Portland, Oregon: What’s Worth Your Time

Portland has been written about so much, mostly in terms of its self-conscious weirdness, that the actual city sometimes gets lost in the mythology. It’s a mid-sized American city with exceptional food, good public transit, easy access to nature, and real urban problems that it would be dishonest to ignore entirely. The downtown has had a rough few years. Powell’s Books is still magnificent. The food scene is genuinely excellent.

Where to Spend Your Time

Powell’s City of Books on West Burnside is a full city block of used and new books across multiple floors. It’s the kind of place where you go in intending to spend 20 minutes and emerge 90 minutes later carrying things you didn’t know you needed. The rare book room is worth a browse.

Washington Park holds the Oregon Zoo and the formal Japanese Garden — the latter is one of the most carefully maintained Japanese gardens in the United States, designed in 1963 with ongoing input from Japanese garden experts. Entry costs around $22. Go on a weekday morning for the best atmosphere.

Forest Park is 5,000 acres of urban forest with over 80km of trails, accessible from multiple trailheads. The Wildwood Trail runs for 48km; an afternoon out-and-back from the Thurman Street trailhead is a solid 2-3 hour walk through Douglas fir and maple.

The Pearl District is the gentrified arts neighbourhood north of downtown with galleries, good restaurants, and the Saturday and Sunday Portland Farmers Market (March-December, PSU campus). The Farmers Market is one of the better ones in the Pacific Northwest — good for breakfast and local produce.

Food and Drink

Portland’s food truck scene is real and worth exploring. Cartopia on SE Hawthorne is a good pod — Potato Champion has excellent loaded fries, and Thai food trucks throughout the city are reliably better than equivalent sit-down restaurants.

For proper restaurants: Tasty n Daughters (Alder Street) is the best breakfast in the city, cash only, with long waits on weekends. Ava Gene’s does excellent vegetable-forward Italian cooking. Han Oak in the Pearl District has outstanding Korean food with good cocktails.

Breakside Brewery in Northeast Portland is among the better craft breweries. Oregon’s wine country (Willamette Valley) is 45 minutes south and produces world-class Pinot Noir.

Getting Around

Portland’s public transit (MAX light rail and buses) is functional and covers most areas. The MAX runs from PDX airport to downtown in 40 minutes for about $2.50. Within the inner city, Portland is very walkable. For outer neighbourhoods, rent a car or use ride-share. Bikes are a good option if you’re comfortable with traffic.

Where to Stay

Hotel deLuxe on West Broadway has a film noir aesthetic and comfortable rooms. Society Hotel in Old Town has a range of options including small hotel rooms and dormitory beds, which is unusual. For a neighbourhood base, Ace Hotel in the Pearl District is well-run and central.

Practical Note

The situation around downtown Portland has improved since the worst of the post-2020 period, but check recent travel reports. The Pearl District and NW 23rd Avenue are fine. Some blocks east of downtown can feel uncomfortable after dark.