Locations, Accommodations, and Transportation
Locations To Be Aware Of
This map gives you an overview of the important addresses associated with the Celebration:
Accommodations
If you haven't made arrangements already, and aren't sure where you'd like to stay while you're in Portland, "the locals" (Jessie and Mike Johnson, Emily and David) will be happy to point you in the right direction. If you don't know how to make contact, just email us@dgplusej.com.
Public Transportation
Portland has great public transportation, so, even if you don't want to rent a car while you're here, you should have no trouble getting around.
TriMet, the organization in charge of our bus and light rail service, has excellent tools to help you find your way. Just plug your starting and ending addresses into www.trimet.org, select your arrival or departure time, and you're on your way. Or, use the "Advanced options" link to further fine tune your trip planning.
Zipcar
Portland is a Zipcar city, so, if you're a member, you know what to do! (And if you're not, you might want to give this ingenious service a look.)
Layout of Portland: The Big Picture
Portland prides itself in being easy to get around by foot, bike, car, or public transit. The city is laid out using a grid system, and is divided into four quadrants. Clockwise from top left, these are: Northwest (with the teal pin), Northeast (with the purple pin), Southeast (with the green pin), and Southwest (with the yellow pin).
The city is divided North from South by Burnside St., marked with the red pin, and East from West by the Willamette River, marked with the blue pin. (For the out-of-towners in the group, "Willamette" is pronounced "whi-LAMM-it," and "Oregon" is pronounced "OR-a-g'n.")
All streets are marked with a NW, NE, SE, or SW prefix, denoting the quadrant they are carrying you through. As Burnside St. is the North-South dividing line, it is the only street marked just E on the East side of the river, or W on the west side.
The Quadrants
Southeast (SE) is a lively mix of residential neighborhoods, small shops, art spaces, and eateries, and is the part of the city Emily and David call home.
Northeast (NE) is similar in makeup to South East, and is probably Portland's fastest growing and most racially diverse quadrant.
Southwest (SW) is where Portland's downtown is located, and is primarily a business district until you venture a bit further afield. In the more suburban areas of Southwest, you'll find lovely houses with big, tree-filled yards, including that of Emily's parents, Jessie and Mike Johnson.
Northwest (NW), once primarily an industrial center, now claims the lion's share of Portland's upscale boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and lofts. NW 21st and 23rd Avenues are jam-packed with that sort of fare, as is Portland's Pearl District.
The Grid
The grid covers basically all of Northeast and Southeast, as well as the more central parts of North- and Southwest. Within the grid, streets running parallel to the river are numbered, and streets running perpendicular to the river are named.
The numbered streets' numbers are counted upwards from the river, with the river representing the "zero" block. (If the numbered streets' numbers are increasing, you are moving away from the river.) Each block between two numbered streets represents a century of addresses, numbers 0 - 99 on a named street being between the river and 1st Ave., 100 - 199 between 1st and 2nd Aves., 200 - 299 between 2nd and 3rd, and so on.
Likewise, address numbers on numbered streets are counted upwards from Burnside, with Burnside representing the "zero" block. (If the address numbers on a numbered street are increasing, you are moving away from Burnside.) And, as with blocks bordered by numbered streets, each block bordered by named streets represents a century of addresses.
Portland's largely logical and well-signed system will probably come as quite a shock to those of you visiting us from the Boston area. But, in time, I think you'll find that the convenience gained well outweighs the feelings of panic and confusion lost. And, if not, you can always pay a visit to the seemingly paradoxical diagonals and rotaries of beautiful Ladd's Addition. (Just be sure to pack food and water!)
This map gives you an overview of the important addresses associated with the Celebration:
- Emily & David's house, at 214 SE 8th Ave.
- Jessie & Mike Johnson's (Emily's parents) house, at 7101 SW 63rd Ave.
- The Hotel Vintage Plaza, at 422 SW Broadway
- Pazzo Ristorante (in the Hotel Vintage Plaza), at 627 SW Washington St., and
- The Lion and the Rose B & B (where much of David's family is staying), at 1810 NE 15th Ave.
Accommodations
If you haven't made arrangements already, and aren't sure where you'd like to stay while you're in Portland, "the locals" (Jessie and Mike Johnson, Emily and David) will be happy to point you in the right direction. If you don't know how to make contact, just email us@dgplusej.com.
Public Transportation
Portland has great public transportation, so, even if you don't want to rent a car while you're here, you should have no trouble getting around.
TriMet, the organization in charge of our bus and light rail service, has excellent tools to help you find your way. Just plug your starting and ending addresses into www.trimet.org, select your arrival or departure time, and you're on your way. Or, use the "Advanced options" link to further fine tune your trip planning.
Zipcar
Portland is a Zipcar city, so, if you're a member, you know what to do! (And if you're not, you might want to give this ingenious service a look.)
Layout of Portland: The Big Picture
Portland prides itself in being easy to get around by foot, bike, car, or public transit. The city is laid out using a grid system, and is divided into four quadrants. Clockwise from top left, these are: Northwest (with the teal pin), Northeast (with the purple pin), Southeast (with the green pin), and Southwest (with the yellow pin).
The city is divided North from South by Burnside St., marked with the red pin, and East from West by the Willamette River, marked with the blue pin. (For the out-of-towners in the group, "Willamette" is pronounced "whi-LAMM-it," and "Oregon" is pronounced "OR-a-g'n.")
All streets are marked with a NW, NE, SE, or SW prefix, denoting the quadrant they are carrying you through. As Burnside St. is the North-South dividing line, it is the only street marked just E on the East side of the river, or W on the west side.
The Quadrants
Southeast (SE) is a lively mix of residential neighborhoods, small shops, art spaces, and eateries, and is the part of the city Emily and David call home.
Northeast (NE) is similar in makeup to South East, and is probably Portland's fastest growing and most racially diverse quadrant.
Southwest (SW) is where Portland's downtown is located, and is primarily a business district until you venture a bit further afield. In the more suburban areas of Southwest, you'll find lovely houses with big, tree-filled yards, including that of Emily's parents, Jessie and Mike Johnson.
Northwest (NW), once primarily an industrial center, now claims the lion's share of Portland's upscale boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and lofts. NW 21st and 23rd Avenues are jam-packed with that sort of fare, as is Portland's Pearl District.
The Grid
The grid covers basically all of Northeast and Southeast, as well as the more central parts of North- and Southwest. Within the grid, streets running parallel to the river are numbered, and streets running perpendicular to the river are named.
The numbered streets' numbers are counted upwards from the river, with the river representing the "zero" block. (If the numbered streets' numbers are increasing, you are moving away from the river.) Each block between two numbered streets represents a century of addresses, numbers 0 - 99 on a named street being between the river and 1st Ave., 100 - 199 between 1st and 2nd Aves., 200 - 299 between 2nd and 3rd, and so on.
Likewise, address numbers on numbered streets are counted upwards from Burnside, with Burnside representing the "zero" block. (If the address numbers on a numbered street are increasing, you are moving away from Burnside.) And, as with blocks bordered by numbered streets, each block bordered by named streets represents a century of addresses.
Portland's largely logical and well-signed system will probably come as quite a shock to those of you visiting us from the Boston area. But, in time, I think you'll find that the convenience gained well outweighs the feelings of panic and confusion lost. And, if not, you can always pay a visit to the seemingly paradoxical diagonals and rotaries of beautiful Ladd's Addition. (Just be sure to pack food and water!)
Leave a comment