Up past the more famous rose garden on the west side is an arboretum with hiking trails and a zoo. Great views of Portland’s downtown and Mt. St. Helens in the distance. It’s very peaceful and any time of year it’s a nice and quick escape from the city, just takes under 10 minutes to get to.

Located in the best little strip mall in Portland. Tiga has great drinks, music, and food for you to enjoy. Then wander 2 doors down to Beacon Sound and flip through a well-curated collection of vinyl records.

Behind the Museum Cafe is a Japanese cafe, very bright and open with charming design. It is usually pretty quiet, and they have a great menu with onigiri, Japanese tea cakes, matcha and hojicha lattes, teas, mochi, etc. The space is also a shop, they have ceramics, kimono, cards and other small items. It is next door to Canoe, a favorite design shop.

The best sushi and the cheapest, which normally doesn’t make sense, but it really is. It’s a train too so it’s easy to grab a seat and eat whatever you like for as long as you like. Classic 80’s hits help wash it all down. Probably my most frequented restaurant in Portland.

This neighborhood theater is one of the oldest movie houses in the U.S. It opened up in 1915. I love to see movies here, especially screenings put on by Cinema Project. They are a collectively run, non-profit that screens amazing avant-garde films from the past and present.