Portland is the largest city in the state with approx. 580,000 inhabitants and over 2 million in the metropolitan area Oregon.
 Portland with Mt. Hood in the background | ||
| Portland | ||
| State | Oregon | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 653.115 (2018) | |
| height | 152 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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background
Portland has a national reputation as one of the (left-) most liberal, greenest, hip and queer cities in the USA. Many residents claim for themselves weird - to be "different" or "weird". It has a very lively music scene which is one of the most famous bands formed here Pink Martini. Lesbians, gays, bi and transgender have enjoyed widespread recognition for decades, only in San Francisco An even higher percentage of the population identifies itself as LGBT.
Portland is also a beer metropolis, there are over 70 breweries in the metropolitan area, hence the nickname “Munich on the Willamette”. Environmental awareness is more pronounced than in any other place in the USA: There is a very well-developed public transport network, and the city is bicycle and pedestrian-friendly. Many residents purchase their food directly from the producer or even grow it themselves. There are extensive public green spaces. Religion, on the other hand, plays a far less important role than in other parts of the United States, with Portland often cited as the least religious city in the country.
Lately, due to the high quality of life, there has been a strong influx from other parts of the USA, especially California. The new residents ensure rising housing prices and often bring a more conservative lifestyle with them, which sometimes leads to conflicts with the weirden Long-established residents (roughly comparable to the case of the "Swabians" in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg). Keep Portland Weird - "Portland should stay weird" - was therefore given out as the unofficial city motto.
Portland is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, which has been the mayor since 1993 and has represented all Portland constituencies in the US Congress since 1975. All Portland MPs in the Oregon State Parliament are Democrats too.
getting there
By plane
The city owns with the 1 Portland International Airport
(IATA: PDX) There are some direct flights from Europe (all year round Amsterdam with Delta, only seasonally Frankfurt with Condor), otherwise with a stopover preferably Chicago.
You can get from the airport to the city center with the red line of the MAX (light rail), which runs every 15 minutes during the day, every half hour in the early morning and late in the evening. It takes 40 minutes to get to the central Pioneer Square in the city center. The ride costs $ 2.50, half for teenagers and seniors.
By train
Long-distance train lines of the Amtrakthat run through or to Portland are the Empire Builder from Chicago via St. Paul / Minneapolis and the Rocky Mountains (once a day; total travel time 46 hours), the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles via San Francisco (once a day; a total of 29 hours) and Seattle (4 hours) as well as the Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver (Canada; once a day; 8½ hours), Seattle (four times a day; 3:40 hours) and Eugene (twice a day; 2½ hours)
The Portland 2 Union Station - a historic train station building from 1896 - is located at the north end of 6th Avenue, not far from the banks of the Willamette. Here you can change to the green, yellow and orange lines of the MAX (light rail) as well as several bus lines.
By bus
In the long-distance bus network of the Greyhound Lines is made up of lines from Portland Vancouver (Canada) and Seattle, Sacramento (via Eugene and Salem), Spokane as Salt Lake City approached. From Seattle (three times a day) it takes between 3:45 and 4½ hours and pays at best $ 18.50. From Vancouver (one direct connection per day) it takes 8:40 hours, the cheapest tickets cost $ 38.50. The trip from Sacramento (four times a day) takes between 12:40 and over 14 hours, depending on the connection, tickets cost at least $ 71.50.
In the street
Portland is located on Interstate 5, which runs parallel to the Pacific coast in a north-south direction. This is about 75 km from Oregon's state capital Salem (driving time about an hour), 175 km from Eugene (2:15 hours) and 280 km km from Seattle (2:45 hrs driving time in good traffic conditions). Interstate 84 also leads to Portland from Idaho and northeast Oregon.
By boat
The seaport is located on the Willamette River and the Columbia River and is economically important to the region. It is mainly used for freight traffic, it is the third largest port in the United States in terms of tonnage (main cargo: grain), and in terms of container handling it is in 15th place.
mobility
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The public transport network is very well developed within Portland. Downtown can be reached by bus and train from almost anywhere in the city. The public transport provider is the TreMet. A 2½ hour ticket, valid on all bus and train lines, costs $ 2.50, a day pass is $ 5, and a 7-day pass is $ 26. Children and young people as well as seniors aged 65 and over each pay half.
Portland is one of three cities in the US that has one more tram wrong (Portland Streetcar). This was modernized in 1995 and is contemporary with its low-floor vehicles. There are two lines: one runs in a north-south direction across the city center over a length of 6 km (North / South Line), the other in a 7 km circle around the city center, crossing the Willamette twice (Loop Service) . The stops are close together, on average every 200-300 meters. The TriMet network tickets are valid on the tram, but there are also "Streetcar-Only" tickets that cost $ 2 for 2½ hours, half for teenagers and seniors.
There are also the TreMet's MAX Light Rail (Metropolitan Area Express), a local train with five lines (each marked with a different color) and almost 100 km of route network. It travels partly on the street, partly on its own track bed, so it occupies an intermediate position between a streetcar and an S-Bahn. The stops are further apart than with the tram, so that you can cover longer distances quickly. Furthermore, TriMet operates 77 City buslines. A special means of transport is the Portland Aerial Tram, a 1 km cable car between the South Waterfront and Oregon Health & Science University.
Portland has called itself "Bike City, USA", pronounced as bicyclecapital of the United States, proclaims and regularly comes top in rankings of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. Nowhere in the United States do so many commuters cycle to work as here. There is a total of more than 500 km of cycle paths as well as a public bike rental system called Biketown with 119 stations and 1000 wheels. Short-term users are billed to the minute ($ 0.08 / minute), so if you interrupt your journey, you should put the bike back in a station if possible. A monthly pass costs $ 19 and includes 90 minutes of travel time on 31 consecutive days.
Due to the manageable size of Portland - at least the central districts of Downtown, Chinatown, Pearl District and University District - all distances can be easily reached on foot return. The city center has a diameter of almost two kilometers. There are wide sidewalks and drivers are considerate.
You can do that thanks to the well-developed local transport system by US standards automobile let stand confidently. Parking is available all over the city. The city's own parking garages are particularly conveniently located 3 Smart Park 3rd & Alder (Address: 620 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204) and 4 Smart Park 4th & Yamhill downtown, where you can park your car for $ 1.80 an hour. The maximum daily rate is $ 14 on weekdays and $ 5 on weekends. The MAX tram (red and blue lines) stops right next to the parking garages. Many sights can also be reached on foot, for example the Pioneer Courthouse is only 300 meters from both parking garages.
Tourist Attractions
bridges
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There are numerous large bridges in the urban area, which has earned Portland the nickname “City of Bridges”. From June to September you can take eight of them daily as part of a bridge tour with the Portland Spirit visit.
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- There are some interesting bridges over the Willamette River, since the river is navigable, they are mostly drawbridges, but there are also lift bridges. Including with the 1 Hawthorne Bridge
from 1910 the oldest lift bridge in the world. The built in 1912 2 Steel Bridge is designed as a double lift bridge (2 carriageway levels one above the other) which is unique worldwide. The drawbridges are: 3 Broadway Bridge (1913), 4 Burnside Bridge (1926), 5 Morrison Bridge (1958). Normal bridges are: 6 Fremont Bridge (1973), 7 Marquam Bridge (1966), 8 Ross Island Bridge (1926) 9 Sellwood Bridge (1925) and 10 St. John's Bridge (1931). - There are only two bridges that cross the Columbia River 11 Glenn Jackson Bridge (1982) and the 12 Interstate Bridge (Eastern part 1917, western part 1958).
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building
- 13 Pioneer Courthouse, 700 SW 6th Ave (MAX green or yellow line: Pioneer Courthouse; red or blue line: Pioneer Square; orange line: Pioneer Place).The oldest federal agency building in the Pacific Northwest, it was built from 1869 to 1903. It has been a listed building since the 1970s. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeal hearings are still held here to this day. At times the building also housed a post office. Pioneer Courthouse Square, named after the courthouse, forms the center of downtown Portland.
- 14 Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Ave (MAX green, orange or yellow line: City Hall / SW 5th & Jefferson).Town hall, built in 1895 in neo-renaissance style.
- 15 Pittock Mansion, 3229 NW Pittock Dr (Bus route 20 bis W Burnside & NW Barnes, then another 1 km walk).. The park, which is accessible free of charge, offers a spectacular view of Portland, and Mount Hood can be seen in good weather.A sophisticated villa from the early 20th century, built in 1909–14 in the style of the French Renaissance for the publisher, wood magnate, Republican politician and Freemason Henry Pittock, is open to the public as a museum.Price: Admission $ 10, teenagers $ 7.
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- 16 Meier & Frank Building, 621 SW 5th Ave (MAX red or blue line: Mall / SW 5th Ave, yellow or green line: Pioneer Courthouse / SW 6th Ave).15-story representative commercial building with a facade made of glazed terracotta, built in 1909 as the headquarters and flagship of the Meier & Frank department store chain, with extensions in 1915 and 1932. It was the first building in Portland to have an escalator. Since Macy's took over Meier & Frank in 2006, only the lower floors have been used as a department store, the upper floors have been converted into a luxury hotel The Nines transformed.
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- 17 Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway.Historic hotel building, built in 1912 in the style of the French Second Empire. Still operating, it has 287 rooms and is considered one of the most prestigious hotels in Portland.
- The former 18 Paramount Theater (1037 SW Broadway) is the last surviving theater building on Portland's Broadway, where a number of theaters once stood. It was built in 1927 and designed by the architects Rapp & Rapp, stylistically based on the Italian Renaissance. At first it was called Publix Theater and brought vaudeville shows, in 1930 it was renamed Paramount because the films of Paramount Pictures were shown here. Around 3,000 spectators per performance were welcomed in a representative lobby with up to 2.40 m tall crystal chandeliers and were able to stock up on an elongated, marble snack stand, which is said to be the “longest candy counter in the west” of the USA. With the increasing spread of television, however, such a large cinema became uneconomical, the last film was shown in 1972. The valuable interior fittings, consisting of antique furniture, statues, paintings, cinema organ, pianos, etc., were auctioned. In 1976 the Paramount was listed, saving it from the fate of the rest of Broadway theaters. It was restored and reopened as the municipal performing arts center in 1984. This was generously supported financially by Harold and Arlene Schnitzer, which is why the center bears her name today (see below #Activities).
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- 19 Wells Fargo Center.1972 built skyscraper, with 166 meters and 40 stories tallest building in the state of Oregon.
- 20 US Bancorp Tower.1981–83 built to designs by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; at 163 meters the second tallest building.
- 21 Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue.1982 built, 15-storey administration building, designed by Michael Graves. It is the first building in the USA to be assigned the postmodern style and is therefore considered an architectural milestone. It stands next to the town hall and houses the city administration offices.
- 22 Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Boulevard.Large congress center built in 1988–90, recognizable by two high peaks that can be seen from afar.
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Museums
- 23 Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) (on the Eastbank Esplanade).Exhibitions on the history of technology and industry as well as natural sciences. A highlight is the decommissioned submarine USS Blueback (SS-581) from 1959, which serves as an interactive part of the museum and memorial.
- 24 Oregon Rail Heritage Center, 2250 SE Water Avenue (next to Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).Railway museum with three historic steam locomotives.
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- 25 Portland Art Museum (PAM), 1219 SW Park Avenue.It opened in 1892, making it the oldest art museum on the US west coast. On display are paintings by American and European artists from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, including Works by Taddeo Gaddi, Albert Bierstadt, Cézanne, Monet and van Gogh.
- 28 Oregon Historical Society Museum.Museum of the History of the State of Oregon and the City of Portland. Here is a. issued the Portland Penny, this coin was tossed to decide the name of the city of Portland; the ship's chest of captain and circumnavigator Robert Gray and memorabilia from the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.
- 29 Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), 15 NE Hancock St.Museum for contemporary visual and performance art.
- 30 Wells Fargo History Museum, Wells Fargo Center, 1300 SW 5th Ave.. Museum on the company history of the transport (Postkuschen) and later financial services provider Wells Fargo.
- Shanghai tunnel
- Bathtub Art Museum
Parks
The city has beautiful parks and green spaces.
- 32 Washington Park.Extremely spacious park (166 hectares) in the hilly west of the city. It includes the rose garden, the zoo, the forest and children's museum, a Japanese garden, an arboretum, an amphitheater, monuments and sculptures, an archery range, tennis and soccer fields, playgrounds and picnic areas, but also a few hectares of natural forest with hiking trails.
- 33 International Rose Test Garden, 400 SW Kingston Ave (Bus 63 or Washington Park Shuttle: International Rose Test Garden).A must for rose lovers. The rose garden is one of the main attractions of Portland and has earned the city its nickname "City of Roses".Open: daily 7.30 a.m. - 9 p.m.Price: free entry.
- 34 Oregon Zoo
- 35 Portland Japanese Garden
- 36 Hoyt Arboretum
- Berry Botanic Garden
- Leach Botanical Garden
- Forest Park
- Tom McCall Waterfront Park
- Portland Classical Chinese Garden
- Mount Tabor
- 37 Mill Ends Park, SW Taylor Street, corner of SW Naito Parkway (Near World Trade Center; MAX blue or red line: Yamhill District).The tiny green area of less than 0.3 m² is more of a curiosity than a park to be in. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the smallest park in the world. It is located on a traffic island created in 1948, which was actually intended for a lamppost, but which was forgotten to install, whereupon weeds initially spread. Dick Fagan, a journalist for the Oregon Journal, then planted flowers and named the “park” after his newspaper column. In the course of time, the area was repeatedly redesigned in terms of gardening, with flowers or bonsai trees. Legend has it that this is also the only colony of goblins west of Ireland.
various
- 38 Pearl District, between West Burnside Street, Interstate 405, NW Broadway and the banks of the Willamette (north of downtown, west of Union Station; Streetcar A Loop, B Loop or NS Line).Formerly an industrial district with warehouses, factories, breweries and marshalling yards. It has undergone major changes since the 1980s. Many factories and warehouses were converted into lofts and galleries and attracted artists and creative people. Today the Pearl District is a popular district for living and experiencing culture. Here you will find art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars and smaller clubs. As a result, the Pearl District is listed as one of the coolest neighborhoods in America in some travel magazines.
- 39 Ladd’s addition (Ladd's addition).Historic and very green district in the east of the city. In contrast to the other parts of the city, the streets here are not at right angles, but diagonally oriented towards a small park in the middle. There is a rose garden each in the north, south, west and east of the district. The houses date from 1905 to 1930. The streets are lined with old, shady elms.
activities
On the Willamette River, which flows right through the city, you can boathave fun in the middle of the city.
Culture
Portland's Centers for the Arts (short Portland'5) is an amalgamation of five centers for theater, concerts, cinema and other cultural events. This includes:
- 1 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall ("The Schnitz"), 1037 SW Broadway.The Oregon Symphony, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, the White Bird Dance Company and Portland Arts & Lectures perform in the concert hall with over 2,700 seats in the building of the former Paramount Theater (see above).
- Oregon Symphony.Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the USA and the oldest in the western states. The Uruguayan conductor Carlos Kalmar has been the musical director since 2003.
- 2 Portland Youth Philharmonic.The most traditional youth orchestra in the USA has existed since 1924.
- Metropolitan Youth Symphony
- 3 Basement auditorium, 222 SW Clay St.Opened as a public auditorium in 1917, massively rebuilt in the 1960s and renamed the Civic Auditorium. Home of the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theater.
- 5 Antoinette Hatfield Hall, 1111 Southwest Broadway (MAX green or yellow line: SW 6th & Madison).Theater complex consisting of Dolores Winningstad Theater, Newmark Theater and Brunish Theater.
Sports
- 6 Moda Center (formerly Rose Garden Arena), 1 Center Court (MAX blue, green or red line: Rose Quarter TC; MAX blue or yellow line: Interstate / Rose Quarter).Multifunctional arena for basketball, ice hockey, football, but also concerts, with almost 20,000 seats.
- Portland Trail Blazers.NBA basketball team.
- Portland Winterhawks.The ice hockey team plays in the Western Hockey League, a junior league.
- 7 Providence Park (formerly Multnomah Stadium and Civic Stadium), 1844 SW Morrison St (MAX blue or red line: Providence Park).The stadium with a good 21,000 seats is mainly used for soccer, less often for college football. Soccer plays a big role in Portland compared to most US cities.
- Portland Timbers.Men's soccer team, has played in the MLS (top soccer league in North America) since 2011.
- 8 Viking Pavilion (formerly Peter Stott Center), 930 SW Hall St. (Bus 68: SW Broadway & Hall; MAX green or yellow line: PSU South / SW 6th & College).Sports center and home for college teams (including basketball, volleyball) at Portland State University.
- Portland State Vikings men's basketball.The university's men's basketball team plays in the Big Sky Conference, the top division for college teams in the western states.
Regular events and festivals
- Mayor's Ball. In the spring.
- Portland Rose Festival. In June every year, with a Floral Parade through the city.
- Oregon Brewers Festival. In July, the largest brewery and beer fair in the USA.
- Portland Marathon. In October, with around 9,000 participants.
shop
A visit to is recommended for bookworms
This bookstore spans an entire block of streets on six floors and sells all kinds of new and used books.
- 2 Lloyd Center, 2201 Lloyd Center (MAX red, green or blue line: Lloyd Center / NE 11th Ave).The mall opened in 1960 and was the largest in the world at the time.Open: Mon-Sat 10 am-9pm, Sun 11 am-6pm.
kitchen
There are plenty of good restaurants and microbrewery in the city center (Downtown, Old Town, Pearl, NW District). Fortunately, the street scene has not been destroyed by the advertising of the usual fast food chains that are so widespread in the USA. (Still, there is a Starbucks on almost every corner.)
In Portland there are so-called in many public places food carts[1]that offer cheap food and coffee specialties. The quality of the food prepared there is comparable to that of normal restaurants! Sometimes the portions are so big that they are enough for two people! Since very few stalls have seating, the food is intended to be taken away. Most of them are in the middle of the parking lot SW 10th / SW Washington / SW 9th / SW Alder. From Egyptian to Ethiopian, German (bratwurst), Cuban, Mexican, Thai to Polish food and drink, everything is available there.
Cheap
- 1 Bangkok Palace, 300 SW Taylor St, Portland, OR 97204 (Downtown). Tel.: 1 (503) 525-2212. Cheap and good Thai. The portions are very large and the restaurant has plenty of seats, i.e. there are none of the unspeakable queues that are typical in the USA.
nightlife
Portland has a diverse bar and pub scene. The "Pearl District" (adjacent to downtown) and "Chinatown" are the undisputed center of Portland's nightlife. There is a multitude of bars and pubs in all price ranges. There are also various localities on E Burnside Street, on the other side of the Williamette River.
Cheap
- 1 Life of Riley Tavern, 300 NW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 (Pearl District). Tel.: 1 (503) 224-1680. Inexpensive and informal bar with restaurant on the ground floor and cellar bar.
medium
- 2 Teardrop Lounge, 1015 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209 (Pearl District). Tel.: 1 503 445-8109. Stylish cocktail bar with a large cocktail menu. A little overpriced.
accommodation
Hotels are (like everywhere in the USA) a bit more expensive, but not nearly as overpriced as in the metropolises of San Francisco or New York.
Cheap
- 1 Eastside Lodge, 949 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214 (Buckman). Tel.: 1 (503) 234-8411. Typical US motel, a bit old, but not that overpriced. On the east side of the river, about 2 km from downtown. The nearest tram stop is 400 meters away. There is a night club, restaurants and shops in the vicinity.
Learn
- 1 Portland State University, Main Building (PSU Urban Center): 1812 SW 6th Avenue (MAX green or yellow line: PSU Urban Center / SW 6th & Montgomery or green, orange or yellow line: PSU Urban Center / SW 5th & Mill or Streetcar NS-Line or A-Loop: PSU Urban Center or NS-Line or B-Loop: SW 5th & Montgomery as well as other stops on campus).With around 28,000 students, the largest state university in Oregon. Numerous fields of study. The 20 hectare campus (University District) is located immediately south of the city center.
- 2 Lewis & Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd.Traditional private liberal arts college (approx. 3,500 students) with a renowned law school.
Work
security
Portland is one of the safest cities in the United States. The rate of violent crime is well below the national average.
health
Practical advice
trips
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Portland is perfect for a quick two-hour drive to the Pacific Ocean or a 1½ to 2-hour drive to the world-class ski resort Timberline Lodge.
- In the Columbia River Gorge, northeast of Portland, the river of the same name breaks through the Cascade Mountains. The landscape is spectacular: Steep rocky slopes rising up right next to the river. The lookout point is particularly recommended 1 Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint (also "Chanticleer Point"; address: 39210 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019) in Corbett (38 km east of downtown Portland, approx. 40 minutes by car). The 40 Multnomah Falls - a two-tier, 189-meter-high waterfall at the Columbia River Gorge - are another 15 km further east (a total of almost 50 km from Portland)
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- The 3,425 meter high, year-round snow-capped volcano Mount Hood can be clearly seen from Portland. It is located about 100 km east of the city and can be reached within 1½ hours by car. Via US Hwy 26 (turn left onto Timberline Hwy in Government Camp) you can drive up a panoramic road almost to just before the summit. There is also a year-round passable one here Ski Area with the very famous hotel "Timberline Lodge"(Location for the film Shining from 1980).
- Astoria (155 km northwest; just under 3 hours by bus), right at the mouth of the Columbia River in the Pacific. There are numerous tourist locations with a wide range of leisure activities.
- Seattle (280 km north, 3 hours by car or 3:40 hours by train), if you are traveling in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle should not be missed. There is a lively cultural scene and a wide range of leisure opportunities.
