Visiting Portland

Accommodations:

Transportation:

Misc:

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ACCOMMODATIONS
You are responsible for making your own arrangements for accommodations while staying in Portland. Here are our recommended options.

NEW: See a map of the various hotel options in Portland.

Budget options

  • PSU Summer Housing
    Rooms are available right on the PSU campus in the college dormitories. Each room has two beds, two desks, coffee pot, alarm clock, and a fan. The room also includes all linens, telephone, internet access, regular housekeeping, access to laundry facilities and access to the PSU fitness center. Rates are $40 to $50 per night for a double occupancy room.
  • Homestays
    If you are volunteering for the conference, or are attending at our student/low budget rate, we will attempt to match you up with a Portlander to stay with. Request a homestay match or volunteer to host a conference attendee by emailing our homestay coordinator. Free!

Hostels

Portland’s two Hostelling International hostels are an easy bus or bicycle ride from the conference venue. Make your reservation as soon as possible, as both hostels fill up very quickly at this time of year.

  • Hawthorne Hostel
    The hostel atmosphere is charming (the house we are in was built in 1909), clean, & safe. Free bagels, gourmet breads & pastries; $1 pancake breakfasts, coffee & tea served. 24 hour access once checked-in. High-speed internet kiosk available, as well as free wireless and cabled systems for laptops. Free local phone, free linens, free parking. Discount bicycle rentals on-site; Lockers and laundry machines are available, too. Rates: $25 dorm beds, $48 private rooms
  • Northwest Hostel
    The Northwest Hostel offers lodging in dorms and private rooms in the historic and active Northwest neighborhood. It features 24-hour access for registered guests, fully-equipped common kitchens, dining rooms, common lounges, outside decks with BBQ, coin-operated laundry facilities, Internet kiosk (free WiFi), a small coffee bar, and reasonable bike rentals. About a 15-minute ride on the Streetcar (free!) to PSU or walk (1.5 miles). Mention that you are visiting Portland for the Towards Carfree Cities Conference to receive the discounted rate: $22 plus tax. Private rooms also available: $49-74

Hotels

  • White Eagle Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel
    Experience nightly live music and memorable lodging at one of Portland’s oldest bars. Nestled in North Portland’s industrial neighborhood, underneath the mighty span of the city’s Fremont Bridge, the legendary White Eagle Cafe and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel echoes with tall tales of resident spirits, poker games and Shanghai tunnels, as it has since its opening in 1905. Rates: $40-65/night
  • McMENAMINS KENNEDY SCHOOL
    “Here you may chew gum, laugh out loud, and even pull that special someone’s pigtails (as long as they approve, of course!), take a nap in class, enjoy an aged whiskey and a cigar in detention, and enjoy a movie in the old auditorium. The possibilities here are endless.” Mention that you are visiting Portland for the Towards Carfree Cities Conference to receive the discounted rate: $114/night
  • MARK SPENCER HOTEL (1.800.548.3934)
    A wide variety of spacious studios and one-bedroom suites await your selection - impeccably serviced and complemented with kitchen furnishings and ample closet spaces. Located in the heart of downtown Portland. Mention that you are visiting Portland for the Towards Carfree Cities Conference to receive the discounted rate: $129-161/night June 16-21, 2008; $79-89 adjacent Washington Plaza (no wireless)

Bed and Breakfasts

  • A PAINTED LADY INN
    Located in vibrant, hip Northeast Portland, A Painted Lady Bed and Breakfast Inn offers a calm oasis in the heart of the city. Just steps from wonderful shops and fine restaurants, A Painted Lady will be your Portland home-away-from-home. Built in 1894 and renovated to its full Victorian glory. Rates: $100-125/night; $450 to rent whole house (4 rooms, 5 beds, kitchen, etc.)
  • THE MCMASTER HOUSE
    The MacMaster House B&B is perfectly situated in the southwest (SW) metro of the city of Portland. Breathtaking skyline views of the city with Mt. Hood in the distance are yours to enjoy with just a 3 minute walk from the Inn. Situated about 1 block south of Burnside Avenue, the location is perfect for enjoying a quiet evening or glass of wine on the front porch, with a plethora of city attractions within walking distance. Rates: $125-174

More hotel information coming soon to this page, and also available at
www.Travelportland.com
PDX Dirtcheap

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GETTING TO PORTLAND
Train

Bus

  • Greyhound buses are the cheapest and most scenic way to travel all across America.

Airplane

GETTING AROUND PORTLAND
When you arrive in Portland, just hop on the MAX light rail’s Red Line and ride in to downtown. From there you can connect to the streetcar, bus system, and other MAX lines. Use the Trip Planner at trimet.org to find your way to your lodging or the conference venues.

Orientation
Portland is separated into five quadrants- NW, SW, NE, SE, and N. The Willamette River divides the city into its east and west sides, while Burnside Street separates the north and south districts on each side of the river. North Williams Street separates Northeast from the wedge of North Portland on the east side. Most north-south streets are numbered (like 5th Ave). Think of the river as zero; numbers rise upward as you travel east or west. Multiple bridges cross the Willamette, and provide key landmarks. In Northwest, many of the east-west streets are alphabetical (Ankeny, Burnside, Couch, etc.). The first few alphabetical streets appear in Northeast as well.

Public Transit
There are three different kinds of public transit that run throughout Portland: bus, streetcar, and the MAX light rail. While service is for the most part reliable and comfortable, it mostly stops at midnight. If you are going to be far from your lodging late at night, make sure you know when the last bus leaves.

  • Directions: Go to trimet.org or dial 503 238-RIDE for transit directions to and from the Portland International Airport, Union Station, or any other location in Portland
  • Fares: A two-zone ticket (downtown area) is $1.75 and is good for 2 hours, during which time it can be used as many times as needed. You can also purchase an all day pass ($4.25) or a two-zone pass good for 7 days ($17). Visit trimet.org/fares for complete details.
  • Fareless Square: It is free to ride buses and trains in much of downtown Portland. A map of the free ride area is available at the conference information table or online at: http://trimet.org/fares/farelessmap.
  • MAX Light Rail connects Portland with its suburbs, and is a fast, reliable way to travel to and from the airport. MAX runs about every 5-15 minutes between 4:30 a.m. and midnight. Buy your MAX ticket from the machine at the stop and stamp it before boarding the train. Transit police frequently give big fines to people found riding without tickets.
  • Streetcar (not to be confused with MAX): Portland currently has one streetcar line, though more are planned. Rides on the streetcar are free for conference participants (make sure you have your nametag), and most conference events are located along the streetcar line. The streetcar runs on the west side of the river, connecting the south waterfront, PSU, and inner NW Portland. View map.

Biking

  • Find bicycling directions around Portland at www.bycycle.org
  • Rent a bicycle during your stay in Portland at the following locations (view map):
  • Arcata Bike Library has ten demonstration bicycles available to rent on the corner of SW Montgomery & Park (on the north side of Smith center) from Sunday evening June 15 through Friday evening June 20. Check-in/Check-out times 9-11:00 and 3-5:00. Fees $10/overnight and $10/day. Each bike comes with a lock and lights
  • Can’t afford to rent a bike? Exchange Cycle Tours has a limited number of bicycles to loan to conference participants. ECT volunteers will be available from 4 pm - 6 pm on Sunday June 15th and from 8 am - 10 am Monday June 16th for drop-in, bicycle pick-up. All other times, including returning the bikes, will be by appointment. Feel free to contact ECT with any questions or to set up an appointment. The ECT House is located at 4038 SE Brooklyn St Portland, on Trimet Bus Lines: 4, 9, 75. Direct any questions to 503 239 1094 or info@exchangecycletours.org. ***Note: You must have a u-lock with you in order to borrow one of these bikes.

MORE FUN THINGS TO DO IN PORTLAND

In Portland for a few days before or after the conference?

  • Saturday, June 14th is Cirque du Cycling, featuring a parade of wild sculptural bicycles, live music, a beer garden, and an evening criterium street race.
  • Sunday, June 22nd is Sunday Parkways, our sister event and Portland’s first ever carfree ciclovia style street closure. Six miles, six hours, zero traffic!
  • If you ride a bike, be sure to check out Pedalpalooza, Portland’s annual 2+ week festival of bike fun, June 9th to 28th.
  • On June 28th, Pedalpalooza culminates with the catastrophic Multnomah County Bike Fair.

There’s a lot to see and do in Portland, including museums, the zoo, and classical Chinese and Japanese gardens. You can find information about these attractions, and discounted admission, at Travel Portland.

Stay tuned for more information about getting around Portland, including maps of all conference locations and information on renting or borrowing bicycles.

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CONFERENCE VENUE
The conference will be held at Portland State University (PSU) in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Most of the lectures and workshops will be located in PSU’s Smith Center building, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland.

Monday’s Depaving event will be held at 3120 N Williams.