kwnancy

I am going to PDX for the Marathon in October 2007. I want a hotel/condo with a kitchen. Any suggestions? Areas to avoid? I'll be a solo traveller and do not want to rent a car. Thanks for any info!

Andrew

You certainly don't need to rent a car in Portland. One possibility would be the Residence Inn at Riverplace, which has a kitchen and is off the Portland Streetcar that will get you directly into downtown Portland quickly. At the other end of the Streetcar there's the Inn at Northrup Station in NW Portland (probably a more enjoyable area for you than Riverplace) - I think they have kitchenettes also.

You might find some individual condo/home rentals on Craigslist.

Scarlett

http://www.northrupstation.com/
They do have kitchens and a BBQ area on the rooftop deck ..

Look into Oakwood apts. There are 2 buildings in Portland where they own apts and you get to stay in a fully stocked beautiful apt by the night, or week or longer.
One is downtown, one is in the Pearl.

Fodorite018

While I haven't stayed there, the location of Northrup Station is much better than the Riverplace area, IMO. The NW part of town is full of shops and restaurants, and close to the Japanese Gardens, Pittock Mansion, and some really pretty areas. That time of year is perfect for this too.

Scarlett

The Inn @ Northrup Station is also on the streetcar line, it stops right there, you can get all around town without needing a car.
And NW 21st and 23rd Streets are known for their good restaurants and shopping

sunbum1944

I have stayed at the Inn at Northrup Station and I think its a great place for a single traveller. It did have a small kitchen and close walk to the 23rd st shops and restaurants.
Its retro funky so not your usual hotel
but I do recommend it-

kimamom

We have not stayed at the Residence Inn, but have stayed a few times at the Riverplace Hotel down by the waterfront. We loved the location here, the riverfront is fun to stroll with a few shops and restaurants and it's refreshing being down by the water.

Inn @ Northrup is a funky little boutique hotel in a nice area, the Nob Hill District. You will be right next door to two of our favorite restaurants in Portland, Wildwood & Paley's Place. Have fun! ***kim***

kwnancy

Thanks for the info. I found a studio apartment on ne 72nd street - in the 'international' district. Can anyone describe this area. The price is right and is on the Sandy Blvd bus route.

beachbum

I'm not very familiar with it, but I think the area is okay, mostly residential with some commercial. The problem I would see is that you'll be 3-4 miles from the center of town, which means that, without a car, you'll be reliant on the bus to get anywhere. Did you have any others from which to choose?

Scarlett

Hi
I am not that experienced with the Eastside of town but if this were my choice, I would stay on the Westside of town.
I think all the Marathon events are on the West side, and I don't think your eastside location will be convenient for getting back and forth.

Andrew

That's not an exciting part of town at all and very far from downtown. Not somewhere I would recommend for someone visiting Portland without a car, unless you have some specific desire to stay there (e.g. you love being near a certain Vietnamese restaurant or something). The #12 is OK but it will probably be 30 minutes to downtown each way - check TriMet.com to see the schedule.

I would probably keep looking. If price is an issue you might check Hotwire because you can see amenities there (e.g. kithchenette) even though you won't know the exact hotel until you purchase.