Getting Around
Popular bike lanes on Williams and Vancouver Avenues take you to and from downtown in minutes, as do nearby bus routes, making downtown a mere 10-15 journey away.
The Max "Yellow" light rail line taking you to connections to all points, including the airport, is a 15 to 20-minute walk away.
Bicycle Rental
Portland is a city of neighborhoods, and the best way for visitors to explore them is by foot or by bike.
You can rent electric bicycles by the hour anywhere in town where you see the orange BikeTown bike stations. The nearest station is at the corner of NE Going Street and Grand Avenue, at the southwest end of the King Elementary School playground.
But if you want to rent non-electric bikes by the day, the closest bike rental shop is just three blocks away, Everybody’s Bike Rentals and Tours, at the corner of NE Wygant and Garfield. During the winter they are open by appointment and can be reached at 503-358-0152.
There should be a business card of theirs inside the cottage offering a 10 percent discount. Tell them you are staying at the Portland Eco House and that you have this card so that you can get this discount.
NEARBY THINGS TO SEE AND DO
The Portland Eco House is delightfully located within short walking or driving distance from four distinct strips of locally owned shops, art galleries, bars, coffee shops, tea houses, eateries, and live music venues.
One-half block away is lively Alberta Street with its long stretch going all the way from NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd to NE 33rd Avenue.
Highlights of Alberta are the super popular, all-vegan Bye and Bye bar — which has some very tasty bowls, the Alberta Street Pub, which hosts live music on its covered patio throughout the year, Radio Room, Wild Thing, Alberta Cooperative Grocery, the home goods store EcoVibe, a selection of clothing stores such as Frock, several art galleries, and the Alberta Rose Theatre, a live music venue.
For breakfast and brunch, many guests have sworn by Carioca Bowls at the corner of 8th Avenue, while the Tin Shed is by far one of the most busy breakfast and brunch spots in Portland, with waits up to an hour or more. Right across from it on 14th Avenue, however, Fuel Cafe has its own tasty breakfast menu and waits are not nearly as long.
Several Mexican spots can be enjoyed on Alberta, a couple of good, authentic holes in the wall included, as well as several Thai eateries.
Outside the Salt and Straw ice cream parlor you can join the long line always there waiting to order a couple scoops.
Basically, just walk up the strip and you’ll find the right food to please your taste buds and get your browsing and shopping in along the way.
One block away from the Portland Eco House is Williams Avenue with its nearly as long a stretch of its own variety of similar offerings.
From the house also it's a short pleasant tree-lined walk to North Albina Avenue, which jogs into Mississippi Avenue, also overflowing with a myriad of locally owned shops, restaurants, and pubs.
A block north of Alberta on N. Albina, Sweedeedee servers homestyle breakfasts and lunch from its counter, garnering rave reviews.
Just to the south, tucked behind the Cherry Sprout Produce market, the tiny Red Fox bar’s covered lawn seating is a hip hangout place.
Back south of Alberta, the Victoria Bar on North Albina is another popular bar that also serves breakfast/brunch and dinner from a generous menu, with lots of vegan options, if you like that.
Killingsworth Street is just a 5-minute, tree-lined walk away, where is situated a strip of more locally owned venues anchored by Jefferson High School, Portland Community College, and a public library branch housed in an historic Carnegie library building.
Next door to the library, in a former funeral home, the Little Chapel of the Chimes restaurant and pub serves basic American grub plus some higher-end plates, along with McMenamin’s craft beers.
The McMenamins are two brothers who own and operate about 80 restaurants, bars and hotels in Oregon and Washington, most of them in old historic buildings that they've renovated and hired teams of artists to adorn them with all kinds of paintings and decorations that tell the properties’ histories, which is what they did with the Little Chapel.
A five-minute drive up on NE 33rd Avenue, one block north of Killingsworth, the Kennedy School, is another treasure restored by the McMenamins, an old Italianate style elementary school, housing inside of it several quirkily decorated restaurants and bars, as well as classrooms converted into hotel rooms, a hot pool that anyone can pay a few bucks an hour to soak in, and a movie theater. It's a trip just going up and down the halls looking at all the amazing artwork and decorations.
Going a few blocks back towards this way on Killingsworth Street at the intersection of 30th Avenue will take you to a cluster of watering holes and eateries, including two Italian restaurants, Dame and Gabbiano’s, the bars Wilder and Expatriate, and the Thai restaurant, Yui. The People’s Yoga studio is also at that intersection, and walk-ins are accepted for all their classes.
On Killingsworth between 16th and 17th Avenues,
North Interstate Avenue intersects Killingsworth going north and south, and there you can stop into the classic Alibi tiki bar as well as an array of other bars and restaurants.
Numerous grocery stores are also situated just a walk or quick drive away.
