[PeterSmith]

Hello Portland Forumers!

I didn't see a thread for visitors to Portland, so hopefully this thread can serve as a guide for future travelers to the Rose City.

My girlfriend and I are visiting Portland from March 14 until March 19. Any suggestions on must-see's/do's?

Any restaurants we must eat at? Any bars we must drink at (especially for St. Patrick's Day on the 15th)?

How is the Portland Art Museum? Is it worth a visit? How about any galleries worth a look?

Aside from downtown and the Pearl, what are the best neighborhoods to spend a few hours just wondering around?

Also, are there moose in Oregon? I've always wanted to see one.

I appreciate any tips you can give me. I can't wait to visit our beautiful city. Thanks guys!

[PacificNW]

Have fun....Portland and Miami couldn't be more opposite in how a city feels and looks. The Portland Art Museum is okay. The Oregon Historical Museum is just across the Park Blocks from PAM. OMSI might be a choice. There are numerous places to eat, drink and be seen. Check out:

http://portlandartmuseum.org/

http://www.ohs.org/

http://www.omsi.edu/

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Home

http://www.barflymag.com/

http://wweek.com/

The Blazers are in town when you are. You two can go watch Shag and the Suns play:

www.nba.com/blazers

Shopping districts (walk or streetcar) are downtown, the Pearl, NW 23rd Avenue. The Hawthorne District is a short bus ride from dt Portland.

You might want to catch the Tram from the South Waterfront to OHSU (Oregon Health Science's University). Great way to take pics of the city. You can reach it by catching the streetcar.

Have fun.... Yes, there are a few Moose in Oregon but not close to Portland. Oh...you might want to take a trip to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Breathtaking...since you don't have snow in Miami! :)

[sopdx]

I think it is good to note that Portland is not an 'attractions' based city. There are very few, if any, that are particularly noteworthy. In other words, you aren't going to find a space needle here. What you will find is a city that has subtle charms, vibrant, friendly, an amazing food/booze scene with easy access to the physical beauty of the pacific northwest. It definitely has its 'shiny' elements and a somewhat unrelenting hipster element, however it still remains amazingly human and accessible.

A couple of things not mentioned above, Washington Park and the Japanese Garden within its boundaries, is spectacular, the garden rivals any outside of Japan. The Chinese gardens are equally impressive and are built within an urban footprint rather than a park.

Google this stuff and check out travelportland for more specific information.

ps.
I'm not sure where pacific northwest is coming from, but I've never heard of any moose in oregon.;)

[PacificNW]

deleted by pacificnw..

[Okstate]

Just booked my flight (May 5th-8th) Can't pass down roundtrip airfare OKC-PDX for $180 WITH TAX included. Any tour guides out there? haha

[downtownpdx]

A good place to go for happy hour, or any time really, would be the Portland City Grill on 6th and Oak downtown. On the 30th floor of a tower with amazing views of the city, mountains, etc. Good food too, by the way. I definitely think this is something visitors have to do. :)

[sopdx]

Interesting, googled it - what 4 or 6? ;) Let's put it this way. If you visit here, don't plan on seeing any moose - elk yes, all sorts or critters, but moose...naw, even in Union or Wallowa counties. Spent way too much time over there in my life, never heard, seen, or smelled 'em.

[PacificNW]

Deleted by pacificnw....

[MarkDaMan]

The 118 piles of droppings he saw on a walk

at what point do you lose the excitement of counting moose poops?

[sopdx]

Are you calling me a liar? I grew up in La Grande and I know what I am talking about. I realize the odds of actually seeing a moose is next to zero doesn't take away the fact they are here and growing in numbers:

Oregon moose population is booming


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003215177_webmoose21.html

Oh Lordy! nobody said anything about being a liar. The google story I saw didn't state what a mecca we'd become. You've got moose poop evidence up the ol' kazoo with that scintillating report ;)

Now back to booze, food and Portland :cheers:

[PacificNW]

delete...sopdx has asked me to keep my comments private and to use the email function if I have a gripe. I will accept his suggestion..

[MarkDaMan]

I know this sounds absolutely stupid, but I just got a great deal at Priceline. I wanted to spend a romantic evening with my beau downtown but didn't want to pay $229 that the Westin was charging and $179 at the Heathmen. I went to Priceline, clicked 'name your own price', typed in a minimum of 3 stars and within the CBD. Named the price of $59 (about $70 after taxes and fees) and tried my luck. Got a GREAT room at the Hilton. If you are coming to town, especially in the winter, see what it gets you.

(this was not a paid testimonial :P )

[PacificNW]

Sorry about that...:notacrook: In my hunting days poop counting was the hi-light of the adventure in most cases..... :)

[PacificNW]

Mark...I have used that service for years and I, too, have gotten some great rates.... Have fun..

[Okstate]

^ Hey Mark. When you specify CBD... what are their boundaries, if you know? I was going to book the Ace Hotel for $95 but 59 bucks aint bad. I may decide to do priceline. Only drawback is I would rather support a more local property.

[MarkDaMan]

^there are actually several districts to choose from on the Priceline map. I just choose the part that the CBD was in. There was one for the South Waterfront too? Probably just the Avalon Hotel in the area that I can think of.

I totally understand buy local, and I actually thought I'd get a boutique, but the Hilton came up and that was fine by me. For the price anyway.

Portland on Priceline
http://www.priceline.com/hotels/Lang/en-us/region_star_price.asp?session_key=5D0011AC3F0011AC20080306025951832290173453&plf=pcln

[PeterSmith]

Thanks for all the tips, guys. You have been most helpful. I will definitely try the Portland City. A view from the 30th floor doesn't sound too bad at all. I'll also be sure to check out the parks and gardens. Too bad there won't be any moose, but so long as I get to see at least some moose droppings, it will have been well worth the trip :) I'm going to keep checking this thread throughout the next week, so if you come up with any more great ideas, please post them!

Thanks again, you kind and noble Portlanders.

[PeterSmith]

I leave for Portland in a few hours!!!!!

Thanks for all great the ideas.

I'm stellar excited!!!

[sopdx]

pack your umbrella

[hymalaia]

pack your umbrella

bad advice. Real Oregonians don't use umbrellas. :D

[pdxman]

Ha yeah right! Lived here all my life and always use an umbrella except when its windy. Its the intelligent thing to do :tup:

[zilfondel]

^ c'mon, how many Portlanders are real Oregonians? :rolleyes:

[MarkDaMan]

me!

[hymalaia]

well I moved here with a cheap umbrella. It lasted two months before snapping in a windy rain storm back in December. I haven't replaced it and haven't missed it. But I'm hearing this winter has been suspiciously dry. Till now, anyway.

[Okstate]

^ does everyone just walk around with hoodies on, or do people not mind getting cold water down their neck?

[zilfondel]

ok, I am too. :P

and we're just masochists.

[MarkDaMan]

I always wear a (waterproof) hoodie on rainy days. I used to loose, either by wind or leaving it somewhere, 4 or 5 umbrellas a winter. Just got tired of it and a hood is SO much easier and has better protection.

[EastPDX]

Roots and place run too deep.

EP

[hymalaia]

Portland's rain is just so on and off that it's easier to pull up a hood or endure some wetness than whip out an umbrella whenever it starts up. Today was a great example.

plus as Mark notes, umbrella's always get lost, and just make you hate life when there is wind.

[Okstate]

I arrive at PDX 4:00 p.m. tomorrow (Monday 5th) for a little visit! Unfortunately, I will be missing the Portland marijuana march. haha.

[digme]

I just booked tickets to visit June 16th-20th or so. Can't wait!

[PacificNW]

I hope you guys have a great visit....The weather, this week, looks pretty good. June should be okay.

[MarkDaMan]

I will be missing the Portland marijuana march

huh? details please :)

Hahhaaa...hope you enjoy one afternoon of sun...rainy stuff should be back tomorrow.

[Sekkle]

huh? details please
I was in downtown briefly while it was going on on Saturday. I didn't see much of it, but heard the "hemp! hemp! hooray!" cheers when my MAX train stopped at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

[zilfondel]

Friday, Sunday, and today were all excellent weather. Been riding my bike around a lot...

[PacificNW]

Yup, looks like liquid sunshine this week.

[Okstate]

Just got back. Great visit & even better weather. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a myth that it rains in Portland. I have yet to see one drop of rain ( and i visited last in late December for almost a week!) Deschutes brewery has some amazing pizza...best tomato sauce i've ever had. Pizza schmizza was great and crispy one occassion, then soggy on the next. nw 23rd was a quaint street... not nearly as yuppy or glam as I was suspecting. Ace hotel was very hip...too hip for my own personal taste. (everyone seemed to be screaming for attention) Really surprised by the lack of foot traffic after 9:00 pm, however, the restaurants were packed solid until very late in the night. Traffic on the roads ( I-5, I-84, hw 26) seemed to flow much better than expected. The drive to Eugene was beautiful and the town itself. The coast from Florence to Tillamook was outstanding. Hands down better than any coastal drive i've ever had. Mo's clam chowder was pretty good also.

[PacificNW]

If I had known you were going to be in Florence I would have bought you guys lunch!

[Okstate]

^ No worries, we'll be back again! :cheers: We're moving to Eugene in August.

[zilfondel]

I like Eugene, even if it has slummy student-y housing near the UofO.

Nice town, tho. Kind of miss it, actually...

[digme]

5 days till my wife and I visit Portland. I'm freaking excited. We'll be there th 17th-21st (then we're driving up to Washington to visit my Brother in Law). After much hemming and hawing, I booked us at the Benson Hotel.

We arrive about 8pm. Is it reasonable to take the MAX and get off at Broadway and Morrison and walk? Or should we spring for a cab? We'll each have a rolling suitecase and another bag.

I think we want to check out the Japanese garden and maybe the zoo and Powells, but we mainly want to walk around and get a sense for the town. We think we want to move here, but this trip is to get an up close look.

I want to eat at Andina one night (I'm 1/2 peruvian) and I've also heard good things about the Bijou Café. Where else should we eat? What else should we see? Whats your favorite brewery?

[PacificNW]

Yup, take the MAX from the airport to Pioneer Courthouse Square. The Benson is only a couple blocks from the Square. Broadway borders the square on the West.

[MarkDaMan]

^Yeah, no need to drive, the Benson is a quick walk. Couple good breweries in the Pearl...the new Deschutes Brewery has some terrific beers. Bridgeport has gotten pretty hip, very Pearl. Rogue Ales is the un-Pearl.

I'd eat at Henry's in the Pearl's Brewery Blocks. Catch happy hour on the 30th floor of the big Pink skyscraper at Portland City Grill. Actually, both of those are owned by the same company, so choose one or the other (I'd choose Portland City Grill for the view).

Don't forget the Rose Garden when you go to the Japanese Garden!

[PacificNW]

Also, check out the Formal Chinese Gardens in Old Town....walking distance from the Benson.

[philopdx]

Yeah, and you'll be close to Higgins, too. But it's a little $$$. If you like Indian food at all, the Chaat house is a food cart (truck) a few blocks west that always has tasty, freshly cooked food and great naan.

Then there are the south park blocks, just take a right when exiting the hotel and there you are. The closest stumptown is over toward powell's, right across from the living room theater, in the Ace Hotel building.

[digme]

I was already planning at stop at the Portland City Grill, but maybe just for a pre or post dinner drink to take in the view. Is the food as good as the view?

We'll definitely check out the Chinese Gardens too. Thanks for the reminder!

Stumptown for coffee, right? That sounds good. I need coffee in the morning. Any other breakfast joint recommendations?

[horatioalfonzo]

For breakfast: Mother's Bistro (downtown on like 2nd or something), the Everett Street Bistro or Bi-Ways Cafe (Glisan st.), both are in the Pearl.

[brandonpdx]

Amnesia is one of my favorite breweries. Great Beer: Copacetic IPA! It's on N Mississippi. It's a great place to hang out with friends on a sunny day in one of the front patio picnic tables.

[JordanL]

Where else should we eat? What else should we see? Whats your favorite brewery?

It depends on what you enjoy.

Great Night Spots
The Roxy: Open 24 hours a day, closed on mondays; diner food with extremily eclectic clientell (it's right next to an upscale gay bar, and is GLBT friendly). I don't know if you and your wife might enjoy it, but it encapsualtes Portland so well.

On SW Stark Street, between 11th and 12th
Served By: Portland Streetcar via 10th Avenue two blocks east or Line 20 via Burnside one block north
Not a great walking neighborhood at night (but not bad either)


Voleur: Open till 4AM most days; 21+ after 8PM; probably the best fries (and ketchup) I've ever had; remarkably good food for <$10

One block from Skidmore Fountain at SW 1st and Ash
Served By: MAX Lines Red/Blue/Yellow one and a half blocks north; Skidmore Fountain stop


Rimsky's Korsacoffe House: Open till about midnight or so on most nights, later on the weekends; again, very Portland and eclectic; this is a desert/after dinner place that can be very cozy or a great hang out; try the Chocolate Raspberry Fool; make sure to tip your waiter well... they are very understaffed and incredibly nice people (make sure you check out the bathroom as well); cash or checks only

Located on SE 12th and Belmont, just north of the 7-11 (it's actually just a house)
Served by: Line 15 Belmont; Board at SW Salmon & 5th -- Exit Belmont & 11th and walk one block east


Great Desserts
Papa Hayden's: Probably the best desert food in Portland; excellent dinner as well, though very pricey; dessert is ~$8 per serving (some serve two); great selection of wines; can be a long wait at times, especially during weekends; open till 10 (11 during summer)

Located on NW 23rd Avenue (aka "Trendy Third") at Irving Street
Served by: Line 15 23rd Avenue; Board at SW Washington & Broadway


Great Dinner
Saburo's: Hands down best sushi in Portland in my opinion; gigantic portions for the price; a bit on the noisy side; always busy; expect a minimum 45 minute wait for two people unless arriving before 6:30; arrive no later than 8:30

Located on SE Bybee Blvd at SE Millwaukie Avenue (near 17th)
Served by: Line 19 Woodstock; Board on SW 3rd avenue at Alder Street


Aqui: Amazing Mexican cuisine; moderately priced

Located on SE 12th Avenue at SE Hawthorne
Served by: Line 14 Hawthorne; Board on SW 2nd Avenue at Alder Street


Rock Bottom Brewery: One of the most well known and well liked bar & grill's in Portland; great finger foods and great entrees as well

Located on SW Morrison at SW 3rd
Served by: MAX Lines Red/Blue/Yellow


Sights To See
Hawthorne Street: I prefer to make it a few hours when I visit Hawthorne because I like to simply immerse myself. I start at Mount Tabor usually so I can look down the whole street, however this would be difficult to navigate for non-natives.

Hawthorne is easily accessible from the west side via Line 14 busses, and from the east side via Line 75 and 71 busses.

Most of the interesting shops are west of 39th, however if it's a warm day, a trip up to about 45th to Fat Straw Cafe is well worth the smoothie with tapioca pearls for about $4.

Some of the more interesting places include Sorels, which sells housewares, the Metro, which sells a lot of clothing that might make grandma blush, the Gold Door, which sells art from around the world, and several smaller shops which I'm sure most will find amusing.

Make sure to make an early day out of Hawthorne, as most of the shops close at 6 on weekdays, and earlier on weekends.

Powell's Book Store: Anyone who visit's Portland without visiting Powell's has been robbed of perhaps the single most interesting place in Portland, depending on your affinity for books.

Powell's is a place you can literally get lost in, and contains books ranging from the science of sex among different animal species, to the latest hot selling fiction, to an entire wall of Japanese comics, to a $30,000 1st edition 1st print of Huckleberry Finn.

Powell's is inbetween NW 10th and NW 11th, and W Burnside and NW Couch. You can easily get to it using the Streetcar heading towards 23rd.

Trendy Third: Younger people tend to enjoy this more, but NW 23rd avenue between Burnside and the Hospital provide a great place to window shop. A mix of odd shops and upscale shops make for a great walk through the alphabet district.

Make sure to visit Moonstruck Cafe for some Portland chocolate, and you might make a stop at Papa Haydn's along the way as well.

You can get to 23rd by the Portland Streetcar (the north end of Trendy Third is where it loops back) or by Line 15 23rd Avenue.

Columbia River Gorge: This is a very good reason to rent a car and pay for gas. Take I-84 east, get off at the Historic Highway exit right over the Sandy river (first stop outside of Troutdale) and just drive.

Amazing scenery, plenty of places to get out and stretch, and only about 20 minutes from downtown.

Portland Spirit: This is a much more spendy entertainment opportunity, but at <$150 for two, it's fairly reasonable for a romantic cruise. The boat sails twice per day I believe, perhaps more, and is a nice way to experience the upper Willamette and South Waterfront.



I'll add some more later, but that's enough for a few days in Portland. :)

[zilfondel]

The closest Stumptown is over toward powell's, right across from the living room theater, in the Ace Hotel building.

Actually, the closest one is over on third, but the one at the Ace is supposed to be nicer.

[digme]

Thanks for the suggestions! We're probably not going to get through everything in a few days, but its good to have lots of options.

We're going to pick up a rental car Friday, and maybe we can drive up to Mt Tabor and walk down Hawthorne. Good way to check out East Portland?

Then my wife wants to check out a winery near Newbery or Dundee or something. After that, I thought we could take a drive North on 219. Then cut back East and then south. Should we drive back to Portland on Skyline, Hwy 30 on the West side of the River, or through North Portland?

On Saturday, we're heading to Washington to visit family. We wanted to stop at Multnomah Falls, so I think we'll take the Historic Columbia River Highway to get there. After checking out the wikipedia page for it, I think I'm going to be very sad I don't have my motorcycle.

After that we'll probably hop on the Interstate so we can get moving. Its a 5 hour drive to our destination in WA.

[MarkDaMan]

out of those three options...come back on skyline to US26 back into Portland.

[MightyAlweg]

So I've just booked my trip to Portland for this August.

John Wayne Orange County Airport to PDX on Alaska Airlines on Friday, 8/22. Splurged the extra money for First Class because Alaska always has very nice stewardesses that keep the cocktails and snacks coming the entire flight. Found a good Lincoln Town Car service to take me into town to check in to the Hotel Deluxe, which is hilarous to me because I remember when it was the old Mallory Hotel and was generally a dump. I guess it's a trendy chain boutique hotel now, which should be nice. Looks good on the web at least.

I'm going to have some drinks with old high school friends that never left Portland on Friday night, and then sleep in on Saturday and maybe go to Powell's or something Saturday afternoon. Then I have an appointment for a massage and a facial at Aequis Spa near Stark Street in the late afternoon. Then back to Hotel Deluxe to change into a suit and tie for my freaking 20th High School Reunion! :yuck:

Yup, Woodrow Wilson High School Class of 1988 has their reunion the night of Saturday, August 23rd at the trashy Embassy Suites downtown on Pine. I'm old. But judging by the pics I've seen on Facebook, I look darn good compared to the balding, fat, dumpy and frumpy looking people I went to high school with.

The reunion starts at 7:00 PM with a rubber chicken dinner and a no-host bar that goes to Midnight, but I don't plan on getting there until 8:00 PM. I will probably stay until 11:00 PM at the very latest, and then I'll move on for drinks at some Stark Street gay bar or something. Do people still go to Boxxes and the Fish Grotto? I'm rusty on the Portland gay scene, as in the late 80's I was sneaking off to the underage club just across Burnside whose name now escapes me. Boy, that's gonna bug me that I can't remember the name.

Then on Sunday the folks will pick me up at Hotel Deluxe and I'll spend a few days with them at their house, and I'll head downtown a few more times to check out the Pearl, wander around my old stomping grounds, and see how Portland has changed. I look forward to seeing some of the construction I've been exposed to on this board, and seeing what has already been built in the last 10 years. I may even head to Chinatown and remind myself that it's all themed and designed to be Chinese, instead of Japanese. There's a big difference, you know. :haha:

I'll head back to Orange County on Wednesday evening, 8/27. I'm really looking forward to this Portland trip!

[Okstate]

Keep us posted :)

[IHEARTPDX]

see post below

[IHEARTPDX]

I was sneaking off to the underage club just across Burnside whose name now escapes me. Boy, that's gonna bug me that I can't remember the name.

Ironically I think the name of the underage club off of burnside you are referring to is called "Club Escape"...or did i totally just miss the sarcasm/humor in your reference? :shrug:

[IanofCascadia]

Sounds great... only one heads up. The steel bridge is closed to MAX through the 24th and closed to automobiles until the 30th. Nothing that terrible... its easiest to just walk over it if you are taking MAX. Here's a link with more information.

http://trimet.org/alerts/steelbridge.htm

[bvpcvm]

Ironically I think the name of the underage club off of burnside you are referring to is called "Club Escape".

it was the City Nightclub.

[MightyAlweg]

it was the City Nightclub.

That's it! Thank you very much! :tup:

[friedpez]

Hello all, I'm visiting Portland Saturday, Aug 30 to Monday, Sept 1. I was wondering where I can get some goods views of downtown and Mt Hood. The two links below are of Portland pics on Wikipedia that I really like. Do you have any idea as to the locations that they were taken?

Thanks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portland_Night_panorama.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WillametteRvrPano_edit.jpg

[Marling]

I'm pretty sure the first one is the East Bank Esplanade, between the Hawthorne Bridge and the Morrison Bridg. The second one is from OHSU... take the tram up from the South waterfront, man!

[Sekkle]

Edit: ^ Beat me to it.

[friedpez]

Cool, thanks! I was suspecting that they were from those locations but I wasn't sure. As a pedestrian, which bridge would be best to get there? Do all the bridges spanning the river have pedestrian access?

[Pearl_Steve]

There's a great view of downtown with Mt. Hood behind it from the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. It's also just a nice place to see in general.

[Pearl_Steve]

Cool, thanks! I was suspecting that they were from those locations but I wasn't sure. As a pedestrian, which bridge would be best to get there? Do all the bridges spanning the river have pedestrian access?

The Hawthorne bridge and Steel bridge cross the river at either end of the esplanade. The Hawthorne is closer to the spot the photo was taken.

[PDX City-State]

First: Eastbank Esplanade
Second: OHSU

Enjoy Portland and let us know what you think of our fair city. You'll eat and drink well!

[RED_PDXer]

Hello all, I'm visiting Portland Saturday, Aug 30 to Monday, Sept 1. I was wondering where I can get some goods views of downtown and Mt Hood. The two links below are of Portland pics on Wikipedia that I really like. Do you have any idea as to the locations that they were taken?

Thanks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portland_Night_panorama.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WillametteRvrPano_edit.jpg

Easy, the first is from the Eastbank Esplanade and the second is from the top of the Portland Aerial Tram..

[Pavlov's Dog]

Hello all, I'm visiting Portland Saturday, Aug 30 to Monday, Sept 1. I was wondering where I can get some goods views of downtown and Mt Hood. The two links below are of Portland pics on Wikipedia that I really like. Do you have any idea as to the locations that they were taken?

Thanks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portland_Night_panorama.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:WillametteRvrPano_edit.jpg

Other great views of the city can be had from Mount Tabor in SE Portland, Pittock Mansion in NW, The Rose Garden in Washington Park just SW of downtown. Probably the most impressive view is from the top of council crest from where you can see not only most of Portland but also the Tualatin Valley West of the city. Council Crest is 1,073 feet above sea level yet only minutes from Downtown.

[alexjon]

Other great views of the city can be had from Mount Tabor in SE Portland, Pittock Mansion in NW, The Rose Garden in Washington Park just SW of downtown. Probably the most impressive view is from the top of council crest from where you can see not only most of Portland but also the Tualatin Valley West of the city. Council Crest is 1,073 feet above sea level yet only minutes from Downtown.

Good call on Council Crest.

Heck of a climb, but totally worth it.

Here's the clunky bus that takes you there if you don't wanna climb: http://trimet.org/schedules/r051.htm

[friedpez]

Oh yeah, Council Crest! Frommer's lists it as one of the top best free things to do in the city, so I definitely want to check it out. I'll probably take the tram up to OHSU, then walk up to Council Crest, and then take Bus 51 back into town. (Google says it's about 2 miles from OHSU to Council Crest.)

We're staying at the Hilton off SW 6th and SW Taylor. I figured it's a pretty central location.

Also, has anyone been to the restaurant/bar up in the US Bancorp Tower? Is the bar casual enough to go to in jeans and a shirt?

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and suggestions!

[dkealoha]

Portland City Grill (up in US Bank Tower) is casual enough to wear jeans and some kind of polo/button up shirt. Maybe not flip flops or something, but even if you showed up in shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops, they probably wouldn't say anything.

[friedpez]

Portland City Grill (up in US Bank Tower) is casual enough to wear jeans and some kind of polo/button up shirt. Maybe not flip flops or something, but even if you showed up in shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops, they probably wouldn't say anything.

Cool, I'll try to blend in just a little so I guess I'll shed the flip flops. I don't necessarily want to scream the fact that I'm visiting from California... :cheers:

[MarkDaMan]

Mmmmm, Portland City Grill...definitely delish. Go during happy hour and you get a great deal and can try several small dishes. It sometimes gets really packed so getting there early is your best option.

Hilton is nice. Ask if you can get into their 'executive tower' across the street. I've stayed in both and the old tower has smaller rooms and are quite noisy, as in thinner walls and you can hear a lot of the street noise through the windows. The newer tower was more comfortable in my opinion.

[bvpcvm]

Also, has anyone been to the restaurant/bar up in the US Bancorp Tower? Is the bar casual enough to go to in jeans and a shirt?

hahahaha, dude i don't think there's any place in the city that would look askance at jeans and a t-shirt. this is portland, after all.

[friedpez]

Haha cool, we reserved a room in the Executive Tower after reading some reviews online. And as for jeans and a t-shirt, that's my outfit 99% of the time so looks like I'm set!

[dkealoha]

hahahaha, dude i don't think there's any place in the city that would look askance at jeans and a t-shirt. this is portland, after all.

Well... I wouldn't go into that new restaurant Lucier at the Strand in jeans and a t-shirt.

[pdxman]

:previous: :haha: yes, I wouldn't do that either. I don't think I have enough credit to step in to that place.

[friedpez]

:previous: :haha: yes, I wouldn't do that either. I don't think I have enough credit to step in to that place.

Lol! Good thing WaMu just gave me a credit line increase! :cool:

Seriously though, I'm excited to see your beautiful city. I just graduated with a degree in planning and want to see "planning in action" in Portland. Maybe I'll learn a few things, bring 'em back here to LA, and spread the word... :tup:

[digme]

Definitely go to the Portland City Grill early. I tried to go there with the wife after dinner when we were visiting, and the place was packed. We could have sat at the bar, but then you can't really enjoy the view. We ended up heading right back down.

So go early.

[friedpez]

^ Alrighty, I'll try to head there in the late afternoon while the sun is still out, too. Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. Can't wait to fly in tomorrow, bright and early, at 9 AM!

[friedpez]

Well, Portland was fantastic! It lived up to everything I thought it'd be. Good food, nice people, great city, and fantastic beer!

[Okstate]

Details!

[dkealoha]

We could have sat at the bar, but then you can't really enjoy the view.

The bar area, and not the dining room area, has the better view though. But yes, try to get a table along the south facing window looking down the river and over downtown. Don't go into the main dining room area, the views aren't as good.

Guess I'm a little late on that comment seeing as how your visit is over!

[Okstate]

I made reservations for "window seating" when I went. Although they don't guarantee your spot, they will try to accommodate you over someone who simply "walks in".

[Bigtime]

We are just in the initial stages of planning a potential trip to Portland for March of 2011. We would be traveling with our daughter who would be about 21 months old at that point.

Any must do kinds of things for a toddler? Keep in mind that we live in the urban part of Calgary and really enjoy getting the stroller out and just walking the city to discover stuff (with hopefully a few parks along the way for Littletime).

Edit: Any good hotel reco's in the inner city?

[downtownpdx]

I would check out the Portland Children's Museum; Powell's Books has an enormous kids books section; and Finnegan's Toys downtown. Sorry I don't have kids but those are some ideas ... :) Hotel Vintage Plaza is a nice Kimpton boutique hotel in the middle of the city. Portland is loaded with parks, and the North Park Blocks has a playground. Don't know if it would be warm enough in March, but Jamison Square (Pearl District) has a cool fountain for kids, and there's another fountain at Director Park (downtown) also. All these are within walking distance of each other in the city center, except for the Children's Museum which is about 10-15 min (driving) west of downtown. Have a great time!

Also, Saturday Market (Old Town), is a huge open-air crafts market on the waterfront...also with a fountain.

[Bigtime]

Thanks for the suggestions! We're just working out flights and some other details right now (what weekend to go over), but it looks like we will be making the trip.

[ThatDarnSacramentan]

Well guys, I made my first trip to Portland in August to tour PSU and I loved the city. It's highly probable that I'll be heading back up there around Christmas to see the city again (since this time next year, I'll be living at either Ondine or Broadway :D). I have a good list of the places to shoot from, the things to see, but I'm really more interested in the must-eat restaurants. Unfortunately, while I spent a lot of time out in the city, I pretty much stuck to room service. I mean, if I'm going to be living in Portland, I have to have a good sense of where to get a good, hot meal, right?

[eeldip]

as far as restaurants, i would head here: http://portlandfood.org/. there are lots of lists of must eat restaurants, and the consensus view of that group is pretty spot on.

for toddler traveling in portland, i have a 2 year old and have LOADS of advice. in terms of the inner city, just wandering around weather dependent will get you a few days of fun. if your 2 year old is like mine, tooling around to different fountains, taking buses, streetcars, light rail and especially the aerial tram is endlessly entertaining.

if the weather turns, the children's museum and the zoo are accessible from downtown with a very short rail ride.

if the weather is nice, i would walk the waterfront, hit some fountains (they are almost universally swimming friendly especially for little ones). there is also a little river beach, which my toddler loves at low tide.

the pearl district is very toddler friendly as well, two great parks for kids. one with a huge made for toddler's fountain, and the other with a more natural feel (a little stream, a pond with fish, grass).

powell's has an incredible kids section. hit that.

there are lots of day trips that are worth it as well, the coast, the gorge.

as far as hotels... what is your budget?

[Bigtime]

That's some encouraging advice!

As far as hotel budget we are not opposed to paying $150/night for a room. Location is key, we want to be in the thick of it, with quick access to transit and lots to walk around to check out.

I'm loving our dollar being pretty much at par right now with the USD.

[eeldip]

hotel deluxe might work for you. about $125 a nite. a traditional, nice hotel.

there is also the ace (i had friends who stayed there, and their 2 year old just hung out by the window and watched the street car ride by). more of a hipster hotel, less good for kids.

you could try a nite at kennedy school if you have a car. it violates the "in the thick of it" plan. but its a pretty good spot for a family.

[OhioGuy]

What's a popular gay bar/restaurant on Sunday nights?

[MarkDaMan]

CC Slaughters or Silverado.

[Shilo Rune 96]

What's a popular gay bar/restaurant on Sunday nights?

If you're interested in visiting the Pearl District. I recently launched a new website for information about the Pearl, http://www.pearlhelp.com. The site still has some room for development but is mostly finished. :banana:


And here's all the Bars & Taverns located in the Pearl:
http://www.pearlhelp.com/eating/wine-bars-taverns/

[maccoinnich]

CC's has the drag show on Sunday night; probably the only gay bar that's likely to be busy then.

[OhioGuy]

Thanks for the advice! I went there last night and had a good time.

[VancouverPM]

Good All! -

I'm going to be in town from Sept 09th thru to the 13th, partly to participate in the Portland Dragonboat Festival, but partly to check out the eating, drinking, and general city in itself. I'll be with my girlfriend and a couple friends and we'd greatly appreciate some good ideas for coffee's, breakfasts, lunches and dinners as well as a few things to check out. We aren't much on the "attractions" persay but want to check out the heartbeat of the city, see what makes it tick, the notable spots locals frequent etc, any idea, inputs or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

On the drive back we are also considering heading out to the coast and meandering back, any suggestions of routes to take, places to stop along the way?

Cheers

E

[PacificNW]

I suggest you pick up a copies of "The Mercury" and "Williamette Week".. Have fun!

[JordanL]

MusicFestNW is also running from the 7th-11th, if you're interested in live music.

[zilfondel]

Guys forgot FINDER:

http://wweek.com/portland/flex-257-finder.html