| From: | scotthiller2002@*****.com (Scott Hiller) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Getting Around Portland Tir Tairngire |
| Date: | Fri, 11 Jun 2004 08:46:20 -0700 (PDT) |
didn't see it on any post.
What I'd like to do with this post is generate a forum
that will expand on the information already presented
in the Tir Tairngire and Shadows of North America
Sourcebooks regarding Portland. So, please feel free
to post your constructive ideas, etc. regarding
Portland, Tir Tairngire.
Also, I was wondering what became of the current MAX
light rail system in Portland by the time Portland was
rebuilt as Portland Tir Tairngire.
The current lightrail system runs from the airport
through downtown and out to Beaverton. It also runs
from Gresham out to Hillsboro, and from downtown up to
the Expo Center in North Portland (check out
www.trimet.org for full info.):
Blue Line
Hillsboro
City Center
Gresham
Red Line
Airport
City Center
Beaverton Transfer Center
Yellow Line
Expo Center
City Center
And I understand, the Yellow Line may be expanded
south to either Milwaukie or Lake Oswego.
The light rail runs along the streets, and along I-84,
and well as on subway tracks through the West Hills
(under the Zoo and Washington Park).
My question is, if Portland Tir Tairngire only has a
subway system that rings Downtown, what happened to
MAX? And does Portland Tir Tairngire have a bus
system? There's no mention of that in either the Tir
Tairngire Sourcebook or the Shadows of North America
Sourcebook.
And I'd imagine Portland would still have things like
all the parks, the zoo, the Rose Festival and
Starlight Parade.
Here's some more on Portland from
http://travel.roughguides.com/roughguides.html (of
course, modify the phone numbers appropriately to get
the right LTG numbers):
Portland
Having been spared the kind of aggressive, remorseless
development that many Seattle residents have come to
loathe, PORTLAND still retains a pleasant, small-city
feel, both for its well-preserved Beaux Arts
architecture and walkable urban core, as well as its
easygoing atmosphere. That said, there's not a lot to
keep intrepid tourists here for more than a day, with
most of the city's handful of major attractions
located within close walking distance of each other on
the short city blocks – half the size of most American
cities. On the other hand, while Portland's
unpretentious bohemian flavor may be lost on more
gung-ho travelers, the city remains an excellent spot
for casual visitors to slack around for weeks at a
time, with a wealth of good diners, microbreweries,
clubs, bookstores and coffee houses to keep you
occupied.
The city was named after Portland, Maine, following a
coin toss between its two East Coast founders in 1845
("Boston" was the other option). Its location on a
deep part of the Willamette River, just 78 miles from
the Pacific and surrounded by fertile valleys, made it
a perfect trading port, and it grew quickly, replacing
its clapboard houses with ornate facades and Gothic
gables. Nevertheless, throughout the nineteenth
century it remained a raunchy, bawdy place, notorious
for gambling, prostitution and opium dens. By the
1970s, Portland's historic buildings had decayed or
were sacrificed to parking lots and expressways, but
since then, it has salvaged what was left of its past,
replacing concrete with red brick, and introducing
folksy statues and murals. Although the city's
rehabilitation, along with its "urban growth boundary"
to limit unrestrained development, has done much for
Portland's reputation nationwide, most residents are
ambivalent about the praise and would prefer you move
anywhere – preferably Seattle – but here.
Arrival and information
Portland International Airport (PDX) is a
thirty-minute drive from downtown, by either the Gray
Line Airport Express bus (every 45min 5am–midnight;
$15; www.grayline.com), which drops off at major
hotels, or the cheaper MAX light-rail line (4 hourly,
7am–11.30pm; $1.55), which connects to the airport
near Terminal C and takes about forty minutes to reach
downtown. A cab from the airport into town costs
$25–30. Greyhound at 550 NW Sixth Ave and Amtrak close
by at 800 NW Sixth Ave are conveniently situ ated
within easy walking distance of the center; if you
arrive at night take a cab though – this part of town
is not safe after dark. Pacific Trails (tel
503/292-4437) runs buses from Portland to the Oregon
Coast.
The visitor center, by the river in the World Trade
Center, 26 SW Salmon St at Front Avenue (May–Oct daily
9am–5pm; Nov–Apr Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–2pm, tel
503/275-9750 or 1-800/962-3700, www.pova.org), has
plenty of maps and information on both the city and
the state. Portland's main post office is at 715 NW
Hoyt St (tel 503/294-2124; zip code 97205).
Getting around
Although you can see much of the compact city center
on foot, or along the city's impressive, extensive
network of cycling paths and trails, Portland also has
an excellent public transit network. Portland's light
rail system, Metropolitan Area Express (MAX), moves
tourists around central downtown and Old Town, and
carries commuters over the river to the eastern
suburbs, also tunneling under Washington Park and the
zoo. The Tri-Met bus system is based at the downtown
transit mall along Fifth Avenue (southbound) and Sixth
Avenue (northbound). Each bus shelter is labeled with
a symbol – brown beaver, blue snowflake and so on –
serving as a code for a block of bus routes in a
particular area of the city. Although excellent for
transportation, the mall is not a place to linger:
it's well-known as a drug-dealing zone. The Tri-Met
Info Bureau on Pioneer Courthouse Square (Mon–Fri
8am–5pm; tel 503/238-7433, for disabled customers tel
503/238-4952, www.tri-met.org) offers free transit
maps and sells all-zone day tickets ($4), "Quik Tik"
six-hour passes ($3), books of ten tickets ($11.50),
and monthly passes ($45) with special student rates
($16). Buses and MAX trains are free in the downtown
zone – "Fareless Square" – edged by the Willamette to
the east, Irving Street to the north, and I-405 to the
south and west. Outside here, fares are between $1.05
and $1.55 – pay the bus driver exact change; transfers
for onward travel within the same zone (there are
three fare zones altogether) are free.
The brightly colored cars of the new Portland
Streetcar line ply a tourist-oriented route between
Portland State University and Northwest Portland,
covering most downtown sights on NW and SW 10th and
11th streets. Fares are free inside Fareless Square,
otherwise $1.25 (www.portlandstreetcar.org).
Portland's taxis don't stop in the street; you'll have
to either get one at a hotel or call (Broadway Cabs
tel 503/227-1234, Portland Taxi Co tel 503/256-5400).
Accommodation
Scads of flavorless motels line the interstates and
Sandy Boulevard northeast of the city center, but for
a few dollars more you're far better staying downtown,
where you'll find hostels, B&Bs and a good range of
hotels, the pick of which occupy grand and elegantly
restored old buildings.
Hotels, motels and B&Bs
Benson 309 SW Broadway tel 503/228-2000 or
1-888/523-6766, www.westcoasthotels.com/benson. The
typical spot for visiting dignitaries and celebs, this
classy hotel has a superb walnut-paneled 1912 lobby,
and swank bedrooms with modern appointments. $200–250.
Days Inn City Center 1414 SW 6th Ave tel 503/221-1611
or 1-800/899-0248, www.daysinn.com. Great location
with smart, well-tended motel rooms. Excellent value
for downtown. $100–130.
Edgefield 2126 SW Halsey Rd tel 503/669-8610 or
1-800/669-8610, www.mcmenamins.com/edge. Fifteen
minutes east of the airport, this unique
brewery-resort features a Georgian Manor, restaurants,
bars, winery and tasting room, distillery, movie
theater, gardens, and an 18-hole British golf course.
$75–100.
General Hooker's House B&B 125 SW Hooker St tel
503/222-4435 or 1-800/745-4135,
www.generalhookers.com. Four attractive Victorian
guestrooms, a 20-min walk from downtown. $75–100.
Heathman Hotel 1001 SW Broadway at Salmon St tel
503/241-4100 or 1-800/551-0011, www.heathmanhotel.com.
Occupies a finely restored Neoclassical building, with
an elegant, teak-paneled interior and much marble and
brass. Splendid rooms, excellent restaurant, and
popular lobby-lounge where you can swill among the
swells. $160–200.
Heron Haus 2545 NW Westover Rd tel 503/274-1846,
www.heronhaus.com. Stylish 1904 Tudor B&B, whose large
suites feature fireplaces and cozy sitting areas.
Excellent continental breakfast and close hiking
access to Portland's expansive Forest Park. $160–200.
Kennedy School 5736 NE 33rd Ave tel 503/249-3983 or
1-888/249-3983, www.mcmenamins.com/kennedy.
Thirty-five B&B rooms, each in a refurbished
schoolroom with chalkboards and cloakrooms, plus
modern conveniences. Excellent breakfast, multiple
brewpubs, movie theater, outdoor bathing pool, and
"detention bar." $100–130.
Mallory Hotel 729 SW 15th Ave tel 503/223-6311 or
1-800/228-6857, www.malloryhotel.com. Stylish lobby,
but rather plain – though affordable – rooms in this
old Portland favorite, well placed along the MAX
tracks. $100–130.
Vintage Plaza 422 SW Broadway tel 503/228-1212 or
1-800/243-0555, www.vintageplaza.com. An intimate
boutique hotel with oversized rooms and a calm,
relaxed atmosphere. Wine is offered in the afternoons
in the lobby. $130–160.
White Eagle Hotel 836 N Russell St tel 503/282-6810,
www.mcmenamins.com/eagle.html. Hands-down Portland's
best bargain, a refurbished old hotel converted into a
hip brewpub in an industrial-bohemian neighborhood.
Rooms are clean and simple, and surprisingly cheap.
Live music nightly. $35–50.
Hostels
HI-Portland 3031 SE Hawthorne Blvd tel 503/236-3380,
www.portlandhostel.com. Hostel facilities in a cheery
Victorian house, well located in the heart of the
Hawthorne District. Occasional live performances. $18
dorms, $45 private rooms.
HI-NW Portland International Hostel 1818 NW Glisan tel
503/241-2783, www.2oregonhostels.com. Located in a
nineteenth-century home in Northwest Portland, near
the popular Mission Theatre & Brewpub. Contains
espresso bar and family rooms. $19 dorms, private
rooms (only two) $50.
Eating
As in Seattle, Portland's Pacific Northwest cuisine is
a mix of international cooking styles and fresh
regional produce, and the city offers many excellent
dining options for all palates and pocketbooks.
Downtown, the Pearl District and Northwest Portland
have swank cocktail bars, sedate bistros, brewpubs and
Pacific-fusion and vegan-friendly restaurants, while
Hawthorne Boulevard has the best inexpensive grub and
ethnic restaurants. Downtown also has an abundance of
food carts that crank out Mexican food, Italian
panini, vegetarian Indian cuisine, and rice-bowl
bentos – typically cheap and tasty fare.
Bangkok Kitchen 2534 SE Belmont St tel 503/236-7349.
Forget the higher-priced joints downtown (two miles
west of here): this dreary-looking spot has Portland's
best – and cheapest – Thai food. And if you don't like
the ugly red-vinyl booths or kitschy decor, just order
take-out.
Bombay Cricket Club 1925 Hawthorne Blvd tel
503/231-0740. Not just another excellent Indian
restaurant, the Cricket Club also adds a
Muslim-inspired middle eastern element to the usual
fare. A mile west of the main Hawthorne scene.
Brasserie Montmartre 626 SW Park Ave tel 503/224-5552.
The city's most popular French bistro, with tasty
pasta and free live jazz on most evenings. The
favorite lunching spot for shoppers at nearby
Nordstrom.
Dot's Café 2521 SE Clinton St tel 503/235-0203. In the
center of the small-but-hip Clinton district, a cheap
late-night spot decked out in primo garage-sale decor,
offering the classic bacon cheese-burger, vegan
burritos and the best grilled-cheese sandwich in
Portland.
Higgins 1239 SW Broadway tel 503/222-9070. One of the
city's finest restaurants, where fresh Northwest
cuisine and scrumptious desserts are served in cozy
quarters just south of the city's main attractions.
Jake's Famous Crawfish 401 SW 12th Ave tel
503/226-1419. Portland's landmark restaurant for over
a hundred years. A staggering choice of fresh fish,
including Columbia River Sturgeon, Depot Bay Dungeness
Crab, and spicy crawfish cakes. The innocuous-sounding
"Bag of Chocolate" is an infamously delicious,
gut-busting dessert.
McCormick and Schmick's 235 SW 1st Ave at Oak St tel
503/224-7522. Excellent fish restaurant, with fresh
nightly specials and a lively oyster bar with a
happening singles scene. Entrees around $15.
Oba 555 NW 12th Ave tel 503/228-6161. Flashy, Nuevo
Latino eatery in the Pearl District that fuses flavors
from all over Latin America to create food you won't
find anywhere else in Portland.
Papa Haydn 701 NW 23rd Ave, Northwest Portland tel
503/223-7317. Expect at least a half-hour wait for a
table at this upscale eatery on weekend nights – worth
it for a taste of the hundred-odd desserts on the
menu, with the best on view behind glass.
Toney Bento 1423 SE 37th Ave tel 503/234-4441. A
lively Hawthorne spot with giant bowls of tasty,
inexpensive noodle concoctions, and delicious sushi –
made by a master first-generation chef.
Wildwood 1221 NW 21st Ave tel 503/248-9663. Trendy
Northwest Portland restaurant with a warm interior,
friendly staff and imaginative food. Fresh local
ingredients rule.
Drinking, nightlife and entertainment
Portland's smart cocktail lounges and dive bars easily
rival those of Seattle. The city is a beer-drinker's
haven, with over thirty local microbreweries.
BridgePort Ale House, 3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd (tel
503/233-6540), and BridgePort Brewing Co, 1313 NW
Marshall St (tel 503/241-3621), are two solid choices,
and the McMenamins"concept" brewpubs sell their own
locally-brewed ales in unique settings, such as former
schoolhouses and renovated hotels
(www.mcmenamins.com). The coffee-swilling scene looms
large, but without Seattle's ubiquitous coffee carts –
naturally, though, Starbucks is everywhere. For music,
the place to head is downtown, with the coolest venues
centered around Burnside.
The art scene in Portland revolves around the Portland
Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW Broadway (tel
503-248-4335 or 224-4000, www.pcpa.com), a dynamic
complex consisting of two main buildings – the Arlene
Schnitzer Concert Hall and the New Theater Building,
containing the Dolores Winningstad Theater and Newmark
Theater. The "Schnitz" is a sumptuously restored 1928
vaudeville and movie house that presents big musical
extravaganzas, opera and theater, hosting performances
by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra (tel 503/228-1353),
Portland Opera (tel 503/241-1407) and Oregon Ballet
Theater (tel 503/222-5538), amongst others. Several
blocks east at SW 3rd Avenue between Market and Clay
streets, the Ira Keller Auditorium (tel 503-274-6560)
is home to traveling musicals.
As for festivals, Portland State University hosts the
mid-July Portland International Performance Festival
(www.extended.pdx.edu/pipf) for contemporary dance and
theater productions. During the summer, free concerts
are held at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Tom McCall
Waterfront Park, and the zoo.
The free Willamette Week (www.wweek.com), available on
any street corner, carries listings of what's on and
where, as does the Friday edition of The Oregonian,
the main local newspaper (www.oregonian.com).
Bars, brewpubs and coffee houses
Café Lena 2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd tel 503/238-7087. A
mile west of the main Hawthorne district, this joint
attracts an alternative crowd for its open-mike poetry
and acoustic guitar performances. Late-night weekend
menu served until 1am.
Cobalt Lounge 32 NW 3rd Avenue tel 503/225-1003. A
fun, retro-style club in Old Town with stiff drinks
and a party crowd. Breakfast served from 4pm to 2am
daily.
Coffee People 533 NW 23rd Ave, Northwest Portland tel
503/221-0235. Splendid range of coffees – arguably the
best in town, though now part of a chain. Visually
striking spot attracts more locals – and fewer
motorcyclists – than the Starbucks across the street.
Embers 11 NW Broadway tel 503/222-3082. An often
crowded club with drag shows in the gay-oriented front
room and high-energy dancing in the straight-leaning
room in back. Cool fish-tank bar top.
Goose Hollow Inn and Tavern 1927 SW Jefferson St tel
503/228-7010. Great microbrews, the city's best Reuben
sandwich, and convenient location near the MAX tracks
(a mile west of downtown) make this a solid bet. Keep
watch for colorful owner Bud Clark, once the town
mayor.
Huber's 411 SW 3rd Ave tel 503/228-5686. Portland's
oldest bar is an elegant room with arched
stained-glass skylight, mahogany paneling and terrazzo
floor. Famous for roast turkey sandwiches and flaming
Spanish coffees.
Kell's 112 SW 2nd Ave tel 503/227-4057. A longstanding
favorite Irish bar, with fine authentic cuisine and a
range of microbrews, imported beers, and of course,
Irish (and Scotch) whiskey.
Lucky Lab Brewpub 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd tel
503/236-3555. Just across the river from downtown,
this unpretentious brewpub occupies a huge warehouse
space with an outdoor patio. Fresh ales, great
sandwiches, BBQ specials, and a delicious peanut curry
bento.
Produce Row 204 SE Oak St tel 503/232-8355. Be one of
the few tourists at this local favorite, stuck in an
unglamorous location by the railroad tracks, across
the river in an industrial zone, but boasting thirty
brews on tap and a nice range of live music.
Ringlers Annex 1223 SW Stark St tel 503/525-0520.
Great people-watching in the cavernous basement of the
ornate wedge-shaped 1917 Flatiron Building. Companion
bar, Ringlers, is two blocks away at 1332 W Burnside
St.
Shanghai Tunnel 211 SW Ankeny St tel 503/220-4001.
Located just off Burnside Street, this subterranean
bar is popular with hipsters and offers Asian-style
soul food.
The Tao of Tea 3430 SE Belmont St tel 503/736-0119.
More than 120 different kinds of teas are served in an
exquisite room with zen-like decor and a somewhat
pretentious air. Elegant meals of affordable vegan and
Indian food.
Tiger Bar 317 NW Broadway tel 503/222-7297. An
über-hip, swank lounge with a tiger-striped bar and
long banquettes. Dark, sultry and smoke-friendly, with
late-night food.
Music venues
Berbati's Pan 10 SW 3rd Ave tel 503/248-4579.
Mediterranean food is just the entrée, with pool,
pinball and ping pong, as well as a reconstructed
nineteenth-century European bar in back and nightly
eclectic music selections in the nightclub.
Crystal Ballroom 1332 W Burnside St tel 503/778-5625.
Just above the Ringlers bar, a nineteenth-century
dance hall with a "floating" floor on springs. Bands
range from hippie to hip-hop, local to national, and
feature the best of Portland's indie rock and good DJs
in "Lola's Room" upstairs.
Dante's 1 SW 3rd Ave tel 503/226-6630). Perhaps the
city's hippest nightspot, where cabaret acts and live
rock and electronica music are mixed in with the
lounge's signature "Karaoke from Hell" Mondays and
"Sinferno" Sunday strip shows.
Jazz de Opus 33 NW 2nd Ave tel 503/222-6077. Cozy,
low-key atmosphere with excellent live jazz and
grilled food. No cover most nights.
Ohm 31 NW 1st Ave tel 503/223-9919. Located near
Saturday market, a top spot for electronica and
hip-hop music, with both live acts and DJs. Weekends
are packed and stuffy, so come during midweek for a
more relaxed environment.
Parchman Farm 1204 SE Clay St tel 503/235-7831.
Located a half-mile across the river from downtown,
this intimate club features good pizza, great jazz,
and no cover.
Red Sea 318 SW 3rd Ave tel 503/241-5450. Dine on
African/Middle Eastern cuisine while you groove to
reggae and African tunes on weekends. Also offers the
occasional belly dancer.
Roseland Theater 8 NW 6th Ave tel 503/224-2038.
Located in one of the city's dicier corners, this is a
top spot for rock and alternative acts, drawing a
mostly young, tattooed and pierced crowd.
Satyricon 125 NW 6th Ave tel 503/243-2380. Diverse
acts with an emphasis on punk rock. Good bar food.
Saucebox 214 SW Broadway tel 503/241-3393. Easily
missable spot features great pan-Asian cuisine,
colorful cocktails, and eclectic nightly music that
attracts black-clad poseurs and serious hipsters.
Exploring Portland:
East of the river
While the west side of the Willamette River provided a
deep port, the east side was too shallow for shipping,
and so the area remained undeveloped for the first
fifty years of Portland's life. The Morrison Bridge
crept across at the end of the nineteenth century;
since then, most of Portland's population has lived
here at some point, in various neighborhoods that are
almost entirely residential. Perhaps the best reason
to venture in this direction is to walk or bike the
2.3-mile loop of the Eastbank Esplanade, a new
$30-million concourse that connects from the Hawthorne
to the Steel bridge on floating walkways and
cantilevered footpaths, offering striking views of
downtown and close-up perspectives on the city's
industrial zone. Near the south end of the esplanade,
the splashy exhibits of the Oregon Museum of Science
and Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave (June–Aug daily
9.30am–7pm, rest of year Tues–Sun 9.30am–5.30pm;
$6.50; www.omsi.edu), are primarily geared toward
children, with hundreds of interactive booths, toys
and kiosks aimed at those with only a sketchy
knowledge of science.
More appealing, two miles further east, the Hawthorne
District is Portland's best alternative culture zone.
With Hawthorne Boulevard as its axis between 34th and
45th streets, and dominated by the sparkly,
quasi-Moorish Bagdad Theatre/Brewpub at 37th street,
the area teems with bookstores, hip cafés, dive bars,
cheap ethnic restaurants, and as yet only a handful of
corporate chain stores. Six blocks north, Belmont
Avenue is a historic corridor thick with boutiques and
ethnic restaurants, centered around the neon lights of
the Avalon Theatre, at no. 3451, while a mile
southwest around 26th Avenue, Clinton Street is home
to several good diners, funky bars and vintage
clothiers (the best being Xtabay, at no. 2515).
Finally, only sports fans and conventioneers should
bother to visit the overly hyped Rose Quarter, west of
I-5 between the Steel and Broadway bridges
(www.rosequarter.com), where a green-spired convention
center and basketball stadium are the only points of
interest amid a clutch of overpriced restaurants and
dreary chain motels.
Old Town, Chinatown, Pearl District and Northwest
Portland
Old Town, the area around and just south of the
Burnside Bridge, is where Portland was founded in
1843. The area tended to flood, however, and when the
railroad came in 1883 the town center soon shifted
away; its big, ornate buildings became warehouses and
it plummeted down the social scale. These days,
missions for the homeless coexist with galleries,
brewpubs and boutiques. The Saturday Market (March–Dec
Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–4.30pm;
www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com) packs the area south
of, and under, the Burnside Bridge with arts and
crafts stalls, eclectic street musicians, spicy foods
and lively crowds, all crammed cheek-to-jowl by the
MAX tracks. At First and Ankeny stands the Skidmore
Fountain, a bronze basin raised by caryatids above a
granite pool, designed to provide European elegance
for the citizens and water for hard-working
nineteenth-century horses. Across the fountain's
angular plaza, an ornamental colonnade stretches from
the side of the New Market Theater, a restored
theater-cum-vegetable market that is now full of
cafés. A few blocks west, the 24-Hour Church of Elvis,
720 SW Ankeny St ("most hours"; tel 503/226-3671,
www.churchofelvis.com; donation), is an
only-in-Portland attraction: a storefront,
walk-through maze of Styrofoam and plastic
monstrosities, many dedicated to Mr Presley. Church of
Elvis marriage certificates – and other Presley
paraphernalia – are usually available from the
coin-operated display in the window, and marriages can
be arranged, complete with a serenade from Portland's
premier Elvis impersonator.
Nearby along west Burnside, the ornamental gate at
Fourth Avenue marks Chinatown, once the second-largest
Chinese community in the US until white unemployment
in the 1880s led, as elsewhere, to racist attacks and
forced most Chinese workers to leave. There's still
enough of a community here to support a range of cheap
ethnic restaurants and bars, along with numerous rock
and dance clubs – this stretch is the city's nexus for
nightlife. Other notable sights include the American
Advertising Museum, 211 NW Fifth Ave (Wed–Sun
noon–5pm; $3), giving a fascinating account of the
rise of advertising, from posters to tapes of old
radio and TV ads, and the Classical Chinese Garden, NW
Third Ave at Everett (daily Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm; Nov–Mar
10am–5pm; $6), a Suzhou-styled garden with traditional
vegetation, ponds and walkways.
North of Burnside lies the chic Pearl District, an old
industrial zone now gentrified with upscale lofts,
galleries, restaurants and boutiques. The biggest
recent redevelopment is the so-called Brewery Blocks,
NW 11th Avenue between Burnside and Davis streets, a
monumental renovation of the former Blitz-Weinhard
brewery into high-end restaurants, retail shops and
condos. Nearby is the famous Powell's City of Books,
1005 W Burnside St (daily 9am–11pm; www.powells.com).
With over a million new, used and rare books, Powell's
occupies an entire block, as well as separate annexes
around town, and provides free maps so customers can
find their way around. At the store's Anne Hughes
Coffee Room (tel 503/228-4651), you can pore over a
book or magazine before you buy.
Further west, the Nob Hill district is better known to
locals as Northwest Portland, stretching from W
Burnside Street along a dozen blocks of NW 23rd and NW
21st avenue, choked with fine restaurants and
boutiques, where the population density is the state's
highest and the street parking is notoriously bad on
weekends. The assortment of multicolored Victorian
piles adds a San Franciscan tinge – and the food is as
good as it gets north of California.
West Hills and Washington Park
Directly west of Northwest Portland, the wooded bluffs
of the West Hills contain the massive Forest Park, the
country's largest urban green space, interlaced with
countless hiking trails, including the 26-mile loop of
the Wildwood Trail. Just to the south, the elegant
houses of Portland's wealthy include the ever-popular
Pittock Mansion, 3229 NW Pittock Drive (Feb–Dec
noon–4pm; $5; www.pittockmansion.com), a 1914
Renaissance Revival creation whose most attractive
attribute is its stunning – and free – view of the
city from the front lawn. Beyond the mansion, forested
Washington Park is home to a number of Portland's most
popular attractions. These include the expansive city
views from the International Rose Test Gardens (daily
7am–9pm; free), featuring a wide array of bright
summertime blooms; the tranquil Japanese Garden
(daily: Apr–Sept 10am–7pm; Oct–Mar 10am–4pm; $6;
www.japanesegarden.com), actually a collection of five
gardens with traditional ponds, bridges, foliage, and
sand patterns; and the Oregon Zoo (daily: Apr–Sept
9am–6pm; Oct–Mar 9am–4pm; $6.50; www.zooregon.org),
whose most unusual feature is its Elephant Museum,
detailing the biological and cultural history of
pachyderms – and decorated with a giant mastodon
skeleton. Close by, the rather staid World Forestry
Center (daily 10am–5pm; $4.50; www.worldforestry.org)
uses interactive exhibits to explain forest management
from a timber industry perspective. Most Washington
Park attractions have convenient access to a MAX
light-rail station, which is buried deep underground
and accessible only by elevator.
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