Portland has been the hipster haven to visit for a few years running, so of course we needed to check it out

By Laura Collins
@lauradcollins

Loose Lips took a tour through the unique city of Portland, and we’re sharing our go-to neighbourhoods to tour, our favourite foods to try and, of course, the top-notch breweries to grab a pint.

SLEEP

We chose the Airbnb route for our three-day stay in Portland. There are a slew of unique places to choose from, and it’s easy to find various rentals close to the city. Ours was a mere 20 minute walk to the city centre, and averaged $100 per night. We had done close to zero research on the places we wanted to check out, so were grateful that our twenty-something hosts had loads of advice on what to see.

 EAT

Mexican. Eat Mexican. Portland’s Mexican food scene is equivalent to Vancouver’s sushi choices. We recommend indulging in a dine-in restaurant. It’s a little more money than going the fast food route, but definitely worth it. The best restaurants – and there are hundreds of them – are located in East Portland. Order a margarita, load up on tacos, and have an authentically delicious meal.

DRINK

You can’t visit Portland without hitting at least one (okay, five) breweries. There are many brewery tours you can choose to take part in, including biking tours, but we chose to do our own self-made brewery tour in the brewery district, which has a pub every block or so. After stopping at Deschutes Brewery, Rogue, Fat Head’s Brewery and BridgePort Brewing, our favourite was 10 Barrel Brewing. For $10, you get a flight of 10 beers, which pair well with the industrial design of the brewery.

DO

The main city centre of Portland is great, and houses the famous Voodoo Doughnuts and Powell’s Bookstore, but our favourite discoveries came out of East Portland. Here, you’ll find beautiful murals, unique boutiques and hipster coffee shops.

And if you need a little recharge, we suggest bringing a book and taking a minute to read in the Rose Garden. The land here is doused in roses of every colour, and entry is free. The area is also home to a Japanese Garden, and there’s a shuttle bus that will take you between the two gardens.

BONUS

If you’re feeling scholarly, the University of Portland is a great little campus to take a stroll. While admiring the brick buildings, you’ll want to sign up for a class, forgetting why you don’t miss long lectures and overnight paper writing.

Laura Collins likes people watching from coffee shop windows, drinking wine when she’s forced to cook, and is sure to be caught skipping from meeting to meeting while at work.