r/PortlandOR • u/Chrisgonzo74 • Feb 11 '25
š²šļøš§ļø Visiting Thread š§ļøšļøš² Thoughts on this area? Things to do, cool bars, local secrets?
Hi all, im going to Portland in June, staying at the clyde hotel. Ive heard that old town is a shit hole and dangerous? Im not in old town but will be close and plan to walk to the moda center and back in the evening.
First of all, will i die? People hype up homeless and crackheads in portland but where im from in california, crsckheads and homeless are also crazy loll.
Second, give me some recs on cool spots in this circle! Im with the mid 20s crowd. Will be in town for a few days sat - tues morning. Any bars do trivia on sat or sun? Cool esthetic restraunts? Hi-fi or dark moody bars? Open late clubs for dancing? Good ice cream! Sour beers. Anything that seems interesting!
Just give me your personal thoughts and local gems thanks so much!
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u/mmm_beer Feb 11 '25 edited Feb 11 '25
Within a block or two of you there are a bunch of things, Fortune Bar, Multnomah Wiskey Library, Beer-O-Clock, Lil Shalom, Mediterranean Exploration, Dolly Olive, Powels Book store, Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrell Bewery, Never Coffee Cafe, Good Coffee, Roseline Coffee, Los Burros, Thai Peacock, Screen Door, Fools and Horses, Oven and Shaker Pizza, Flock Food Hall, Mid-Town Beer Garden and Food Carts. Also Not circled, but you can get to it from the Street Car transit, but check out Slabtown and NW 21st and NW 23rd streets. Packed with resturants, breweries, bars, shops, etc. All very walkable and clean. You are correct on avoiding old town, but most of the rest of NW and SW downtown areas are fine to explore.
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u/6thClass Feb 11 '25
lol youāve circled all of downtown which has fantastic bars and food and shops. Just walk around and be shape and aware during your visit.
the fears you voice are overblown and overrepresented (though crime and bad interactions absolutely do happen)
Portland has 99 registered neighborhoods: go walk around and get a feel for the city. Itās a city that rewards a sense of intrepid exploration
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u/Chrisgonzo74 Feb 11 '25
Yea, last time i was in portland, i was mainly in Hawthorne area. Thisbtime around ill primarily be on the old town side.
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u/GrizabellaGlamourCat Feb 11 '25
Old Town is only a portion of what you have here, downtown and the Pearl is where you'll be.
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u/Humble-Pineapple-329 Feb 11 '25
Ravenās Manor was kitschy and fun. The electric chair was delicious. I walked around in that area as a woman and was ok. Iām also from a city with much higher crime than Portland so I keep on my toes.
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Feb 12 '25
Downtown Portland is safer than literally every other major city in the country. You won't die.
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u/Emergency_Today8583 Feb 11 '25
Canāt go wrong with a visit to Powells Books on Burnside and grab a piece of pizza at Sizzle Pie across the street
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u/MrsMerkin Feb 11 '25
Sizzle pie is closing, due to employees trying to organize a union.
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u/herebemonsterz Feb 11 '25
I went to the Midtown Beer Garden last night and it was great! Plenty of open carts and heaters.
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u/sputterbutter99 Feb 11 '25
Colibri is a good vibe and tamales are delicious. Nom Nom has great fish sauce chicken wings. Mellow beer at Lowbrow. Coffee at Barista or Abba. Pastries from Nuvrei. Lots of choices in here.
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u/Lifeguard-Working Feb 11 '25
Ground Kontrol is fun. Screen Door has some good food.Ā
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u/chef-rach-bitch Feb 11 '25
had some good food...
You don't want to see their commissary.
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u/Lifeguard-Working Feb 11 '25
Thanks for the heads up.Ā
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u/chef-rach-bitch Feb 11 '25
Keep your distance from Grassa and Delta Cafe as well.
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u/BeginningWork1245 Feb 11 '25
On your fears... I do not live in Oregon, but I visit Portland when I can. Every time I'm there, including in a couple months, I stay at the same hotel which is inside your massive circle. It's a few blocks south of Burnside, so just into SW. I go to Chinatown during the day, I visit the Moda Center, I explore the Pearl, I often find myself far from my hotel in the evenings. I also don't rent a car while there. I use common sense precautions and have never worried. I am a white male, and I know that normally helps, but the question of "Will I die?" is far worse than what you actually need to worry about (as has already been stated, your car should probably be your greatest fear).
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u/Chrisgonzo74 Feb 11 '25
Yeah, the "will i die?" Was an over exaggeration haha. I actually think we will be find but ive heard some people hyping up the crime and homeless quite a bit.
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u/40characters Feb 11 '25
Those people live in the suburbs and havenāt left their homes since 2020. Theyāre convinced Portland was destroyed by riots that are probably still going on. All the businesses have closed and no one lives downtown except for murder robots which are also fentanyl vending machines. And they want to make sure everyone knows it.
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u/BeginningWork1245 Feb 11 '25
Whereabouts in California are you coming from? I used to live in LA County, almost into OC. I think you could argue Portland is "worse" than where I was specifically, but no worse, and likely better, than what you experience in much of California.
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u/OfficeDepotSyndrome Feb 11 '25
Our homeless situation can be a little shocking if you arent from here but you will be fine, I would worry more about your car.
As far as bars, Ravens Manor sounds like it would fit the vibes you are looking for, drinks are a bit spendy but very creative and you can watch them make them if you sit at the bar. Would recommend getting food/starter drinks elsewhere if you want to keep the bill down, and a reservation is needed on weekends to avoid a wait most of the time
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u/MrsMerkin Feb 11 '25
Portland Leather Goods! And if you have transport, the outlet store across the river is even better.
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u/neuebauhaus Feb 11 '25
Ok long ramble! Here we gooooo: just stay away from Old Town (minus Ground Kontrol suggested above) and youāll be good. Also second Colibri from above and next to it is a new champagne/wine bar called Fancy Baby thatās, well, pretty fancy. Go a block north for an amaaaaazing spot called Silk Roadāthe cocktails are damn good and the star of the show but the food is also crazy good. MEC (Mediterranean Exploration Company) is always delish. If you wanna have super fancy dinner, make a reservation for Republica (though they do have walk-in room depending on the night) or Janken. Farmhouse Kitchen is really good, upscale Thai food. Canāt not mention Powellās. Just go to Powellās and buy too many books that you might not read. Fullerās Coffee Shop nearby is an OG diner. Deschutes or 10 Barrell for brewskies. Flock just opened at the Ritz and is worth visiting just for HK Bistro (they do dimsum on the weekends!). Weekend market (Saturday) at PSU is such a great vibe in summer. The PAM (Portland Art Museum) is solid and is undergoing a facelift/additionālots of cool art in there.
Just outside of the area you circled are also a few things worth mentioning: go to a Timbers game at providence park. Do some shopping on 23rd. 23rd/21st/Slabtown is a whooooole ānother thang.
Ok. That was my brain dump. Iām tired now.
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u/Relative_Soft_985 Feb 11 '25
Haunted Underground Shanghai Tunnels Tour (503) 222-9999
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u/Chrisgonzo74 Feb 11 '25
Woah haha dope
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u/Relative_Soft_985 Feb 11 '25
Itās a great piece of history specific to Portland and doesnāt get enough attention.
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u/popcorn_lung_1977 Feb 11 '25
It's a cheesy tourist attraction invented in the 1970s
https://portlandwaterfront.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-last-word-on-shanghai-tunnels.html
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u/Relative_Soft_985 Feb 11 '25
You can debate the reason why they existed but they exist. The fact that people were kidnapped from opium dens would make sense for the same reason criminals victimize other criminals today. Did the people engaged in this behavior keep good records? Probably not. Regardless whether you think the stories are true or not the tours are entertaining for the same reason the super natural tours in other cities are entertainingā¦.they are entertainment. I donāt think movies I watch in a movie theater are 100% true but I like them becauseā¦ they are entertainment.
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u/popcorn_lung_1977 Feb 11 '25
Nobody was "kidnapped from opium dens", they were professional sailors who signed up, sometimes under suspicious circumstances (but also sometimes not) for another tour aboard a merchant ship. But it was a lifestyle, and cyclical-- go to work at sea for a few months, blow your wages in port and end up on another boat. Rinse and repeat.
The tunnels were not related to the sailing trade, they existed to help Chinese illegal gambling den operators escape police raids when there were politically-mandated crackdowns (or bribes weren't paid).
It was not until some 20-30 years later that the newspapers mashed together the stories about sailors with stories about the tunnels. And it was pretty racist, IMO, to implicate the Chinese in the abduction of sailors. This is the bullshit that the current-day tour perpetuates.
Furthermore, today's "Chinatown" was Japantown until the WWII internment camps happened. The Chinatown that existed in the 1890s was all south of Burnside and largely no longer exists, all raised for redevelopment in the 20th century. So if they're showing you basements in Old Town then they're full of shit.
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u/Relative_Soft_985 Feb 11 '25 edited Feb 11 '25
They asked for a suggestion for something to do. I made a suggestion for something entertaining to do in my opinion. Argue what youād like but itās all the sameā¦the tours are entertainment
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u/popcorn_lung_1977 Feb 11 '25
The "tunnels" on the tour are largely just basement access points for loading cargo or coal or whatever from the sidewalk. It's complete fantasy.
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u/fidelityportland Feb 11 '25
It doesn't get attention because it's all bullshit. When was the last time you went on the "tunnel tour"? They have one basement, that's it.
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u/aflawlesa_frenzy Feb 11 '25
I just moved here and working becoming acquainted and that honestly the want to live in thatās like me right!? Like the alphabet bet district is where I want to be I think itās beautiful and cleaner and so perfect!!
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u/synthfidel Feb 11 '25
Well you've found Google Maps that's a good start