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By Spicypepper999 - Own work, CC0

The largest city in Oregon, Portland is known for its abundance of microbreweries, excellent food and appealingly green, leafy feel. A brilliant destination for foodies and fans of the great outdoors, this is a fun city for a weekend break. Begin your explorations at Pioneer Courthouse Square, dubbed ‘Portland’s living room’, and stroll through the Old Town and Chinatown, passing the Portland Building and the huge Portlandia Statue. Cultural highlights include the Portland Art Museum, the Museum of Science & Industry and the imposing Pittock Mansion. Portland also boasts a fascinating underground network of tunnels, connecting the basements of the bars and hotels of the Old Town and the Willamette River docks — well worth a guided tour. The nearby Pearl District is great for popping in to characterful galleries, boutiques and eateries.

Our Guide to the Neighbourhoods of Portland

Downtown Portland

Image by Jacob Johnson from Pixabay

Downtown Portland is where you’ll find many of Portland’s major sights, and a lot of the larger museums, galleries and attractions. It’s also home to a lot of hotels.  And office blocks — which means it’s not one of the most picturesque of Portland’s neighbourhoods, but it is super convenient, both if you want to explore Portland on foot, or by public transport. All roads, and routes lead Downtown. Pioneer Courthouse Square is the very centre of Downtown Portland, close to the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon Historical Society.  During the lunch hour, Downtown buzzes with life, and there are plenty of great places to eat — from food cart to fine dining — and after work there’s another pleasant buzz, as people head out to eat and drink, and go to the theatre or music venues.  It all sounds pretty urban, but there are some nice outdoor green spaces Downtown, including some riverside parks and promenades too.

The Pearl District

Flickr user Ian Sane

The Pearl District has an industrial past, but today its warehouses and loading docks have been repurposed into galleries, stylish boutiques, art and event spaces, chic bars and restaurants. Staying here puts you slap bang in the centre of the action, close to Downtown Portland, Old Town Portland, Chinatown and Nob Hill.  And close to a rich seam of art galleries. The Pearl District is also known for its theatre, and staying here puts you in prime position for lively evenings out; there are so many places to eat, plus indy brewery bars, cocktail bars, craft spirits bars, and more. The area's industrial past might lead you to believe that it’s a very built up environment, but it’s got three great parks: one with a wetlands, and one with a fountain that turns wading pool. There’s also a good range of accommodation options in The Pearl.

Kerns

https://www.flickr.com/photos/willbuckner/

One of Portland’s classic activities is standing in line waiting for something delicious to eat. The lines are seldom overly long, so it’s rarely an ordeal and always worth it at the end! Hip Kerns is one of the best places to stand in line for food, partly because there’s such an incredible array of cuisine on offer here, and partly because there’s plenty to watch and see while you wait. Kerns is architecturally interesting, with a mix of commercial and residential buildlings, including some great hotel and aparthotel conversions from substantially sized homes. Look out for Craftsman style building, and small, but fun, hotels in central spots.  Kerns is also known for its microbreweries, indy movie cinemas, and its densely packed places to eat and drink.  And it’s super central.

Old Town & Chinatown 

Image from Rawpixel

The Old Town neighbourhood is Portland’s original downtown. There are several buildings here that date from between 1850 and 1880, and this is where you’ll find Union Station, where Amtrak trains shoot off to California and Seattle. As well as historic treasures, the Old Town neighbourhood hosts a Saturday Market in the Williamette River Park, and there’s a sneaker museum and cafe, called Deadstock Coffee and Gallery.  Neighbouring Chinatown is another really old part of town. While it still looks quite Chinese with its temples, market places and gorgeous 40,000 square foot Ming Dynasty style garden, it’s becoming more of a historic landmark to Chinese immigration, and less of a Chinese American neighbourhood. Though you can still expect a lot of Chinese influenced dining opportunities. The Old Town and Chinatown are super central, and on the river, and there are lots of hotels in these neighbourhoods, in a range of styles, sizes and prices.  

Alberta

By Flickr user Christopher

The Alberta neighbourhood is really a couple of neighbourhoods, running along the length of Alberta Street, which was traditionally the heart of Portland’s Black community. It’s now an arty area, still very multicultural, and diverse, but more homogenous in its appreciation for art and food, to the extent that Alberta is often called the Alberta Arts District. You should come expecting murals, art walks, pop-up pedestrianised fairs and markets. Alberta is another neighbourhood with a fantastic array of places to eat and drink, including some unusual international cuisine and fusion options. This district has theatres, music venues, and shopping too, and it’s super central. Because this neighbourhood is a real community, everywhere caters for their regular customers as well as visitors, meaning a good range of prices.

Northwest/ Nob Hill

Flickr user Ian Sane

The Nob Hill neighbourhood is usually the area Portlanders are thinking of when they talk about Northwest Portland. It’s fairly central, bordering the Pearl District, but Nob Hill has a more residential feel, of leafy streets and Victorian homes (though some of these have now been converted into boutiques, cafes and restaurants, galleries, and places to stay). This is a laid-back neighbourhood for shopping and dining, while also being close to Washington Park and the huge green expanse of Forest Park.