Ashlyn's back with a Portland round-up for us! It sounds like she's acclimating quite well to her new city out west and has already done so much exploring! So without further ado...let's have her tell us all about her treat yo self day!
Last week I had a bit of an impromptu “treat yo self” day up in the Alberta Arts District of Portland. This area, which comprises about 20 blocks along NE Alberta Street and intersects three different recognized neighborhoods, is one of the oldest areas of the city and has undergone serious gentrification from its beginnings as poorer area to the haven of counterculture it is considered today. Still, the area retains the flavor of the immigrant populations who first inhabited the area through the various types of restaurants, shops, and street art found along the street.
I began my day with breakfast at Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery. I indulged in their caramel apple pie with whipped cream and coffee. The pie was delicious (although nobody can touch my grandma’s recipe) and the interior inviting with lots of seating inside and out. Take care not to arrive in the area too early or plan to enjoy a long breakfast as nothing opens up until 11:00 or 12:00!
I began my day with breakfast at Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery. I indulged in their caramel apple pie with whipped cream and coffee. The pie was delicious (although nobody can touch my grandma’s recipe) and the interior inviting with lots of seating inside and out. Take care not to arrive in the area too early or plan to enjoy a long breakfast as nothing opens up until 11:00 or 12:00!
After breakfast, I made my way up and down the street popping into the various shops along the way. This street has a little of everything, including the Alberta Co-Op grocery store, various sewing and fabric stores, craft stores, home goods shops, art galleries, book shops, stationery stores, clothing boutiques, and more! I personally loved Darling Distraction for its stationery selection, Amelia for its adorable garments and locally made candles (stop in and say “hi” to the teeny guard dog, Bambi), and Screaming Sky for its eclectic offering of local and national art and gifts. Allot yourself a hefty shopping budget, because you are guaranteed to find something you like in just about every store. If you can, try and visit on Wednesdays between 3:00 and 6:00pm when Retail Happy Hour is going on as you can get great deals at many of these awesome shops!
If you are at all into street art and wall murals, this is the place for you. Almost every building had something painted on it, and no two murals were remotely similar. On the flipside of that, surfaces that weren’t done up nicely were covered in graffiti or shreds of old posters and flyers. I would say the only thing this area had going against it was the amount of trash along the street. I will give them the benefit of the doubt; however, as I have heard that post-Fourth-of-July can be a bit of a mess for many of the popular Portland neighborhoods. Honestly though, there’s really no need for you to look down as there is so much cool stuff going on right at eye level!
I finished up my visit to NE Alberta Street with the famous Bunk Sandwiches and a trip to Salt & Straw. I was a little disappointed in Bunk as it wasn’t as incredible as I was expecting it to be (the roast beef sandwich I ordered was served cold, but the bread was warmish and it was just not all I had hoped). It gets a lot of attention nationally for its other sandwiches, so I will likely give it another try and order something else. Salt & Straw, however, is the bee’s knees and my favorite ice cream place in Portland! With its weird flavors and focus on sourcing locally, it’s truly hard to beat!
ASHLYN WHITE
Ashlyn is an Iowa native currently living in Portland, OR. She's attending law school in Portland in the fall and is becoming a Portlander one day at a time. Look for her monthly Portland round-ups here on YM and keep up with her adventures on her blog here! |