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Ask HN: What to do in Portland?
61 points by rgrieselhuber on Oct 28, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 97 comments
I'm going to be in Portland, OR for about 10 days or so, starting on 11/3.

I'd love to meet up with any hackers in the area. If you're thinking about applying (or have applied) to YC, I'm also happy to answer any questions / share my experience. (I'll buy the beer.)

Also looking for recommendations of things to do, groups to check out, etc.




    • Powell's Books (and Technical books)
    • 23rd Street and NW Portland area
    • Voodoo doughnuts
    • Rose Garden
    • OMSI
    • the Pearl district
    • Hawthorne district (around the Bagdad theatre)
    • Events in Pioneer Courthouse Sq.
    • Hit up the dozens of microbrews
    • peek in the offices of weiden+kennedy
    • shows at the doug fir lounge
    • kennedy school
    • take the OHSU tram once (weird and fun)
    • some fun stuff around Alberta St. and the Hollywood district
    • parks! (I like laurelhurst, the arboretum, and forest park)
    • washington park zoo, if you like zoos. (really great for kids)


Resident here: this is a great list, except I would not bother with the Rose Garden this time of year (kind of boring outside of May-July when flowers aren't in bloom), and instead would hit up the Japanese Garden (just next door), or Chinese Gardens downtown.


+1 for the Japanese Garden, which was awesome. I need to go back to Portland just to see that again.


Japanese Garden is great. Worth the $8. It's in Washington Park which is accessible via public transit. Forest Park is adjacent. Good hiking, as long as you don't mind a little mud.


I actually wasn't all that impressed by OMSI. As far as science museums go it seemed quite small and kid-oriented, without all that much in the way of actual stuff to see.

Maybe it is, as another commenter said, in the top five science museums in the country, but if it were it would have to be a very distant fifth because it's nothing like the Smithsonian or the New York Museum of Natural History or the California Academy of Sciences or the one whose name I forget in Chicago.

I also think Voodoo Donuts is overrated, but that's just me. Dinner recommendation: Andina.


Andina is great. Make sure to try the tuna bacon. Mmmm.


Andina is great food, but a pricey option.


Try to get all the way into W+K if you can. It's like an ad agency from a Valve game. Absolutely one of the craziest spaces I have ever been in.


microbrews - bridgeport, any of the mcmenamin hike at the gorge - angel's rest, wakeena fall eat at apizza scholl, pok pok


Pok Pok is expensive, but I have never in my life had better buffalo wings. I am salivating just thinking of them.

Speaking of buffalo wings, for a so-so but still tasty/fun experience (lots of sauces to choose from!) hittup fire on the mountain. Two locations so it's easy to get to.

Watch out for the gorge hikes mentioned - don't bother if it's a weekend and not raining - the amount of people on the trails is unenjoyable. Swing a weekday to avoid the crowds, or hike when it's rainy (still cool, but I am an oregonian...)


+1 for pok pok, although I like whiskey soda lounge more. Across the street, same owners, similar menu, excellent whiskey and scotch selection, and authentic (i.e. no ketchup) pad Thai.

Regarding the gorge: some hikes are fine on weekends. Eagle Creek Falls trail requires a $5 per car day use fee, which keeps out the crowds. It's one of the best trails in the gorge. Skip it if you don't like heights though, and be careful if it's raining.


When I went, it was an all out dinner sort of thing. I guess it's not crazy, especially for the OP coming from the bay area, but two people with no drinks tipping the $65 scale is steep for my bootstrapped self :)

I'll have to checkout the whiskey lounge, and great tip on Eagle Creek. Gotta love that slick drop off to the raging river below :)


> Pok Pok is expensive, but I have never in my life had better buffalo wings. I am salivating just thinking of them.

$11 for the plate of wings is actually not bad. It is pretty big. And they are really delicious. If you get cocktails and go all out it is gets expensive. No doubt. The cocktails are killer too


I love Powell's. Best bookstore in the world.


Wow, great list. Thanks!


There are 2 things that Portland does best. Strippers and beer:

http://www.devilspointbar.com/ http://www.sassysbar.com/welcome.html http://www.luckydevillounge.com/ http://www.unionjacksclub.com/

http://www.hopworksbeer.com/ http://www.rogue.com/ http://www.mcmenamins.com/ http://www.rockbottom.com/

Have fun, and bring your umbrella


I was just thinking that mention of strip clubs was noticeably absent. Beer is nearly unavoidable. Strippers, less so.


Lived in Portland for 7 years (went to school in SE, Reed College). Hence, nostalgia dump:

When I left for the bay area a few years ago, NE Alberta and North Portland were picking up inertia. If you're into coffee, try Albina Press.

The lucky lab on SE Hawthorne (close in) is a Great pub and I'm not much of a pubgoer.

Eat street food. The Portland street food scene makes the mission district look behind the times.

Get some tea in the teahouse in the Chinese gardens (right downtown). It's often overlooked by Portlanders, but the Chinese gardens are really quite wonderful. The tea menu is run by the Tao of Tea, which is one of the better tea importers in America.

Check out the nickel arcade (wonderland, I think it's called) on SE Belmont.

Powells & Powell's Technical. If you're a book person, set aside at least half a day for this. Read some books in the cafe. Hang out a while - there's no better book store in America (including the strand - nyc, moe's - berkeley, serendipity, etc)

I know I'm disagreeing with other posters, but avoid the pearl like the plague. It's the least "truly portland" and is for people from other cities who are looking for shiny glass highrises and warehouses. Everything is more expensive and upscale. Similarly, NW 23rd and 21st have a distinctly "east coast haven" flavor. Go to NYC or SF for that, enjoy portland for what it does best — the quirky stuff that you can't get elsewhere, and there's plenty of that.

Speaking of quirky, get a doughnut in the middle of the night at voodoo.

Check out the saturday market (sat and sun), if it's running when you're in town. Another uniquely portland experience, but you probably won't buy anything.

Beers: Hair of the dog, rogue, lucky lab. Try something on cask or nitro if you haven't lived in a place that really geeks out on beer.


Oh: ride public transit. Notice that it runs on time, is fairly easy to understand, and is clean. There's a sky tram, a light rail, a streetcar, and an extensive bus system. Everything is free downtown in the fareless square.


>Everything is free downtown in the fareless square.

Sadly, not anymore. "Free Rail Zone" is the Newspeak for Fareless Square. Buses now cost you.


To be fair, it was changed to "Free Rail Zone" after the addition of two new rail lines, and the buses now pass through downtown noticeably faster without the free passengers (or I may be imagining things).


Regarding coffee: albina press is good but has been surpassed. Most of the original crew left to start their own shops.

Red E on N Killingsworth is my favorite. Barista, in the Pearl and also on NE Alberta, is similar and somewhat more famous. Both serve Coava a local roaster that sells single origin coffees, meaning the beans are of one type and come from one farm. Their stuff consistently wins awards in the coffee world.


It's not so bad to hit the Pearl and NW 23/21. Portland isn't that big, so it's easy to stay a few minutes then leave if you don't like it. Plus, the Pearl is adjacent to Powell's books, anyway.

If you really want a hard core Portland experience, go check out the dudes skating the skatepark under the Burnside bridge, then go to a strip club.


Yeah, many of my friends liked union jack's a lot. I avoid strip clubs, so I can't personally recommend.


Mt Tabor Park (beautiful views of city)

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?Propert...

Japanese Zen Garden (awesome woodwork, one of the largest in the States)

http://www.japanesegarden.com/

Nuestra Cocina (superb Mexican cuisine)

http://www.nuestra-cocina.com


Resident here. These are off the top of my head, so I'll miss some.

Food: I recommend the following two food carts for eating lunch downtown: "Ziba's Pitas" on SW Alder and 9th Ave (try the ajvar), and "KOi Fusion", whose location is posted via twitter at http://www.twitter.com/koifusionpdx . Voodoo donuts is open 24/7 and conducts wedding ceremonies.

Tech: I second the recommendation for http://calagator.org/ . Powell's books is also a must, the technical store is now across the street from the main store which is convenient.

Science: Your timing is unlucky in a sense, you won't be able to go to OMSI after dark (Oct 27, http://www.omsi.edu/afterdark) or science pub (Nov 1, Nov 16, http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepubportland). I'd say OMSI is one of the top five science museums nationwide, and the best science museum on the west coast.

Art: On the first Thursday of every month (Nov 4), there are a bunch of art galleries and stands that open up in NW Portland starting in the afternoon and picking up in the evening. http://www.firstthursdayportland.com/ The Portland Art Museum is also excellent. http://portlandartmuseum.org/

Parks: Japanese gardens, rose gardens.

Neighborhoods: SE Hawthorne ST and NW 23RD AVE are interesting places and friendly to explorers. The vicinity of NE Alberta ST has a disproportionate number of cool parties, but good luck figuring out when / where / whether you need an invitation.

Music: The Doug Fir, Berbati's Pan, Jimmy Mak's, Someday Lounge, Backspace, Satyricon are just a few examples. The Doug Fir stands out, especially if you like indy rock. Go to Jimmy Mak's if you like jazz.

Random: "Ground Kontrol" if you like arcade games. It is also a bar. (Someone mentioned Wonderland, which is cheaper, but Ground Kontrol has the classics and I don't think they serve beer at Wonderland.)

Hmm, you've convinced me to take my precious savings (unemployed at the moment) and go out.


Oops, I almost forgot. I'd like to mention "Japan Night" on Mon, Nov 8 at Portland State University's Smith ballroom. It's a big annual event put on by the Japanese Student Society. I think tickets are $10 for non-students. Support the local university students! (Disclosure: I am tangentially involved in the event, so I feel the need to advertise it.)


Out of curiosity, what does "Japan Night" entail?

I'm flying into PDX right around then to do some on-site work, and one of my Bachelor degrees is in Japanese (though not from PSU).


It's kind of a showcase of Japanese culture: food (included in ticket price) (reputed to be good bentos, unfortunately as I am involved I won't get any), dance, fashion, music. I haven't been before, but it's a popular event (~400-500 people) and I've been to the annual Luau put on by the Pacific Islanders club (which is a similar event) and it was a blast. Tickets should be available through the PSU box office, though I don't have better details with me.

The JSS (student club putting on the event) has a lot of Japanese exchange students as well as anyone interested in Japanese culture, and has "contribute to world peace" in the mission statement. (I also saw "we are not the anime club" in some of the literature they had, if that gives you a better idea of what the club is about, and what kind of event they'd put on.)


Nice! I have a bit of a Japan connection myself. If you're up for a beer afterwards, I'm buying.


Ground Kontrol is AWESOME!


My brother-in-law played Star Wars at Ground Kontrol for 54 hours, 10 minutes. http://www.groundkontrol.com/archive3.php


Chuck Palahniuk's sole foray into travel literature is called "Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon". This is the author of Fight Club and Choke.

http://www.amazon.com/Fugitives-Refugees-Portland-Oregon-Jou...


Check out PIE, the startup incubator housed at Wieden+Kennedy. Drop me a line at dan.hon@wk.com if you'd like an intro.


Just emailed - thanks!


Hey come hang out at PIE. There are bunch of startups that are working there (UrbanAirship, Mugasha and Bank Simple) send me an email if you want to drop by.


I'd love to. Just emailed.


I'm a PIE guy too. We can hook you up with a desk and wifi if you need to set up shop. We could also do a geek meetup afterhours at PIE if your down.

Here's the PIE website: http://piepdx.com/

My email is in my profile.

Cheers!


That sounds awesome. :-) I'll email you.


Powell's books, and don't forget the separate technical books location: http://www.yelp.com/biz/powells-city-of-books-portland-3 http://www.powells.com/locations/powells-technical-books/

Great coffee: http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffeehouse-northwest-portland http://stumptowncoffee.com/

Fun bars: http://www.dougfirlounge.com/ http://www.rontoms.net/

Cool neighborhoods to explore: - SE Hawthorne - Pearl District - Northwest


so powells technical moved up 2 blocks (just across the main store on 10th and Couch) and is now called powells 2. as of last month.


I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet: http://dorkbotpdx.org/ It meets every other Monday at Backspace(on NW 5th Ave just north of Burnside). So, for your time window that will be at 7pm on November 8th. You will at least get a chance to meet the originator of the wiki(Ward Cunningham) who is a regular. The crowd ranges from artists, electronics & robotics enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs who have hardware and software products in all stages of development. It is a very informal beer filled atmosphere with live demonstrations of projects and discussions of topics common on HN.


http://calagator.org/ is your friend.


Nice - thanks!


I just spent a week in Portland last month, and agree with everything posted so far (also agree Voodoo is overrated, but I'm a health nut so it was difficult to stomach the maple-bacon donut without dreading the aftermath).

I haven't seen anything about Multnomah falls to the east or Cannon beach on the coast -- both are beautiful places to check out if you're renting a car and like nature.

Here are some pictures I took on the trip, since they might give you a good idea of some of the places others have mentioned: http://www.jasoncazes.com/photos/portland/


I visited earlier this year and here were my highlights (YMMV):

  - Fuller's Diner
  - Powell's Books and Technical books -- a few blocks from each other IIRC
  - Pearl district in general
  - Tender Loving Empire (I went to the SW 10th St one)
  - Sweet Masterpiece (awesome chocolate + wine/coffee pairings!)
  - Saturday (weekend) market
  - OMSI (first time in a planetarium since the mid-90s)
  - Portland Aeriel Tram
  - Portland Art Museum
  - Japanese and Rose Gardens, Oregon Zoo


I really enjoy going to Powell's when I am there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell%27s_Books


+1

Powell's has a separate science and technology bookstore. Even if you don't want to buy a book, it's worth visiting this separate building to see the quite small (but entertaining) collection of vintage computers and manuals.


Powell's has a great technical bookstore a block away from their main store. Budget plenty of time to take it all in.

If the weather permits I would recommend riding a bike and taking public transportation to get around. Portland is much better than the bay area in this respect.

If you are into postgres be sure and say hi to the folks at Rentrak if you can. They have some great query / analytics technology built on it.

There are some fabulous farmer's markets there too.


Thanks! Rentrak looks like a cool company - I'll try to get in touch.


I was there in August (Australian, spent a month on the West Coast with my wife). Went to a great Japanese restaurant called Hiroshi, hit a few pubs/brewpubs and did a walking tour which was actually pretty interesting. Stayed at Kennedy School which was great too. With more time I would've checked out the Japanese garden and (were the timing better) got to a Blazers game.


In addition to the many great suggestions already made, here are a few more:

Rent a (road) bicycle and ride a nice 2-hour loop along the waterfront (starting at OMSI and going along the Springwater Corridor)

Rent a (mountain) bike and bike in Forest Park (near NW 23rd)

Go to Council Crest Park, the highest point in Portland. Great views of the city and, if the weather is clear, at least 4 glaciated peaks.

Attend the farmer's market at Portland State University on Saturday mornings

Walk through Washington Park (head up Burnside to NW 23rd and then enter the park). From here, you can access the rose gardens, the Japanese gardens, Hoyt Arborteum, and the zoo.

Go skiing at Timberline lodge (they open for the season this weekend).

Go surfing at the coast (you can rent everything you need, including a warm wet suit, at Cannon Beach)

Go hiking on the coast: Saddle Mountain or Neahkahnie Mountain is good

Go hiking in the Gorge: numerous options of varying difficulties, consult Google

See Multnomah Falls, and take one of many numerous hikes in the area

See a movie at the Bagdad, a neat theater, and walk around the neighborhood there

Hike in Forest Park. The Wildwood Trail goes on for 30 miles. Pittock Mansion is cool. The Audobahn Society is a convenient stop.

See Mt. St. Helens. I'm not sure if the visitor center is open.

Drive to Hood River (can be combined on a long day trip to Mt Hood)

Drive to Mt Hood and hike up to the glacier

Go wine tasting in the Willamette Valley (numerous vineyards available)

Attend free art show on First Thursday

Rent a kayak and paddle the river, or go on a river cruise


The Portland Saturday Market has some nice arts and crafts, and it's a nice place to hang out by the waterfront. It has a nice food court as well, good food and variety.

http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/

Most of the rest seems to have been covered, enjoy your trip!


Thanks!


Thirding http://calagator.org/ Specifically, PDX Hackathon is a pretty good time and happens every Thursday night at the Luckly Lab on SE Hawthorne. Show up, hack on a project, talk with other hackers about whatever.


Street food!! And if you like Thai, hit up Pok Pok in SE then hit the Mcmeniman's pubs in the area.


If you have a chance to get out of town a touch try the Evergreen Air and Space Museum, home of the Spruce Goose, a Titan II missle, SR-71, B-17, a few space capsules, and various other goodies for aero-nuts.

The collection is fantastic but the knowledgeable volunteers really put it over the top. All are friendly and the level of detail was incredible. One gentleman walked me around the J58 (from the SR-71) and knew temps and pressures at various stages, cruise airflow etc. It was pretty damn cool...

http://www.sprucegoose.org/

btw... Voodoo is an experience, but the donuts aren't that fine.

For beer I'd recommend the Tug Boat, right downtown. Cool little pub with lots of crazy old books stacked to the ceilings...


Coffee! In Portland it's practically religion. There's at least a dozen microroasters and hundreds of coffee shops. My favorites: Spella (5th and Washington) Stumptown, and Barista (you choose the beans for your drink!)


Pearl district is the place to be. Also if you like coffee, check out Barista.


Kenny and Zuke's - The best reuben you will ever have. They make their own pastrami. About 2 blocks from Powell's. http://www.kennyandzukes.com/


...which is next to Stumptown...which is next to Ace Hotel...which is next to Clyde Common. Man, what a block.


They're ok, not great. And a bit pricy.


Portland Startup Weekend (http://portland.startupweekend.org/) is the weekend of Nov 12-14, if you're still in town.


Very cool. I should be able to make it on the 12th.


Tons! Just emailed you. Would love to show a fellow HN'er some of the goods that this place has to offer. Just moved here a few months ago and loving every minute of it :)


Just emailed back - looking forward to meeting you!


Take a day or an afternoon and drive east along the Columbia River out to Hood River. Take the "fruit loop" through the orchards between the town and Mt. Hood, drink some microbrews after. (Bonus if it's beautifully sunny while there and pouring rain on the drive back like it was when I went.)


And visit some waterfalls on the way to/from. There is a whole sequence of waterfalls along the south side of the Columbia. Multnomah, Bridal Veil, and [I forget the others' names]. All that rain's good for powering the scenic wonders.


Some good links/ideas here.

http://linuxfund.org/portland/


Before my long-winded reply: I am in North Portland and haven't had a decent technical conversation for a while, so hit me up if you want to grab a beer and nerd out, or possible go climbing weather permitted. cullen@ridewithgps.com

A huge part of Portland is the beer, and there are a few different styles of brewpubs. The first I'll address is the style I like the least, which are the annexes of larger distributors. These include Rogue, Widmer, Bridgeport etc. They don't have any charm to them, they are just restaurants attached to a beer label, and there is better beer to be had. Also, McMenamins has cool locations but their beer sucks and so does their food, prices and service. If you like drinking in cool buildings (old church, old elementary school with lots of bars inside) then check them out, otherwise don't bother. If you are going to go to a McMenamins, make sure it's the Kennedy School, since that one offers the most redemption. As far as the good places to go: Hopworks makes damn good pizza and damn good beer. Their red and their IPA are both fantastic, and the bar is really freaking cool. Lucky Lab is another place with good beer, but their vibe is completely different - if you don't like dogs and a big open cafeteria style game room, then don't bother. Right now my favourite place to grab a beer is the Fifth Quadrant (a Lompoc brewery location) - they have the best burger I have yet had in Portland, and Tuesdays they offer $2.50 pints. Their c-note IPA is great! Haven't had a bad server yet, which is saying something.

Unless you want a seedy experience, avoid the strip clubs. I am not a fan but have been to a couple over the years. I think it takes a certain person, and I can say it's easy to ignore someone when they say "but this one is really good!" - there's nothing special about portland strip clubs except the sheer number of them, so unless it's your thing don't bother.

Some of the best things about portland have nothing to do with portland itself, but rather the proximity of cool shit nearby. The gorge is gorgeous (haha), lots of cool stuff around mount hood as well. The coast is something else - if you haven't been to a northwest coast, it's a must. Don't expect nice weather and fun, but rather intense scenery, weather and wind. Head straight to either Astoria (see the Goonies house), or Manzanita for a cool small beach town feel.

If you are a rock climber, there are cool things to climb within a reasonable distance. I am happy to get some climbing in if you have some experience and want to tie into a rope, though I can't promise nice weather or warm hands.

Something that could be fun for around portland is one of the many pedicab routes offered. You can get a basic tour, or they have specialty tours going on for things like whiskey tasting among others. http://pdxpedicab.com/ and look for their pub tour and distillery tour.


If you want more tech conversations, there's NoPoCoNi every Monday night at the new(ish) Lucky Lab on N Killingsworth.

http://twitter.com/nopoconi


I'll check it out soon, thanks for the tip!


How far away are the local Portland crags? I'm a climber as well and have been thinking about moving to Portland. I know Smith Rocks is a few hours away. Is there anything closer? I boulder and do trad and sport climbing.


Since you are a trad climber, there are three great places real close.

Broughton Bluff is in troutdale (just a couple mile drive) and has some great climbs: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/oregon/broughton_bluff/1057...

Farside (Washington side of the gorge, 40 minute drive): http://www.mountainproject.com/v/washington/farside/10686252...

And the infamous Beacon Rock (Washington side, 45-50 minute drive): http://www.mountainproject.com/v/washington/beacon_rock/1057...

Beacon is great - trad only and a good set of locals. Broughton's has more douchebaggary going on, but it's trad only aside from 3 top rope routes. Farside is a locals joint as well, mostly trad but lots of toprope (rappel down, climb out).


Sweet! Just emailed you.


Also: - Saturday Farmer's market near PSU - Burnside bridge market - Food carts - Southeast Portland's many nice restaurants. - 1 hour drive to the coast (Cannon Beach etc.)


Get a tour at FreeGeek (5pm daily, but google it to make sure).


The Freek Geek thrift store is worth a trip, if only to view The NEXT cube they have on display.


Last time I was in Portland I followed my friend's Gowalla trip. See it here: http://gowalla.com/trips/15349


Ping me. al3x@al3x.net


Cool, just did!


I lived in Beaverton (very close to Portland) many years ago. I highly recommend the Gorge (Multnomah fall in particular), Crater Lake, and Cannon Beach.


Saturday Market: http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/ Good stuff to browse and buy.


Great Portland promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1B2_r6Azvg


Tongue in cheek:

The strip joints there have quite a reputation.


My favourite locals story was hearing how a guy got rolled by two large prostitutes outside Mary's. He walked out, was offered a deal, declined and walked away. Next thing he knows he's on the ground - one of the two cold clocked him in the head with a rock and the other stole his wallet. Go strip clubs!


There is a taqueria adjacent to Mary's Club and I noticed two signs on the back wall of the taqueria, "Restrooms" and "No Minors Allowed". I had to use the restroom mid-meal, and I suddenly found myself surrounded by strippers in Mary's Club.

Pro Tip: I also noticed that the 1337 Mary's Club patrons just walk through the taqueria to avoid the door fee.


Rent real Dutch bikes at Clever Cycles (call ahead to reserve)

http://clevercycles.com/


Gallery Zero (34th & Burnside; www.thegalleryzero.com). Big show 11/5 (free beer/wine).


Food carts!

http://www.foodcartsportland.com/


It's true, Voodoo is overrated. It's fun but not wait in line for 45 minutes fun.


Eat! Best food in the country. I like Ping in the international district.


Is everyone's suggestion really just bars and restaurants?


Voodoo Doughnuts Ground Control PDX Japanese Gardens OMSI


Walk down NW 23rd.


Voodoo donut!


Aren't there entire websites and books already dedicated to answering this question?




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