Guidebook for Inner Portland
Essentials
What a traveler might need to pick up, including food.
Safeway
6901 NE Sandy BlvdNearby
Locally-owned co-op with bulk bins, organic produce, and lots of other stuff you might want to bring along on a day on the town.
195 locals recommend
Alberta Cooperative Grocery
1500 NE Alberta StLocally-owned co-op with bulk bins, organic produce, and lots of other stuff you might want to bring along on a day on the town.
New Seasons Market
1954 SE Division StChain of healthy grocery stores
Shipping, copies, and other business needs, nearby
10 locals recommend
FedEx Office Print & Ship Center
1605 NE 7th AveShipping, copies, and other business needs, nearby
Root Whole Body
2122 NW Quimby StYoga, if you need it. Dry sauna too!
Fred Meyer
3805 SE Hawthorne BlvdGroceries and more. Fred Meyer is part of the Kroger empire.
New Seasons Market
1954 SE Division StChain of healthy grocery stores
24 Hour Fitness
4224 NE Halsey StA super sport location with a pool and some courts.
Lloyd Athletic Club
815 NE Halsey StVery close to the house with weights and racket courts.
24 Hour Fitness
4224 NE Halsey StAcross the river in the Pearl District.
Trader Joe's
2122 NW Glisan StGreat place for food and groceries. Grab stuff for a picnic.
Food Scene
A selection of spots near my place, and of better places in the inner core, with a variety of price points. Usually locally-owned. You can find chains on your own.
*Cost scale per person for my selections, not including alcohol*
$ - Lowest cost ($10-15)
$$ - Medium cost ($12-20)
$$$ - Pretty expensive, but worth it ($18-60)
$$$ Nearby, national-quality restaurant with long waiting times. Great, great food with a small bar for the long waits. It's the place I choose for a good meal, and the quality holds up.
192 locals recommend
OX Restaurant
2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd$$$ Nearby, national-quality restaurant with long waiting times. Great, great food with a small bar for the long waits. It's the place I choose for a good meal, and the quality holds up.
$ - Nearby, locally-famous handmade Chinese noodle dishes. Not much on atmosphere.
42 locals recommend
Frank's Noodle House
822 Northeast Broadway$ - Nearby, locally-famous handmade Chinese noodle dishes. Not much on atmosphere.
$$ - Great, local vegan restaurant that's not just for vegans or vegetarians.
If somebody wants to take me out, I choose Blossoming Lotus. Yum.
80 locals recommend
Blossoming Lotus
1713 NE 15th Ave$$ - Great, local vegan restaurant that's not just for vegans or vegetarians.
If somebody wants to take me out, I choose Blossoming Lotus. Yum.
$ - Local, small, slightly funky breakfast place with great, rich food. I like the shrimp and grits with egg.
35 locals recommend
Bridges Café & Catering
2716 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd$ - Local, small, slightly funky breakfast place with great, rich food. I like the shrimp and grits with egg.
Peet's Coffee
1441 NE BroadwayNearby coffee
Marinepolis Sushi Land
1409 NE Weidler StSushi, round and round. Lots of sushi!
Sushi Ohana
1422 NE BroadwayMore sushi
Sushi and more, nearby. By no means the best of anything.
13 locals recommend
Yuki Japanese Restaurant
1337 NE BroadwaySushi and more, nearby. By no means the best of anything.
$$ - Nearby, decent BBQ that sources local, "happy" meat, family-owned, but cool.
41 locals recommend
Russell St. BBQ (Belmont)
4246 SE Belmont St$$ - Nearby, decent BBQ that sources local, "happy" meat, family-owned, but cool.
$$ to $$$ - Tapas, often with a long wait. Incredibly loud when it's full of people. Too salty for my taste. Nationally-known
179 locals recommend
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St$$ to $$$ - Tapas, often with a long wait. Incredibly loud when it's full of people. Too salty for my taste. Nationally-known
Zell's Cafe
1300 Southeast Morrison Street$ - Breakfast favorite of mine, but don't tell anyone ;-)
Tiny's Coffee North East
2031 NE Martin Luther King Jr BlvdNearby, locally-owned coffee shop.
$$ - Basic food in a log cabin environment with an underground music venue. Adjoined with the Jupiter and Next hotels.
Hipster, younger crowd of all ages.
249 locals recommend
Doug Fir Lounge
301 E Burnside St$$ - Basic food in a log cabin environment with an underground music venue. Adjoined with the Jupiter and Next hotels.
Hipster, younger crowd of all ages.
Vegan bakery and coffee shop on "vegan alley", though it's not an alley.
36 locals recommend
Sweetpea Baking Co.
1205 SE Stark StVegan bakery and coffee shop on "vegan alley", though it's not an alley.
$$ - Restaurant and bar with strong paleo leanings, locally-sourced ingredients, and some adventuresome meats.
SE Belmont is a good walk away.
42 locals recommend
Dick's Kitchen SE
$$ - Restaurant and bar with strong paleo leanings, locally-sourced ingredients, and some adventuresome meats.
SE Belmont is a good walk away.
Friends who love coffee love Saint Simon, which is 11 blocks away. It's small, quirky, hip, and yummy.
26 locals recommend
Saint Simon Coffee Co.
2005 NE BroadwayFriends who love coffee love Saint Simon, which is 11 blocks away. It's small, quirky, hip, and yummy.
$ - Cheap eats with a focus on foods lower on the food chain, though you can add meat. Any burrito can be made a bowl. I like the Cuban bowl.
Laughing Planet is a local chain, so look for them all around town.
176 locals recommend
Laughing Planet
3765 N Mississippi Ave$ - Cheap eats with a focus on foods lower on the food chain, though you can add meat. Any burrito can be made a bowl. I like the Cuban bowl.
Laughing Planet is a local chain, so look for them all around town.
$$ - Yummy food. They sometimes have a vegan cassoulet that I can't get out of my head.
Definitely more formal attire is appropriate
39 locals recommend
Paley's Place Bistro & Bar
1204 NW 21st Ave$$ - Yummy food. They sometimes have a vegan cassoulet that I can't get out of my head.
Definitely more formal attire is appropriate
$$ - Amazing Ethiopian food in a funky but clean place walking distance from the house.
26 locals recommend
Queen of Sheba Restaurant
2413 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd$$ - Amazing Ethiopian food in a funky but clean place walking distance from the house.
$ - $$ Food cart with great, wood-fired pizza, made-to-order. It's in a bigger pod with other selections. It doesn't get more Portland than this.
19 locals recommend
Pyro Pizza
1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd$ - $$ Food cart with great, wood-fired pizza, made-to-order. It's in a bigger pod with other selections. It doesn't get more Portland than this.
$$ - Pok Pok Wing is closer to the house than the larger and more famous Pok Pok, but the Thai street food is just as good.
201 locals recommend
Pok Pok Wing
1469 NE Prescott St$$ - Pok Pok Wing is closer to the house than the larger and more famous Pok Pok, but the Thai street food is just as good.
$ Basic US breakfast place, that also serves other meals. Walking distance from my place.
26 locals recommend
Milo's City Cafe
1325 NE Broadway$ Basic US breakfast place, that also serves other meals. Walking distance from my place.
$ - Comfort food focused on southern breakfast, walking distance from the house.
37 locals recommend
Pine State Biscuits | Schuyler
125 NE Schuyler St$ - Comfort food focused on southern breakfast, walking distance from the house.
Andina
1314 NW Glisan St$$$ - High-end Peruvian-based meals. More formal attire.
$ - $$ - One of two Nicholas middle eastern food places.
125 locals recommend
Nicholas Restaurant Lebanese and Mediterranean Cuisine
3223 NE Broadway$ - $$ - One of two Nicholas middle eastern food places.
Mi Mero Mole
32 NW 5th Ave$ - Southern Mexican cuisine on a budget. Across the river
Everything Else
Popular Portland destination for sports and big concerts. Formerly the Rose Garden.
Home of the Trail Blazers. Walking distance from my place.
204 locals recommend
Moda Center
1 N Center Ct StPopular Portland destination for sports and big concerts. Formerly the Rose Garden.
Home of the Trail Blazers. Walking distance from my place.
Walgreens
5420 NE 33rd AvePharmacy, drug store, etc. Because, sometimes you forget things ;-)
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr BlvdPopular Portland destination
Shopping
Portland business and retail destination with run-of-the-mill stores. In decline. Mall includes ice rink.
111 locals recommend
Lloyd Center
2201 Lloyd CenterPortland business and retail destination with run-of-the-mill stores. In decline. Mall includes ice rink.
Nearly world-famous bookstore with new and used books shelved together in more than a city block of shelves and shelves of books.
976 locals recommend
Powell's City of Books
1005 W Burnside StNearly world-famous bookstore with new and used books shelved together in more than a city block of shelves and shelves of books.
Drinks & Nightlife
What is this place? A bar? The Secret Society is an upstairs institution.
85 locals recommend
The Secret Society
116 NE Russell StWhat is this place? A bar? The Secret Society is an upstairs institution.
The Widmer Brothers Brewery
929 N Russell StLocal, successful Portland brewery, somewhat walkable
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell StLots of smaller bands play here. Walking distance.
Swift Lounge
1932 NE BroadwayBar with food and outdoor space along the street.
Mediocre bar food with lots of outdoor space within walking distance
19 locals recommend
Rose & Thistle Public House
2314 Northeast BroadwayMediocre bar food with lots of outdoor space within walking distance
Sightseeing
Portland Japanese Garden
611 SW Kingston AveDeeply cared-for garden with year-round presentation.
Parks & Nature
Washington Park has grassy spots to relax, and yet there are always cars nearby.
Within Washington Park are the International Test Rose Garden and the Japanese Gardens, as well as some places for kids to play.
326 locals recommend
Washington Park
4033 SW Canyon RdWashington Park has grassy spots to relax, and yet there are always cars nearby.
Within Washington Park are the International Test Rose Garden and the Japanese Gardens, as well as some places for kids to play.
Forest Park is huge and available year round. Lower Macleay is just one gateway into extensive trails very close-in to the city. The Wildwood Trail allows a 32-mile hike if you can pull together a shuttle.
Leif Erickson Drive, at the end of NW Thurman, is a level, wide path for biking or walking. Side trails allow waling access deeper into the forest.
Lower Macleay (Noted in this map) has a trail walk up a stream bed which is gentle until the climb up at the end to....
Upper Macleay, off of NW Cornell Road, offers a drop down to the stream or a climb up to Pittock Mansion. I love the trail from Upper Macleay to Pittock and back. Lots of trees and ferns. Want more? Hike from Upper Macleay past Pittock and down to W. Burnside (and then back). It's a real treat any time of the year.
14 locals recommend
Lower Macleay Trail
Lower Macleay TrailForest Park is huge and available year round. Lower Macleay is just one gateway into extensive trails very close-in to the city. The Wildwood Trail allows a 32-mile hike if you can pull together a shuttle.
Leif Erickson Drive, at the end of NW Thurman, is a level, wide path for biking or walking. Side trails allow waling access deeper into the forest.
Lower Macleay (Noted in this map) has a trail walk up a stream bed which is gentle until the climb up at the end to....
Upper Macleay, off of NW Cornell Road, offers a drop down to the stream or a climb up to Pittock Mansion. I love the trail from Upper Macleay to Pittock and back. Lots of trees and ferns. Want more? Hike from Upper Macleay past Pittock and down to W. Burnside (and then back). It's a real treat any time of the year.
Nearby dog park, playground, and park with sports fields, tennis courts, and covered basketball courts.
92 locals recommend
Irving Park
707 NE Fremont StNearby dog park, playground, and park with sports fields, tennis courts, and covered basketball courts.