NEIGHBORHOODS

Portland is known for a lot of things — a drizzly Pacific Northwest city at the confluence of two rivers with a snowcapped volcano puncturing its skyline, a free-spirited capital of West Coast cool, an urban-planning trendsetter with bikeable and walkable neighborhoods, and a basecamp for day-trippers exploring the wild nature right at the city’s doorstep.

But most of all, this is a city of neighborhoods, a colorful patchwork quilt of leafy communities that gradually reveal their character one block at a time. Looking to scope out a new corner of town or pinpoint the local hot spots near you? From a famous Russian restaurant in the Central Eastside to a sleek private-room karaoke bar in the Northwest District, this tour of town spotlights what you’ll love in 15 neighborhoods spread across the city’s five official quadrants.

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NORTHWEST / SOUTHWEST / SOUTHEAST / NORTHEAST / NORTH

Old Town/Chinatown

Set the scene: 19th-century architecture, sticky top-40 dance clubs, and an open-air arts and crafts market

What to do: A cluster of Portland’s most iconic attractions pack into this rough-around-the-edges neighborhood, the original city center and once a hub for Asian-American life on the West Coast. Longtime Portlanders may roll their eyes at the lines that form outside Voodoo Doughnut, but this kooky sweets shop’s novelty treats have kept folks coming back for nearly two decades. Shop for local art and assorted oddities at the Portland Saturday Market (open March through December — on Sundays too), the largest continuously operated open-air market in the country. The walled Lan Su Chinese Garden encloses some 40,000 peaceful square feet of classical gardens — designed by Suzhou, China-based landscaper Kuang Zhen — into an entire city block.

Where to eat: Sneaker-themed cafe Deadstock Coffee crafts what it dubs “snob-free” coffee drinks to a dedicated crowd of regulars. Dan & Louis Oyster Bar has shucked and served fresh-from-the-Pacific oysters on the half shell since 1907. Enjoy a tea ceremony and a skim menu of Chinese lunch favorites at Red Robe Tea House & Cafe. Old Town Pizza slices rustic pies and pours pints of its own craft beer until midnight on the weekends.

After hours: On Fridays and Saturdays, the city closes off about four city blocks to car traffic, making the entertainment district pedestrian-only until 3 a.m. as revelers from the many clubs and bars pour into the streets. Old Town also has a number of LGBTQ-centric nightlife venues, including the rustic gay lounge STAG and old-school Darcelle XV Showplace, the longest-operating drag revue in America.

Locals love: Relive the golden age of video arcade games at Ground Kontrol (21-plus after 5 p.m.), a “barcade” that equips restored vintage games with drink holders so you can sip and shoot without spilling your craft beer.

Downtown and West End

Set the scene: A compact commercial core, regional cultural institutions, and restaurants and bars that stay open late

What to do: Office towers may dominate Portland’s stump skyline, which is kept relatively flat due to the city’s building height restrictions, but it’s the eclectic variety of entertainment, a dense collection of shops and a constantly evolving culinary scene that steals downtown’s spotlight. The civic epicenter is Pioneer Courthouse Square, a brick plaza that hosts on-site food carts, a farmers market and festivals. Much of the city’s prime retail space extends several blocks in each direction from the square, where you’ll find flagship storefronts dedicated homegrown brands such as Nike, Columbia Sportswear and Pendleton Woolen Mills. Meanwhile, independent fashion retailers have set up shop in the hip West End, an on-trend chunk of downtown that’s centered along Southwest Stark Street near the Ace Hotel (once known as the Pink Triangle due to a concentration of now-shuttered LGBTQ bars and clubs). The bulk of Oregon’s cultural institutions sits along the South Park Blocks, including the Portland Art Museum (the oldest on the West Coast), the Oregon Historical Society museum and Portland’5 Centers for the Arts (comprising five distinct venues).

Where to eat: Get a jolt at the seemingly countless third-wave coffee shops scattered around downtown, including Good Coffee, Caffe Umbria and Never Coffee to name only a few. Pine Street Market, the city’s first food hall, has food vendors, beer, wine and cocktails making it a popular lunch or dinner option. With 140 tasty stalls, the year-round Portland Farmers Market takes over the South Park Blocks every Saturday morning.   

After hours: When the sun peeks through the clouds, Portlanders leave the office early for happy hour on a patio or rooftop. Two favorite rooftop bars crown downtown hotels, namely the brand-new The Porter Portland Hotel’s rooftop and Departure Restaurant + Lounge atop The Nines Hotel.

Locals love: Run or bike the paved promenade, skip through public fountains, or lounge on the expansive tree-lined green at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

South Waterfront

Set the scene: Brand-new high-rises, riverfront green spaces and a futuristic gondola lift

What to do: Lounge in a park next to the river or soar through the sky in a cable car that offers views of Mount Hood in the distance. This fast-growing, made-from-scratch neighborhood — wedged alongside the Willamette River just south of downtown — shows off Portland’s polished side with its newly sprouted high-end development. Stroll paved trails along the river in the South Waterfront Greenway, which connects to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The retrofuturistic Portland Aerial Tram hoists commuters up 500 feet from the waterfront to the Oregon Health & Sciences University campus, offering panoramic views of the city. The Portland Streetcar connects to downtown as well as Southeast Portland via the recently christened Tilikum Crossing, the first long-span bridge in the United States reserved only for public transit, cyclists and pedestrian — a symbol of Portland’s forward-looking urban vision.

Where to eat: A handful of restaurants and cafes — notably, upscale seafood chain McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside — set up tables on the waterfront promenade, which overlooks the marina on the Willamette River. Farther south, amid the newer development, you’ll find outposts of Little Big Burger, Blue Star Donuts, Cha Cha Cha and Flying Elephants.

After hours: There’s not much late-night action here. Have a pint and fill a to-go jug at The Growler Guys, a chain pub with 59 taps of mostly Pacific Northwest craft beer.

Locals love: Cool off in the summer at the splash pad at Elizabeth Caruthers Park, a lived-in outdoor space with plenty of spots to sit on a bench or lounge in the grass with a picnic.

Hawthorne

Set the scene: Scenesters walking cats on leashes, old-school Portland restaurants and more vintage shops than anywhere else in the city

What to do: Experience Southeast Portland’s most iconic neighborhood on foot, browsing second-hand shops by day and bouncing between bars after dark. Once a working class neighborhood, Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard saw hippies move in during the ‘70s and define a bohemian spirit that lives on today, even as the neighborhood transforms with new bars and restaurants cropping up. The scene can feel a little too consciously hip at times, but this sanctuary to eccentricity is big enough to accommodate cool kids of all stripes. While it stretches east about 50 blocks from an industrial enclave near the Willamette River, Hawthorne packs in most of its famous charms into a dense stretch between Southeast 31st and 39th avenues, including the neon glow of the Bagdad Theater & Pub and cluster of second-hand shops (namely, House of Vintage, Red Light Clothing Exchange, and new and used vinyl store Jackpot Records).

Where to eat: While brunch-goers may huddle for hours outside of the city’s most popular spots, a low-key breakfast favorite in Southeast Portland is the unassuming Waffle Window, which serves honest-to-god Liege waffles with savory and sweet toppings. Vegans and vegetarians alike swear by the faux meat at the East Side Delicatessen, a no-frills sandwich shop. Any list of West Coast pizzerias would be incomplete without Apizza Scholls, a legendary Hawthorne favorite that regularly sells out of dough in the height of summer. What’s that long line next door? That would be the endlessly popular ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria.

After hours: Catch a first-run film at McMenamins’ original Bagdad Theater & Pub — get a post-flick cocktail at the seemingly secret Backstage Bar, which rises a lofty seven stories from floor to ceiling. Hawthorne Theatre & Lounge regularly hosts all-ages shows of all kinds. Upper Hawthorne claims cool dives such as the outer-space-themed Space Room as well as the new-but-still-retro “barcade” QuarterWorld.

Locals love: Trails wind up Mt. Tabor Park, a volcanic cinder cone that gives hikers and picnickers views of the city’s stump skyline.  

Division and Clinton

Set the scene: Farm-to-cone ice cream, Michelin-recognized Thai food and blocks upon blocks of sleek, look-alike condos

What to do: Bring your growling stomach to Southeast Division Street, often dubbed Portland’s  “restaurant row,” where an outsized appetite makes the best tour guide. Galleries and fashion boutiques pepper the scene, but the noteworthy headliner is a prime collection of trendsetting eateries that helped put Portland’s food scene on the map. Third-wave coffee shops, a sweet scoop shop (Salt & Straw), specialty tea houses (such as Tea Bar’s original location), urban wine bars and craft beer tap houses satisfy almost any craving. You don’t need a reservation — come hungry, stroll a few blocks and tuck into any eatery that suits your fancy. The lines out front highlight the most hyped spots. Division’s scene spills one block south to the quieter, more residential Southeast Clinton Street.

Where to eat: This ever changing street is home to popular spots like Palomar, Nuestra Cocina and Oma’s Hideaway. A pioneer on Division, Stumptown Coffee Roasters founder Duane Sorenson opened his first coffee shop here — as well as the vegetable-forward Roman eatery Ava Gene’s. Breakfast and lunch standouts include Little T American Baker, gluten-free New Cascadia Traditional and Broder.

After hours: Dive bar Reel M Inn is famous for late-night fried chicken, jojos and stiff drinks.

Locals love: A neighborhood institution, the Clinton Street Theater has screened “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” since 1978, making it one of the longest-running movies in the world; attending a showing has become a rite of passage.  

Belmont and Stark

Set the scene: A short-but-sweet stretch of hip bars, a playfully pessimistic coffee shop and a late-night vegan bar that even carnivores love

What to do: Hawthorne and Division tend to take the top spot in Southeast Portland’s marquee, but Southeast Belmont Street’s quieter scene (aka Sunnyside) attracts locals to its trendy strip, tightly packed into blocks roughly between Southeast 25th and 45th avenues. A handful of funky boutique shops dot the landscape, but bars, restaurants and cafes dominate the scene. The best time to experience Belmont is from happy hour onward, when it seems as if the entire city crams into a few heat-lamp-lit covered patios (especially the tiny outdoor space behind Aalto Lounge, a design-forward bar that mixes $3 cocktails until 7 p.m. nightly).

Where to eat: A demitasse-size cafe, the artsy and colorful Never Coffee Lab goes beyond standard specialty espresso drinks with a signature drinks menu that creatively incorporates a range of local ingredients plus gluten-free baked goods. Even the most stubborn meat eater loves chowing down on the soy-curl buffalo sub at Sweet Hereafter, an open-late vegan institution with a sprawling covered patio out back.

After hours: Across the street from Sweet Hereafter, the Liquor Store has a low-key bar upstairs and a cavernous venue below ground, which hosts a wide range of bouncing DJ nights and alternative bands. An historic high school turned music venue, Revolution Hall welcomes touring acts to its state-of-the-art stage; in the summer, locals pack its sprawling rooftop patio.

Locals love: Not far from Belmont’s compact strip of fun bars, Laurelhurst Park is one of the prettiest in the city, a favorite place to run or lounge in the sun with a picnic.

Central Eastside

Set the scene: A gritty warehouse district brimming with craftspeople, culinary hot spots, and thumping clubs and bars

What to do: Trains rumble beneath graffitied overpasses in this still-industrial close-in area, which increasingly houses buzzing nightlife spots, food and drink artisans, and some of the most enterprising craftspeople in Portland. Pop into a co-op makerspace for a public tour to get a sense of what creations come to life behind sliding doors: At the center of the scene, ADX (Art Design Portland) provides shared space and tools to both professional and amateur makers. A nationally regarded epicenter for small-run publishing, Portland’s zinesters have long crafted and tinkered at the Independent Publishing Resource Center, a progressive space that offers public workshops and literary events. Keep your eyes peeled for the many contemporary murals painted on walls in the Central Eastside, many of which get splashed on walls each August during the citywide Forest For The Trees NW mural project.

Where to eat: Home to some of the most celebrated restaurants and culinary artisans on the West Coast, the Central Eastside is the spiritual center of the city’s food scene. Critics have fawned over the playful Russian fare at Kachka, Tokyo-born ramen and sushi bar Afuri, and snug French eatery Le Pigeon, to name only a few. A concentration of craft operations like Cascade Brewing Barrel House, Coava Coffee Roasters and craft spirits on Distillery Row have earned it the nickname “artisan corridor.”

After hours: Portland’s most compelling nightlife venues dot the Central Eastside. The horror-themed The Coffin Club, DJ-driven alternative dance club Holocene and low-key lounge White Owl Social Club all see lines form on Friday and Saturday nights. Bossanova Ballroom, the oldest continuously operating music & dane hall in Portland, present a wide-range concert lineup.

Locals love: Industrial- and mid-century-themed, Rontoms hosts a free Sunday Sessions concert series, which presents local and touring acts year-round.

Sellwood

Set the scene: A quiet, family-friendly neighborhood chock-full of antique shops, under-the-radar eateries and a riverfront park for sunny picnics

What to do: See a low-key side of Portland in the Sellwood-Moreland area of Southeast Portland, a neighborhood with the idyllic spirit of small towns from a bygone era — with a few white picket fences to boot. Sometimes dubbed Portland’s “antique row,” a range of vintage shops — such as the sprawling Stars Antique Mall and the more intimate Unique Antique — complete Sellwood’s main-street Americana vibes. Nicknamed the “Coney Island of the Northwest,” the carnival-like Oaks Amusement Park is one of the oldest theme parks in the United States; the park opens seasonally (check the calendar here). Bring binoculars to spot wildlife as you hike trails in the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, a 141-acre city park home to great blue herons, mallard ducks, woodpeckers, quail, pintails and many other bird species.

Where to eat: Crowds spill out into the street at Saburo’s, a no-frills sushi bar famous for its extra-large rolls.

After hours: Carefully sourced early 20th-century antiques adorn the Bible Club, a Southern revival speakeasy that’s hands-down one of the coolest cocktail bars in the city.

Locals love: Pack a picnic and play fetch with the pooch on the banks of the Willamette at the Sellwood Riverfront Park or creekside at Johnson Creek Park.

Jade District

Set the scene: A contemporary hub for Asian-American life, first-generation restaurants and family-owned businesses

What to do: While Portland’s official Chinatown may reside across the Willamette River on the city’s west side, modern-day life for many Asian-American families centers around the Jade District, a multicultural and majority people-of-color neighborhood. Come here for the dozens of international restaurants, community centers and places of worship that emanate from the intersection of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Division Street.

Where to eat: You can’t go wrong dining out in the Jade District, with the greatest concentration of Asian-American eateries anywhere in the city. Perhaps the best known is James Beard Award-nominated Hà VL, which is famous for its daily selection of Vietnamese soups that often sell out by midday.

After hours: Each summer, residents come out to celebrate at the Jade District Night Market; modeled after night markets found throughout Asia, the evening air fills with the steamy aromas from food stalls and the sounds of performers resonating from two stages.

Locals love: The Good Neighbor Market doubles as a grocer and a neighborhood center for Portland’s Russian-speaking community. They bake their own bread in the store, but the real treat is the glass case loaded with smoked fishes.

Alberta and Killingsworth

Set the scene: Blocks upon blocks of independent shops, galleries and cafes

What to do: Dubbed the Alberta Arts District, this long stretch of locally owned businesses is the cultural heart of Northeast Portland. It’s a longtime hub for the local African-American community that has experienced rapid gentrification in recent years, though it remains one of most diverse neighborhoods in the city. Revelers come out in full force for the carnival-like Last Thursday street fair, which sees galleries and studios stay open late. In summer, a section of the street even closes as pedestrians and performers of all kinds hit the pavement. You can experience Alberta any day of the month by browsing its many storefronts and dipping into any spot that suits your fancy. The street is also lined with eateries and watering holes, making it both a popular brunch and bar-hopping locale. Northeast Alberta Street parallels Northeast Killingsworth Street, and they share an independent spirit; it’s about a 10-minute walk from one to the other.

Where to eat: This is one of Portland’s most noshable and sippable neighborhoods; in fact, it seems restaurants and bars fill almost every block along Northeast Alberta. Portland institutions such as Barista, Salt & Straw and Pine State Biscuits have storefronts here. With multiple patios, vegan and cocktail-bar Bye and Bye is the place to be on one of those glorious summer days.

After hours: The Alberta Rose Theatre offers live music, comedy and events year-round.

Locals love: McMenamins’ Kennedy School is no secret, but this circa 1915 elementary school turned sprawling bar campus still charms. It’s a local institution complete with a cinema, several distinct bars and restaurants, soaking pools and even a 57-room hotel.

Lloyd and Hollywood

Set the scene: Big-ticket arena events, hotel bars and the Northwest’s largest convention center

What to do: If you’re in the Lloyd or Hollywood districts, chances are you’re here for an event: The MAX light-rail train strings together these two Northeast neighborhoods, where Trailblazers fans cheer in the Moda Center for NBA games, conference attendees gaze at the world’s largest Foucault Pendulum in the Oregon Convention Center and cinephiles line up to see first-run flicks at the historic Hollywood Theatre. Hotels and the state’s biggest shopping mall, the Lloyd Center, define the commercial-oriented Lloyd District, where large-scale development projects seem set on transforming the area into the city’s second downtown. In addition to its signature cinema, the more residential Hollywood District lays claim to a few old-school vintage shops, Ray’s Ragtime and Hollywood Vintage.  

Where to eat: Chain restaurants and fast-food joints seem to dominate the Lloyd District, but look a little closer and you’ll find a few notable spots worth a MAX ride from another part of town. A sure bet is thin-crust pizza and craft beer at Metropolitan Tavern, a rooftop restaurant and bar crowning the Hotel Eastlund — it has one of the best happy hours in the city. Nearby but out of the district, Ox ranks among the most celebrated restaurants in the city.

After hours: Catch a bit of nostalgia at Spirit of 77. (Named for the year the Blazers won the NBA championship.) It’s the bustling spot when there’s a Blazer game.

Locals love: While it’s in an unlikely location near car dealerships and chain restaurants, the Black Water Bar serves vegan and vegetarian food and hosts touring punk bands — it’s one of the best small rock ‘n’ roll venues in the city.

St. Johns

Set the scene: A small town in the city, unpretentious cafes and bars, and Portland’s most photogenic bridge

What to do: Spend a day way up in this North Portland neighborhood for a slice of old-school cool. Sitting at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, St. Johns feels like a village on the fringes of the city. Its relative isolation means it retains its own character, even as a new wave of restaurants and bars open. Lombard Street serves as the neighborhood’s compact “town center,” laying claim to a surprising variety of shops such as a cult camera gallery (Blue Moon Camera and Machine), consignment and second-hand boutiques (Hound & Hare Vintage, Consign Couture), and a Mexican grocery store famous for the restaurant tucked in the back (Tienda Santa Cruz). Limited lodging options and less-convenient transit connections keep many tourists at bay, so the scene feels markedly local.

Where to eat: It’s easy to get your morning caffeine fix in St. Johns, home to many small-batch roasters such as the motorcycle-themed Two Stroke Coffee Co. and the neighborhoody Cathedral Coffee. Homegrown Smoker has earned headlines as Portland’s first-ever all-vegan barbecue shack. Pastificio d’Oro makes all pasta inhouse by hand.

After hours: The Southern-inspired, taxidermy-adorned The Fixin’ To dubs itself a honky tonk, hosting live music and DJs almost every night. Portland’s StormBreaker Brewing opened their second location here in St. Johns, where beer-sippers cram the covered patio year-round. The first-run St. Johns Twin Cinema serves craft beer and Pacific Northwest wine with pizza.

Locals love: The defining landmark is the Gothic St. Johns Bridge, which towers over the idyllic Cathedral Park, one of the city’s favorite public spaces to lounge with a book or unfold a picnic blanket.

Mississippi and Williams/Vancouver

Set the scene: A church turned indie rock venue, breweries with sunny patios and a gallery where “Portlandia” famously “put a bird on it”

What to do: From mid-morning brunch to afternoon window shopping to late-night live bands, North Mississippi Avenue packs a lot of around-the-clock action into roughly seven twee blocks. Budget time to browse the stellar selection of shops, which range from oddities (Paxton Gate) and comics (Rose City Comics) to obscure vinyl records (Beacon Sound) and vintage synthesizers (Control Voltage). With similar on-trend vibes, Mississippi and North Williams Avenue — a half-mile walk to the east — have undergone two decades of gentrification and today demonstrate how much Portland has transformed.

Where to eat: You won’t go hungry on North Mississippi or North Williams, both avenues meant for grazing. Line up for one of the city’s most popular brunches at Gravy. Wood-fired pizza verges on perfection at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty. For a quick bite, hit up one of the food carts at Prost! Marketplace.

After hours: One of the top mid-size venues in Portland, Mississippi Studios is a former church converted into a concert hall, where trending hometown acts share the compact stage with top independent musicians.

Locals love: As its name implies, the 11-acre Overlook Park has city views, grassy areas for picnics and an off-leash section for the pup — it’s one of the most popular summer hangouts in the neighborhood.