Hello everyone!
This past Friday was Pioneer Preview Day where lots of admitted students and their students came to spend a day on campus. There were panels, class visits, lunches, and overnight stays for students to get to know the school and what day-to-day life is like. I led my first tour on my own that day and it was really fun but also kind of stressful because prior to it the groups had been only a family or two and then on Friday I had over 20 people in my group. Pio Preview Day got me thinking about all the fun places downtown and my recommendations as it is frequently a question that comes up during tours.
Here are some of my Portland recommendations:
- Food Trucks!!
The food trucks are a classic Portland destination. You can get anything and everything at “Food Truck Village” which is a block lined on all 4 streets with food trucks. They have Asian food, Mediterranean, Mexican, German, American, and more! - My favorite food truck is Anna Thai Basil because all the dishes are $7 and you can get a large boba for $3!! When you’re on a college budget it’s a great deal.
- Chit Chat Cafe
- This cafe is right by where the Pioneer Express drops students off downtown. It serves all kinds of teas and bubble teas as well as Asian dishes like dumplings, noodles, etc. It has lots of seating for studying or hanging out with friends. My friends and I went here yesterday and spent the whole day working on homework while drinking bubble tea. I always get Thai tea.
- Pine Street Market
This place is really fun because it has lots of different places to get food in a single building and has public seating in the middle for everyone. They have a place to get ramen, ice cream, burgers, pizza, bibimbap, and other delicious things. I went here yesterday night with my friends for dinner and I got spicy ramen which was so good! - Powell’s Bookstore
- If you’re in Portland you have to stop by Powell’s. It really is huge and it’s super fun to wander through the shelves of books. For spring semester I picked up Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers to read when I have some free time. In the fall I got The Tipping Point for my book to read.
- Coffee Shops
- Case Study, Cafe Umbria, Stumptown, Coava, Behind the Museum
- Crafty Wonderland
- If you’re looking for some cute little knick-knacks and Portland souvenirs, this is a fun little shop to go to.
- Voodoo & Blue Star
- Some people think that Voodoo is overrated but honestly, I think it’s pretty good. If you’re in Portland you should go to Voodoo because why not? There’s another donut chain called Blue Star which has a very different vibe than Voodoo. It is more clean cut, white walls, and simple. Blue Star also does specialty donuts with fun flavors.
- Thai Peacock
- My friends and I went here a few weeks ago for dinner. Great Thai food!
- Sizzle Pie
- Located right next to Powell’s, you can get pizza by the slice and they have vegan pizza too.
- Saturday Market
- The Portland Saturday Market is really fun! It’s located down by the river and on the weekends there are lots of different vendors selling art and other things. You can get paintings, funny magnets, garden decorations, plants, and more. It is open every weekend starting in March and runs until Christmas Eve.
- Bollywood Theater
This awesome Indian restaurant is not located in Downtown, but it is located just across the river in the Hawthorne neighborhood. My family and I went here right before I went on my New Student Trip at the recommendation of a fellow LC family. In the warmer months, you can sit outside on their patio which is really nice. The dishes are soooo good and full of flavor. I also went here with my friends in November.- PSU Farmers Market
Each weekend Portland State University hosts a farmers market on their campus. It is really convenient because it is right where the bus drops students off downtown. You can get all kinds of fresh produce, flowers, and other goods.
