Cool, small walkable towns near Portland

[roneb]

As Deezus has alluded to, LO vs Ore City is an easy comparison. The stereo type of LO is the doctors, lawyers, and realtors - upscale and preppy. Oregon City is the guys who worked the paper milled and walked down the street for a few beers with their buddy after their shift.

Also, the Trail's End Saloon in Oregon City has good blues music.

[AcroJimmy2]

Thanks everyone! Its narrowed down to McMinnville, Oregon City, or Multnomah.

Whats the main intersection of Multnomah's street activity? Any hotels anywhere near there?

[Rob Allen]

The heart of Multnomah Village is along Capitol Highway from SW 31st to the overpass over Multnomah Blvd. The nearest hotels are on Barbur Blvd.; Google Maps shows four of them close to the Village - search for hotels near Multnomah Arts Center.

And I think John's Market is #2 in beer selection - #1 is Belmont Station on the east side of Portland. Both are immense and I could easily be wrong.

[philwithbeard]

FYI:
Multnomah is a small village type small shops and foodie places. Only a few blocks long. Known to be mostly "crunchy granola" types strolling (and with baby strollers) on Sunday Mid-day. Way cool for aging Yuppies on a Sunday window shopping trip, from what I know. The village shops are off the beaten path from any main drag.

The best is to take the Multnomah exit from I-5 heading south. Exit 296B, I think, but the exit is somewhat hidden by trees and such on the road, and it comes up quick with the terrain.

The exit ramp becomes SW Multnomah BLVD. The actual shopping district will be 2 blocks on your right after 34th ST (about 2 or 3 miles from exit ramp.) Watch for a store Grand Central Baking on the corner of SW 34th street. You want to turn Right at 35th street.

The next street after 35th is a one way street heading to the central shopping street(s) and then the one way streets get very confusing. I was told to be sure to take the 1st turn after Grand Central Banking and head up to SW Troy St, Left turn and drive one block to SW 36th and make another left (one way) and then find a parking space wherever you can legally park by looping the one way streets. Google map it, and it will make more sense.

Two or three block away from the "central" shopping blocks is Lucky Labrador on the corner of SW Capital Highway and SW 31st. Cool place by reputation, but I haven't been inside.

There is a Bed and Breakfast "Well Dressed Bed" in the Multnomah Village area (that's per Google, but I haven't ever noticed it.)
You can also Google the Fulton House in SW Portland down near the river front. I would hesitate trying to find that place late at night, as the streets and roads are not well marked, IMHO. Fulton House may be a bit rustic.

You might go ahead and look into the low-end motels on SW Barbur Blvd. I strongly urge you to consider only mid-range major chain motels on Barbur Blvd that are at least 2 miles south of where I-5 exit & Multnomah Blvd intersects Barbur Blvd (aka route 99W). (There should be a Safeway Grocery Store at that corner, IIRC.)

HTH

Phil

PS: You see, the reason for all this complex driving directions is Multnomah Village is still part of the City of Portland, but it is very well hidden behind a wall of trees and undergrowth and if you didn't know you were going there, it is very hard to find that place. Known for it's concentration of well educated, Doctors, Lawyers, Dentist and such. Well I should say, Intern Doctors, Junior staff Lawyers, and hoping to someday have their own Dentist office practice types of families.

[sofia76]

I would go with Oregon City or McMinnville.