Hey ya'll... A group of us Wildcats are making the trip to Portland. Where is a good place to stay, either close to the University or the Rose Garden? where are some nice places to eat? What is there to do in Portland during the day and at night? I'd greatly appreciate any and all suggestions. Good Luck, should be some great games... I hope PSU fry's, dices, and mashes the tators!
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What to Do in Portland
- Thread starter waldo1
- Start date
2 places to eat if you're looking have a "Portland experience," both are a little on the expensive side:
http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/
and
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=21
Hope you guys have a good time in Portland, just not too good of time, if you get my drift.
http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/
and
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=21
Hope you guys have a good time in Portland, just not too good of time, if you get my drift.
PortlandStater
Active member
Are all of you guys over 21? I'll make my recommendations dependent on that.
As for staying, I'd recommend you guys forget the Rose Garden neigborhood, as there is nothing to see or do. Public transportation is excellent: the MAX (our lightrail) takes you from downtown to the arena in 10 minutes. And because there is a wonderful thing called 'fareless square,' which both downtown and the arena belong to, you won't even have to pay a dime for tickets.
Downtown has all kinds of hotels/motels from The Benson (very spendy) to Travelodge (basic bed). If you look at a map of Portland, pretty much everything around SW Park Blocks (green on the map) down to the waterfront is near PSU, since the university is slowly buying and renting everything there.
I would not recommend staying anywhere north of W Burnside (neighborhood called Old Town/Chinatown) or on entire 5th Avenue. Portland is a safe city, but there are lots of annoying people and drug folks.
As for staying, I'd recommend you guys forget the Rose Garden neigborhood, as there is nothing to see or do. Public transportation is excellent: the MAX (our lightrail) takes you from downtown to the arena in 10 minutes. And because there is a wonderful thing called 'fareless square,' which both downtown and the arena belong to, you won't even have to pay a dime for tickets.
Downtown has all kinds of hotels/motels from The Benson (very spendy) to Travelodge (basic bed). If you look at a map of Portland, pretty much everything around SW Park Blocks (green on the map) down to the waterfront is near PSU, since the university is slowly buying and renting everything there.
VikThunder1
Active member
Places to stay are aplenty. I would stay downtown at The Benson, Heathman. Hilton, Marriott City Center, Governor, Mark Spencer, The Ace Hotel, the Paramount, Monaco, Lucia or Vintage Plaza,
There are a ton of restaurants around there. And you can catch a cab or the light rail (MAX) to the Rose Garnden from there.
There are a ton of restaurants around there. And you can catch a cab or the light rail (MAX) to the Rose Garnden from there.
skywaker9
Active member
If you want a reasonable place to stay, call University Place (www.uplace.pdx.edu/), which is PSU's internally run hotel (it used to be a Red Lion, 2 star quality or so).
For restaurants, my favorites are Oba (nuevo Latino cuisine)-www.obarestaurant.com, which is in the Pearl, Nicholas (dirt cheap but excellent Lebanese food)-www.nicholasrestaurant.com, which is in close-in SE just across the river and Justa Pasta (excellent and again cheap Italian food)-www.justapasta.com, which is in NW Portland. As a student these are places I tend to eat as they are all affordable.
No visit to Portland is complete without a trip to Powells, the worlds largest independent bookstore-www.powells.com.
For restaurants, my favorites are Oba (nuevo Latino cuisine)-www.obarestaurant.com, which is in the Pearl, Nicholas (dirt cheap but excellent Lebanese food)-www.nicholasrestaurant.com, which is in close-in SE just across the river and Justa Pasta (excellent and again cheap Italian food)-www.justapasta.com, which is in NW Portland. As a student these are places I tend to eat as they are all affordable.
No visit to Portland is complete without a trip to Powells, the worlds largest independent bookstore-www.powells.com.
GustaViking
Active member
As a visitor as well, I'd also recommend Jake's Famous Crawfish, for a nice meal (with your wife or if your splurging). It's in an old house and I really liked the atmosphere and the food.
As far as places to stay, as noted above, it depends on your budget, but I can recommend the Paramount, and if your budget's a little less, the Marriott Suites down by the river is little cheaper and still nice.
As far as places to stay, as noted above, it depends on your budget, but I can recommend the Paramount, and if your budget's a little less, the Marriott Suites down by the river is little cheaper and still nice.
skywaker9 said:
Good call on the University Place.
I second McCormick & Schmick's. Check out the location on First Ave where it all started.
PortlandStater
Active member
For a quick burger, there is Burgerville. They use local and mainly organic stuff and feature great old-fashioned burgers and shakes.
If you guys are >21 you should check out the Cheerful Tortoise, a sports bar and home of the Vikings. Lots of happy drunks and good all-day breakfast. Other good sports bars are the Jolly Roger (sister of the Tortoise) and Claudia's on SE Hawthorne.
If you like it nice, take your wife (or buddies) for a stroll down SE Hawthorne (from 20th to 40th) for lots of nice shopping, drinking, eating, and a very Portlandish hipster experience. Moon Something is a great breakfast place there.
Similarly nice is N Mississippi Avenue. The area around it is the only "real black neighborhood" in PDX and pretty historic. Cool buildings, some nice cajun, and the best pizza in Portland (Mississippi Pizza Pub). Also try Amnesia Brewery. You'll be sitting right next to the boilers on wooden benches, but they feature amazing beer and great (German inspired) food from the grill.
For a spendier (okay, it's freakin' expensive) steak experience, visit El Gaucho downtown.
In general, I would recommend grabbing a "Finder" (published and distributed for free by the Willamette Week) and blindly follow their recommendations. That magazine saved my life during my first year in PDX.
If you guys are >21 you should check out the Cheerful Tortoise, a sports bar and home of the Vikings. Lots of happy drunks and good all-day breakfast. Other good sports bars are the Jolly Roger (sister of the Tortoise) and Claudia's on SE Hawthorne.
If you like it nice, take your wife (or buddies) for a stroll down SE Hawthorne (from 20th to 40th) for lots of nice shopping, drinking, eating, and a very Portlandish hipster experience. Moon Something is a great breakfast place there.
Similarly nice is N Mississippi Avenue. The area around it is the only "real black neighborhood" in PDX and pretty historic. Cool buildings, some nice cajun, and the best pizza in Portland (Mississippi Pizza Pub). Also try Amnesia Brewery. You'll be sitting right next to the boilers on wooden benches, but they feature amazing beer and great (German inspired) food from the grill.
For a spendier (okay, it's freakin' expensive) steak experience, visit El Gaucho downtown.
In general, I would recommend grabbing a "Finder" (published and distributed for free by the Willamette Week) and blindly follow their recommendations. That magazine saved my life during my first year in PDX.
Oh, and if the tournament doesn't go so well and you feel like drowning your sorrows, let the barfly guide your way.
http://www.barflymag.com/
Cheers.
;-)
http://www.barflymag.com/
Cheers.
;-)
dystopiamembrane
Active member
Also, The Rose Garden trip from downtown is a nice ride.
Take the Max Blue Line west. Get off at the last stop. Can't miss it.
Take the Max Blue Line west. Get off at the last stop. Can't miss it.
CaseyOrourke
Active member
When we was in town for the PSU/NAU game there was lots of road construction around Pioneer Square. is that done? I might suggest staying in some hotels to the east in the burbs and either renting a car or at least find a hotel close to the Maxtrain
PortlandStater
Active member
Construction has progressed quite a bit and is near done at PS. But the area around PSU is still a mess, especially now that the PCAT is flattened and they are constructing the new Student Rec on PSU Urban Campus.
