Overview
Northeast Portland comprises the neighborhoods east of the Willamette River and north of Burnside Street and Interstate 84. Alberta Street and several other trendy neighborhoods are here, as is the Convention Center and the Airport.
4 sights · 6 things to do · 8 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 15 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Northeast
Sapporo Friendship Bell
This gift from Portland's sister city Sapporo, Japan is encircled by red and yellow roses.
The Grotto Gardens
A tranquil and spiritual sanctuary which hosts reflection ponds, secluded gardens, and shrines on the top of a basalt cliff. The best time to visit is during the holiday season when the grotto is illuminated with lights.…
Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
Robot Aley
Eclectic art installation in a residential alley.
Portland International Raceway
Hosts many different racing series including NASCAR and IndyCar.
Portland Pilots
University of Portland sports, competing in the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference alongside eight other private schools in coastal states. With no football team (unlike the city's other D-I school, Portland State), t…
Plan your trip
Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $35–$140 a night (typical $75), from 11 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$80, mid-range ~$150, comfortable ~$310.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range, Splurge in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Sapporo Friendship Bell, Portland Trail Blazers, Rose Quarter
- Lunch New Seasons Market – Williams
- Afternoon Wonder Ballroom, Robot Aley
- Dinner C'est Si Bon!
- Evening Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
Day 2
- Morning Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area, Portland Pilots
- Lunch New Seasons Market – Arbor Lodge
- Afternoon Portland International Raceway
- Dinner Gravy
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Located along Broadway and Sandy Blvd northeast of downtown, Hollywood is a commercial district for the nearby neighborhoods and home to the Hollywood Theater, a historic non-profit theater with an ornate facade showing a variety of independent, second run, and classic films as well as original programming and interactive events. There is also a popular Saturday farmers market in the neighborhood during the warm months.
To the north of the former between MLK Blvd and 30th Avenue, Alberta Street has much the same feel as Hawthorne Blvd; a counter-culture/bohemian community that's becoming popular with yuppies. Alberta is home to Last Thursday, said by many locals to be the alternative to First Thursday in the Pearl District and also featuring wine tasting and gallery openings, along with street vending and performance artists. The neighborhood between Alberta Street and Broadway is known as Irvington, and contains many historic Craftsman homes.
Other neighborhoods to explore include: St. Johns in North Portland featuring the gorgeous St. Johns Bridge, Mississippi Avenue and North Williams.
See
See The Grotto Gardens (National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother)
A tranquil and spiritual sanctuary which hosts reflection ponds, secluded gardens, and shrines on the top of a basalt cliff. The best time to visit is during the holiday season when the grotto is illuminated with lights. The Grotto also makes for a very romantic destination for a special night out.
Do
Do Portland Pilots
University of Portland sports, competing in the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference alongside eight other private schools in coastal states. With no football team (unlike the city's other D-I school, Portland State), the most followed sports are soccer for both men and women, plus men's basketball. The Pilots have an especially strong soccer tradition. The marker points to the basketball venue of Chiles Center, which also hosts the Blazers' NBA G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Soccer plays at Merlo Field next to Chiles Center.
Music
Do Rose Quarter
The Rose Quarter holds two major arenas, the Moda Center (Rose Garden) and The Memorial Coliseum, which host large, international level touring artists. The Moda Center is also home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Ticket prices are usually higher for Rose Quarter events.
Eat
Budget
Eat C'est Si Bon!
This crêpe stand offers a great selection of combinations, savory and sweet. Try the Tropical Monkey. They also regularly appear at the farmers' markets too.
Eat Costello's Travel Caffé
Low-key but sometimes busy cafe with an international travel theme. Offers a substantial breakfast/lunch menu. Good place to catch a soccer (sorry, football) match or other travel-related event. Wi-fi.
Eat Gravy
Great egg scrambles and other hearty breakfast fare. Can be a long wait on weekends. Another location at 3101 NE Sandy Blvd.
Eat Olé Olé
Great burritos and a good budget option. Cash only.
Mid-range
Eat Cadillac Cafe
This staple of Portland's brunch scene is popular for both breakfast and lunch. The Art Deco décor is completed with a drivable, pink 1961 Cadillac convertible on display.
Drink
Alcohol
Drink Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
For the quintessential Portland brewpub experience. Enjoy beer crafted by award-winning Brewmaster Christian Ettinger along with excellent food in a family-friendly setting. The garlic fries are not to be missed, desserts are huge and appealing, and the Laurelwood Spinach Salad is the best salad in Portland. Very child-friendly, so be aware of unsupervised toddlers darting around between the tables. Entrees are creative and of high quality.
Sleep
Budget
Stay Inn at the Convention Center
Mid-range
Stay The Kennedy School
A decommissioned elementary school converted into a hotel by the McMenamins's group who also have several other converted buildings in the Portland area. Each room was made from one-half of an old classroom with items like blackboards, coatrooms, and so on still in place. The hotel has a full restaurant with its own bar and large outdoor patio. Be sure to try the Cajun Tater Tots! There's also a second-run movie theater (free with hotel stay) with a bar/cafe and table service. Also on site are the Concordia Microbrewery, Detention Bar (smoking allowed), Honor's Bar (non-smoking), Cypress Room (smoking allowed), and an outdoor soaking pool. Free Wi-Fi and great artwork throughout.
Splurge
Stay Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center
Get in and around
See Portland (Oregon)#Get around for getting in from elsewhere in the city. You can also get in from Vancouver across the Columbia River in Washington state. Some Vancouver bus lines cross into Eastside Portland; #60 to Jantzen Beach Center and Delta Park/Vanport, #65 to Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center and #67 to the airport. From each of those, you can switch to a MAX train to get further into Eastside (and on to other parts of Portland).
The international airport is in this part of the city.
Places across the Willamette River can be accessed on foot (almost all bridges have sidewalks) or streetcar from Downtown or parts of the northwest. The other MAX lines take you from Downtown and Chinatown across the Steel Bridge. From there, the Yellow Line continues north along the North Interstate and North Denver Avenues up to the Expo Center. The Green, Red and Blue lines go east along the Banfield Freeway to the Gateway Transit Center, stopping at the Rose Quarter, the Convention Center, 7th, 11th, 42nd, 60th and 82nd Avenues. From there they fan out; the Red Line north to the airport, the Blue Line further east to Gresham, and the Green Line south to Clackamas.
There's also a fairly dense bus network (network map) taking you to places where rail-based public transit won't.
With long distances between places, driving can almost certainly also a good option.
The City of Portland has created several maps of bike routes and bike lanes.
My experience
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