Portland, Oregon

I really love visiting Portland. The people are great, the food is AMAZING, and the city has many quirks. Portland is known to have more breweries than any other city in the US. The city was named from the flip of a coin. And Portland is very green — having the largest number of vegetarian and vegan food options in country. Oh and almost 80% of the restaurants are local. If you do visit make sure to keep Portland weird.

Where to stay

The Willamette River splits the West and East side of Portland and I've stayed on both sides of the River. I enjoyed both experiences although during both trips I stayed on the side of the river where my Airbnb was. I would choose a location to stay based on what you are doing and where you want to visit.

Where I’ve stayed:

I HIGHLY recommend checking out the 1234 House. I had no idea what I was renting when I found the post on Airbnb but I was truly delighted to learn about it once I got to the place. Read below.

The 1234 House is a boutique hotel in Southeast Portland’s Buckman Neighborhood near popular Hawthorne, Belmont and Division streets dense with restaurants, bars, food carts, music venues, theaters, shops, grocery stores, parks and public transit. Built in 1902, 1234 House recently went through a complete renovation and emerged with five guest rooms each designed and created by local artists.

Where to eat & drink

Besaw's- $$
They have an amazing brunch. Especially the brunch drinks.

Townshend's Teahouse - $
This was one of my favorite spots to just hang out at, relax, and get some work done. They are open late and have an excellent selection of teas!

Carioca Bowls - $
This is a must try. Their food is so fresh and amazing. I ate here twice in one trip it was that good.

Upper Left Roasters - $
Great coffee, tea and toasts!

Multnomah Whiskey Library - $$$
This was such a cool experience. This is a bar inside of a bar, so it's a bit of a hidden gem. Well… if it weren't for all the people who line up outside before the bar opens.

Must Do’s

McMenamins Kennedy School
Let’s see how do you describe this place? It was a high school that turned into a hotel, with a restaurant, which has multiple bars; it’s also an event space, it has a spa… this place is quite the adventure.

Löyly
This is a wonderful, local spa which I visited during a solo trip I had in Portland. Make sure to check the schedule for days which are for multiple gender or otherwise. Very relaxing and they have excellent tea.

Lifetimes In: Portland was last updated May 2022