Portland
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Portland, often abbreviated PDX, is located in America’s Pacific Northwest. The city is a beautiful, laid back hipster paradise brimming with breweries, coffee roasters, book shops, and food pods. Voted as one of the best food cities in America, the city is an epic crossroads of food, culture, and outdoor adventure—remember to pack a flannel!
Places of Interest
Downtown: If you’re looking for a good amount of shopping and dining, Downtown Portland is the best place to go. Easily accessible by public transportation, Downtown is comprised of numerous streets filled with fun shops, Portland-esque foodie options, and diverse cultural offerings.
Keep Portland Weird: Across from Voodoo Doughnut’s Downtown location lies the famous “Keep Portland Weird” sign. The slogan can be seen on bumper stickers to posters to walls throughout the city, as the locals uphold it as the unofficial Portland motto.
Powell’s City of Books: Although a chain of bookstores throughout Portland, the head store is in the Pearl District near Downtown. There are three floors spanning approximately 68,000 square feet with over 1 million used, new, and rare books. It’s a bookworm’s paradise!
Mississippi Avenue: North of Downtown Portland, you’ll find a stretch of streets dotted with hip cafes, eclectic shops, and vintage stores. The Mississippi Avenue neighborhood went through a makeover in recent years, and is now regarded as one of the “cooler” areas in the city.
Alphabet District: This is an older area in Portland where the streets are ordered alphabetically. It isn’t as busy as the Downtown area even though a stone’s throw away, so it’s a nice place to escape from some of the bustle. Additionally, there are a variety of shops, stores, and dining options to be enjoyed.
Northwest District/ Nob Hill: Boutiques, speciality shops, and unique cafes are abundant in this area of the city, complete with picaresque sidewalks to take a leisurely stroll. The old Victorian storefronts and homes give the neighborhood character, too.
Travel tip #1: Portland’s quirky vibe makes it a fantastic city to explore. You can easily spend a whole day wandering in and out of the shops in just one neighborhood or district. Summer is a great time to visit, as the city’s outdoorsy energy is amplified alongside the warm, sunny weather.
Food
Pine State Biscuits: Amazing comfort food made with quality ingredients. Their fluffy, buttery biscuits pair excellently with any of the offered fixings. The Reggie Deluxe—a biscuit breakfast sandwich with succulent fried chicken, crispy bacon, a fried egg, and mouthwatering gravy—is a popular favorite. Pine State also has vegetarian options.
Pok Pok: An original Portland restaurant serving up Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine, Pok Pok has expanded to Los Angeles as well as New York City in recent years. Here you will find classic favorites with a creative twist, like their famous fish-sauce chicken wings. Wait times can be quite lengthy, but there is a take-away window where you can order to eat at home.
Voodoo Doughnut: “The magic is in the hole” at Voodoo. With four locations in Oregon and an additional four Voodoo Doughnut shops out of state, this Portland-only store is now nationally-recognized and coveted. The donuts have some extraordinary and crazy names—Old Dirty Bastard, Triple Chocolate Penetration, Maple Blazer Blunt, anyone?—that reflect their Portland-roots. The Downtown location is usually packed, but going during off hours is a wise decision.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Opened in Portland in 1999, Stumptown has become more well-known as its appeared on store shelves since 2014. There are several locations outside of Oregon, too, but the original shop in Portland is must-visit to grab one of their speciality roasts. You can also partake in a coffee tasting at the Stumptown Coffee Annex.
Slappy Cakes: If you’re a breakfast fanatic who wants to take your morning meal to the next level, look no further than Slappy Cakes. Tables come with griddles, where guests are invited to make their own pancakes using their choice of batter and toppings. The restaurant also serves prepared meals if you’re not into the DIY-aspect, but all the food is delicious.
Dim Sum: Southeast Portland is home to HK Cafe, a dim sum restaurant that’s usually packed with families getting their grub on. Servers circle the vicinity, carts generously piled with fried and steamed bites, helping to make up for the lack of menu. On weekdays, there are fewer options, but the prices drop to $2.50 per plate.
The Waffle Window: Literally a street-side window where you order your meal from, The Waffle Window makes fantastic waffle-based dishes. You can either take your food to-go or sit down inside to enjoy your sweet or savory choice. My favorite is their Spicy Bacon Cheddar Jalapeño—the house avocado-tomatillo salsa is superb.
Ex Novo Brewing Co.: A combined brewery and restaurant, Ex Novo is a non-profit brewery that’s doing good while serving some awesome food and drinks. The menu changes frequently, but you cannot turn down their plate of bacon or a self-selected flight of their original beers.
Travel tip #2: Food parks are a must-try while in Portland. Within these different parks scattered across the city, you’ll find trailer-like “food pods” serving amazing eats. Each serves something different, some being more famous than others, but mostly all delicious.
Transportation & Accommodation
Cycling is a popular means of transportation in Portland. According to a 2009 Census Bureau survey, 6% of Portland residents commute to work via bicycle. If cycling isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of TriMet buses and trains connecting the city. The MAX train line features five different lines that connect outer areas to the downtown core with trains arriving approximately every 15 minutes. The train also connects to the Portland Airport (PDX), which makes traveling in and out of the city a breeze. While public transportation is an affordable and convenient option in Portland (a single day TriMet pass costing only $5 USD), cars are great for reaching some notorious hiking trails and scenic beauty spots. Uber and Lyft are common throughout Portland, too, and can be easily used to get places more directly.
I’ve visited Portland on two separate occasions, using Airbnb each time. Each place was wonderful—friendly hosts, clean spaces, and close to public transportation routes. As Oregon’s largest city, there are plenty of accommodation options from budget-travel to luxury that include campsites, cabins, motels, and hotels, all of which can be found on booking.com. However, I recommend trying Airbnb, as there are some beautiful options with unique charm and character.
Travel tip #3: In the spring, Portland’s streets are lined with gorgeous, pink magnolia flowers, as well as cherry blossoms, daffodils, and tulips. The vibrant floral bursts occur in intervals throughout spring and into summer. This is a wonderful time to visit and appreciate the city’s natural beauty.
Climate
Like much of Western Oregon, Portland has a Marine West Coast Climate with dry, hot summers and wet, cold winters. Portland gets an average of 44 inches of rain per year, making it one of the rainiest places in the United States. All of that rain means less sunshine, but locals have learned to live with the rain and they don’t let it stop them from doing their thing. Late spring and summer are the best times to visit Portland due to the fantastic farmers’ markets, multitude of outdoor activities, and city’s upbeat vibe.
