Safest area for single woman to stay for a weekend trip? (Portland: where to stay, rental)

[JorElaMac]

Hi,

I am hoping someone local can give me some pointers on where to stay as a single woman traveling alone. I am aware that any neighborhood can be unsafe and that I will still have to very aware of my surroundings. However, if I want to walk to dinner and then back after dark I would prefer to avoid some of the higher crime areas.

I am planning to just do and Airbnb rental for a 3 day weekend on a layover to see family.

I am leaning towards places in the SE Division that are walk-able to restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. I will have a car though. Is there anything I should be aware of in the neighborhood. The places seem to be off of Burnside or Hawthorne.

Or if someone has another suggestion for an area with fun pubs and food trucks I would love that!

Thanks for any local expert recommendations. I love exploring a new city, I just want to be safe about it.

J

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by JorElaMac

Hi,

I am hoping someone local can give me some pointers on where to stay as a single woman traveling alone. I am aware that any neighborhood can be unsafe and that I will still have to very aware of my surroundings. However, if I want to walk to dinner and then back after dark I would prefer to avoid some of the higher crime areas.

I am planning to just do and Airbnb rental for a 3 day weekend on a layover to see family.

I am leaning towards places in the SE Division that are walk-able to restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. I will have a car though. Is there anything I should be aware of in the neighborhood. The places seem to be off of Burnside or Hawthorne.

Or if someone has another suggestion for an area with fun pubs and food trucks I would love that!

Thanks for any local expert recommendations. I love exploring a new city, I just want to be safe about it.

J

I would check for airbnbs in NW Portland maybe near NW 23rd or The Pearl just because there is a bit of real nightlife especially if you are a single woman traveling alone. The NW hoods have access to MAX but honestly, you can walk to many neighborhoods to enjoy museums, Washington Park( zoo, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden) and there are many nice bars to meet locals for nice conversation. I wouldn’t recommend most East side hoods except Sellwood. Hawethorne has many annoying tourists and doesn’t have much in the way of nice bars/ restaurants.

[JorElaMac]

Thanks so much. This is exactly the feedback I was looking for.

[Minervah]

I would go with Hawthorne. I lived in the neighborhood for decades. I can personally recommend the locally frequented Barley Mill Pub where young people from the neighborhood can choose to sit at long tables to meet and chat. Families go there too. That’s on 21st and Hawthorne, owned by the McMinnemen Bros so you know the food and beer is excellent. Then, if they haven't torn it down in the four years I’ve been gone, there’s Claudia’s in the corner of 30th and Hawthorne. It’s a sports bar but a real old time local hang out and down and across the street from the Hawthorne Hostel which has single rooms to rent and is a great place to meet people. Further down the street are all kinds of shops and restaurants.

If you are staying on a weekend all the trendy places will be crowds with tourists: Hawthorne, Division, NW etc. All will be equally safe or unsafe depending upon your point of view. As a former long time Portland resident, my only concern would be to avoid the Park Blocks, where the art museum is located, at night or very early morning. I used to have to walk through there to get to work at one time in that area and was accosted by aggressive panhandlers. There are many downtown as well but with so many other people around that probably will not be much of a concern.

Taking the trolley which goes from one end of downtown all through NW is a good idea. It will save a lot of time walking and give you more time at places you may want to go. It’s a short bus ride along either Hawthorne or Division to downtown. I wouldn’t take the car. It would be a hassle and expensive trying to find parking.

As in any city, just try to stay in the light and stick with the crowds. It’s probably the safest way to go.

The thing I like about either the Hawthorne or Division neighborhoods is just a couple blocks off the main drag you can see nice little neighborhoods.

[Sherwoody]

Be prepared to be shocked by the huge homeless population, it's much different than that on Oahu. (If that is where you are coming in from)