Neighborhood:
West Burnside Drawing Portland State University students and city center junkies, this ’hood mixes some of Portland’s oldest high-density dwellings with flashy ((read more)google.com/?q=and spendy) new apartments. Fehrenbacher Hof (1225 SW 19th Ave.,Portland,OR">and spendy) new apartments. Fehrenbacher Hof (1225 SW 19th Ave., 223-4493) is a grand old house converted into a comfy coffee hangout for locals, and the Goose Hollow Inn (1927 SW Jefferson St., 228-7010) is a PDX classic, known as much for its killer sandwiches as for its owner, former Portland mayor Bud Clark. In the summer, stop by for a Reuben and a brew on the way to PGE Park (1844 SW Morrison St., 553-5400) for a Beavers game (although one brew leads to another, which in turn leads to saying to hell with minor league ball and watching MLB action on TV over Reuben number two). PGE Park hosts more than baseball: The Timbers USL soccer squad starts up every April, and PSU’s Vikings football team takes over in the fall. During games, the area is overrun with cars, pedestrians and occasional fireworks displays. Goose Hollow is the last in-town stop for the westbound MAX before it dives underground, tunneling out to the zoo and westside suburbia beyond. If you need a relaxed and comfortable place for out-of-towners to stay—away from the downtown bustle, yet within walking distance of everything—opt for the swanky, silver screen-themed, Portland-centric Hotel deLuxe (729 SW 15th Ave., 219-2094). —Deeda Schroeder.
Featured in Drink Guide 2007
Bartender’s choice: A room divider filled with bottom-lit, Blue Velvet-esque snake plants adds a hip charm.Despite a new sign and some fancy, matador-related neon lights gracing the classic, blacked-out windows, the new owners of this favorite P-town dive have changed things only subtly—and for the better. Freshly painted, deep-red walls are noticeable only after your eyes adjust to the dim light of new, slightly swanky fixtures. It’s still dark and smoky, the tunes are still good, and the elder bartendress who seems a permanent fixture still pours your drinks. Let’s hear it for consistency! HAPPY HOUR, DRINK SPECIALS, DJs, VIDEO POKER, TV, JUKEBOX, GAMES. (AGM)
