Places to visit (very briefly) in Portland?

March 11, 2009 8:13 PM

PDXFilter: Two hours in Portland. I've visited most of the major things already. Any cool places to see or hang out at for a little bit?

This Friday, I'm going to have about two hours to spend in Portland. I'm from Oregon, so I've already visited most of the main places people recommend to visit: Powell's, etc. However, I don't live in Portland, and am perhaps not familiar with some of the lesser known hangouts in Portland.

Any suggestions for things to see, shops, or coffee shops to spend some time at?

posted by Bahro to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Some random things in no particular order: Coffee at the fresh pot. A walk or better a (rented?) bike ride down the east bank esplanade. Forest park if you like hiking up and down hill. The experimental rose gardens and the Japanese gardens. Mt. Tabor is a park and has a great view of the city and is a dormant volcano. Ladd's addition is a great place to get lost (and most people get lost the first time there, no matter how good their sense of direction, the streets go weird ways there). Chuck Pahlaniuk(sp?), the guy who wrote fight club, also wrote a tourists guide to odd places to visit in Portland. Or you can just wander around town looking miserable and nobody will think it unusual or worthy of commentary.
posted by idiopath at 8:49 PM on March 11

The only two places you need: Powell's and Ground Kontrol.

Will one part of town be more convenient than another? If the East side is reachable, I'd suggest walking around Hawthorne (they have a mini-Powell's across from The Bagdad, near 37th). If the West side is more your thing, 23rd has a lot to offer for wanderers.
posted by eralclare at 8:56 PM on March 11

The Zoo / Forest Park can be awesome on a nice day, if you haven't done that. The Japanese Gardens up there are nice too. Chinatown is good for an hour of two of wandering, and the walled garden there is nice. You can wander around NW and look at art. You can explore some of the funky neighborhoods on the East side: Belmont, Hawthorne, etc. Stumptown Coffee is on Belmont (IIRC) and is an institution. Stanich's up on NE Alberta (I think) for burgers and beer. The Delta Cafe on SE Woodstock for southern home cooking and drinks. Esparza's Tex-Mex on Ankeney is excellent--as good or better than the food I get in SoCal.

If you're trying to stay near the airport during a stopover, The Kennedy School is in NE with very fast freeway access to PDX. It's a former public school that's been converted by McMenamins into a drinking theme park.

Palahniuk's book is Fugitives and Refugees but much of what he talks about are anecdotes from his years in Portland or are locations that aren't amenable to a quick visit.
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:56 PM on March 11

You could kill two hours in my 'hood, walking down NE Alberta: coffee, pizza, pastries, sushi, shops, and art. It's still fairly funky and I think it's got a lot to offer. It's been so cold recently, so if you're thin-skinned like me, bring gloves and hat and coat. No bookstore yet, though!
posted by cacahuete at 9:33 PM on March 11

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, here's some more probably relevant info. I'm going to need to end up in SW Portland by PSU, and I will not have a car (I'm fine with TriMet, of course).
posted by Bahro at 9:34 PM on March 11

snuffleupagus beat me to it! If you haven't been to the Kennedy School... it's truly a wonder to behold.
posted by 2oh1 at 9:35 PM on March 11

Sounds like you'll want to stay on the west side then, probably, close to the streetcar or walking distance. If you're feeling like a calm afternoon, the Chinese Gardens are beautiful. There's good window shopping in the Pearl, e.g. Cargo is super fun for Asian import oddities. The happy hour at Ten 01 runs between 3 and 6 and is classy and fantastic. And on your way down to PSU I recommend stopping in at Cacao at the Heathman and getting a cup of drinking chocolate. Delicious. (712 SW Salmon St). Have a pleasant visit!
posted by cacahuete at 9:44 PM on March 11

cacahuete took all the ideas I had - drinking chocolate, Chinese gardens & the Pearl are all wonderful. Stumptown coffee, especially for straight espresso or a cappuccino (to stay), is special stuff, Ground Kontrol is wacky, as is Backspace (kind of a Stumptown + Ground Kontrol combo). If it works out, use the streetcar to get from the Pearl to PSU. If Reading Frenzy isn't one of your "already done the major things" it's a don't miss, and is between the Pearl and the streetcar.
posted by dylanjames at 10:15 PM on March 11

Voodoo Doughnuts is something that everyone should experience once. The Max will get you close.
posted by Danf at 5:54 AM on March 12