East Bank

East Bank, Portland, Oregon (A)

A longtime industrial area, the east bank of Portland’s Willamette River has seen a number of new uses in recent years, from the new location of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to a variety of newer restaurants, bars, and shops. Gritty but safe, this area typically has much smaller crowds than downtown or some of the hipper neighborhoods of Portland.
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Sights Featured in This Article

Guide Name: East Bank
Guide Location: USA » Portland
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (A))
# of Attractions: 7
Tour Duration: 5.0 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Author: Jim Reynoldson
Author Bio: Jim Reynoldson is an avid traveler and writer who grew up on Oregon. He enjoys hiking, camping and sightseeing throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
  • Bunk Sandwiches
  • Deek & Bryan's Next Adventure
  • Architectural Heritage Center
  • River City Bicycles
  • Le Bistro Montage
  • Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
  • Duff's Garage
1
Bunk Sandwiches

1) Bunk Sandwiches

Start the tour with a savory lunch at Bunk Sandwiches. Recently featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, this tiny sandwich shop is open from 8am till 3pm Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays). Owners Tommy Habetz and Nick Woods bring some serious credibility to the sandwich world, with experience working with famous chefs Mario Batali and Bobby Flay and work in restaurants of New York and New Orleans between them. With a breakfast sandwich or one of the signature lunch sandwiches – the Pork Belly Cubano or the Pulled Pork with apple cabbage slaw – you’ll understand why the lines can sometimes get long.
Image Courtesy of Visitor7.
2
Deek & Bryan's Next Adventure

2) Deek & Bryan's Next Adventure

This independent alternative sporting goods store opened in 1997 on the corner of Grand and Stark. This quirky store is a great place to find both new and used gear – both for sale and for rent - for the many outdoor activities the Portland area has to offer, including hiking, biking, jogging, skating, paddling, skiing and snowboarding. Deek & Bryan’s is also a wealth of information about the ins and outs of the region’s sporting scene. A helpful, non-commissioned sales staff and lower-than-average prices make this a prime stop for the active visitor – and bargain-hunters will enjoy their clearance and closeout specials.
3
Architectural Heritage Center

3) Architectural Heritage Center

Portland has a wealth of historic homes, and the non-profit Architectural Heritage Center offers onsite gallery exhibits, artist exhibits, and tours of historic buildings in the area. The center offers workshops and research information for those interested in restoration of historic places, and facilities offer a number of internships in the areas of historic preservation, archiving, historic research, marketing, social media, and graphic design. In addition, the center is active in advocacy for preservation of historic places in Portland’s many urban renewal projects. Advocacy programs have included attempts to save both the Dirty Duck Tavern Building (which dates back to 1916) and the Riverdale School building (which dates back to 1928). The center is closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Image Courtesy of Eaaumi.
4
River City Bicycles

4) River City Bicycles

A fixture in the city’s extremely bike-friendly culture, River City sells an excellent selection of high-quality bicycles and accessories. They offer a fit studio in order to customize bicycles to the specific rider, and an onsite service center for maintenance and custom builds. The indoor test track helps to ensure the bike feels right before you buy – and even includes bumps and jumps to put trail bikes to the test. Since opening the store in 1995, founder Dave Guettler has involved River City Bikes in a number of charity and advocacy activities – sponsoring riding teams and clubs, promoting the city’s “Commute By Bike” advertising campaign, and participating in fund-raising events. An event hosted by River City Bikes in 1999 even brought Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong to the store to sign autographs and speak about their love of biking.
Image Courtesy of Stella Tran.
5
Le Bistro Montage

5) Le Bistro Montage

Located under the Morrison Bridge in the building that once housed the Royal Hotel, Le Bistro Montage is one of the few places in Portland to find authentic Cajun cuisine. The setting is quirky and energetic, with long tables for communal seating ensuring a social atmosphere. Eclectic artwork – including a poster ripped from the Berlin Wall – adorns the inside of the restaurant. The food is fantastic, from the frog legs to the rock shrimp linguine in pesto sauce to the alligator jambalaya. And any food you can’t finish is available to take along inside of Le Bistro Montage’s signature aluminum foil sculptures.
Image Courtesy of Visitor7.
6
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

6) Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

The state-of-the-art Oregon Museum of Science and Industry houses a variety of interesting exhibits and contains a world-class 330-seat IMAX theater with a five-story domed screen. Also onsite is a planetarium for star gazing and tours of the U.S.S. Blueback – the U.S. Navy’s last non-nuclear submarine. On location is a large science store, and OMSI is very actively involved in science education – offering a wide variety of camps and classes for kids and adults alike. OMSI was founded in 1949 in northeast Portland, with a larger new site opening near Washington Park (in what is now the Portland Children’s Museum). OMSI moved to its modern present site on the east bank of the Willamette River in 1992.
Image Courtesy of Marcin Wichary.
7
Duff's Garage

7) Duff's Garage

Portland’s best small venue for rockabilly and surf rock resides in a converted auto garage. In keeping with the theme, Duff’s décor is filled with blast-from-the-past car memorabilia and maintains the garage-like vibe. Intimate and energetic, Duff’s clientele – young and old alike - often sport vintage clothes, hairstyles, and swing-dancing prowess. While the interior can be a bit crowded on busy nights, some of the tables are raised and allows for good views of the stage all-around. The food and drinks are tasty, and the music is going by 6pm most nights. Tri-Met’s #6 bus can be caught just two blocks west of Duff’s for a trip back downtown.
Image Courtesy of Chad.

Walking Tours in Portland, Oregon

Create Your Own Walk in Portland

Create Your Own Walk in Portland

Creating your own self-guided walk in Portland is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Portland Introduction Walking Tour

Portland Introduction Walking Tour

The largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, Portland was founded on a river bank in a virgin forest less than two centuries ago. It actually sits on the banks of two rivers (Columbia and Willamette) and is built more on a European model, with streets that feature statues, fountains, and half-size city blocks.

Did you know that Portland was selected by Walking Magazine as among America's...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Portland Food Tour

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While Portland's "foodie scene" is still in its relative infancy, it has rightfully earned the No. 1 spot on not one but several lists ranking the "Best Foodie Cities in America." Albeit rather small in size, the city is blessed with easy access to quality natural bounty, be it fresh seafood, fresh vegetables, fresh fungi, or delicious local wines. Adding to this the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles