Car Hire Portland - Mini guide to Portland
Known as the ‘City of Roses’, Portland has been repeatedly voted one of the most liveable cities in America, as well as one of the top 25 art destinations in the country. It is an attractive city with a good climate, a view of Mount Hood in the distance, and the ability to grow almost anything throughout the year.
Central Portland is fairly large, and is peppered with chic coffee shops, cosmopolitan eateries and pubs. The northwest section is a particularly good area to eat and drink, with loads of trendy restaurants to choose from. To the east of this section is an area known as the Pearl District, a recently refurbished, semi-industrial neighbourhood that is now a vibrant, bohemian neighbourhood filled with art galleries, interior design shops and fashionable cafés.
Chinatown, where a conglomeration of Asian businesses have been going strong since the late 19th century, is bordered by colourful wooden gates. South of Chinatown is the Union Train Station, dating from 1890 and one of the city’s landmarks, and slightly farther on is Portland’s picturesque old town.
Another major Portland landmark is the Portlandia statue, which has the distinction of being the second tallest hammered copper statue in the world, surpassed in magnitude only by the Statue of Liberty. The crouching figure is situated directly in front of the post-modern Portland Building, one of Portland’s most distinctive buildings.
Oregon Zoo makes for a fun family outing, with over 1,000 specimens representing 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The zoo is notable for the fact that 21 of these species are endangered and 33 are threatened. It also has an impressive garden, in which visitors can see more than 1,000 species of exotic plants.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a section of paved walkways stretching for over three kilometres along the Willamette River, and perfect for jogging, walking or inline skating. Festivals and concerts are frequent here on weekends.
Another weekend event in Portland is the Saturday Market at Burnside Bridge. This well-known market attracts craftsmen, street performers and artisans from all over the region, and a visit here is an enjoyable way to spend the day.
The major suburbs in Portland are: Deering, Falmouth, Knightville, Ligonia, Lunts Corner, Nasons Corner, Pleasant Hill, Oakdale, Westbrook and West End.
