LadyVic

Does anyone know if there is public transporation from the Edgefield to downtown Portland and back? Otherwise, where are the best places to park downtown in order to spend time checking it out? Thanks for any help.

lcuy

There is lots of parking downtown...The stree meters are somewhat confusing with 15 minute/ 30 minute/90 minute/etc zones. and there are lots of smart park lots that are reasonable with (or even without)validations.

Orcas

The McMenamin's website includes info on public transit.
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&id=740

Andrew

I think Portland is a very easy city to drive in, but for some reason, people complain about the one-way streets and find them confusing. To me they make perfect sense.

We don't have parking meters in Portland anymore - we have these annoying machines that spit out parking stickers (at least you can use a credit/debit card though instead of change). Parking costs you until 7PM now. Some parts of the city have easy parking, others don't, really depends on the time of day and the place. Don't bother looking for parking up at Portland State when evening classes are in session, for example.

If you don't want to drive/park downtown, I suggest you park your car at a Park and Ride at a MAX (light rail train) station then just take the train in. The MAX goes east to Gresham, so you could probably find a P&R near the end of the line. See the TriMet website, http://www.TriMet.org for details. It's free to park there (not overnight) as long as you can find a spot. Some P&R's fill up quickly in the morning with commuters.

The TriMet website also has a handy router tool to tell you how to get from place to place. There probably is a bus/MAX connection to get you from the Edgefield to downtown but it would take a while. If you grab the address of the Edgefield from their website, you could punch that into the TriMet site and see the options. But I recommend a Park and Ride. MAX is nice, comfortable train, just a little slow. Relax and enjoy the ride!

Andrew

Andrew

Another option - if it's not cold/rainy and you like to walk - is to park your car on the east side of the river off Water Avenue. During the week 8-6 you can park free for two hours weekdays, free all day Sat-Sun. I park there and walk across the Hawthorne Bridge to my gym sometimes - takes me all of ten minutes (I walk fast), and when I get to the gym, I'm already warmed up!

A nice walking tour in Portland is to walk around the Willamette River on both sides; you get a nice view of the city and the bridges. Park off SE Water Avenue on the east side of the river (slightly north of OMSI, near the Hawthorne Bridge), then walk along the Eastside Esplanade north to the Steel Bridge (or cross sooner if you don't wish to walk as far), cross the bridge, then walk the other way south through Waterfront Park and back to the Hawthorne Bridge and back across. Today it was sunny but about 40 degrees - a bit chilly with the wind but still a beautiful day for a walk.

To find the parking I mentioned above, search for the intersection of SE Water Ave and SE Main Street (try Google maps). There are green "2 hour parking" signs on the streets.

Andrew

Scarlett

I agree! Portland is one of the easiest cities to find your way around, with the alphabetical streets and numbers..the one ways work for us too!

Our problem is more when we leave the city, but that is just us

Isn't there a large parking lot around the train station over by the Rose Garden? ( that is the glass building, right?)

Andrew,
I am charmed by the stickers that the machine spits out. I am a victim of too many parking tickets in NYC..and the Fear of Towing.
Portland has a much kinder and gentler parking system .
and I really like the Parking Police on their bikes

Presocia

Sure, it takes a minute to familarize yourself with the green Portland parking machines. But aren't they nicer (and more enviro friendly) than having a bunch of old meters on every block? Plus, if you have extra time left on your ticket, you can park elsewhere and use what time does remain.

Andrew

The downside of the Portland parking machines - besides the fact that you can't take the last person's remaining time - is that you can't "plug your meter." Say you are a 3-hour spot and you bought an hour of parking, then 30 minutes later you realize you need another hour. You can't "extend" the parking, you have to buy another one or go back right when the old one expires. That has annoyed me more than once; with meters, I just put more money in, very easy.

Those parking machines sure kill a lot of trees, so I don't know how environmentally friendly they are! (And I have "stickies" all over my car windows from them!) We already had parking meters - there was no harm to the environment in keeping them. In fact, if they were dumped in a land fill somewhere that would not be environmentally friendly in itself.

Scarlett, I think you are thinking of the Oregon Convention Center (the glass towers near the Rose Quarter?). There are parking lots over there but they aren't free - they are like any other city parking lots (and not cheap!). There are no free Park and Ride lots close to downtown Portland. Some people risk it and park at the Lloyd Center in their lot, then hop on the MAX, but that is patroled and you have to be careful - you could get caught.

Andrew

Scarlett

Thank you Andrew!
See? I would go over there and be the one to get towed or a big fine

sunbum1944

Downtown there are several parking garages called "Smart Park"
You can have your ticket validated at many of the downtown stores - so if you buy enough, your parking will be free !!

Andrew

I hate Smart Park myself - it's a pain driving round and round up to each level trying to find a parking spot; then you have either to go down the stairs or take the slow elevator. When you are leaving, you may have to wait in a line of traffic just to pay (validated or not, you still have to wait). And they do not prorate hours anymore. If you are there for an hour and five minutes, you pay for two hours.

I find it much easier to park on the street in Portland, even if I have to go around the block a time or two. And of course, if I will be there past 7PM, it becomes free.

Andrew

Merseyheart

FYI, many of the meters on the east side of the river, near the convention center and arena, charge until 10 PM. If I'm seeing a concert at the arena, I often park on the street (paying until 7 PM) up next to the MAX stop at Lloyd Center. You can take the MAX for free to the arena, or downtown, if you like. Some people park on the parking lot at the cinema, but that's taking a chance, isn't it. Smart Park suits me just fine, if I want to use the Central Library. But if I'm just going downtown, from my home in Beaverton, I take the bus/MAX, and I urge others to do the same!

SaraLM

As an out of towner I find the "Smart Park" lots well located and cheaper than others. I don't mind walking but there is usually one close to at least one thing I want to see. Look for signs with the little guy with a red cap.

I have also parked in the big lot by Lloyd Center and just taken MAX around since it is free in that area.

Sara