There is the Portland Rose Garden, perched high in the West Hills covered in roses with wide panoramic views of the city. Then there’s the Oregon Zoo, right off the MAX line, perfect for any day of the week. Of course Saturday Market has become synonymous with all things Portland, appearing in the travel section of most major publications at least once.
Check, check, check. Now what?
Most people visiting Portland for their first or second time are completely satisfied with seeing roses, animals, markets and a few other attractions on the west side of the city. The aerial tram and a quick trip through the downtown park blocks are excellent ways to spend first time exposures to Portland. To see and enjoy the way locals of Portland spend their time though, a journey over to the energetic and youthful east side is a can’t miss.
Aside from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, most visitors don’t get over to the east side. Unlike the west side, which is comprised of attractions maintained and often marketed by Portland’s travel department, the east side has authenticity grown from the roots of Portland locals.
The east side is split between four very happening, very interesting neighborhoods. From south to north, Hawthorne, Belmont, Mississippi and Alberta are places that were once lower-income neighborhoods that have now emerged as cultural centers for a vibrant food, art and music scene.
Located right across the Hawthorne Bridge in Southeast Portland, the Hawthorne neighborhood is a great introduction to the east side. The criss-crossing streets of Ladd’s Addition feature large older homes that are a carryover from the west side. If you’re able to navigate the street perfectly, you’ll find yourself in the large circular rose garden in the middle.
Aside from Ladd’s, Hawthorne offers a lot of small shops and boutiques. The most popular attraction is the Bagdad Theater and Pub. The theater was built during the Golden Age of cinema and features an interior of magnificent detail not found in modern movie houses. Unlike the typical popcorn or candy, the theater has pub style eating. For movie goers interested in a more mature or maybe immature experience, movies past 9 p.m. are 21 and over.
Going by the famously titled name “Cart City,” Hawthorne feature a group of food carts that are actually nationally recognized. Featuring an eclectic mix of food, Cart City offers everything from Mexican to the awesomely famous Whiffie’s Fried Pies. These carts offer restaurant quality at cart prices.
A little to the north is the Belmont neighborhood. Much like Hawthorne, mainly because of their close proximity, Belmont offers many of the small shops with a couple of larger attractions. The Avalon Theater is another older movie house, but unlike the Bagdad, part of the Avalon was converted into an arcade game paradise. Fun for all ages, the Avalon features fun for all ages at prices lower than most theaters and arcades.
The rainy winters in Portland has created generations of movie enthusiasts. If you fall into this demographic, a trip to Movie Madness is essential. With 33,000 DVDs and 27,000 VHS, the gallery of cinema can provide even the most obscure film title. The store has also acquired a great deal of movie memorabilia adding to the experience.
Moving away from Belmont and Hawthorne in Southeast, Northeast Portland offers a trendier, art inspired, entrepreneurial experience that is a departure far from anything found on the west side.
Ten years ago, Mississippi Avenue was a place circled on the map as a spot worth avoiding. Now it’s a favorite spot frequented by college graduates in their mid-20s. The bars, shops and restaurants offer the best of Portland inspirations at costs for the college student budget.
If Off The Waffle is enticing to people from Eugene, the Dutch Taco stand at the end of Mississippi is just plain addicting. The food stand covers breakfast, lunch and dinner with combinations of sausage, ham and cheese, and even smoke salmon and folded into a Belgian Waffle.
Amnesia Brewery a little up the street is a place that always has a crowd even on the rainiest of days. Here you can bump shoulders with locals while enjoying some of Portland’s finest beers.
By far the most artistic, the Alberta neighborhood lies in the deeper part of Northeast Portland. Here local artist have mixed with local business to create one of the coolest neighborhoods in Portland.
Much like Mississippi, although not quite as youthful, on almost any night of the week in the Alberta a twenty something crowd will surely be filing into locally restaurants and bars. The street offers endless possibilities as it stretches for nearly 20 blissful blocks of entrepreneurial hard work.
Although there is not a singular place that garners the most attention, Last Thursday, an art walk featured on the last Thursday of every month is possible the best event to attend during the summer months. Relatively tame during the early evening, after 9 p.m. the streets get wild with all ages soaking in the Portland summer.
If it’s a first or second visit to Portland, staying relegated to the west side is completely acceptable. For the curious and creative, a journey to Portland’s east side is an exciting exploration that offers endless possibilities in a city that celebrates 365 days a year.
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