A wonderful world: August 2010

This is Portland and not Japan...

GREEN, LAID BACK, ECO-FRIENDLY, INDIVIDUAL, LOW KEY, COOL, UNCONVENTIONAL

Apart from reading the occasional articles in Monocle, I hardly know much of this West Coast city except for its eco-friendly reputation. And it seems like I am not the only one because when I told people about my trip to Portland, many would confuse it with the one in New England and for those who know of Portland in Oregon, they don't seem to know much about it. When my friends moved across the Atlantic to this city last years, I was curious to find out more about this rather low-key but seemingly interesting place esp. because my favourite band, Pink Martini, is also from Portland...

Impression: Yes, it's true... this city is known as the 'city of roses', so it is very green, one of the greenest I have ever visited (while Singapore is the greenest in Asia). And it is true about the eco-friendly aspect too, apart from its strong support for local produces, many people are on bikes or they use public transport like light rail when traveling within the centre.

The moon somehow looks different in Portland... how odd?!

There are also many small independent shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries in the city which is refreshing because I am tired of seeing chained restaurants, cafes and shops dominating the urban landscape of big cities like London, Hong Kong, Moscow and New York. People here are laid back and friendly, and they seem to genuinely love what they do, yet it is not driven by money or fame (which is very different from people in New York). And surprisingly, there is quite a large Asian population here, esp. Japanese, which I didn't expect, perhaps it's because of its geographical location and similar climate?!

Overall, I find the city very relaxing and cool, it is not as happening as New York, San Francisco and L.A. (don't expect a vibrant nightlife like these cities), but it has its own laid-back charm, it is great for young families or if you are seeking a good quality of life, Portland may well be THE place for you.

Weather: The weather here is as unpredictable as the English ones! I experienced spring, summer and autumn weather all within a day... Just look at the cloud in the photo and you will understand:

Gardens and parks:

There are so many parks and forests in Portland, it's almost hard to decide where to visit in a few days' time, but these two are definitely worth visiting.

International Rose test garden - Despite the odd name, this garden near Washington Park has about 7000 rose bushes is you don't need to be a rose lover to appreciate this park.

Rose garden

Portland Japanese garden - located near the Rose garden is this amazing Japanese style garden, it is considered one of the most authentic outside of Japan.

Japanese garden

A view of Mount hood from the park

Even the reservoir looks 'green'!

Hiking through the forest... minutes from the city centre

Culture:

Portland may not be as culturally rich as New York, but it has many interesting independent art galleries esp. in the Pearl district. 'First Thursday' is monthly evening event that allows the public to enjoy art in a non-intimidating setting... with free booze and music (this could never happen in London!), it's a great way to make art more accessible to all. Portland Museum of Art is not exactly my cup of tea, but I did spend quite some time in their gift shop... Museum of contemporary crafts usually has interesting exhibitions, so it's worth checking it out...

Back of Portland Art museum

Restaurants, food & coffee:

I have to admit that I was really surprised by the standard of restaurants here... the restaurants here are not as fancy and glamourous as the ones in New York but they are really good! They are less pretentious, less fussy but more about the ingredients. And the best thing is that you don't have to spend a lot to enjoy good food here! The Portland culinary scene has been getting quite a bit of publicity in the last few years and deservedly so, there are a wide range of choices, as well as wine bars and independent coffee shops, it's a great place for a foodie and coffee lover like me.

Tip: 'Happy hour' here doesn't mean just alcohol, it also means food! A lot of establishments take part in this scheme and they usually take place during the week from 3 to 6 pm, so don't miss out on these deals!

Clyde Common/ Stumptown Coffee - Located inside the Ace hotel, Clyde Common is one of the hippest restaurants in town. I didn't dine here but I did visit Stumptown coffee which serves excellent coffee in a relaxed setting. The lobby of the hotel is unlike any other that I have ever seen before, it's like a retro lounge with comfortable sofas and a black & white photo booth! A great place to chill out...

The coolest hotel in town: Ace

Jake's Famous Crawfish - this is one of the most famous seafood restaurants in America and has been around for 118 years. No surprise, the happy hour here is usually packed and service is minimal but if you love seafood, then this is the place to visit.

Crawfish and clams at Jake's famous crawfish

Park Kitchen in the Pearl district is well loved by the locals because it serves creative dishes and delicious food in a relaxed setting. Diners can choose from a list of small and large plates to share, accompanied by a well thought out wine list and helpful service. A really enjoyable dining experience.

Ping & Pok Pok - Ping is an Asian street food restaurant, like its sister Thai restaurant, Pok Pok (voted as one of the best in town), authenticity is not the point, both restaurants are more about the taste and ambience. The portions are decent, food quality is good and service is efficient, so it's unfair to compare them with restaurants in Asia, it's the dining experience that really counts!

Typhoon - A pretty authentic but down to earth Thai restaurant in a trendy district, reasonably priced with efficient service, a good option if ambience is not your priority.

Hotlips pizza - despite the cheesy name, this is no ordinary pizza joint, it is a family-run business that supports local farmers and produces its own fruit sodas. The pizzas are seasonal and there is even gluten-free dough! All sounds great, right? Well, it tastes good too, normally I am not a pizza fan, but I enjoyed the pizza here, and I wish there is something similar in London!

The original halibut's on Alberta Street does not look very appealing on the outside, we only went in because it was raining and most places in the area were shut! To our surprise, the fish and chips here were pretty good, the clam chowder on the other hand was creamy but lacked the taste of clams. We were charged the 'happy hour' prices despite ordering before 15 mins before 3pm. A friendly and unpretentious neighbourhood bar/ restaurant with a nautical theme, it's worth visiting if you happen to be in the area.

Good fish fillet burger and fries

Van, tram and double decker bus restaurants on Alberta Street

Shopping:

Since Portland has no sales tax, it has become an attraction for visitors from neighbouring cities to come and shop here. I love the small independent and specialist shops here, they are so much more interesting than the high-street chains. Since there are so many, I can only name a few that I happened to visit:

Nob hill/ NW 23rd Ave

Home to many small businesses like Goorin Bros and Dapper Cap, which are great for hats. The Polish pottery place is a cute shop that sells traditional Polish pottery and handicrafts that are colourful and unique in a historic neighbourhood.

Polish Pottery place

Pearl district:

Powell's city of books is the largest independent book store in the U.S. and possibly the world, it sells not only new books but also used and out of print ones, so this place is definitely worth visiting. Cargo is a large converted warehouse store that sells unusual artifacts from all over the world esp. Asia, it's a colourful and vibrant store that may inspire you to redecorate your home!

Cargo in the Pearl district

Downtown:

Canoe is a contemporary design shop that feels more like a gallery, the selection here is very Scandinavian/ Japanese: cool, functional and well designed.

Alberta arts district:

While many rave about this up and coming neighbourhood, my friend and I were quite baffled by the hype and did not think much of this area. However, we did find three really cool stores:

Ampersand is a gallery/ design, photography book store on Alberta Street but what is interesting is that it sells many vintage photography, paper ephemera, historic documents & collectible books. I found some cool postcards pack from the 50s as well as some rare vintage collectibles, a real gem!

Monograph bookwerks is a tiny bookstore opened by two artists which sells rare new and used art, design and photography books as well as interesting 'found' objects. This place is truly one of a kind and very inspiring. I love the shelves of objects and I just wish there are more stores like this outside of Portland!

Bolt fabric boutique - I did not expect to find this in the neighbourhood, it is a lovely haberdashery shop that sells colourful patterned fabrics, many of which have a vintage feel. I am glad that it is not in my neighbourhood because I might end up spending all my money on beautiful fabrics!

Cool door handles of a shop

Architecture & street art:

Interior of Union station, opened since 1896

Colourful houses

Cool street art

Outside of Portland:

Cannon Beach is a popular place to visit if you want to venture out of Portland for a day. We took the Greyhound bus from the Union station and it was pretty stress free, even though we had to stay longer than needed because of the infrequent bus schedule. The scenery and wildlife here is really amazing, but the area around the Haystack Rock is protected, so we were warned not to go near the protected areas. Since I am used to living in large cities, it was still exciting for me to see the starfish up close and puffins from a distance!

Besides the beach, the town itself is small and quite touristy, so unless you are staying here, it's not really worth hanging out in town.

I didn't have time to visit Mount Hood but would definitely plan a visit when I come back to Portland in the future... Like everyone else, I am particularly interested in visiting the Timberland Lodge, the exterior setting of the hotel in The Shining...