8.6 out of 10

Southwest 2nd Ave, Downtown

Ranked 1st best street in Downtown
45.5169663825775 -122.675105268731
Great for
  • No ratings yet
  •  
Not great for
  • No ratings yet
  •  
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles

Reviews

5/5
2yrs+

"Lots of fun"

Southwest 2nd Ave. in Portland is filled with restaurants, bars, and clubs. You can often find live entertainment in the area, such as music. It is a great place to meet up with friends and have dinner and a drink or two. If you are there in the afternoon, you are not far from the waterfront park along the Willamette river, which is a nice place to go for a walk.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
5/5
2yrs+

"Explore Portland's Nightlife"

If you're into bars and clubs then SW 2nd Ave. is the street for you... sort of. Basically, if it's a Friday night and you're looking for somewhere to go, something to eat, or something neat to spend your money on, wander the area between 1st and 3rd Ave. from Burnside down to about Washington Street.

During the day on the weekends you'll be perilously close to one of the best things to do in Portland when its "in season" and that is the Saturday Market. Live music, good food, and cool shops to buy gifts and things. It is also becoming a popular place for street performers and has always been a staple of Portland culture.

If it's a Friday night there are a number of bars worth looking into Kell's is probably my favorite (it's a good restaurant too), Dante's Inferno (on 3rd) and Berbati's Pan (on 2nd) are also worth mentioning. Other bars that are pretty good include The Thirsty Lion , Bar 71, Dan and Louis' Oyster Bar (all on 2nd), and Captain Ankeny's Well (on 3rd) are also fun. Most of these places sell food, but I've only eaten at Kell's, which I recommend, but I can't comment on the other places.

However! If you're down here at night, there is one place you must visit, Voodoo Doughnuts. Not only can you learn Swahili from the fryer (on Tuesdays at 9PM), not only can you get married beneath a giant crueller shaped chandelier and a velvet painting of Isaac Hayes, not only are they responsible for such oddities as the bacon maple bar, the pepto-bismol donut, and the Tex-Ass donut, but all of the donuts (with the exception of the pepto which I chickened out on and is no longer served) are delicious. If you pass up Voodoo, you're definitely misisng out. Voodoo is on 3rd, but it's impossible to miss. Look for the red door and the giant donut chandelier.

If you're looking for a place to hang out, throw back a few, and get some good grub, or if you want to visit Saturday market, definitely check out this area.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
5/5
2yrs+

"Great Place to go on a Saturday!"

This place is great! I absolutely love it. It a great street to go on a Friday night after work. Or on the weekend with your friends. Lots of shopping plazas and also fabolous restaurants. My favorite restaurant of all time on 2nd ave is Kells Irish restaurant great hospitallity and there sweet patato fries are DELISH! This is a place you definitly want to visit sometime if you want to enjoy yourself
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles

Travelling to Southwest 2nd Ave?

Find Hotels

Best Streets in Downtown

"Lots of fun"
45.5169663825775 -122.675105268731

Unranked Streets in Downtown

"Waterfront Park with Boat Dock"
45.5105927361592 -122.676357616212

Unanswered Questions in Downtown

Best Neighborhoods to Live In

Best Cities to Live In

Tell everyone what you love about your neighborhood!

Leave a Review

Have a question?

How are schools? Is the area safe? What about public transit options?" Why not ask our community of locals!

Ask Now

Selling or Renting Your Home?

Maximize the selling price of your home by sharing what you love about your suburb to increase its appeal...

Leave a Review

Corporate Relocation Manager?

Enable your employees to share local knowledge in a private, trusted environment with those relocating... while building community.

Learn More