The Punk City of Portland, OR - Faina’s report.
Sep 12th, 2008, 07:34 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Punk City of Portland, OR - Faina’s report.
Why is it my trip reports usually start with a bit of drama? This time, it was my purse. I had such a convenient purse I kept for travels only, with compartments for everything! The pull on a zipper slide came off on the morning of departure, I was in a hurry to fix it with pliers, my poor purse, resting peacefully now at some dump.
FLIGHTS. Familiar route to/from Oakland airport by BART and AirBART connecting bus. Southwest was fast, going back checked in the suitcase with liquids (not what you think, jams and sauces!) - 2 suitcases per person free, 3rd $25. No, we had only one, this is only information! Sodas, coffee, juices are still free, and of course peanuts! In Portland, upon arrival follow the signs to luggage, out of the door to the waiting MAX train. On Sunday there was some rail repair, no problem, a shuttle bus was waiting.
A funny thing happened at PDX. We were waiting at the next gate - the seats were limited. Overheard at boarding, an old man came up asking: is this Seattle? No, it’s Portland, said the gate attendant. The old man turned around to walk away. Wait, wait, I was joking, we are in Portland, and the plane goes to Seattle, I didn’t mean to turn you away!
HOTEL 50. We thought the location was perfect. Everything was one small block away. We came back for a mid-day break (read: nap
walked along the river after dinner. The price was non-refundable special, on hotel’s website $120 a night; on Expedia the same price, but they offered a refund of $50 gas money. We got a room on the top floor with a view of some street. Reception is nice, everybody said hello each time we were passing by. There is a restaurant on the first floor, but due to high price and bad reviews we didn’t eat there. Breakfasts are not included.
The beds were strange. High, so one had to climb or jump up, and we are not short people! Large screen TV, in-room coffee, a large compartment where they had a small fridge, it looks. 2 robes hanging in the closet. The hotel was a Sheraton before changing the ownership. Enough lights in the room, but not enough for cosmetics/makeup purposes. Shutters on the window, but if you like to sleep in absolute darkness, it’s impossible - the light comes in from the top, the curtains don’t go up all the way to the ceiling to block off the outside lights. Didn’t bother us at all though.
FOOD. Alessandro. On the first night we walked out of the hotel looking for a place to eat close to the hotel. We thought, we can’t go wrong with Italian restaurant, and it had its share of diners. This was the first time the dinner did not start with bread. We had to eat our salads without any carbs! Not used to it. The waiter was literally running around, looked like they were short-handed, maybe he just forgot? I didn’t ask. Besides, the salad was not so good. Some yucky dressing. The main dish was OK, nothing to write home about. I would not bother to go there again.
There is a Whole Grain bakery on Yamhill @ 2nd Ave, their sticky buns are so good! We’d get some each morning, make coffee in the room... how nice not to have to hurry off to work.
Sungari - we liked it so much, went there twice, lunch and dinner. It’s on 1st Ave @ Yamhill, by the MAX stop going east. Szechuan cuisine (Chinese... hope I haven’t misspelled!), friendly service, pleasant low-volume music, we could easily hear each other; I kept thinking this would be a nice GTG place. Served home style - everybody gets to try all food. Large selection of wines.
FLIGHTS. Familiar route to/from Oakland airport by BART and AirBART connecting bus. Southwest was fast, going back checked in the suitcase with liquids (not what you think, jams and sauces!) - 2 suitcases per person free, 3rd $25. No, we had only one, this is only information! Sodas, coffee, juices are still free, and of course peanuts! In Portland, upon arrival follow the signs to luggage, out of the door to the waiting MAX train. On Sunday there was some rail repair, no problem, a shuttle bus was waiting.
A funny thing happened at PDX. We were waiting at the next gate - the seats were limited. Overheard at boarding, an old man came up asking: is this Seattle? No, it’s Portland, said the gate attendant. The old man turned around to walk away. Wait, wait, I was joking, we are in Portland, and the plane goes to Seattle, I didn’t mean to turn you away!
HOTEL 50. We thought the location was perfect. Everything was one small block away. We came back for a mid-day break (read: nap
walked along the river after dinner. The price was non-refundable special, on hotel’s website $120 a night; on Expedia the same price, but they offered a refund of $50 gas money. We got a room on the top floor with a view of some street. Reception is nice, everybody said hello each time we were passing by. There is a restaurant on the first floor, but due to high price and bad reviews we didn’t eat there. Breakfasts are not included. The beds were strange. High, so one had to climb or jump up, and we are not short people! Large screen TV, in-room coffee, a large compartment where they had a small fridge, it looks. 2 robes hanging in the closet. The hotel was a Sheraton before changing the ownership. Enough lights in the room, but not enough for cosmetics/makeup purposes. Shutters on the window, but if you like to sleep in absolute darkness, it’s impossible - the light comes in from the top, the curtains don’t go up all the way to the ceiling to block off the outside lights. Didn’t bother us at all though.
FOOD. Alessandro. On the first night we walked out of the hotel looking for a place to eat close to the hotel. We thought, we can’t go wrong with Italian restaurant, and it had its share of diners. This was the first time the dinner did not start with bread. We had to eat our salads without any carbs! Not used to it. The waiter was literally running around, looked like they were short-handed, maybe he just forgot? I didn’t ask. Besides, the salad was not so good. Some yucky dressing. The main dish was OK, nothing to write home about. I would not bother to go there again.
There is a Whole Grain bakery on Yamhill @ 2nd Ave, their sticky buns are so good! We’d get some each morning, make coffee in the room... how nice not to have to hurry off to work.
Sungari - we liked it so much, went there twice, lunch and dinner. It’s on 1st Ave @ Yamhill, by the MAX stop going east. Szechuan cuisine (Chinese... hope I haven’t misspelled!), friendly service, pleasant low-volume music, we could easily hear each other; I kept thinking this would be a nice GTG place. Served home style - everybody gets to try all food. Large selection of wines.
Sep 12th, 2008, 07:35 AM
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ACTIVITIES. Chinese gardens - we both loved them! The docent tour is at 11 am, call ahead for time, for the first visit it’s a must, and then you can stay and wander on your own. The tour is free. There is also audio offered. A small gift shop, a large teahouse. 2 tiny blocks off MAX stop within the free zone.
Smallest public park - ahhhh, what have they done! Replaced beautiful flowers with an ugly midget plant. The Saturday Market is now extended into Sundays. Pioneer Square - sure, we took pictures with the man with umbrella! Other tourists in the square did too. We thought of taking pictures of a group of punks with dogs, but the safety common sense won. There is also an information center if needed.
River cruise - we took the lunch cruise, opted for food. Just walked up, paid at the booth, went down - all at Salmon landing. A word of caution - the walkway down (and up) is very steep, I saw several people for whom it was difficult. Feels like you’re slipping down. Ladies, leave your heels at home for this one! We enjoyed the flow of the river, the views, and some of the food.
They really push the sales, who knew that “lunch” is actually an entree and coffee or water, nothing else? But if you buy salad and pick the main dish “salmon” they still bring a slice of fish over Caesar’s salad. Strange. We had bread/butter, skipped appetizer, enjoyed blackened salmon - it was really, really good. Good coffee, desserts are so-so. They sell a slice of cake of your choice, and bring a check to your table. This is how it was: $76 cruise, $5 dessert, total $81, -$76 paid with credit card, total due $5. Is this a hint for tips?
Of course, mandatory picture taking, sold $10 a piece. And the waitress asked if people celebrate something, and announced who celebrates what after people had eaten and walked out to enjoy fresh air. Overall, compared to the Bay Cruise in San Francisco, not as good, still somewhat enjoyable - nice to see the area from the river.
We took the streetcar to the Tram. If you’re afraid of height, it’s not for you. I’m getting over this fear, and would be OK if not the way it was designed. There is a supporting tower in the middle, so when the car reaches it, it starts to rock. This is really scary. But the views are amazing, worth to have the stomach in a knot for 2 minutes!
TRANSPORTATION. MAX line is perfect. Very accessible, and I haven’t seen so many wheelchairs on a public transport ever! Not even in the airports! Just press the appropriate button, and a platform lets them on or off. And the free zone - how the city finds the funds? And I thought San Francisco is the best. Those hooks for bikes - safe, simple, very useful. Haven’t seen that many bikes either! One day pass or a 2-hour ticket machines at every stop - how simple to buy! Clear announcements, and lighted displays easy to read.
Streetcar is good as well, only not that easy to buy a ticket, balancing in the shaky car. The tickets machines are inside. We only used it once going to/from the tram, once the tickets were paid for, the rest of the trip was really pleasant.
SHOPPING. This is not why we came to Portland, living in large city helps not to be bothered with running around picking out shoes and clothes. We only went to Made in Oregon and Lloyd center, and it was difficult to get my husband out of there. At Lloyd he parked himself on a bench watching the kids figure skating, and I had all time in the world for souvenir picking without anybody whining. Made in Oregon was before at Skidmore (Saturday market), now it moved to... the MAX stop is next after Pioneer square going west, the last stop in the free zone.
Smallest public park - ahhhh, what have they done! Replaced beautiful flowers with an ugly midget plant. The Saturday Market is now extended into Sundays. Pioneer Square - sure, we took pictures with the man with umbrella! Other tourists in the square did too. We thought of taking pictures of a group of punks with dogs, but the safety common sense won. There is also an information center if needed.
River cruise - we took the lunch cruise, opted for food. Just walked up, paid at the booth, went down - all at Salmon landing. A word of caution - the walkway down (and up) is very steep, I saw several people for whom it was difficult. Feels like you’re slipping down. Ladies, leave your heels at home for this one! We enjoyed the flow of the river, the views, and some of the food.
They really push the sales, who knew that “lunch” is actually an entree and coffee or water, nothing else? But if you buy salad and pick the main dish “salmon” they still bring a slice of fish over Caesar’s salad. Strange. We had bread/butter, skipped appetizer, enjoyed blackened salmon - it was really, really good. Good coffee, desserts are so-so. They sell a slice of cake of your choice, and bring a check to your table. This is how it was: $76 cruise, $5 dessert, total $81, -$76 paid with credit card, total due $5. Is this a hint for tips?
Of course, mandatory picture taking, sold $10 a piece. And the waitress asked if people celebrate something, and announced who celebrates what after people had eaten and walked out to enjoy fresh air. Overall, compared to the Bay Cruise in San Francisco, not as good, still somewhat enjoyable - nice to see the area from the river.
We took the streetcar to the Tram. If you’re afraid of height, it’s not for you. I’m getting over this fear, and would be OK if not the way it was designed. There is a supporting tower in the middle, so when the car reaches it, it starts to rock. This is really scary. But the views are amazing, worth to have the stomach in a knot for 2 minutes!
TRANSPORTATION. MAX line is perfect. Very accessible, and I haven’t seen so many wheelchairs on a public transport ever! Not even in the airports! Just press the appropriate button, and a platform lets them on or off. And the free zone - how the city finds the funds? And I thought San Francisco is the best. Those hooks for bikes - safe, simple, very useful. Haven’t seen that many bikes either! One day pass or a 2-hour ticket machines at every stop - how simple to buy! Clear announcements, and lighted displays easy to read.
Streetcar is good as well, only not that easy to buy a ticket, balancing in the shaky car. The tickets machines are inside. We only used it once going to/from the tram, once the tickets were paid for, the rest of the trip was really pleasant.
SHOPPING. This is not why we came to Portland, living in large city helps not to be bothered with running around picking out shoes and clothes. We only went to Made in Oregon and Lloyd center, and it was difficult to get my husband out of there. At Lloyd he parked himself on a bench watching the kids figure skating, and I had all time in the world for souvenir picking without anybody whining. Made in Oregon was before at Skidmore (Saturday market), now it moved to... the MAX stop is next after Pioneer square going west, the last stop in the free zone.
Sep 12th, 2008, 07:35 AM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS. Punk kids (and adults) gather on Yamhill @ 1st, around Pioneer square, Skidmore area. Beggars are a real problem. Comparable to San Francisco.
The city’s transportation must be the best in the county. In addition, the city is very walkable, plenty of parks, benches, fountains, statues. Mr. Again was fascinated with only one meter per block.
Skirts are clothes, not the thing of the past in Portland. And people wear colors, not just all black, how pleasant to the eye!
I’m sure I’ve missed some places in interest and restaurants, but the main thing is we had great time, loved Portland, came home with nice souvenirs.
The city’s transportation must be the best in the county. In addition, the city is very walkable, plenty of parks, benches, fountains, statues. Mr. Again was fascinated with only one meter per block.
Skirts are clothes, not the thing of the past in Portland. And people wear colors, not just all black, how pleasant to the eye!
I’m sure I’ve missed some places in interest and restaurants, but the main thing is we had great time, loved Portland, came home with nice souvenirs.
Sep 12th, 2008, 09:01 AM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Faina, I can't believe you sent your Yves St. Laurent Raspail bag to the dump. You should have Fed Ex-ed it to Artbag in Manhattan.
Did it rain a lot in Portland? I have always wanted to visit Portland but am afraid of rain; I am like a cat that way.
I am so glad you left your Roger Vivier pumps at home and did not land on your heiny when boarding the boat.
Cheers,
Thin
Did it rain a lot in Portland? I have always wanted to visit Portland but am afraid of rain; I am like a cat that way.
I am so glad you left your Roger Vivier pumps at home and did not land on your heiny when boarding the boat.
Cheers,
Thin
Sep 12th, 2008, 09:21 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
P_P, the weather was in upper 80s the first 2 days, then got down to mid-70s, so we could walk on the sunny sides too 
I was in Portland in May of... don't remember which year, maybe 5 years ago, it was sunny, t-shirt type of weather.
Also end of May 3 years ago Seattle, sunny and warm. Where are all those rains?
P_P, just dye your hair green and purple, put on all black with silver chains, and go
I was in Portland in May of... don't remember which year, maybe 5 years ago, it was sunny, t-shirt type of weather.
Also end of May 3 years ago Seattle, sunny and warm. Where are all those rains?
P_P, just dye your hair green and purple, put on all black with silver chains, and go
Oct 29th, 2008, 12:48 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oct 29th, 2008, 02:00 PM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, there is quite a homeless problem in Portland and not just downtown. They are in all the Portland neighborhoods. Sometimes you see them with shopping carts even in the suburbs. As in San Francisco, Portland has gotten a reputation as a place that is homeless-friendly - more services, shelters, etc. Unfortunately, that means more people get harassed on the street for spare change. Even food. The other day as I walked into a Carl's Jr. downtown, a young girl (homeless I assume, I dunno) boldly asked me if I'd buy her a chicken sandwhich? Er, nope. As I was leaving she was eating something, so someone must have bought her one.
My photos were considered for use in the rooms at Hotel 50; unfortunately they didn't make the cut. So of course I HATE HATE HATE Hotel 50 now, ha ha ha! (OK, just kidding...) Haven't been inside the place since it was converted from the old Sheraton.
The Portland Spirit Cruise (the one you took I think) up the Willamette is pretty nice in nice weather; at this moment the leaves are turning so the cruise would be very, very pretty.
FYI about streetcar tickets: You can buy them at MAX stops too. They are basically the same as TriMet bus/MAX tickets, which can be used/validated on the Streetcar. You can buy them at the Pioneer Courthouse Square ticket office or even at Safeway and other grocery stores, perhaps only in books.
My gym is on the same block as the Whole Grain bakery, and although I have never actually stopped for sticky buns, I have been smelling them for years! Yeah, they smell great! Someday I'll have to splurge after a workout...
Next time, if you wish to shop in Portland, consider NW 23rd Ave or SE Hawthorne Blvd - much more interesting stores than the chain stores in the Lloyd Center. You can get to NW 23rd directly from the Streetcar, because it dead-ends there.
My photos were considered for use in the rooms at Hotel 50; unfortunately they didn't make the cut. So of course I HATE HATE HATE Hotel 50 now, ha ha ha! (OK, just kidding...) Haven't been inside the place since it was converted from the old Sheraton.
The Portland Spirit Cruise (the one you took I think) up the Willamette is pretty nice in nice weather; at this moment the leaves are turning so the cruise would be very, very pretty.
FYI about streetcar tickets: You can buy them at MAX stops too. They are basically the same as TriMet bus/MAX tickets, which can be used/validated on the Streetcar. You can buy them at the Pioneer Courthouse Square ticket office or even at Safeway and other grocery stores, perhaps only in books.
My gym is on the same block as the Whole Grain bakery, and although I have never actually stopped for sticky buns, I have been smelling them for years! Yeah, they smell great! Someday I'll have to splurge after a workout...
Next time, if you wish to shop in Portland, consider NW 23rd Ave or SE Hawthorne Blvd - much more interesting stores than the chain stores in the Lloyd Center. You can get to NW 23rd directly from the Streetcar, because it dead-ends there.
Oct 29th, 2008, 02:07 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"The other day as I walked into a Carl's Jr. downtown, a young girl (homeless I assume, I dunno) boldly asked me if I'd buy her a chicken sandwhich?"
Maybe it was her flirting pick-up line? Silly you
We went to Lloyd to watch ice skaters, becoming our tradition in Portland
Maybe it was her flirting pick-up line? Silly you
We went to Lloyd to watch ice skaters, becoming our tradition in Portland
Nov 16th, 2008, 08:34 AM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,694
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Faina, I missed your trip report first time around! It looks like you had a good time. I love Portland.
My sister lives in the Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood near Lloyds Center now (having previously lived in a diff city neighborhood then in the suburbs for a stretch). I've got lots of great memories of visiting Portland over the years!
My sister lives in the Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood near Lloyds Center now (having previously lived in a diff city neighborhood then in the suburbs for a stretch). I've got lots of great memories of visiting Portland over the years!
