Jeffrey Reiter, who used to be sous chef at Park Kitchen recently opened Blueplate Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain on 308 SW Washington.

A great place--I eat there a lot. His meatloaf is mean, the Chai Bomb soda is amazing, the dumplings rule, but it's a lunch counter and downtown wasn't his first choice. He actually tried to find a place on the Eastside first--looked into the space that used to be Buckman Bistro and is now Hungry Tiger 2. He does okay because it's a lunch spot. But it wouldn't be the best location for dinner.

[PacificNW]

I wasn't stating the Ikea was "Portland". Before Ikea came along people in Oregon had to drive over 2 hours to shop at one. I remember when, living in Seattle, we had to drive to Vancouver, B.C. prior to their location in Renton. I think there may be one in Sacramento, or one in their future.

[CouvScott]

I wasn't stating the Ikea was "Portland". Before Ikea came along people in Oregon had to drive over 2 hours to shop at one. I remember when, living in Seattle, we had to drive to Vancouver, B.C. prior to their location in Renton. I think there may be one in Sacramento, or one in their future.

There's one in West Sac. Just drove by it about 2 weeks ago.

[jwaters943]

Geez...not every city has a Ikea... I doubt if Reno has one. Some people, on this forum, strike me as very elitist, IMO. Canoe is good, also. You can purchase a condom dispenser for $35.00...or a shower mat for $115.00. Seriously, they some great "stuff" there. :D

Thanks for the Ikea suggestion anyway, I certainly appreciate it. You're correct, Reno doesn't have an Ikea, the closest is 2 hours away in Sacramento (as someone else mentioned).

As for the condom dispenser, that is too funny. :D

[zilfondel]

Bring an umbrella, hip waders, and waterproof pants. =)

And if you time it right, you might see the Rose Parade! (it always runs during it)

[MarkDaMan]

^100th year anniversary too, the festival should be huge this year. If you are here for the fireworks show opening night, I wouldn't miss it, it is bigger than our 4th of July show. http://www.rosefestival.org/

I think Ikea doesn't open until later this summer but even if there was an Ikea in Reno, it wouldn't be sales tax free!!!

[BHM FAN]

My partner and I stayed at Hotel Lucia in February for a week---great hotel, very friendly, rooms are great (we booked a large 1 bedroom suite)---and bar/restaurant on-site is very good and they serve 24 hours, so when you finish go outing they are still open for food.