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 The purpose of this section, Visit Portland, is to help you with your stay in Portland. It assumes you are visiting Portland because you are considering relocating to Portland and want to know what to see, what to do, and what neighborhoods to visit.
First piece of advice. Stay in the downtown area. If you want to understand Portlandia, you have to mingle with the Portlanders and downtown is the best spot to see the good as well as the bad. Unlike most USA cities, Portland is one of a handful of cities to increase its core density population according to the 2000 US Census. It is a thriving city, not a decaying city.
Maps Get a map of Portland and if you're planning to visit areas outside of Portland, get a map of Oregon. Best source of maps is the American Automobile Association. If you going to travel outside of Portland, request travel publications from the Oregon Tourist Commission.
Guide Book Last piece of advice. Get a basic guide book. We recommend Portland's Best Places or the Insiders Guide To Portland Oregon. Both are available at Powell's Books right here in Portland. If you're going to explore beyond Portland consider the Lonely Planet Pacific Northwest: Oregon & Washington 2nd Edition.
Transportation It's possible to get by without a car as public transportation is available in most sections of the city. If you're exploring neighborhoods, it's best to have a automobile. MAX (light rail) has 43-miles of rail line and covers a east/west route as well as a line to the Portland International Airport. Portland streetcars started operation on July 20, 2001. The streetcars link downtown with the Northwest area, Downtown to the Portland State University campus, and South Waterfront.
Driver Warning on Intersections Intersections are a real problem in Portland because the city allows cars to park too close to the intersection thereby obstructing the driver's view of traffic. You have to pull well into the crosswalk in order to determine if any cars are coming from your left or right. This action causes problem for vehicles turning into the street where you are stopped as well as pedestrians. So approach intersections with caution.
Driver Warning on Walkers Oregon law says that drivers crossing intersections without signals must stop and remain stopped until pedestrians crossing the street clear the driver's lane and the adjacent lane. This mean no rolling pauses followed by flooring the gas pedal the instant a walker clears the fender. You must allow the walker to clear the the lanes.
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 Downtown Portland has all the major chains (e.g., Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites, etc.) plus a handful of independents. Try the Portland Oregon Visitor Association reservation system - book a hotel online via the POVA Big Deal system.
Downtown Historical Hotels
Boutique Hotel in Downtown Portland
In January 2005, Travel & Leisure magazine reinforced something many travelers already know about Portland: It�s a great boutique hotel town. In the hospitality business, �boutique hotel� is a term used to describe a smaller hotel, often not part of a chain, where the emphasis is on personal service and unique, often luxurious d�cor � all aimed at creating a memorable stay.
Four local hotels earned a place on Travel & Leisure magazine�s list of the 500 Greatest Hotels in the World. Seattle, by contrast, had only three hotels on the list; Denver had two. The 5th Avenue Suites Hotel, ranked No. 1 in Portland, got a higher score than any of the Seattle hotels. The Heathman Hotel, the Hotel Lucia, and the Hotel Vintage Plaza also made the list, the Lucia for the first time.
Our Hotel Choices
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Mark Spencer A good choice for downtown. Its reasonable and all rooms feature fully equipped kitchens for convenient in-room dining. Walk out the front door of the Mark Spencer and you can catch a streetcar. A 3-minute walk to Powell Books.
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Jupiter Hotel Conde Nast Traveler magazine called it, "One of the 116 best new hotels in the world.� The hotel is eight blocks east of the Burnside Bridge at 800 E. Burnside. The hotel's Doug Fir restaurant has also received good reviews.
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Hotel deLuxe Former the Mallory, this hotel has been remodeled and reopened for business in May 2006. The hotel�s restaurant � called Gracie�s after comedian Gracie Allen � serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a handsome room that brings to mind a classic Brown Derby restaurant. It is located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood at 729 SW 15th Avenue.
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Park Lane Suites Located in the historic King's Hill District - just blocks from Northwest 21st and 23rd Avenues (Nob Hill). The Park Lane offers one and two bedroom suites, kitchenettes, and complimentary parking.
Hotels Accepting Pets
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Visit Pets Welcome, the internet's largest pet/travel resource. They list over 25,000 hotels, B&Bs, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches that are pet-friendly.
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Food
This excerpt in The Oregonian 2003 Restaurant Guide seems to capture to soul of Portland as well as our taste in food.
Newcomers and visitors often scratch their heads, trying to figure out what makes the dyed-in-the-mud Oregonian tick. Well, here are a few hints. We make our own beer, and we drink it because it's better than the other stuff. We like coffeehouses that trumpet their own quirks and don't come in chains. We drink lots of Oregon wines because they're good and we're loyal. Nouveau restaurants might dazzle us, but we love places that have been here forever. We are partial to all foods Northwest: salmon, pears, apples, berries, hazelnuts, wild mushrooms. We read, we hike, we actually like the rain. We don't much care for pushy people, so back off. And we do have strong feelings about what goes on beyond our borders: We hate the Huskies, but we love the Mariners.
The Portland Tribune's Annual Dining Guide is both entertaining and honest. The Tribune's categories are fun like Bang for the Buck, Steal a Kiss, etc. Another source of reviews is the Willamette Week's Food Finder where you select the location, meal, and cuisine and they're bring up a list of matches online. Their annual Cheap Eats should also be considered.
Thirsty and hungry? Visit one of the many brewpubs in Portland. Make sure you eat Bento (i.e., Japanese box lunch) for one of your lunches.
The Pacific Northwest climate is a food grower's paradise. Lots of hot weather in the summer and cool/damp springs and falls. Seafood is fresh since Portland is 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean and Oregon has thousands of acres of ranches devoted to beef. Below our some of our favorite eating places. We like small animated cafes so you are forewarned.
Eating Downtown
Bijou (breakfast and lunch), Higgins Restaurant & Bar, Jake's Famous Crawfish, Mother's Bistro, and Pazzo Ristorante. Visit Portland Grill at 111 SW 5th Avenue (refer to as "Big Pink" by Portlanders) on a clear day for lunch, dinner, or a late night snack. It on the 30th floor and offers great views of the city and mountains.
Eating in Northwest/Nob Hill
Our favorite eating places in the Northwest area of Portland (take the streetcar from downtown): Cafe Mingo (Italian), Le Bouchon (French), Pauley Place (American/Northwest and Gourmet Magazine 2006 America's Top 50 Restaurants), Ringside Steakhouse, Typhoon (Thai), and Wildwood (Gourmet Magazine America's Top 50 Restaurants).
Eating in Southeast Portland
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3 Doors Down Caf� Located at 429 SE 37th Street (Hawthorne neighborhood) serving American/Mediterranean cuisine.
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Cafe Castagana 1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd. - Some of the city's best pizza, fat burgers, great Caesar salad, roasted chicken. It's being called "Comfort Food Central".
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Caprial's Bistro Serving Pacific Northwest cuisine, is located in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood on 7015 SE Milwaukie Avenue. It is popular with Portland residents so make sure you have reservations. Call 503.236.6457.
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ClarkLewis The Oregonian's 2004 Restaurant of the year. Order their three course $30 meal and be surprised. Located at 1001 SE Water Avenue in the eastside industrial area. Telephone: (503) 235-2294.
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Down on the Farm What a bargain! You can get two entrees, share a salad and dessert, and enjoy a decent bottle of French wine for about $50. It's in a gingerbread house just one block off East Burnside Street. You can imagine The Farm Cafe once really was a farmhouse, before the pastures got paved and the tattoo parlors moved in. No reservations. Location at 10 SE 7th Avenue. Dinner and Saturday/Sunday brunch. Telephone: (503) 736-3276.
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Esparza's Tex Mex Cafe An upscale Mexican with a festive atmosphere. The tequila list rivals some wine lists. Located at 2725 SE Ankeny Street.
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Lauro Kitchen Located at 3377 SE Division Street, Lauro Kitchen was the Willamette Week's 2004 Restaurant of the Year. Lauro Kitchen is a 54-seat neighborhood restaurant and bar that offers moderately priced dishes inspired by the cuisine of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy and Greece. Telephone: (503) 239-7000.
Eating in North and Northeast Portland
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Fife Located at 4440 NE Fremont Street. Uncomplicated American cuisine to include everything from crab cakes to rib-eye steaks. Be prepare for a noisy atmosphere.
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Gotham Building Coffee Shop Located at 2240 N. Interstate Avenue, the low-budget decor may fool you but once you try the food, you'll be back for more.
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Laurelwood Public house & Brewery 1728 NE 40th Street. Solid pub fare to include burgers, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. Plus a play area for kids and large beer tanks behind glass walls to entertain them.
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Peanut Butter & Ellie's 1325 NE Fremont Street Another good kids spot with a menu consisting of half-a-dozen variations of peanut butter and jelly. For dad and mom; grill cheese, BLTs, and tuna melts.
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Winterborne If you're looking for a cozy romantic place to dine, head for 3520 NE 42nd and Fremont. It is a great conversation place and easy on the budget. Seafood only, dinners only, Wednesdays to Saturday only. Telephone: 503.249.8486
Upscale
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Genoa at 2832 S.E. Belmont and for almost 30 years is the Italian restaurant in Portland. With fewer than a dozen tables, it's also one of the smallest. Everything is made fresh in the kitchen with the best of locally available seasonal ingredients, from the breads to the luscious desserts.
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The Heathman at 1001 SW Broadway (downtown) is fundamentally French, with influences from the Northwest to Asia to Italy. The Heathman In Portland's big-deal, big-celebrity hotel, Chef Philippe Boulot, the French-trained former head chef at New York's Mark Hotel, revels in the fresh fish, game, wild mushrooms, and other ingredients of the Northwest.
Fun Places to Eat
 Lunch with Former Portland Mayor Bud Clark Bud Clark, the tavern owner who ran for mayor and served for eight years (1985 - 1992) has returned to running his tavern called Goose Hollow Inn. It has a nice deck where you can drink away your frustrations with the rest of the City Hall roustabouts. The Hollow Reuben sandwich is always a winner. The Goose Hollow is located at 1927 SW Jefferson Street, telephone 503-228-7010.
 Dockside Saloon Located at 2047 NW Front Avenue (Industrial area), you can get a good lunch or breakfast (they open at 5 AM). Try their hashbrowns! The Dockside gave 63 interviews to various newspapers, magazines, and TV shows in January 1994. All because of their garbage. On January 30, 1994, Kathy Peterson (waitress, dishwasher, bookkeeper, and owner along with her husband Terry Peterson) was emptying the garbage when she came upon several bags of trash that somebody had left in the dumpster. Kathy examined the garbage and among the items found was an envelope with information concerning Nancy Kerrigan's practice schedule at her home rink (Tony Kent Arena). The handwriting was that of Portland's Olympic skater Tonya Harding. She had earlier denied any involvement in the "club" incident when her husband (now former) and a friend did the knee-cap job on Nancy. The Dockside garbage proved otherwise. Neither Tonya Harding nor any of her cohorts had ever visited the Dockside - they most likely found the dumpster convenient as they drove by and unloaded the evidence.
To quote from the backside of the menu at the Dockside, "Please remember this... be careful where you dump your trash, you never know who will find it."
 Stanich's This is the place to eat if you dying for a burger. You can repent tomorrow. Billed as the The World's Greatest Hamburger," the Special ($5) has got beef, cheese, egg, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, plus other stuff I couldn't identify. As you savor every bite, cast your eyes on the walls plastered with old newspaper clippings and the pennants of bygone sporting seasons. Stanich's is located at 4915 NE Fremont Street and at 5627 SW Kelly Avenue.
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Airlines 
Eating in the Rose City
