Meet the city: Portland

The first thing I want to say about Portland is that I would move here. Among American cities, this is a good one—carved into forests, anchored by the Willamette River and a web of cool bridges, with a friendliness that borders on Midwestern. And good donuts.

It’s a city that seems to take quality of life more seriously than many of its countrymen do. It’s not just the weekend camping trips or the aggressive happy hours. Among a certain set, there’s also this kind of stylized approach to “lifestyle” that I’ve never seen pursued as earnestly as in Portland—like living in Pendleton’s Instagram account or a Scandinavian furniture store. 

That might explain the eye-rolling about Portland as a kingdom of bearded hipsters who care too much about where their coffee is from. (Besides Portlandia, check out Socality Barbie and Make Portland Normal.) Twee? Sometimes, but life is good, and I’ve decided that I certainly won’t complain about excellent coffee served in well-designed spaces. Give Portland an un-ironic try, and you’ll find yourself agreeing with me and many others.

In the last three years, Oregon has topped the list of the states Americans are moving to, according to a report from United Van Lines, a U.S. moving company. Many are headed to Portland, sparking concerns in the city about gentrification, rising house prices, and hordes of Californians—mostly fleeing the Bay Area, it seems. Ready to move? Here’s a guide to apologizing for it.

If you’re just visiting, Portland has become a dream travel destination for foodies from around the world. (Portlanders take brunch as seriously as New Yorkers, but are more laid back about it.) Most of these city guides offer days that mix something outdoorsy with something delicious. Not bad for a weekend trip up from San Francisco to scout out your dream house with a backyard. 

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I recommend...

Eat and drink

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Pip's Original Donuts and Chai (4758 NE Fremont St)

Read

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"One Night at Kachka" by Erin DeJesus with Danielle Centoni and Jen Stevenson, Eater, June 2015

"Kinfolk Magazine Takes Over the World" by Benjamin Tepler, Portland Monthly, April 2014...

...Then  "The Last Lifestyle Magazine" by Kyle Chayka, Racked, March 2016

Do

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Pick apples at Douglas Farm on Sauvie Island

Take a walk through the forest at Tryon Creek State Natural Area

Glimpse Mt. Hood from the International Rose Test Garden

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the city guides you'll meet

Wander around Southeast with Julie for a day of Portland's foodie highlights, and have dinner at her favorite food cart pod.

Spend a day with Mary on Mississippi Street, starting with breakfast at the beloved Sweedeedee.

Tour Portland's giant murals with Jess, on bikes!

Walk around Mt. Tabor with Timothy before heading downtown to start day drinking.

Do Melanie's whole Pepe le Moko "thing" (cocktails and oysters), followed by a recuperative brunch the next morning.

Shop for mushrooms with Rachel at the Portland State University Farmer's Market, and don't forget to pick up a bouquet of flowers.

Eat at all of Connie's favorite Portland restaurants, beginning with the snail soup at Rose VL.

Park yourself on Division Street with Sarah, and try out Portland's version of paint-your-own-pottery.

Explore the Alberta neighborhood with Maria, before a bike ride to a hidden Catholic sanctuary.

Drive up to Emmy's favorite bridge, a giant gothic one and the city's tallest, before visiting the alternative Powell's.

Visit Portland's gardens with Chancellor to soak in the fragrance of roses you didn't know existed.

Wandering in Southeast with Julie

I like the Southeast of Portland the best. I’d start off going to the Waffle Window. There’s a Blue Star Donuts right across the street, and then KURE Juice Bar with great acai bowls is also in the neighborhood. So there are lots of good breakfast choices!

I’d get coffee around there. My favorite is Good Coffee on Division, or Heart on Burnside. They just opened up an Upper Left Roasters too, and they’re good.

One of Portland's beloved donut spots, Blue Star has locations across the city, as well as in Los Angeles and Tokyo. Flavors include passionfruit with cocoa nibs and blueberry, bourbon & basil.

With plenty of cozy nooks, a variety of independent and local roasters, and a crew of super friendly baristas, Good Coffee on 48th and Division is a solid spot for an afternoon hangout or a productive morning.

Then I’d probably just walk around on either Division or Hawthorne. You could easily just get lost in the little shops there. Eventually, both streets hit the Eastbank Esplanade, a bike path along the Willamette. I’d just read a book, walk along the river, look at the skyline. 

This whole buying ramen and craft beer out of Airstream trailers thing might scream "That's so Portland!" but that's the perfect reason to visit the food cart pod at 28th and Division for dinner out in the open air.

And then I love the food carts here. My favorite is on Division and 28th—awesome, the best. There’s a double decker bus there with a vintage dress shop.

Then I would go get ice cream from Salt and Straw, the honey lavender ice cream. 

There are also a lot of bars in that area. The Richmond Bar is pretty chill, with a back patio that has fires, so it feels like you’re in a log cabin. Or Circa 33, on Belmont just one north of Hawthorne.

Shopping on Mississippi with Mary

This would be like a morning in North Portland. So you wake up. Go to Barista on Alberta, for your morning coffee. I’d get a cappuccino—Mad Cap, if they have it.

Then I’d go to Sweedeedee to get breakfast. That’s a must. They’re like a farm to table place with their own baked goods. 

Then I’d walk down Mississippi, and I’d go to Animal Traffic, which has new and used, but mostly Western-inspired vintage clothing. Keep going down the street, and there’s a place called Back Talk. It’s more modern, trendy, really simplistic and good.

Then lunch at Por Que No. Tacos for lunch. So basically this whole time, you’re on Mississippi Street. Get happy hour at Bar Bar. They have an outdoor seating area. Oh, Tea Bar! After Bar Bar, go to Tea Bar, and get a boba matcha. They make their own boba and it’s so good.

You can stay on Mississippi for dinner—there’s a food cart pod.

A slice of salty honey pie with coffee for breakfast, at Sweedeedee. While you're there, pick up one of their beautiful mugs, by Portland ceramicist Dina No.

Meeting friends at Por Que No is all about the timing. Here's the post-work happy hour line at the taqueria's Mississippi Ave. location.

Street art (on bikes!) with Jess

This mural on the side of Flying Pie Pizzeria (7804 SE Stark St.) is by artist Olivia Knapp. Also on the block, the historic Academy Theater and Maven Collective, a little store of beautiful vintage and handmade things.

My favorite thing to do in Portland is a street art tour. There are a couple websites that offer routes. 

Forest for the Trees has bike routes. They have murals all around Portland, and every year they do new ones. It’s local and international artists. The ones this year are phenomenal. It’s self-guided, but they have them all mapped out. You could spend an entire day doing it. You could do a brewery and mural tour, or a coffee and mural tour. That would be really fun!

P’s and Q’s is also really cute. You can rent a picnic basket that they’ll pack with their sandwiches, and you can take it out on a picnic.

A walk on a volcano with Timothy

It’s Portland, so you have to begin with coffee.

I’d go to Barista, and I’d get the single origin espresso. Barista has breakfast, but you could also go to the Waffle Window, and get chicken and waffles.

Then, take a walk around Mt. Tabor. It’s just a big park—well, actually, an old volcano. But to be honest, I guess it’s just a park that you can walk around and it's really nice.

After that, I’d take the Tri-Met downtown, and you can start day drinking. There are a lot of bars downtown, and just more foot traffic. 

Barista Coffee's first shop in downtown's Pearl District is one of four locations today and a good place to start a walk through the unique neighborhood.

Mt. Tabor is a great spot to take a walk, set kids loose on a playground, or just enjoy the view.

The night before and the morning after with Melanie

Strawberry shortcake at Pepe le Moko, a dark and intimate bar under the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland. The vibe is like being in a sexy submarine.

You have to check out Pepe le Moko. It’s an underground bar that you wouldn’t expect. It’s this whole thing.

You’ll go to the host stand and they’ll say, do you have a reservation? And you’ll say no, and then they’ll just take your name.

And then you go to Clyde Common next door and wait. Then she’ll call you and bring you into this like, underground tavern. It’s very mysterious. That’s why I like it. Oh, it’s cocktails and oysters.

Then let’s say you’re recovering from a hangover the next morning. Brunch is huge here. Brunch is everything, if you’ve watched Portlandia. The Screen Door is popular for brunch, but it’s impossible to get in there. If it’s my ideal day? Then I can get into Screen Door. But the trick is you have to go at 1:30, because they stop seating at 1:45, so you just go and get a beer, and wait for 1:45. 

A trip to the farmer's market with Rachel

Picking up wild chanterelles in October from the Springwater Farms stand. Pricey, but delicious. The best value at the PSU Farmer's Market? Beautiful (and big) bouquets from $10-15 each.

You’d have to wake up at like 8 am on a Saturday, OK?

But we would get coffee at Nuvrei, which is in the Northwest. Then we’d head Southwest to the PSU Farmer’s Market so that I can get my mushroom fix and accidentally buy like $40 of mushrooms. There are a lot of great stands there, and you can buy fruits, vegetables, and flowers, get coffee and things to eat.

Car-free and dramatically named, "Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People" translates data from the river into a dynamic LED light show at night.

There are a lot of parks in Portland, and last weekend we stopped by Ira Keller Park. After that, go check out the new pedestrian bridge, the Tilikum bridge. It’s not all pedestrians--to be more specific, it’s the only non-personal-automotive bridge.

Then get brunch with friends on the east side, at Screen Door. Actually, you’d probably need to go there earlier, so you can get a table.

What do you love about Portland?

• The PDX food scene
• The lush greenery
• The fresh, fragrant air
• Four seasons
• The small, but very relevant design scene

Overall, quality of life is A+.

All about food with Connie

I’m all about food.

I’d start off the day going to HK Cafe for dim sum. Then go hang out in Peninsula Park in Northeast. I mean, I’m assuming we’re driving, so it’s no big deal.

Check out Ha VL. Two different noodle soups a day. They rotate them, and when they run out, they run out. They just opened Rose VL. Google them to see what the menu has, because I think they’re doing different soups. The snail soup is when…Thursdays? They make almost like a pate loaf, with lemongrass, meats, snail. That place is legit.

What you'll get at famous food cart Nong's Khao Man Gai, just one of Connie's many food recommendations

If I’m with a group of people, Kachka, hands down. Do not be tempted to get the cold food spread thing. Because that only comes with the cold ones. What you should do is get a couple foods from each section on the menu. Make sure to get pelmeni in the “fancy broth,” which is what they call it. It’s fucking delicious. Go with friends and try all of the infused vodkas. My personal favorite is early grey. The horseradish one is like… Yeah. Wow.

If you’re into the Chinese places with hanging ducks and stuff, go to So Good Taste. Get the barbecue pork and the wonton noodle soup.

Nong's Khao Man Gai is a big thing. They do Thai chicken and rice. 

Coquine. They’re not specifically French or specifically American or whatever. They’re just kinda doing what Alice Waters does, which is make good, local food.

If you’re drunk, this is great. Luc Lac. It’s in Southwest. I’d definitely say, get the red pork sausage, for sure, maybe get a cocktail. You walk in and you’re like, this is a totally, totally hipster spot. Cool art, everyone looks way too cool there. I don’t find their pho to be the best in town, but if you’re drunk, it’s the best. Fridays and Saturdays, they’re open late.

I did happy hour at Meesen Thai on Mississippi, and that was really good. Maybe then go across the street to Moloko or Bar Bar. 

In Northeast, there are a lot of bars that do good food. Cruz Room on Alberta, they do weird tacos. Jerk chicken, Japanese tempura squash, southern, all over the place, and the flavors are on point. Basically it’s a fucking bar that serves tacos, it’s great.

Get the burger at Slow Bar. Get it. It’ll seem kinda seedy, but, get the burger.

Pie Spot makes delicious pies in Northeast. They’re wonderful. They started off doing fairs and farmer’s markets, but they have a brick and mortar spot now. I’d get the banana cream one. My favorite used to be the blueberry, but the banana cream is redonk.

What about for beer?

For beer, if you like sour beer, Cascade. Groundbreaker Brewing is also great. They brew their beer with chestnuts that they roast like coffee. It may be the only brewery that is completely gluten free.

A day on Division with Sarah

I would camp out on Division Street for the day. For probably a year or two, it’s been an eating destination. I’d start with Little T Baker for breakfast. 

This Division Street shop just down the street from ice cream shop Salt & Straw offers "open clay" nights, classes, and events for the wannabe ceramicist.

Then there are some cute shops on that street. One is called Field Trip. And there’s another one called Carter and Rose. They have art classes there, and open clay nights where you can just make stuff. It’s like...if paint-your-own-pottery was cool. 

Then, Roman Candle for lunch. Pok Pok is there, but it’s super crowded, so I’d go to Whiskey Soda Lounge and get the wings. The wings are the thing that everyone talks about.

Salt & Straw is right by there. They have all kinds of weird savory flavors—like for Thanksgiving, they have salted caramel with turkey.

So basically I would just eat all day and take a break to do crafty things.

Eating in Alberta with Maria

I live close to Alberta, so I have a lot of recommendations, mostly around there. 

Salt & Straw, if you can get there without a line. Maybe in the morning? A morning ice cream? After brunch actually is a pretty good time to go, though.

Pine State Biscuits on Alberta is also not a bad wait. There’s a cute little smoothie truck next to Pine State Biscuits that has a garden store next to it, and you can wander through the store with your smoothie while you wait. And Podnah’s Pit is a great place for brunch. And it’s unknown, so there’s no line. It’s more like Texas-style barbecue.

Go down to 30th and Killingsworth for dinner. DOC for a fancy Italian dinner—for us, it’s like an anniversary dinner-type thing. Expatriate is a newer bar that is also right there. It’s really dark. I think it’s moody and romantic, I love it. Yakuza is also there--go for their happy hour burger.

Another thing! A nice bike ride is to go to the Grotto. It’s a Catholic sanctuary with a great garden—a very calm and serene place. It’s beautiful. Not a lot of Portlanders go there, though. I remember seeing the signs for it off the highway and being like, What is the Grotto? And Peninsula Park is a lesser known rose garden, in the months where the roses are out. It’s next to Sweedeedee.

The Ned Ludd Wu Tang-themed PREAM nights have spun off into a new pizza restaurant in Southeast--also called PREAM. Look out for the delicious cocktails and the Tupac portrait on the wall.

My absolute favorite pizza is at Lovely's Fifty Fifty. And Ned Ludd does a pizza hip hop night which is great. It’s called PREAM—Pizza Rules Everything Around Me.

The best bridge in Portland with Emmy

You won't regret the short drive to the St. Johns bridge, Portland's tallest. It sits over a green park with a little dock where you'll find friends hanging out next to the river.

Mouther Foucalt's, where books rise to the ceiling in hardwood shelves, is the quieter, more old-fashioned version of the indie bookstore--the kind that almost seems like it came out of a dream.

I’m sending you all over the place, but it’s worth the drive.

So, the best falafel I’ve ever had is DarSalam. It’s a mishmash of Middle Eastern food and just really good. There's one downtown. 

Then, everyone will tell you to go to Powell’s…but Mother Foucalt's is just across the bridge, and it’s also a really good bookstore.

Dark and cozy, Dig a Pony is like the bar equivalent of that super cool and good-looking friend you've got who's somehow also the nicest in the group. Speaking of friends, besides the fries, a highlight is there's plenty of space here if you're traveling with a big crew of friends. 

Get out to North Portland if you can. To get there you have to cross my favorite bridge, which has these big, gothic arches. It’s called the St. Johns bridge, and that’s also the name of the neighborhood. You should explore that too.

Finally, live music is my favorite thing here. Mississippi Studios is just great. Then there’s a place called Dig a Pony that has a DJ every night, so you can’t strike out there.

A garden tour with Chancellor

Portland's International Rose Test Garden is free to visit and offers more than 650 varieties of roses. Come here for a beautiful view of Mt. Hood, a guided tour, or just a whiff of the thousands of roses on display.

The first thing to do is to go to the Rose Test Gardens. Just see all the blossoming flowers and smell the fragrances. 

Then take a slow drive down 23rd and make your way to Schoolhouse Electric. Great coffee—and also one of the cutting edge places for design and lighting. It’s a huge, giant, amazing space.

Then go to the Chinese Gardens and explore that garden, too.

Then come down to the East Side, and get happy hour at Por Que No, and ice cream at 50 Licks. Did you get that? 50 Licks, it’s so good!