Pdx Nightlife

[Okstate]

I figure everyone has a favorite hang out spot in town. Share it with us & tell us why it's your top pick. This is a completely void subject on the local forum... until now!

[dkealoha]

I have a few favorite bars in town. Doug Fir being a long time favorite for its mix of hipsters, old, young, grungy, dressed up, casual, rocker types of people. Of course, Skylab's awesome work on the interior is a big reason of why I like it too.

One of the newer watering holes I like is District on 12th between Vault Martini and Everett Street Bistro. On Friday nights there is loud DJ music and a mix of 20 - 30 somethings. No dancing, just lots of drinking. It can get really crowded though but I've had the luck of finding a place to sit every time I've been there. The brick back lit walls and faux chandelier lights give it a sort of glam/rock kind of atmosphere. Drinks are good, and average priced for a Pearl District bar.

I think we are lacking on nice good quality dance clubs in Portland. All of the clubs, straight or gay, are pretty trashy. Even when they try to make it look nice, the people are still trashy. Again... suburban trash coming into the city to go to SoLo, Aura, Betty Ford, Dixie Tavern, or McFaddens. :-) No offense.

[Okstate]

^ i had high hopes for Aura based on their website... & SoLo to an extent. How about East Chinatown Lounge... they've got a pretty cool website. The only place i've been to in town was Saucebox, & it is was a pretty decent hangout spot.

[pdxtraveler]

I personally love Hobo's in Old Town. I like the exposed brick and live piano. The wait staff makes an effort to know the regulars. I now longer have to order. I sit at a table and my drink just appears. I also like how laid back it is, I don't have to get all dressed up (though that is nice sometimes).

I also like Bartini at NW21st and Glisan. Great happy hour.

I haven't been to any of the new 'hip' places. I am such a creature of habit.

[dkealoha]

Brazen bean on 21st & Glisan near Bartini is also a really good casual spot. Happy hour is also awesome.

I really like East as well. You can get a pitcher of Mojito for $20 or something. A PITCHER... yea. Good times. This place was also designed by Skylab... or Holst?

[zilfondel]

Yeah, East is awesome. Skylab did it.

Tunnels, East, Low Brow, Yur's, Kelly's, Saucebox. Good starter places, imo.

There's almost too many to count! Masu is a cool place to get a snack, too. Dragonfish down on park is a neat cocktail before-you-go. Fez & Holocene for dancing.

[ericb4prez]

great to see a thread like this started on here...

i make my living in the nightlife game in Portland...on the DJ side of things.

fortunately for me, i get to travel, otherwise i'd go crazy with the lack of nightlife options in portland.

east is a great bar, and i hear they're going to be making it a lot better in the near future. just an inside tip.

[Okstate]

Has there even been talk of expanding Max hours to accomodate drunk people going home without having to get in their cars? What is a typical setup for clubgoing...riding Max into town then catching a cab home? Perhaps most drive & park at a smartpark?

[rsbear]

Has there even been talk of expanding Max hours to accomodate drunk people going home without having to get in their cars? What is a typical setup for clubgoing...riding Max into town then catching a cab home? Perhaps most drive & park at a smartpark?

That's exactly what I do - MAX in, cab out.

[Okstate]

^^^ do the cabs congregate at night or do you have to generally call ahead?

[rsbear]

:previous: I suppose it depends on where you're at. I've not had a problem flagging a taxi on Stark street. And I think most bars will be happy to call for a cab.

[zilfondel]

I always call a cab because sometimes it takes forever to flag an empty one down on Fri/Sat nights. Otherwise I get a ride from a friend, walk home (summertime), bicycle (summertime), or go home early and take the bus.

Either that or go home with someone else who lives closer. :D

[Okstate]

Has anyone been to Le Happy? It seems like a nice lounge atmosphere (which is more my scene) I like to sit & be served :)

[downtownpdx]

^^^ Yeah, it's a cute place, nice low-lit atmosphere, and known for good crepes.

[PacificNW]

I love Le Happy!

[pdxman]

Well, I didn't know where to post this but I didn't want to start a new thread for it since its just a small announcement. I noticed today that a shiny new tank had been put atop the building where Deschutes Brewery is moving in to on 11th and Davis. So it seems like that building is coming along nicely. Can't wait til it opens :) Maybe there should be a Beer thread? Especially since portlanders love their beers

[brandonpdx]

Higgins has a great bar with an excellent beer selection. the food is also some of the best in town.

[zilfondel]

Oooh, so the Pearl is actually going to retain some brewery action!?

That's toooooo good news! Not just a bunch of overpriced yuppie doggie daycares! :banana:

[MarkDaMan]

Maybe there should be a Beer thread? Especially since portlanders love their beers

great idea! hook it up!

[Okstate]

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[Okstate]

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[Okstate]

great to see a thread like this started on here...

i make my living in the nightlife game in Portland...on the DJ side of things.

fortunately for me, i get to travel, otherwise i'd go crazy with the lack of nightlife options in portland.

east is a great bar, and i hear they're going to be making it a lot better in the near future. just an inside tip.

almost 3 strikes.

Any updates Eric?

[dkealoha]

I had been meaning to try Mint/820 on NE Russell for a long time and finally went on Friday. The drinks were all very good, so was the food and the atmosphere. Very dark lounge inside, large deck outside. The music from White Eagle next door kind of drowned out the downtempo music playing at Mint but overall it was a good experience.

[Okstate]

Portland makes it expensive to "test the waters" with the nightlife scene. I personally prefer an edgy-contemporary venue that is very dark & you could almost get lost in. Add in some house music & bam that would be my place. The reason I say it's hard is b/c some venues have amazing websites then turn out to be crap shoots. Then there are those that look like crap shoots which turn out to be a success in my book. Maybe a less polished Blonde (bar in KC)

[ericb4prez]

i actually just got done DJing a gig in KC...

and they have this new area called the Power and Light district that's like a shopping mall of bars (but in a good way) in that you can roam around from place to place and there is something for everybody.

blonde is a great spot out there too.

as i've said a million times to anybody that asks, the main thing limiting the nightlife in portland is the OLCC and their oppressive policies.

number one would be the inability to offer bottle service, which is in most places i play, half of their business...with a lot less of a cost associated.

the east thing sounds like it isn't happening...yet.

[ericb4prez]

something like the power and light district in the rose quarter would be amazing...there's adequate parking, plus it would add some vibe to that area, which is such a ghost town unless there is a major event going on.

http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/

holler.

[Okstate]

Could anyone compare/contrast NW 21st Vs. Pearl District night scene? Besides the obvious layout of either district, is one more popular with a certain type of crowd than another? I would think either would draw from a similar type based on the relative high profiles of each respectively. My sister is flying in from Oklahoma to visit the city for the 1st time & I want to take her out one night. I can't do any "pre" visiting because my wife & I have a child with no personal contacts...Aka babysitter :)

[urbanlife]

Could anyone compare/contrast NW 21st Vs. Pearl District night scene? Besides the obvious layout of either district, is one more popular with a certain type of crowd than another? I would think either would draw from a similar type based on the relative high profiles of each respectively. My sister is flying in from Oklahoma to visit the city for the 1st time & I want to take her out one night. I can't do any "pre" visiting because my wife & I have a child with no personal contacts...Aka babysitter :)

it really depends, 21st is going to be a little bit younger crowd and the Pearl is going to be a little bit older crowd. Feel free to send me an email, I would be happy to give you a few tips if you wanted.

[dkealoha]

NW is more everyone & everything. Pearl depends on where you go. If you go to Henry's on a Friday night, it has turned into somewhat of a meat market of jock-ish guys and girls dressed like hookers from Beaverton. If you go to Bluehour, it's kind of an older "cougar" pickup spot.

[urbanlife]

If you go to Bluehour, it's kind of an older "cougar" pickup spot.

you know, I just cant stop laughing at that comment, I just realized how true it is. for some strange reason, it never dawned on me. :haha:


though I would like to comment, that I think Saucebox is heading in that direction, or at least the direction where older men hit on younger women to make themselves still feel attractive.

[Okstate]

We (sister & I) decided to go out several nights just on a smaller scale each night. I'm thinking about hitting up 3 different areas throughout. NW 21st one night, Pearl/downtown another (The Nines, Saucebox, district/vault?), and the other will be an eastside locale...maybe hawthorne, belmont, mississippi, alberta. Not sure which of the east side would be most appealing. I'm looking for somewhere "smallish" or low-key maybe (Aka not henry's, bridgeport etc..)

[tworivers]

What about Holocene at Morrison and 10th? It's a beautiful space and pretty representative of non-generic Portland. #1 nightclub in the city IMO. I'd also recommend Tiga at NE Prescott and 15th if you want smallish/charming/neighborhood-y. From there you could check out Vendetta on Williams at Skidmore and then Moloko on Mississippi. Or do it in the reverse and start with dinner at Lovely Hula Hands on Mississippi.

[zilfondel]

Could anyone compare/contrast NW 21st Vs. Pearl District night scene? Besides the obvious layout of either district, is one more popular with a certain type of crowd than another? I would think either would draw from a similar type based on the relative high profiles of each respectively. My sister is flying in from Oklahoma to visit the city for the 1st time & I want to take her out one night. I can't do any "pre" visiting because my wife & I have a child with no personal contacts...Aka babysitter :)

The Pearl District HAS a night scene? What have you been smoking?? ;)

Edit - Oh, Bluehour. And I suppose there are a couple places around Glisan or Everett, plus the pubs. Hmm... its the Pearl, what can you really say?

This, coming from an eastsider!

[Okstate]

^ well Zilf lets hear your recommends! I just can't get over the fact that in Portland there isn't a "string" of laid back neighborhood bars that are non-food places while not being a dive at the same time. Don't you guys ever feel uncomfortable trying to get your drink on while looking at the next table over eating their calamari/pizza/ahi tuna sliders?

Tworivers- Moloko looks very promising, as does the Miss. area in general.

[maccoinnich]

Hey, been lurking on this forum for a while now. Interesting to read what's going on.

I'm kind of considering moving to Portland, from Scotland, in the autumn (fall). I love Portland, and my sister lives there, so I've got free rent for a month or two. I spent the summer of 2004 living/working in Portland, but being only 19 at the time, I didn't have much of an opportunity to explore the bars and clubs. (A travesty, I felt, given that I'd been legally drinking in Scotland for over a year by then...)

I was wondering, given Portland's well known musical pedigree, if there were gay club nights or anything that veered away from the cheesy pop end of the spectrum? You know, more Sleater-Kinney (to name a local band) than Katy Perry. This isn't like a make or break thing—it certainly doesn't exist here—but it would be nice.

EDIT - actually, speaking of SK, can anyone place exactly where the photo on this album cover was taken?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Sleater-Kinney_-_TheHotRock.jpg

[dkealoha]

you know, I just cant stop laughing at that comment, I just realized how true it is. for some strange reason, it never dawned on me. :haha:

Hehe... well I work upstairs from Bluehour at W+K so a lot of people here go there for lunch/happy hour but it's sort of a known joke in the office that it's the cougar hot spot.

Side note...

I really like the bar setting at Urban Farmer in the Nines. It's a little confusing at first to just sit on the couches in the lobby and wait to be served from the bar, but it's a nice change from the usual bar scene.

[philopdx]

^ well Zilf lets hear your recommends! I just can't get over the fact that in Portland there isn't a "string" of laid back neighborhood bars that are non-food places while not being a dive at the same time. Don't you guys ever feel uncomfortable trying to get your drink on while looking at the next table over eating their calamari/pizza/ahi tuna sliders?

Tworivers- Moloko looks very promising, as does the Miss. area in general.

You know speaking of that, is there some kind of city ordinance that a bar has to derive 10-15% of its revenue from food? Someone told me that once, and I'm not sure if it has any basis in fact. Couldn't find anything on Google. If that's the case, then it would explain our abundance of foody bars.

As far as recommendations, I've always liked Uptown Billiards on 23rd. Nice space, good service.

[zilfondel]

Oregon law requires anyplace that vendors alcohol to sell food during hours of operation...

[horatioalfonzo]

The ONLY good thing about the OLCC is that all bars must serve some kind of food, only taverns can get around this law. I think it is awesome because it makes for great food all around town. You can actually get a decent meal at happy hour.

[Okstate]

That would explain it!

Dkealoha- WTF...you lived in the Pearl & worked near SoWa. Now live in SoWa and work in the Pearl :)

[tworivers]

Oh yeah... I went to the Matchbox Lounge on Division a few weeks ago for late happy hour and was very impressed. Delicious drinks and food, nice interior, friendly people.

maccoinnich, I think that S/K shot is at Broadway and Stark. There are definitely gay bars in town, but being a mostly-straight guy I wouldn't know which of them, if any, might fit the bill you described. However, I can say that in general things seem to be mixed here in a positive way -- Holocene on just about any dance night might be what you are looking for, but especially the queer-themed nights, which I go to sometimes just because the atmosphere tends to be great (and more or less non-exclusive). Krush also comes to mind as an explicitly queer-friendly club.

[dkealoha]

Dkealoha- WTF...you lived in the Pearl & worked near SoWa. Now live in SoWa and work in the Pearl :)

I know... I flip flopped a bit. ;)

maccoinnich, I think that S/K shot is at Broadway and Stark. There are definitely gay bars in town, but being a mostly-straight guy I wouldn't know which of them, if any, might fit the bill you described. However, I can say that in general things seem to be mixed here in a positive way -- Holocene on just about any dance night might be what you are looking for, but especially the queer-themed nights, which I go to sometimes just because the atmosphere tends to be great (and more or less non-exclusive). Krush also comes to mind as an explicitly queer-friendly club.

Mostly straight? Hmmm... :)

Holocene is a great place. I've been to see a few dj's and bands there and always have a great time. One of the few places that really IS in an old warehouse and doesn't need to try to pull of the fake-industrial look.

[designpdx]

Hey, been lurking on this forum for a while now. Interesting to read what's going on.

I'm kind of considering moving to Portland, from Scotland, in the autumn (fall). I love Portland, and my sister lives there, so I've got free rent for a month or two. I spent the summer of 2004 living/working in Portland, but being only 19 at the time, I didn't have much of an opportunity to explore the bars and clubs. (A travesty, I felt, given that I'd been legally drinking in Scotland for over a year by then...)

I was wondering, given Portland's well known musical pedigree, if there were gay club nights or anything that veered away from the cheesy pop end of the spectrum? You know, more Sleater-Kinney (to name a local band) than Katy Perry. This isn't like a make or break thing—it certainly doesn't exist here—but it would be nice.

EDIT - actually, speaking of SK, can anyone place exactly where the photo on this album cover was taken?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Sleater-Kinney_-_TheHotRock.jpg

Regarding your question regarding the location of the SK album shot, it appears that it was taken at SW Broadway and SW Washington in front of the Union Bank of California building.

Your other question regarding places for non-"Cheesy Pop" music that cater to a gay crowd is more difficult. Holocene has gay nights where the music is not the typical gay anthem type of pop. Even on night where it is not gay per say, it is a very mixed crowd. In fact a lot of alternative type clubs in Portland are mixed. I tend to like this better than an all gay club, but that is just me.

Hope the information was helpful.

[zilfondel]

The ONLY good thing about the OLCC is that all bars must serve some kind of food, only taverns can get around this law. I think it is awesome because it makes for great food all around town. You can actually get a decent meal at happy hour.

No, I'm pretty sure that there are no exceptions to the rule.

GENERAL PROVISIONS
471.001 Definitions for ORS chapters
471 and 473. As used in this chapter and
ORS chapter 473:
(1)...
(2) “Commercial establishment” means a
place of business where food is cooked and
served and having adequate kitchen facilities
for the preparation and serving of meals and
having for that purpose proper dining space.
“Commercial establishment” includes athletic
clubs and golf clubs operated for profit.
A commercial establishment must serve
meals to the general public or, if the commercial
establishment is an athletic club or
golf club, must serve meals to the club′s
members and guests.

[tworivers]

it appears that it was taken at SW Broadway and SW Washington

I think you are right. For some reason I was thinking they were standing at the northern end of that block.

Mostly straight? Hmmm...

Haha... you know, like, 80/20 or something? Am I alone here?

[maccoinnich]

Hey, thanks to those that replied. If I don't find any gay places I like it wont be the worst thing in the world... I've managed many years of pretty much only going out in non-gay places. It's just an abstract fantasy that somewhere in the world there might be something. But the posts above are encouraging!

[PacificNW]

↑ maccoinnich: You may want to check out the local gay rag: www.JustOut.com

[MarkDaMan]

if there were gay club nights or anything that veered away from the cheesy pop end of the spectrum? You know, more Sleater-Kinney (to name a local band) than Katy Perry. This isn't like a make or break thing—it certainly doesn't exist here—but it would be nice.

LOL, the Egyptian comes to mind. Thing about Portland is even in the 'hetero' bars downtown or close in, I've always found a good number of gay peeps in the bars and clubs too. Doug-Fir on lower Burnside comes to mind as a good example.

Portland's a very live and let live city and so even though we have the traditional pop twink gay bars, our community is much more integrated. As a gay peep myself, I don't have any problems going out with my hetero friends, with my partner, to the setting we most enjoy. Rather having to choose between a gay vs. straight bar like we had to do in Phoenix.

[Okstate]

Can anyone tell me the low down at the Doug Fir? I mean do you just sit around and watch the band of the night or is there a more loungy feel to it as well? I'm thinking i'll probably hit it up.

[urbanlife]

Can anyone tell me the low down at the Doug Fir? I mean do you just sit around and watch the band of the night or is there a more loungy feel to it as well? I'm thinking i'll probably hit it up.

the bar is loungy, if you are going to the show, which is in the basement and separate from the bar is more of a concert space.

[alexjon]

If you want good live shows, keep tabs on the Bootie people, their latest club night series is Blow Pony. There's dancing, a show, performance art, live music sometimes...

They do a monthly show in Seattle called Magnum, same deal.

[Okstate]

^^ you do not have to pay for the show if you don't intend going downstairs?