Portland - Hotels and Things to Do

ShanKathy · February 19

Hi Everyone,
I'm hoping to hear about Portland tickets soon, in the meantime I'm making some plans for accommodations and exploring the city. Checked the forums but the information is dated - does anyone have suggestions?

Go Beavers · February 19

I’ve stayed at the Hyatt which is very close to the arena and a really nice hotel. Recommendations depend on what you like to do and if you have multiple days to venture further from town. You like to hike? Walk through Forest park on the Northwest side of town to get a feel for a Northwest mossy forest. Further outside of town, go to easily accessible Multnomah Falls - stunning. The Japanese Garden on the westside is really beautiful and you have things in bloom in May. I like to walk around cities I’m visiting, and there’s good neighborhoods to do that in Portland. Hawthorne Ave in Southeast is one. Northwest Portland (north of Burnside Ave) is another. If you have an extra day to go out to the coast, you won’t regret it - also stunning. The food scene is really good too, so do some internet searches for what you’re feeling like at the time.

Eddieredder · February 19

Portland has a light rail that drops you right at the Moda center. Really convenient. There are a bunch of hotels within a mile. Great food trucks and strip clubs.

Go Beavers · February 19

Oh and if you like beer you’ll be in heaven. I drank my way down east Burnside to the Rose Garden for the 2013 show.

ShanKathy · February 19

Thanks for these ideas (except the strip clubs!) . I especially like the walking suggestions - that is something that I like to, to get a sense of the city.

iwasatpj20 · February 19

I’m going to see if there is an observatory to see Mount Hood and get some great food.

Weston1283 · February 19

I was only there once years ago, but I still dream about the meal I had at Lechon

ShanKathy · February 19

Looking at that menu now!

McGanahan · February 19

Portland resident here.

Outdoors stuff:

- Japanese Garden will be absolutely beautiful in May. Can see Mt Hood from it on a clear day, too.
- Rose Test Garden is right across from it. Maybe a touch early for peak rose bloom, but still a nice walk.
- If you rent a car, drive 30 minutes east to the Columbia River Gorge. Multiple waterfalls (with Multnomah Falls being the most famous) hikes, and gorgeous scenery. It's a national scenic byway, so any kind of billboards or signs are illegal. It's all nature, and it's beautiful.
- Mt Tabor and Laurelhurst Parks are both beautiful places to walk around or have a picnic or read a book on a spring day.
- There should be a decent amount of flowers blooming in PDX in May. It can be lovely to stroll the waterfront downtown and see the Cherry Blossoms or whatever else has peaked its head out by that point in the month.

Neighborhood stuff:

- Walk around the following districts/neighborhoods for good food and window shopping: Mississippi, Alberta, or Hawthorne, NW 28th.

Book nerd stuff:

- Absolutely go to Powell's City of Books. Life changing place for a book lover.

Food and drink stuff:

- Some of the best (and most affordable) food in the city is to be found at food carts. Find a nice food car pod -- Cartlandia, Cartopia, or The Asylum, to name a few -- and but a little something from multiple places. Sit outside in the sunshine, eat it, and prosper.
- Hit up some local breweries if you like beer. Great Notion, Breakside, or Deschutes are always classics. You can also go to Loyal Legion and try 100 different taps of Oregon beer.
- Make sure to drink some coffee while you're here. Barista, Coava, Case Study, Stumptown, Heart. There's a billion good options.
- There is so much good food here that it could be a thread unto itself. Vegan food, sushi, Asian fusion, great pizza (yeah, I know), seafood, pub grub. You'd probably be best served to look up some Eater articles or Yelp reviews about whatever specific type of food you're looking for. Throw a dart, hit a great restaurant. Some of my favorites (and I acknowledge that food is subjective): M.E.C., Ava Gene's, Bamboo Sushi, Dolly Olive, Jojo, Andina, Grassa, Ken's Artisan Pizza, Queen Mama's Kitchen, Screen Door, Grand Central Bakery, Doe Donuts, Lauretta Jean's Pie....and on and on and on.

Stuff that would upset Grandma:

- We have excellent cannabis here. Some of the best in the world. It's fully legal to buy and to possess, but technically not legal to consume in public. Odds are, if you're being smart, no on will hassle you about it.
- We have great strip clubs. They come in all flavors: Burlesque, vegan, vampires, punk. It's weird and wonderful.
- Portland is a very kinky city. If you have the inclination (and/or the right apps) and a little adventurousness, you can get into all sorts of...interesting situations

General:

- The Willamette river runs north and south, dividing Portland into two halves. The west side is more "downtown"-ish, with high rises and more of a "city" feel. The east side is a bit more neighborhood-centric and, in my own opinion, more fun to hang out in and feels more safe most of the time. Aside from the NW 28th and Knob Hill neighborhoods, City Park, and Powell's, I don't spend much time on the west side. I prefer the east side by a landslide, buy YMMV.
- The MAX lightrail line can get you around the city pretty darn well. Combined with busses and the Portland streetcar (all of which can be accessed with a day-long Hop Pass), you can get around quite well without ride share, if you should so choose.
- If you're not already aware, there are lots of unhoused folks in Portland. There are certain streets downtown, in particular, where this can be a little arresting if you're not used to seeing it. Whatever you've seen and heard breathlessly reported on Fox News is nonsense, and I generally always feel safe in my city, but it's at least worth knowing ahead of time that -- like many west coast cities -- Portland is going through it a bit right now with the houselessness issues.

Lodging/Venue:

- The Moda Center is in the Lloyd District. There are certainly hotels in this area, and if you want to be able to walk to the venue, by all means, stay here. I would just say that, in my opinion, there isn't actually a ton to see or do in the Lloyd district. A cute restaurant or bar here or there, sure, but by and large, I'd rather hang out elsewhere. So stay in Lloyd if you want, but be prepared to leave that neighborhood if you actually want to explore the city.
- Anywhere you choose to stay, it shouldn't be much of an issue to get to the venue either by public transportation or ride share. Ubers/Lyfts generally tend to be pretty affordable here. Certainly much more so than in most "major" cities.

That's about all I got. If you love the outdoors, food, wine, beer, coffee, and great cannabis, you've come to the right place! Portland is a Rorschach: It gives back to you whatever you put into it. If you want to find funky, grimy old punk rock Portland, you can. If you want to find gentrified, fancy pants, hipster Portlandia Portland, you can. If you want to shop amazing vintage clothing stores and buy rare books and drink amazing coffee, you can. If you want to have your mind blown by gorgeous nature, you can. If you want to tiptoe around and have your sensibilities offended by some of the more unsavory elements of the city, you can. Come here with an open mind and an open heart, and you'll love what our city has to offer. Any other questions you have, feel free to ask. Hope you love it here as much as I do!

curmudgeoness · February 20

McGanahan's post is excellent and offers more details and info than I can.

Portland was a regular vacation destination for us until we bought a house in the area. I like the Marriott downtown on the riverfront: great for running along the waterfront (safer than it feels at first), pretty good hotel gym, great "M Lounge." Rooms facing the river are a must -- sunrise is gorgeous, and yes, you can see Mt. Hood.

For food, I'd add Salt & Straw for ice cream (salted malted chocolate chip cookie dough is the best!) if you don't already live near one.

I happen to think that the Columbia River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places on the planet; Eagle Creek is my favorite hike. About an hour south of Portland is Silver Falls State Park; it has a trail featuring ten(!) waterfalls. Within the city there is Forest Park, also Powell Butte, where on a clear day you can see several peaks.

ShanKathy · February 20

Thank you all very much! I got tickets! So I’m starting to make my list with your suggestions! Looking forward to seeing the city and the band.

djjazzy276 · February 20

Great recommendations above. I absolutely agree with everything said, particularly about staying in the Lloyd District. It’s a bit unfortunate that the only indoor venue they could play is located in one of the least interesting parts of town. The good news is Portland is small enough that no matter where you stay, you’re a short train or car ride away from the show. I second Lechon, great restaurant. I also recently had an incredible meal at Jacqueline in SE Portland. I also recommend The Bible Club for a great speakeasy vibe or The Scotch Lodge. If you’re heading out towards the Gorge (which you absolutely should) in addition to hitting Multnomah Falls, you could drive a little beyond there and check out Cascade Locks and Hood River. More great beer/food/views over there. My wife and I were married near Hood River and try to make day trips there several times a year. It’s one of our happy places. I love giving recommendations so feel free to message me with any questions.

Hobbes · February 20

Some really great suggestions made so far. My contribution is record stores. Two of my favorites are Music Millenium and 2nd Avenue Records.

jpgoegel · February 20

If you have a car, go see Mount St. Helens. A few hours drive but it is stunning

Hobbes · February 20

Portland Saturday Market

ShanKathy · February 20

Appreciate the responses! This is going to be a busy trip! May have to skip the outdoor merch line (if it happens) to fit everything in 🙀

100 Pacer · February 20

If someone happens to have a spare Portland GA and would like to trade for a spare Sacramento GA please get in touch.

Conversely if someone happens to have a spare Portland GA would be happy to help with all the outdoor merch prior to doors opening.

Go Beavers · February 21

100 Pacer said:

If someone happens to have a spare Portland GA and would like to trade for a spare Sacramento GA please get in touch.
Conversely if someone happens to have a spare Portland GA would be happy to help with all the outdoor merch prior to doors opening.

In the lottery result thread, no one reported getting Portland GA, which I thought was a little odd.

iOnlyownMymind · February 21

Go Beavers said:

100 Pacer said:

If someone happens to have a spare Portland GA and would like to trade for a spare Sacramento GA please get in touch.
Conversely if someone happens to have a spare Portland GA would be happy to help with all the outdoor merch prior to doors opening.

In the lottery result thread, no one reported getting Portland GA, which I thought was a little odd.

I got GA and mentioned it in the thread. Probably just missed it in the shuffle.

darwinstheory · February 21

jpgoegel said:

If you have a car, go see Mount St. Helens. A few hours drive but it is stunning

Planning some hiking between Vancouver and Portland. How snowy is Mount St. Helens generally in early May?

curmudgeoness · February 21

No idea, but you can check conditions ahead of time:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/giffordpinchot/recreation#conditions

https://parks.wa.gov/mount-st-helens-visitor-center

There's a ton of beautiful options in Portland proper and at lower elevations, too.

darwinstheory · February 21

curmudgeoness said:

No idea, but you can check conditions ahead of time:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/giffordpinchot/recreation#conditions

https://parks.wa.gov/mount-st-helens-visitor-center

There's a ton of beautiful options in Portland proper and at lower elevations, too.

Thanks!

KW6232 · February 21

Paramount hotel is great. In the middle of everything and about a block from the tram or train, whatever they call it. Takes you right to the Moda Center.

Go Beavers · February 21

iOnlyownMymind said:

Go Beavers said:

100 Pacer said:

If someone happens to have a spare Portland GA and would like to trade for a spare Sacramento GA please get in touch.
Conversely if someone happens to have a spare Portland GA would be happy to help with all the outdoor merch prior to doors opening.

In the lottery result thread, no one reported getting Portland GA, which I thought was a little odd.

I got GA and mentioned it in the thread. Probably just missed it in the shuffle.

Thanks, that makes it less weird

Go Beavers · February 21

curmudgeoness said:

No idea, but you can check conditions ahead of time:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/giffordpinchot/recreation#conditions

https://parks.wa.gov/mount-st-helens-visitor-center

There's a ton of beautiful options in Portland proper and at lower elevations, too.

And be aware that hiking in the forest at higher elevations (5000 ft+) where there’s still snow on the ground translates to mosquitos at a level you might see in a horror movie.

Original_Shifty · March 3

I'm staying at the Doubletree Hyatt and will be on foot/transit. I'm thinking of going to Culmination and Level Beer on the day before the show which are in walking distance.

Anyone know if they are worth it, or should I get on the bus and go to the Great Notion and Breakside which are north of my hotel? I've been to GN in Ballard WA and have had some of Breakside's beer. Both produces amazing brews. Just wondering how Culmination and Level Beer stack up.

100 Pacer · March 3

I’ll be driving down from Seattle.

Pretty straightforward route?

Original_Shifty · March 3

100 Pacer said:

I’ll be driving down from Seattle.

Pretty straightforward route?

Yup. I5 all the way.

northerndragon · May 2

jpgoegel said:

If you have a car, go see Mount St. Helens. A few hours drive but it is stunning

This is the top of my list to do while down there. No top of the list is the PJ show on my birthday but see Mt St Helens is a close second.

P-Town-P-Jam-Fan · May 2

100 Pacer said:

I’ll be driving down from Seattle.

Pretty straightforward route?

Plenty of traffic up towards Seattle and south through Olympia. Route is very straight forward and a bit boring.

P-Town-P-Jam-Fan · May 2

Original_Shifty said:

I'm staying at the Doubletree Hyatt and will be on foot/transit. I'm thinking of going to Culmination and Level Beer on the day before the show which are in walking distance.

Anyone know if they are worth it, or should I get on the bus and go to the Great Notion and Breakside which are north of my hotel? I've been to GN in Ballard WA and have had some of Breakside's beer. Both produces amazing brews. Just wondering how Culmination and Level Beer stack up.

I don't know your financial situation but the public transit scene in Portland is rough. If you don't want to see the worst that this city has to offer, I would Uber/Lyft around vs taking Max or Trimet. Transit is mostly fine but just know what you are getting into if you decide to go that route. I don't like Culmination or Level as much as I like Breakside as far as breweries go. 10 Barrel is also a nice setting and Wayfinder is decent.

Portland - Hotels and Things to Do

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