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I heart Portland

Leslie Nicholson

I just moved to southeast Portland and know my little neighborhood, Woodstock, fairly well. I love Portland and have much to recommend to travelers who want to experience the essence of the city.

Coffee! Any coffee shop you see that has a nice mix of hipsters, students, and career folk should be a decent pick. If you're not into your caffeine it doesn't matter - Portland is a foodie's wet dream, regardless of budget.

It's the nooks and crannies I like best about this city. The Grotto, or The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother is a mysterious and solemn Catholic shrine, maintained by The Friar Servants of Mary. There are gardens all over the place here - for a fix of flora, go to Washington Park where you will find a rose garden, a Japanese garden and a hikeable arboretum.

Come visit soon, and if you must ski, don't travel all the way to Bachelor, Mt Hood has several areas that are much, much closer.

Best for a coffee

Stumptown Coffee

Everyone mentions Stumptown Coffee, on Belmont, but I will mention it once again! But any coffee shop you see that has a nice mix of hipsters, students, and career folk should be a decent pick. Many other coffee joints serve Stumptown coffee anyway.

www.stumptowncoffee.com

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Best for seafood

Jake's Famous Crawfish

On SW Stark. Oyster lovers will enjoy the Kumamoto Oysters fresh from Netarts Bay. The crawfish boil features creatures caught in Lake Billy Chinook, south of Portland on the Warm Springs Reservation. Anything with Dungeness crab is going to be tasty and the fresh fish is mouthwatering. The prices are moderate here.

401 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97205
(503) 226-1419
1-888-344-6861 toll free

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Best for southern cooking

The Screen Door

I always get the NC style pulled pork with some greens and hushpuppies, but everything else is excellent. They also feature local organic salads.

www.screendoorrestaurant.com

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Best for music and food

The Doug Fir Lounge

This is another fab spot on East Burnside. Its kitchen serves up quality American comfort food like cobb salad and buffalo burgers. The lounge is a music venue as well...the Ting Tings played there recently. You can stay at the adjoining Jupiter Hotel, a tastefully funky boutique inn.

830 E Burnside, Portland, 97214

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Best sanctuary

The Grotto, or The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother

This is a mysterious and solemn Catholic shrine, maintained by The Friar Servants of Mary. Built on former Union Pacific property, the Grotto features a large shrine, dedicated to Mary, carved out of the hillside. The property also has an arboretum, as well as botanical, Chinese, and Japanese gardens. The Grotto is in Northeast Portland on Sandy Boulevard.

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