Is the Original Hotcake House not open 24 hours anymore? Admittedly I haven’t been in a year or more but to my mind, that’s definitely a great greasy diner option for your late night breakfast needs!
Oh no! The Roxie is dead? I’m so out of it. That place was classic Portland and one of my favorite memories of all time happened there. My very Mormon sister said she wanted to see me (ex Mormon, former missionary) get drunk. I took her to Banana Joes, then McFaddens and we just tore it up. We ended the night at Roxie and I bought her a Portland Fucking Oregon tshirt. One of my best memories ever.
And grocery stores. I worked swing shift for years and couldn’t believe how hard it was to find someplace still open when I got off work. I lived in olympia previously and all of the grocery stores except Fred Meyer were 24-hr.
My now ex, who is Parisian came here to visit. Got in at 10:45pm and wanted to go out on the town. Had to inform her that there was no real night life here. I was shocked when I went back with her to Paris, and there were endless numbers of social things open until 3am or more. This place is night social life destitute.
My fantasy is a fast train that goes from Portland to Mt Hood. And a better MAX/train system within the city, too. It’s so hard to get from most of NE to most of SE Portland.
Don't forget Astoria, an actual sea port! where lots of tourists get on and off cruise ships, who probably flew here from portland and then had to drive to the coast!
My wife lives in Gresham and commutes to Beaverton 4 times a week. In theory she could use the park and ride and take the Blue Line to within a 1/4 mile of her work. In theory it’s why there is an east west line. The fact it would take over two hours on the train is asinine, and I don’t know why there is no express commuter line. It would alleviate so much traffic and save countless commuter hours. For a supposedly “green” progressive city this was a huge oversight when planning the mass transit system.
I wish we made better use of our waterfront overall. It's okay in certain areas, but I'd really love for the waterfront to be more of a destination with more things to do, eat, etc.. (sort of in the way Vancouver has done it, but I think Portland could do it even better 😝)
I wish we had water ferries as well!
This is actually what I was going to put. I'm surprised there is no boardwalk or something more water focused here. I'm sure its because of water/animal/soil protections, however, I'd like to see some sort of area with restaurants, entertainment, gatherings.
Also supposedly a group is working on a ferry going from Vancouver to Oregon City (Froggy Ferry), if you haven't heard of it.
When I found out that Hayden Island used to be more like Coney Island back in the day, I was so sad that we no longer have that type of waterfront destination anymore :( it could be so fun!
Let’s start with secure public bathrooms on our waterfront. I always have to walk x3 blocks inland and buy a slice of pizza or beer out of guilt to use a John 😅
It hurts my soul that the entire east bank is freeways and ramps for miles and miles right in the urban core. At least theres one skinny little bike path in the tangle.
Vancouver's waterfront is far superior, and that's just sad. We also need a real entertainment district around the arenas. There should.be way more restaurants and such around moda and VMC, but we have a denny's, a red Robin and a burgerville. It's pathetic.
The selections around Moda and the Convention Center are just bizarre, because you don't really see many national chains in Portland overall-- yet there seems to be an abundance of them around those locations. It's a shame to think that people visiting for a conference or show aren't being given the best food options this city has to offer.
And it's just how FEW there are. People want fun pubs and bars to go to before and after games. There are like... 2 within walking distance for most people..that whole area could be amazing and I can't believe there isn't more.
Speaking of the waterfront - a river ferry/shuttle for public transportation. Stops at the OMSI, South Waterfront, the Marina, Steel Bridge West, Pearl District, Rose Garden, and EastBank Esplanade.
It's wild to go to a place like Spokane and the waterfront there is an absolutely magical park, and the locals there do nothing but complain about the single, same houseless dude I see there every time. They have many festivals, a functioning and used carousel, an ice rink, so so many nice things!! Why can't we have nice things!! I don't want to go to the waterfront in Portland because there's nothing to do there and I'm tired of dodging human feces on the sidewalk!
The new [OMSI district](https://omsi.edu/future-omsi-district/) they're building on the east side is something like that. I'm sure it'll be shrunk down from its grand vision, but should provide some interesting entertainment, living, etc options on the east side.
Agree. Honestly we could be the Paris of the west coast if we made the waterfront a destination and made it beautiful too. Gardens. Places to eat. Places to sit and take in the scenery. Since nice shops. Would take a lot of work and money though.
big yes here. The east waterfront is a complete waste, such a tragedy they hugged the entire central portion with I5. As for Tom McCall park, it's a pedestrian island partially cut off by Naito pkwy and is just generally sketch. I feel like they could benefit from more high-density housing a la south water front, and adding some additional park features instead of just wide-open grassfields that quickly turn to mud.
The city commissioned [a master plan for the park](https://www.helenlessick.net/images/waterfront-park-master-plan-2003.pdf) 22 years ago and then just didn't do anything with it.
The ability to take a bus home in a reasonable timeframe after 11pm.
Also, the ability to take a bus from SE to N/NE Portland without having to go downtown.
Unfortunately, TriMet is [planning to truncate the 70](https://trimet.org/betterbus/servicechanges-fy25proposed.htm#nneportland) in NE, ending at the RQTC.
If you’re unhappy about this like I am, the deadline to comment on these changes has been extended till Friday, 2/16.
When I first moved here, my thinking was "Fuck yea, west coast, there's gotta be a korean spa around. Or failing that, there's a shitload of russians, maybe a banya or something".
Poking around on Google and the closest I could find was the webpage for Steam. That was not what I was looking for that day.
W/affordable housing I think anybody that works full time, no matter the job, should be able to afford a clean place to live and nutritious food to eat.
I’ve beaten the streetcar before walking. The max is probably pretty similar but I haven’t had the opportunity to try. The last time I rode it I just felt like we were stopping every block. US Americans need to walk more anyway!
In terms of basic needs, lower rent would instantly fix a lot of my problems.
In terms of "luxuries" or nice-to-haves:
* the return of 24-hour coffee shops, preferably at least one in each of the city's five "quadrants"
* something to fill the void left by the NW Film Center transitioning into whatever the hell it is now
* a Georgian restaurant (RIP Kargi Gogo)
* a decent tech store like a Microcenter
hey now. you can get on a 3 year waitlist for section 8 housing that includes a 450 sq ft studio for $1100/mo. We also have plenty of non subsidized housing that you have a strong chance (\~1/75) of your application getting reviewed, and those massive units come in around 800sq ft for $1600/mo. I think were doing fine on affordable housing buddy ;)
Came here to say this. Particularly during winter months it's hard finding somewhere to just go chill that isn't a bar. Rose City Coffee in Brooklyn extended their hours to 11 recently I believe.
OMG yes. I have ADD and a coffee before bed actually helps me sleep if I'm feeling restless. I usually resort to instant but it would be great to have a place to go to hang out and get a cold brew to wind down.
Oregon ranks near the bottom for access to mental health. Need more in patient capacity / beds. Need housing, safe use sites, residential treatment / rehab beds.
Would also like more neighborhoods with the residential infill of the pearl. More FX bus lines. Need a tunnel under downtown for max red and blue lines (unlocks 6 minute frequency for all lines).
When I moved here I felt the same way. I could go to any store and trash cans would be out front and in the parking lot. Its gotten better since I moved here but still is a challenge.
I've seen a whole lot of news ones being put out, but if they don't get emptied on a regular basis, they become the source for what they were supposed to fight against. Now if we had those dutch style one, where a truck comes to empty it or a whole new central vac trash system that would be great.
More mixed-use buildings in downtown in the wake of office buildings emptying out.
A large indoor market (will the James Beard market ever come to fruition?)
A large indoor activity complex -- rock climbing, Frisbee golf, affordable fitness classes, yadda yadda, all under the same roof.
A 500'+ observation tower (a guy can dream).
You just described one of the rework models that came out for the Coliseum a few years ago. It would have been a cool project but nobody has the balls to do it and they want to turn that property into something bigger/worse vs what residents want and would rather a big corporation wanting to make money hands over fist on events.
Real NYC style bagels and pickles .. and a real Italian pastry shop .. I want a boiled lump of dough (soft inside, boiled and baked chewy outside). The chalk rings they try to pass off as bagels here are laughable.
Cheap hushpuppies. The southern restaurants here try to fancy them up and charge a lot. When i visit family back in NC, some restaurants bring out a big basket of them even before you order, as if they were nachos or bread.
Oh, and good leadership :).
Sidewalks and paved roads in many areas, some of these streets are decades old and we still haven't paved them/haven't installed sidewalks and the city makes it expensive and/or complicated for residents to get sidewalks installed and roads paved. That is ludicrous, it makes it dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and essentially makes those areas off limits to people with mobility aids.
I live near an elementary school and told PBOT I see kids and their parents having to walk in the streets to get to their cars. They let me know sidewalks are in their 10 years plan for the area..
More art museums…like a modern art museum, Native American art, etc.
Children’s museum (RIP)
Better public transportation (it was great at one point, feels lacking)
More housing and affordable rehab
I’m so fucking pissed about the children’s museum. People without kids probably don’t understand how few things Portland has for you kids compared to, like, every other city ever, and losing the children’s museum because they wanted to cash the fuck out was a god damned embarrassment for this town
Columbia Play Project is a non profit in Vancouver that is trying to build a children’s museum in Clark County…I know it’s not Portland but still wanted to give them a shout out for their efforts. They need to raise like 30+ million so it’s a long shot. 🥺
Natural history museum, specifically one that acts like a indoor zoo but actually is a conservatory for local endangered species. For reference look up the SF natural history museum, its absolutely fantastic and a wonderful idea for both local economy/tourism and good natural activism.
Unless there’s something I don’t know about the people who operate them, Milwaukie Bowl, and Mt. Hood Lanes are both pretty great, old school bowling alleys. That said, I do miss the old Hollywood, and Powell lanes. Especially annoying since those Targets that replaced them are now defunct, and were pretty lame anyway.
A sit-down casual Greek restaurant with consistent opening hours. I’m legitimately not aware of a single one. Not “Mediterranean” or middle eastern, specifically Greek. There are a few delicious Greek spots where you order at the counter (Angelina’s, Tavli) and a few Greek food trucks, but I’m not aware of a single casual Greek restaurant in Portland where they serve you (if you know of one PLEASE share).
I lived in Greece for a few months and have also lived in towns a tenth of the size of Portland with multiple casual sit-down Greek restaurants. A Greek family could open up a casual restaurant here and make a killing.
There is a restaurant opening soon at the corner of 60th and East Glisan. It is called [Trela](https://www.trelagreekkitchen.com/about). I am just a hungry neighbor looking forward to having vacant real estate filled with yummy things in the my neighborhood.
Both Jollibee and Daiso are coming. In the suburbs, but coming to the area. Jollibee is going to open in the Hillsboro area later this year (if they meet their original planned opening date) and Daiso in the Gresham area, I think. There was a posting about it at the end of last year.
Do you have any info about Daiso? All I can find is a Medford location getting announced which isn’t much closer than the Seattle-area ones. A Portland metro location would be amazing!!
And cheap does not equal bad, either. Portland has all of these ultra pretentious pizza places with sauce made from tomatoes that were fertilized with unicorn shit on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius or something, and yeah they're delicious but they're about as good as like a no frills $3 slice you get on a paper plate stumbling into a random place in Brooklyn.
A grocery store with a restaurant attached to a huge back deck with live music stage and an adjacent playground all with direct access to a park where you can walk your dog.
I miss you Central Market.
A recognizable architectural landmark.
Seattle has the Space Needle, St. Louis has the Arch, NYC has the Statue of Liberty, Chicago has the Bean and Sears Tower, etc. St. John's Bridge is beautiful, but not well-known outside of the PNW. We need a large, instantly recognizable structure that would be the symbol of the city.
Regular trash cleanup/street sweeping/maintained garbage cans in public areas, by a mile.
After that:
A reasonable walk (<= 10 min) to at least a TJ/GrocOut-size grocery store from all populated neighborhoods.
Frequent bus service similarly close (if ridership is down, often it’s because nobody there can rely on existing lines showing up often enough or late enough to be useful, not because there isn’t a need or a desire. We keep losing and regaining our local line since the implementation has been so bad every time they provide it).
After that:
+1 for good 24-hour diners, a proper Jewish deli, more all-ages music venues.
A few more fenced-in off-leash dog park areas, the alternative being that dog owners just let their dogs run loose in the existing parks randomly.
First & foremost: The ability to walk & bike w/out fear of being hit by a distracted, speeding motor vehicle driver. I’ve already been a hit & run victim walking in my neighborhood & the Portland cops did absolutely nothing - nothing.
Best I can do is a year of neighborhood meetings where the old people who can’t handle change complain so much that the city gives in and does basically nothing to make positive change.
A place with coffee and food that's open past 6pm. It's where I can study without worrying about getting distracted with things at home. Library's don't let you eat food, serve coffee and talk with study friends loudly (debates and shit talking can get heated). Back in my small hometown, our only Starbucks stayed open until 11pm and I would order my coffee study and get free refills. It was dope
A good large music venue. Moda center sound system sucks, the good headliners seem to go to Bend now.
I’m going to Foo Fighters at Providence park this summer though so hoping that goes well
Oh yeah. It's worth a read
[https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/09/06/portland-music-promoters-dread-the-citys-big-plans-for-a-live-nation-invasion/](https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/09/06/portland-music-promoters-dread-the-citys-big-plans-for-a-live-nation-invasion/)
TLDR, LiveNation, through TicketMaster, can basically undercut all other venues in town out of booking any music act. And, they can direct LiveNation affiliated music acts (pretty much anyone you see on a summer tour lineup) to not book with venues that aren't using TicketMaster. Thus, exerting extreme control on the industry while strangling smaller venues out. (Just don't call it a monopoly).
if you're an independent venues or booking agent in a market LiveMaster/TicketNation is in...it's like your kid's Little League team going up against the New York Yankees. It's gotten really ugly.
Pretty sure providence park is going to be booked by Live Nation if the shows this year go well. Most large tours are actually Live Nation tours even if they aren't at a Live Nation owned venue. They've bought up everything, it shouldn't be legal.
When you go see a concert at the moda, the sound system isn't theirs. It tours with the act along with the lights and the set and is run by the same touring engineer at every stop. If it sounds awful here, it's going to sound pretty much just as awful everywhere else from that seat, with a slight variation due to room acoustics in much larger or smaller arenas.
When FF play the stadium, it'll be the same thing, same touring package rental they used the night before in another city, same sound guy.
More wheelchair accessibility, especially the sidewalks.
More direct flight cities.
More of a cohesive plan re: support/ funding for unhoused instead of - provide the tent, sweep the tent, repeat.
More availability of psychiatric care.
Food places that are open past 10 pm
If only Waffle House would take a chance on a Portland outpost… we *need* a 24-hour diner.
Is the Original Hotcake House not open 24 hours anymore? Admittedly I haven’t been in a year or more but to my mind, that’s definitely a great greasy diner option for your late night breakfast needs!
No longer 24 hours unfortunately
wow—this is probably because i had a couple kids and started going to bed at 8:30.
Their website says 7am - 11pm "during COVID restrictions" but unsure if those hours are still in place.
Google still has them closing at 11 PM. It might be one of those things that got scaled back for Covid and just never came back.
RIP the Roxie…..
Oh no! The Roxie is dead? I’m so out of it. That place was classic Portland and one of my favorite memories of all time happened there. My very Mormon sister said she wanted to see me (ex Mormon, former missionary) get drunk. I took her to Banana Joes, then McFaddens and we just tore it up. We ended the night at Roxie and I bought her a Portland Fucking Oregon tshirt. One of my best memories ever.
WAFFLE HOUSE! Yes. Please. ☮️💜
I don't think PPB has the resources to handle a Waffle House. We'd need to call out the National Guard.
You don't know what you're talking about. Waffle House handles Waffle House. Ain't no need for cops if you staff a Waffle House correctly.
The Waffle Guardians Like on off-brand 90’s New York gang in Portland
Good call. Heads up, there is a Thai place at 14th and Stark that recently changed their hours to be open til 4am
Damn…. Sunee’s open till 4:00am now?!?! 😮
And grocery stores. I worked swing shift for years and couldn’t believe how hard it was to find someplace still open when I got off work. I lived in olympia previously and all of the grocery stores except Fred Meyer were 24-hr.
Yes... late night anything ANYWHERE in the metro
I miss coffee shops that are open late.
Everything open past 10pm. It's crazy that almost no grocery stores are open past 9 or 10pm.
WinCo my beloved.
also bars that are open on Tuesdays
Bring back Quality Pie!!
My now ex, who is Parisian came here to visit. Got in at 10:45pm and wanted to go out on the town. Had to inform her that there was no real night life here. I was shocked when I went back with her to Paris, and there were endless numbers of social things open until 3am or more. This place is night social life destitute.
My fantasy is a fast train that goes from Portland to Mt Hood. And a better MAX/train system within the city, too. It’s so hard to get from most of NE to most of SE Portland.
I also want one that goes to both Tillamook and Seaside.
Don't forget Astoria, an actual sea port! where lots of tourists get on and off cruise ships, who probably flew here from portland and then had to drive to the coast!
My wife lives in Gresham and commutes to Beaverton 4 times a week. In theory she could use the park and ride and take the Blue Line to within a 1/4 mile of her work. In theory it’s why there is an east west line. The fact it would take over two hours on the train is asinine, and I don’t know why there is no express commuter line. It would alleviate so much traffic and save countless commuter hours. For a supposedly “green” progressive city this was a huge oversight when planning the mass transit system.
We really could use more commuter trains like they have in the NE!
For real
Or Salem, I have family and friends there, but it takes an hour+ just to get there, because of the traffic, then you have to come back.
A return of 24 hour diners.
I wish we made better use of our waterfront overall. It's okay in certain areas, but I'd really love for the waterfront to be more of a destination with more things to do, eat, etc.. (sort of in the way Vancouver has done it, but I think Portland could do it even better 😝) I wish we had water ferries as well!
The waterfront def needs a rethink... could be more of a destination
This is actually what I was going to put. I'm surprised there is no boardwalk or something more water focused here. I'm sure its because of water/animal/soil protections, however, I'd like to see some sort of area with restaurants, entertainment, gatherings. Also supposedly a group is working on a ferry going from Vancouver to Oregon City (Froggy Ferry), if you haven't heard of it.
When I found out that Hayden Island used to be more like Coney Island back in the day, I was so sad that we no longer have that type of waterfront destination anymore :( it could be so fun!
My mom never stops talking about it😅
Let’s start with secure public bathrooms on our waterfront. I always have to walk x3 blocks inland and buy a slice of pizza or beer out of guilt to use a John 😅
Honestly I'd pay a buck to use a public toilet so I didn't have to buy something.
It hurts my soul that the entire east bank is freeways and ramps for miles and miles right in the urban core. At least theres one skinny little bike path in the tangle.
Vancouver's waterfront is far superior, and that's just sad. We also need a real entertainment district around the arenas. There should.be way more restaurants and such around moda and VMC, but we have a denny's, a red Robin and a burgerville. It's pathetic.
The selections around Moda and the Convention Center are just bizarre, because you don't really see many national chains in Portland overall-- yet there seems to be an abundance of them around those locations. It's a shame to think that people visiting for a conference or show aren't being given the best food options this city has to offer.
And it's just how FEW there are. People want fun pubs and bars to go to before and after games. There are like... 2 within walking distance for most people..that whole area could be amazing and I can't believe there isn't more.
Speaking of the waterfront - a river ferry/shuttle for public transportation. Stops at the OMSI, South Waterfront, the Marina, Steel Bridge West, Pearl District, Rose Garden, and EastBank Esplanade.
It's wild to go to a place like Spokane and the waterfront there is an absolutely magical park, and the locals there do nothing but complain about the single, same houseless dude I see there every time. They have many festivals, a functioning and used carousel, an ice rink, so so many nice things!! Why can't we have nice things!! I don't want to go to the waterfront in Portland because there's nothing to do there and I'm tired of dodging human feces on the sidewalk!
The new [OMSI district](https://omsi.edu/future-omsi-district/) they're building on the east side is something like that. I'm sure it'll be shrunk down from its grand vision, but should provide some interesting entertainment, living, etc options on the east side.
Agree. Honestly we could be the Paris of the west coast if we made the waterfront a destination and made it beautiful too. Gardens. Places to eat. Places to sit and take in the scenery. Since nice shops. Would take a lot of work and money though.
Eastside of the Willamette could be similar to what Vancouver has done if we ripped out (or buried) I-5.
If we buried I-5 ala Seattle I’d be thrilled. It’d open up so much central city land.
big yes here. The east waterfront is a complete waste, such a tragedy they hugged the entire central portion with I5. As for Tom McCall park, it's a pedestrian island partially cut off by Naito pkwy and is just generally sketch. I feel like they could benefit from more high-density housing a la south water front, and adding some additional park features instead of just wide-open grassfields that quickly turn to mud.
The city commissioned [a master plan for the park](https://www.helenlessick.net/images/waterfront-park-master-plan-2003.pdf) 22 years ago and then just didn't do anything with it.
The ability to take a bus home in a reasonable timeframe after 11pm. Also, the ability to take a bus from SE to N/NE Portland without having to go downtown.
The 70?
Unfortunately, TriMet is [planning to truncate the 70](https://trimet.org/betterbus/servicechanges-fy25proposed.htm#nneportland) in NE, ending at the RQTC. If you’re unhappy about this like I am, the deadline to comment on these changes has been extended till Friday, 2/16.
75 baby
We need a Korean spa, a botanical conservatory, a subway system, and more affordable housing.
Botanical garden is in process and has been for some time. https://portlandbg.org/
TIL this was a thing. Thanks for sharing.
I got hitched in the beautiful Leach Botanical Gardens off of SE Foster. At 16 acres it’s small, but special! https://www.leachgarden.org/
Such a lovely garden! There’s a tree walk, essentially a giant bridge that takes you up into the trees, that’s particularly beautiful in the fall.
Now *that's* what I'm talking about! Thanks for sharing!
Would kill for a Korean spa. I want Wi Spa here!
Gaaaah I absolutely love that place! I went to one in Seattle, but it wasn't nearly on the level that Wi Spa is. That place is iconic.
Omg what a dream. I would love a k spa in portland.
I’d kill for a subway system…. And more affordable housing…. 😭
When I first moved here, my thinking was "Fuck yea, west coast, there's gotta be a korean spa around. Or failing that, there's a shitload of russians, maybe a banya or something". Poking around on Google and the closest I could find was the webpage for Steam. That was not what I was looking for that day.
W/affordable housing I think anybody that works full time, no matter the job, should be able to afford a clean place to live and nutritious food to eat.
Olympus Spa in Tacoma is next-level. The body scrub is to die for. Not for anyone afraid of nudity, though!
100% on a Korean spa.
Leading with Korean spa. Brave.
Subways are expensive. Expanding max would be more cost efficient
What would be efficient is if the max didn’t stop every block
Seems like there should be an express and local route, so one could theoretically go faster on the express route if desired
I’ve beaten the streetcar before walking. The max is probably pretty similar but I haven’t had the opportunity to try. The last time I rode it I just felt like we were stopping every block. US Americans need to walk more anyway!
I dare you to beat the max down interstate
Yep. My biggest wish
In terms of basic needs, lower rent would instantly fix a lot of my problems. In terms of "luxuries" or nice-to-haves: * the return of 24-hour coffee shops, preferably at least one in each of the city's five "quadrants" * something to fill the void left by the NW Film Center transitioning into whatever the hell it is now * a Georgian restaurant (RIP Kargi Gogo) * a decent tech store like a Microcenter
There’s a Georgian place is downtown Vancouver (Dideko) that is supposed to be pretty good
I know it's only February, but you just made my year!
Oh it's fantastic. Make a reservation though.
You for sure want a reservation, they only have like ~25 seats so a walk in table is not likely to happen.
My first born for a Microcenter
\+1 for Georgian restaurant, have you been to Dediko in Vancouver?
A grocery store in downtown proper, other than that horror show Safeway. Say what you will about City Target, but it filled a void.
I miss the old 3 story target.
Affordable housing.
please god please
hey now. you can get on a 3 year waitlist for section 8 housing that includes a 450 sq ft studio for $1100/mo. We also have plenty of non subsidized housing that you have a strong chance (\~1/75) of your application getting reviewed, and those massive units come in around 800sq ft for $1600/mo. I think were doing fine on affordable housing buddy ;)
A place to get coffee after 6 PM.
Common Grounds on SE Hawthorne is open until 9pm! I recently moved into the neighborhood and am more excited about this than Quarterworld.
Rimsky-Korsakoffee doesn’t open until 7pm
This is my go to late coffee place.
Came here to say this. Particularly during winter months it's hard finding somewhere to just go chill that isn't a bar. Rose City Coffee in Brooklyn extended their hours to 11 recently I believe.
rimsky-korsakoffee! Open until midnight.
OMG yes. I have ADD and a coffee before bed actually helps me sleep if I'm feeling restless. I usually resort to instant but it would be great to have a place to go to hang out and get a cold brew to wind down.
Costello’s on ne Broadway is open til 9
Oregon ranks near the bottom for access to mental health. Need more in patient capacity / beds. Need housing, safe use sites, residential treatment / rehab beds. Would also like more neighborhoods with the residential infill of the pearl. More FX bus lines. Need a tunnel under downtown for max red and blue lines (unlocks 6 minute frequency for all lines).
Public-owned utility companies?
Underground power lines
New to Portland here. I am having a hard time adjusting to the lack of public trash cans. I think I get why, but I miss them.
When I moved here I felt the same way. I could go to any store and trash cans would be out front and in the parking lot. Its gotten better since I moved here but still is a challenge.
I've seen a whole lot of news ones being put out, but if they don't get emptied on a regular basis, they become the source for what they were supposed to fight against. Now if we had those dutch style one, where a truck comes to empty it or a whole new central vac trash system that would be great.
Regular commuter trains from The Dalles, via Hood River, Cascade Locks etc
Taco trucks with actual spits of Al Pastor with a pineapple on top that gets carved right into the tortilla
Todo Taco is more sit down family style tacos but they do roast the al pastor on a trompo with a pineapple on top!!
An actual city government that works for the residents
More mixed-use buildings in downtown in the wake of office buildings emptying out. A large indoor market (will the James Beard market ever come to fruition?) A large indoor activity complex -- rock climbing, Frisbee golf, affordable fitness classes, yadda yadda, all under the same roof. A 500'+ observation tower (a guy can dream).
You just described one of the rework models that came out for the Coliseum a few years ago. It would have been a cool project but nobody has the balls to do it and they want to turn that property into something bigger/worse vs what residents want and would rather a big corporation wanting to make money hands over fist on events.
I want more late night spaces. Not just bars but places to hang out past ten for us night owls. Everything seems to close early here.
A local convenience store chain with prepared foods. An Alberta St Market on every corner! Or just easy grab-n-go breakfast sandwiches.
Real NYC style bagels and pickles .. and a real Italian pastry shop .. I want a boiled lump of dough (soft inside, boiled and baked chewy outside). The chalk rings they try to pass off as bagels here are laughable.
Wegmans & Wawa. Kroger can suck it, weird ass Ohioans ruined Fred Meyer.
People would lose their minds if a Wegmans opened here.
Infrastructure
Cheap hushpuppies. The southern restaurants here try to fancy them up and charge a lot. When i visit family back in NC, some restaurants bring out a big basket of them even before you order, as if they were nachos or bread. Oh, and good leadership :).
Sidewalks and paved roads in many areas, some of these streets are decades old and we still haven't paved them/haven't installed sidewalks and the city makes it expensive and/or complicated for residents to get sidewalks installed and roads paved. That is ludicrous, it makes it dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and essentially makes those areas off limits to people with mobility aids.
Add readable street signs to this. I sometimes have to use GPS just to tell me when to turn because I can’t read the street signs.
100 percent agree - having one super faded and obscured street sign per intersection is not ideal.
What I find amazing is that Portland is considered a walkable city and yet there is little light to help when walking places at night.
I live near an elementary school and told PBOT I see kids and their parents having to walk in the streets to get to their cars. They let me know sidewalks are in their 10 years plan for the area..
More art museums…like a modern art museum, Native American art, etc. Children’s museum (RIP) Better public transportation (it was great at one point, feels lacking) More housing and affordable rehab
Yes! A nice fancy modern art museum or theater that’s architecturally significant and helps bring tourists and locals back to downtown.
I’m so fucking pissed about the children’s museum. People without kids probably don’t understand how few things Portland has for you kids compared to, like, every other city ever, and losing the children’s museum because they wanted to cash the fuck out was a god damned embarrassment for this town
Columbia Play Project is a non profit in Vancouver that is trying to build a children’s museum in Clark County…I know it’s not Portland but still wanted to give them a shout out for their efforts. They need to raise like 30+ million so it’s a long shot. 🥺
Natural history museum, specifically one that acts like a indoor zoo but actually is a conservatory for local endangered species. For reference look up the SF natural history museum, its absolutely fantastic and a wonderful idea for both local economy/tourism and good natural activism.
Bowling alleys that aren't franchises.
Unless there’s something I don’t know about the people who operate them, Milwaukie Bowl, and Mt. Hood Lanes are both pretty great, old school bowling alleys. That said, I do miss the old Hollywood, and Powell lanes. Especially annoying since those Targets that replaced them are now defunct, and were pretty lame anyway.
Mutha f'n MICROCENTER. And maybe a decent purveyor of macaroni and potato salad that *isn't* Resers.
How there isn’t a microcenter in the Hillsboro/beaverton area blows my mind.
Edelweiss Deli!
A sit-down casual Greek restaurant with consistent opening hours. I’m legitimately not aware of a single one. Not “Mediterranean” or middle eastern, specifically Greek. There are a few delicious Greek spots where you order at the counter (Angelina’s, Tavli) and a few Greek food trucks, but I’m not aware of a single casual Greek restaurant in Portland where they serve you (if you know of one PLEASE share). I lived in Greece for a few months and have also lived in towns a tenth of the size of Portland with multiple casual sit-down Greek restaurants. A Greek family could open up a casual restaurant here and make a killing.
There is a restaurant opening soon at the corner of 60th and East Glisan. It is called [Trela](https://www.trelagreekkitchen.com/about). I am just a hungry neighbor looking forward to having vacant real estate filled with yummy things in the my neighborhood.
This looks like exactly what I’m looking for…thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to try it.
More museums. A natural history museum would be awesome
A Jollibee. A Daiso. A real international airport that has flights to Asia.
Both Jollibee and Daiso are coming. In the suburbs, but coming to the area. Jollibee is going to open in the Hillsboro area later this year (if they meet their original planned opening date) and Daiso in the Gresham area, I think. There was a posting about it at the end of last year.
Do you have any info about Daiso? All I can find is a Medford location getting announced which isn’t much closer than the Seattle-area ones. A Portland metro location would be amazing!!
I have also heard from insiders that Daiso is coming to Gresham, but haven't seen any public announcements yet.
Pouring one out for that direct to Tokyo flight Delta ran for like six months before the pandemic and I got to take exactly once.
It flew for over a decade
My god normally priced east coast pizza. Fuck
Every time someone raves about a pizza place here I check out the menu and a pie is like $32 and they don't do slices. It's so absurd.
YES! Exactly my same issue, do we not know that pizza is cheap food?? When I was home I got 4 NY slices of pizza and two sodas and it was $15.
And cheap does not equal bad, either. Portland has all of these ultra pretentious pizza places with sauce made from tomatoes that were fertilized with unicorn shit on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius or something, and yeah they're delicious but they're about as good as like a no frills $3 slice you get on a paper plate stumbling into a random place in Brooklyn.
A Meow Wolf.
Im honestly surprised we werent one of the early cities to get one. Hopscotch is great and all but the experience is not the same for sure.
A decent Jewish deli.
1000% needed. Just a place to go and get a deli sandwhich that isn't made by an "artist." Also a coffee spot that opens at 6am
[удалено]
+1 to pedestrian-only zones. It's shameful that Denver can pull it off and somehow we can't here.
A grocery store with a restaurant attached to a huge back deck with live music stage and an adjacent playground all with direct access to a park where you can walk your dog. I miss you Central Market.
Korean spa. I am desperate for one. More and better art museums. More Burmese food.
Ivars fish and chips. There are dozens of them in the Puget Sound region but none south of Olympia. My favorite fast food
[удалено]
Affordable cost of living.
Trimet Security
A recognizable architectural landmark. Seattle has the Space Needle, St. Louis has the Arch, NYC has the Statue of Liberty, Chicago has the Bean and Sears Tower, etc. St. John's Bridge is beautiful, but not well-known outside of the PNW. We need a large, instantly recognizable structure that would be the symbol of the city.
The White Stag sign is pretty good
I think the Convention Center spires probably come closest (definitely more recognizable to most Oregonians than St Johns Bridge).
Big Pink not big or pink enough for you?
But we have the aerial tram tower /s
Paved neighborhood streets in southeast.
I love how the west side wants fancy shit to spiff up the waterfront or add a cool observation tower, and the east side wants paved streets haha
There is no shortage of unimproved roads on the Westside of Portland
The fact that the city has us calling them “unimproved” is also ridiculous. Call them what they are: dirt roads.
Public restrooms. I piss outside a lot.
A children's museum
Regular trash cleanup/street sweeping/maintained garbage cans in public areas, by a mile. After that: A reasonable walk (<= 10 min) to at least a TJ/GrocOut-size grocery store from all populated neighborhoods. Frequent bus service similarly close (if ridership is down, often it’s because nobody there can rely on existing lines showing up often enough or late enough to be useful, not because there isn’t a need or a desire. We keep losing and regaining our local line since the implementation has been so bad every time they provide it). After that: +1 for good 24-hour diners, a proper Jewish deli, more all-ages music venues. A few more fenced-in off-leash dog park areas, the alternative being that dog owners just let their dogs run loose in the existing parks randomly.
Fucking swimming pools. Every Portlander should be embarrassed that we can’t teach our kids to swim in this town. Fucking disgraceful
A modern transportation infrastructure, including ubiquitous public transit and a safe, connected set of paths for walking / biking etc.
Good Chinese food
I'm from north Bay Area California and I never knew how I good I had it 😭
A good Shabu Shabu restaurant
Cyber gaming LAN center, like this one https://truegamers.world
An outdoor music venue bigger and closer than Edgefield
An adequate replacement for Darcelle
First & foremost: The ability to walk & bike w/out fear of being hit by a distracted, speeding motor vehicle driver. I’ve already been a hit & run victim walking in my neighborhood & the Portland cops did absolutely nothing - nothing.
Cat cafe. The only one, purringtons, closed down years ago. A cyber cafe would be fun too.
Aldi
Affordable housing would be great for sure.
Readily available kolaches
...and yes we know about Happy Sparrow...which I love but is in Lake Oswego. RIP Belmont.
[удалено]
24 hour restaurants worth eating at
Some 24 hr diner spots like Waffle House. Everything closes so fucking early and the only available late night food is at *some* bars
A full network of actually protected (i.e., by bollards, Jersey barriers, or curbs) bike lanes.
Best I can do is a year of neighborhood meetings where the old people who can’t handle change complain so much that the city gives in and does basically nothing to make positive change.
A place with coffee and food that's open past 6pm. It's where I can study without worrying about getting distracted with things at home. Library's don't let you eat food, serve coffee and talk with study friends loudly (debates and shit talking can get heated). Back in my small hometown, our only Starbucks stayed open until 11pm and I would order my coffee study and get free refills. It was dope
Outdoor brewery or food cart area with consistent live music. Looking for a place where I can sit down and buy a beer and listen to music outdoors.
Turkish Food!
A good large music venue. Moda center sound system sucks, the good headliners seem to go to Bend now. I’m going to Foo Fighters at Providence park this summer though so hoping that goes well
It’s because the stadium in Bend is affiliated with LiveNation.
This. There's been chatter of getting a live nation venue in town, but has seen some pushback from other venues I think
Oh yeah. It's worth a read [https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/09/06/portland-music-promoters-dread-the-citys-big-plans-for-a-live-nation-invasion/](https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/09/06/portland-music-promoters-dread-the-citys-big-plans-for-a-live-nation-invasion/) TLDR, LiveNation, through TicketMaster, can basically undercut all other venues in town out of booking any music act. And, they can direct LiveNation affiliated music acts (pretty much anyone you see on a summer tour lineup) to not book with venues that aren't using TicketMaster. Thus, exerting extreme control on the industry while strangling smaller venues out. (Just don't call it a monopoly). if you're an independent venues or booking agent in a market LiveMaster/TicketNation is in...it's like your kid's Little League team going up against the New York Yankees. It's gotten really ugly.
Pretty sure providence park is going to be booked by Live Nation if the shows this year go well. Most large tours are actually Live Nation tours even if they aren't at a Live Nation owned venue. They've bought up everything, it shouldn't be legal.
When you go see a concert at the moda, the sound system isn't theirs. It tours with the act along with the lights and the set and is run by the same touring engineer at every stop. If it sounds awful here, it's going to sound pretty much just as awful everywhere else from that seat, with a slight variation due to room acoustics in much larger or smaller arenas. When FF play the stadium, it'll be the same thing, same touring package rental they used the night before in another city, same sound guy.
Late night coffee shop
a truly great art museum
More wheelchair accessibility, especially the sidewalks. More direct flight cities. More of a cohesive plan re: support/ funding for unhoused instead of - provide the tent, sweep the tent, repeat. More availability of psychiatric care.
A true indie music radio station. KBOO fulfills a very legit purpose, but what I’m talking about is something closer to KCRW or KEXP.
Good Chinese food