Neighborhood:
Interstate Avenue, North Russell & Overlook Anyone who pines for the golden age of the labor unions need look no further than these North Portland tracts along the Willamette’s east bank. (read more) Overlook Park (North Fremont Street and Interstate Avenue), above Swan Island, is the only place around where a panorama of truck yards feels like discovering Shangri-La. Running parallel to the river, Interstate Avenue is likewise a paean to forgotten industry, from the freeway overhead to the adjacent island loading docks to the 1940s neon tiki-temple sign craft of The Alibi karaoke lounge (4024 N Interstate Ave., 287-5335) and The Palms Motel (3801 N Interstate Ave., 287-5788, palmsmotel.com). Even Russell Street, possibly best known for critically acclaimed tapas powerhouse Toro Bravo (120 NE Russell St., 281-4464, torobravopdx.com) or Wonder Ballroom (128 NE Russell St., 284-8686), houses both the sprawling Widmer Brothers Brewing Company (929 N Russell St., 281-2437, widmer.com) and a bar, Sloan’s Tavern (36 N Russell St., 287-2262), so moto-lodge old-school it has the cab of a Mack truck actually embedded into its road-diner shell. First round’s on you, ghost of the workingman. Make mine an Iron City can, and we’ll drink to the America that still matters. —Matt Korfhage
