What to see in Portland after being gone 15 years?

January 14, 2016 9:47 PM

I last lived in Portland, Or in about 1999. I have very fond memories of the place. Soon I'm going to be visiting to see some old friends and check out how the city has changed. What are the current "do not misses" in the city and what are good things to check out to see how much things have changed?
posted by bswinburn to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

Walk SE Division from 26th to 39th. Will blow your mind. Yuppie shit everywhere.
posted by paulcole at 10:04 PM on January 14, 2016 [7 favorites]

I would think a ride on the NS streetcar, going across the new Tilikum crossing (bridge), and coming back for a loop around the Pearl district.
posted by blueberry at 12:20 AM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

To add to paulcole's suggestion: eat at Pok Pok on Division. The wait is long but you can wait at the bar across the street and it's A Thing. Also one of the few restaurant experiences in life where the reality lived up to the hype for me.
posted by lunasol at 5:26 AM on January 15, 2016

Take a drive up Lisa Nato north of Burnside and check out all the waterfront development, swing buy Slabtown to see a dozen huge buildings going up, then strole up Williams. The difference between now and five years ago is stark.

Then, go to Chinatown after a rain, smell the urine in the air, and remember some of old Portland.
posted by munchingzombie at 5:49 AM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Walk over the new Tilikum Crossing bridge.
posted by ottereroticist at 6:49 AM on January 15, 2016

Take the orange line! Just opened up this summer. And ride it over the new Tilikum Crossing or get off at the stop just before it and walk across the bridge. Welcome back!
posted by FireFountain at 8:44 AM on January 15, 2016

Seconding Division. Along those same lines, N Mississippi Ave is almost unrecognizable from when I moved here in 2002, as is N Williams between Fremont and Alberta - lots of great places to eat, drink, and shop on both streets.

Then go to St. John's and enjoy how little it's changed.
posted by pdb at 1:04 PM on January 15, 2016

If the season has started, try to get tickets to a Timbers game.
posted by bink at 1:05 PM on January 15, 2016

Woah. Are you me? I left Portland in 99 and have been in the LBC for far too long. But I do make the trek back for holidays. Yuppie hipster is the biggest change, far beyond the spectrum of Portland weird hip stuff. Hollywood has changed a lot (RIP Hollywood Bowl), and so has the Alberta neighborhood. The Pearl is almost unrecognizable from the industrial district it used to be.

So much good food.
posted by sweetmarie at 4:48 PM on January 15, 2016