I recently visited the city of Portland, Oregon. I had heard about this city for its multi-color culture, art, parks, neighborhoods, and international culinary flavors. One of the highlighted urban design features I had previously gathered was its walkability. Determined to put it to the test, I logged an average of 10 miles per day.
Wanting to know a city, one must walk it, and view its character from within, the pedestrian’s standpoint. Everything matters when you experience a city on foot, from the size of city blocks and its terrain, safe pedestrian linkage, accessibility, art & architecture, food, weather, and most importantly, its people. The public transportation, from light rail to street cars and buses, was efficient and well connected.
The weather here seems pretty mild, generally uniform throughout the year, which makes it perfect for the native greenery, especially the rose gardens. Roses are the signature piece of the city. You see them not only in abundance at the Washington Park International Test Rose Gardens, featuring over 10,000 roses, but also in almost every private garden, cast in bronze along street architecture, decorative brackets, sculptures, and sidewalk man-hole covers. My visit just missed the Annual 2022 Spring Rose show, showcasing over 4000 kinds of rose blooms.
Other highlights of the trip were experiencing:
The Japanese Garden - 12 acres of inspiring harmony and peace https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/portland-japanese-garden/
Pearl District Breweries & Eateries - Host of restaurants and bars known for juicy, award-winning burgers, beer, and salty caramel ice cream.
Portland Art Museum, with the breathtaking Frida Kahlo mural and the dynamic reflection of the Mexican Modernism https://portlandartmuseum.org/
Summer is here. Portland seems to be doing just the right things, celebrating and enjoying the natural beauty and the spirit with music, beer, art, and food. Check out their official website here: https://www.travelportland.com/
Happy to share some colorful experiences - Enjoy this picture gallery!
©2022 ALine Architecture
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