portland in January

I will be staying in Portland in January downtown at the Hilton for a convention? What attractions would be good that time of year? I am not going to rent a car, so walking or rail is best.

portland in January

http://www.travelportland.com/

You can put January into the search box and do some research here, pova.com is a great site for planning trips to Portland.

January will be raw and wet and cold so plan to dress for that , we walk and take the streetcars all the time..much easier than driving and trying to park etc.

If you like this sort of thing, the Heathman Hotel is one place where you can have a high tea in the afternoon which is a great way to warm up and relax after a day running around town in the winter.

I am just back from a trip of my own and a bit jetlagged, I cannot think of anything else to tell you about January in Portland, lol...but hope this helps gets you started.

Scarlett

portland in January

Dress for rain or snow. Layers Use cabs or public transport to get to where you want to go. Remember that cabs usally need to be scheduled in advance in Portland. Success with street flaging is rare. Walk when it makes reasonable sense.The city is safe for walking until around 2 AM when the bars close.

The Gerding Theater has a wonderful line-up this year.. Check their site if this interests you. Music abounds at the Crystal Ballroom. If you like art, the Portland Art Museum always has something spectacular.

If none of the above options capture your interest, let us know and we will try to find a good fit for you.

Thanks for the ideas...also, I will have my teenage daughter with me, what about shopping and restaurants?

Portland Districts with shopping- Pearl District, NW 23rd- kind of the urban, new, trendy areas-Pearl District acessable by the street car

Hawthorne District-%26#39;bohemian%26#39; vibe you%26#39;d have to take the bus across the river.

Pioneer Place-right downtown, regular mall

I like most restaurants I try downtown-not that I go to that many. What type/price range are you looking for? That may help give ideas.

The boutiques in the Nob Hill District are nice, we have purchased several nice items here. My teenage daughter enjoys the pizza at Escape From New York in this area. We also like Moonstruck Chocolates for their yummy truffles and milkshakes. If you want somewhere nice for dinner, Wildwood or Paley%26#39;s Place are both very good.

Pioneer Place is very pretty with a multi-level shopping area where we enjoy shopping. Stay warm and have fun! :)

Details for if you need them: *all on NW side of town*

in the Pearl: Anthropologie on Couch is always busy and a great store, every block has shops, galleries and cafes and restaurants.

Sushi at Hiroshi, Noodles on Couch for lunch, Pearl Bakery for a snack or breakfast , Whole Foods on Couch, Powells Books on Couch ,Henrys Tavern and Grill, Everett St Bistro great for lunch or dinner.Silk on Glisan for a wonderful Vietnamese lunch ( pho) or dinner (ginger chicken and banana coconut bread pudding ..oh my)

On Jefferson %26amp; 12th, a few blocks behind the Art Museum is West Cafe, with a fireplace, great lunch or dinner spot.

Take the Streetcar and get off on any corner and walk around then get back on. Tickets are good for 2 hours and there is a Fareless Square section of town where you ride for free.

On NW 23rd..Miso Happy is a great place for warming up with hot soup ( my husband like thes spicy sweet %26amp; sour)

Elizabeth Street, great boutique...Lucky Jeans, shops for house hold goods, antiques, Three MOnkeys for just any wacky thing you can imagine along with Trapp Candles..Zucari for more house goodies and candles, wonderful jewelry and things for the house in Twist.

There are better places to eat than pizza but if that is what you like, there is a place called Jo Bar next to Papa Haydn where you can get pizza from a woodburning stove that also makes the room nice and warm and fragrant on a cold January day.

Hope this helps...

Well I think that pretty well covers it, Scarlett. :-) Except maybe for Urban Outfitters on NW 23rd, which is the one shop my teen daughter heads for any time we%26#39;re in the area. Pioneer Place is indeed a nice mall, but the stores you%26#39;ll see there are in every other upscale mall across the country.

For what it%26#39;s worth, Paleys and Wildwood (to a lesser extent) are both ';date'; places. Doubt your daughter would enjoy or appreciate them much. She might get a kick out of a place like Piazza Italia, though. Good comfort Italian food, with a great staff. It%26#39;s in the north Pearl District. And if you don%26#39;t mind walking across the Burnside Bridge, you%26#39;d both enjoy Le Pigeon. It%26#39;s a very casual hole-in-the-wall sort of place, but the chef/owner is getting all kinds of accolades recently, even from Bon Apetit and/or Gourmet magazines.

LOL mistletoe, then you remind me of REI ! Definitely worth a stop for mom and daughter :)

Oh, so many great ideas...keep them coming, we leave in a few days and I will print this out to take..my daughter likes unusual restaurants and shops...also, any ideas for a Friday night? And what is the best, but reasonably priced, way to get from the airpot to the hotel?

I take cabs to and from the airport but a lot of people swear by TriMet trains.

On NW21st street (restaurant row) is a nice little casual place called North 45 where you can get mussels %26amp; frites or burgers. But they specialize in the mussels %26amp; frites. It is really good and almost across the street from our Art House Cinema 21.

Everywhere you go in town there are ';unusual'; or quirky restaurants..can%26#39;t think of one right now lol...later maybe, when I can think lol...one of our locals will have ideas in the meantime.

syrahgirl, next time you visit Portland, I hope you try some of these new places that we recommend..I bet you will like them .