|
What's
so great about
Portland?
Day 1, 2 & 3 in Portland
Attractions
Events/Festivals
Live Music
Pubs/Bars
Restaurants
Discounts
Movies
Shopping
Museums
Green Spaces
Neighborhoods
Hostel Activities
Day Trips |
What's so GREAT about Portland?
 The hostel is only three blocks from the
Fareless Square. You ride free of
charge throughout this 330-block downtown area! That
means, you can get on and off any
buses, the
MAX light rail, and the
Portland Streetcar without buying a ticket. Portland's Tri-Met bus
system is one of the most rider-friendly public transit systems in America
and makes exploring Portland a breeze.
Portland's short blocks make it a pedestrian paradise, voted one of
Americas best walking towns. It's street plan, drawn on a European
model, is adorned with both historic and contemporary features of public
art, fountains and architectural landmarks at nearly every turn.
Portland's signature 200-foot city blocks were the innovation of real
estate developers in the 1800s, who created them because of ... well,
greed. It seems they were capitalizing on the knowledge that corner lots
fetched the highest sales price!
Because of forward thinking city planners in
the 1970's, Portland has established itself as a pioneer in urban growth
issues. Revitalizing old sections (the Pearl District and Waterfront
for example) instead of sprawling out, setting up curbside recycling (now
co-mingled), and free public transportation are just some of the reasons
Portland maintains a high quality of life.
More than ten bridges span the Willamette
River. You get a great view of them from the
Eastbank Esplanade, a pedestrian and bike path along the Willamette
River. The esplanade has the longest floating walkway in the nation and
can be accessed from any of the downtown bridges. There are five
drawbridges, with the Hawthorne Bridge being the oldest operating
vertical-lift bridge in the United States. For more information on
engineering and historical details of the bridges check out
www.odot.state.or.us/eshtm/br.htm.
Wherever you go in Portland, you are never
far from a
park. Portlander's love to weave open, green spaces into the urban
landscape. Couch Park (pronounced "cooch"), right across from the
hostel, is a little neighborhood park with lovely trees. It draws many
neighbors, especially in the summer time when free concerts are happening.
 If you need to cool off in the summer you should check out the many
fountains that Portland's parks offer. Where other cities try to keep you
out of them, Portland designs them to go in! Ira Keller Fountain in
downtown, for example, offers different waterfalls and pools and you'll
find locals eat lunch, talk with friends, read, or roll up their pants to
wade in the pools.
"In 1948, a hole was cut through the
sidewalk at the corner of SW Taylor St. and SW Naito Pkwy. (Front St.). It
was expected to accommodate a mere lamp post, but greatness was thrust
upon it. The streetlamp was never installed, and the 24-inch circle of
earth was left empty until noticed by Dick Fagan, a columnist for the
Oregon Journal. Fagan used his column, "Mill Ends," to publicize the patch
of dirt, pointing out that it would make and excellent park. After years
of such logic-heavy lobbying, the park was added to the city's roster in
1976. At 452.16 square inches, Mill Ends Park is officially the world's
smallest. Locals have enthusiastically embraced it, planting flowers and
hosting a hotly contested snail race on St. Patrick's day." (Let's Go:
Alaska & the Pacific Northwest, 2002
At
nearly 5,000 acres,
Forest Park is the nation’s largest natural forested park within
city limits. The forest wilderness includes more than 50 miles of trails
and 30 miles of gated roadways for hiking and biking along NW Portland’s
Tualatin Mountains. Check out their website for trail maps!
Nobhill/Northwest, the Pearl, Hawthorne,
Belmont, Alberta, Hollywood, Sellwood and Multnomah Village to name a few. Each has it's own feel and
vibe, a micro-community inside the larger city. Each has a warmth
and special activities and events that can be explored.
Raise a pint to
Portland’s brewers. For more than a decade, Portland has been known as
the epicenter of America’s craft-brewing renaissance. Nationally
recognized beer writer and self-proclaimed “beer surfer” Fred Eckhardt
has made the argument that Portland is the greatest beer town on earth.
Portland is, after all, the nation’s microbrew industry leader and
boasts more microbreweries, brewpubs and outlets (pubs offering local
microbrews on tap) per capita than any other American city.
If you’ve never tasted a
craft brew, don’t be intimidated by the vast selection available. Here are
a few helpful hints: 1) the darker the skies, the darker the beer in your
glass (winter is the perfect time to sample a pint of stout, porter or
bock); 2) microbrews tend to be stronger then the average mass-produced
beer (be aware of the “buzz factor”); and 3) never be afraid to ask a
local what he or she recommends (Portlanders love to talk about beer). In
July,
Oregon’s brewers take their taps to the tents along Portland’s
waterfront for the
Oregon Brewers Festival. One of the nation’s premier beer events, this
annual brew fest attracts 80,000 microbrew enthusiasts.
A great opportunities to get out and explore
nature and the enjoy the great outdoors.
|
