Our neighborhood stomping grounds, and arguably the reason Matt loves Portland so much. Tabor is a dormant volcano with sweepings views on a clear day East to Mt. Hood and West over the Willamette valley and city-scape. Plenty of meandering foot paths amidst 100ft+ tall Doug Fir trees, and many cozy nooks for picnicking/napping/reading/taking a moment to feel gratitude while you touch grass. Coquine Market and cafe on top of the hill offers supplies for gourmet picnics, and walking East to West down Hawthorne st provides endless options for post walk refreshments.
A massive "City Park" with endless miles of sprawling trails winding through lush mossy forests. Plenty of access points on the North West side of town by foot/bike/transit. If you have a car it's worth checking out the Wildwood Newberry trailhead all the way on the North end of the park for a little more isolation. Pack water, streams in the summer may run dry. For refreshment before or after: Electrica coffee combines single origin beans from Mexico with a design/home goods store in a refurbished warehouse building. Jerry's Tavern offers midwest comfort including steam burgers, vinegary hot wings, and cheap ice cold beer.
A smaller, loungier, but no less iconic Portland park. Home to silent discos, quacking ducks, horseshoe pits, and summer concerts, Laurelhurst can be a great option if you're short on time or energy. Belmont Station has one of the best takeaway beer selections in town, and SE 28th avenue sports a food cart pod, Crema Bakery, Guero's tortas, and many other dining jewels for before/during/after any misty mornings or dreamy afternoons in the sun.
The name speaks for itself. Truly an exhaustive collection of rose varietals, many of which will be in peak bloom over the summer. It's free entry but bring water and comfortable walking shoes, the garden is bigger than you might expect. The Japanese garden across the street is ticketed, but offers a tranquil and cooling contrast to the sunny Rose gardens. If you're short on time, or looking for a pleasant stop while bicycling, the neighborhood rose gardens within the Ladd's Addition neighborhood traffic circles are an excellent alternative.
Matt's favorite out of Portland's many indie theaters. Real butter on the popcorn, junior mints in the freezer, these guys do it right. Their dvd/vhs rental annex Movie Madness is also worth a look. The walk through museum has neat props like the knife from Scream, one of Julie Andrew's dresses from the Sound of Music, and Michelle Yeoh's martial arts outfit from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Powell's main store, a literal city block of books for sale, can provide literal days of entertainment and retail therapy. Their east Hawthorne location is a little more manageable while still having the stock to delete several hours of browsing.
Endless and delicious coffee options everywhere you go in this town. However, push/pull consistently has some of the most interesting and delicious coffees/drinks around. Other favorites include: Albina Press, Never coffee (inventive milk drinks), Cafe Zamora (particularly for drip coffee or whole beans), and of course the original Stumptown on Division St.
Portland's a pizza town. Every other restaurant opening here is a fine dining restaurant dedicated to the simplicity of wood fired sourdough with toppings. Scholl's balances artistry and approachability, after all it's just pizza. The caesar salad is perfect, the habanero ranch haunts my dreams, and the pizza.. you'll just have to try for yourselves. Other reliable favorites: Scottie's (especially for takeout), East Glisan, Ranch (detroit style)
So many restaurants. We can, and probably will, talk for ages about all the different delicious food. Oma's is our go to for celebrations. Nautical disco wallpaper, Whitney Houston soundtrack, frozen drinks, and the light and airy Roti Canai with whatever seasonal vegetable curry for dipping is possibly the single best bite of food in the whole city. Other fun favorites include Gabbiano's for Italian, Murata for sushi/Japanese, and Paadee for Thai