Welcome to September in Portland! Finally we’re getting a bit of the cool, drizzly weather that Portlanders love and long for during the hot slog of summer. Not that we don’t appreciate leaving the house without jackets and boots or jumping with wild abandon into our favorite swimming holes, but that heat can be so oppressive! Luckily for visitors, too, umbrellas are finally cool again in this city!
Not to worry though, before the leaves start to change there are still some beautifully mild and sunny days ahead of us. It’s also prime time for apples, pears, tomatoes and corn on urban farms and in rural parts of Oregon. In fact, everyone here in the Great Pacific Northwest tend to go out of their minds at this time of year celebrating our incredible bounty with farm dinners, special menus and food festivals galore. From the Taste of Latinoamerica at the Portland Mercado, to Feast – the food fest to end all food festivals – there is so much to do in Portland right now.
Not the least of which is the launch of The Big Foody PDX and the Central “Eats-side” tour which offers guests the opportunity to taste some of Portland’s most iconic products and meet some of the movers and shakers who produce them as well. Historically the city is a blue-collar, industrial town that is surrounded by an abundance of breathtaking natural beauty, and nowhere is our industrial past more apparent than in the Central Eastside Industrial District. In recent years, however, city planners, long-time industry groups and local food and drink business owners have begun to open up the traditional meaning of “industrial” to include the creative, artisan and tech industries as well.
With the addition of multiple new public transportation hubs and the construction of Tillikum Crossing, the city’s newest pedestrian, cyclist and mass transit bridge, it is also easier and more fun than ever to spend time in the Central Eastside. From downtown’s hotels to world-class restaurants and truly-Portland shopping experiences, you can find it all here. So join us on a tour, we’ll show you around one of our favorite spots in the city and introduce you to some really cool people along the way!
*Insider tip – if you’re a photographer, or even just an avid instagrammer, the Central “Eats-side” tour is a great opportunity to get some urban photos – from street art, to some of the best views of the city from the ground – you’ll quickly learn why we’re known as Bridgetown and the most delicious city in America.
