Articles posted in Portland

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Classic Portland Must-Do’s

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals — No Comments ↓

Every time you travel to a new city, it seem like you are greeted with the same old recommendations of where you should eat and what you should do. Most of the time, those suggestions are usually a bust. But believe it or not, these classic Portland recommendations are worth it every time.

Start off your day with, yep, you guessed it, a deliciously unique VooDoo Doughnut! Known for its crazy flavors ranging from Bacon Maple Bar, Grape Ape, and even an Arnold Palmer doughnut, you’ll have to pop in every morning and try them all! Once you’ve had your fill of deliciousness you’ll still want to stick around for the eclectic decor that depicts Portland life so well.

Photo by Mack Male, via Flickr

After you’ve left VooDoo with an iconic pink box, it’s only proper to head over to one of the multiple Portland Farmers Market locations. Providing Portland with the freshest food and farm goods since 1993, you’ll most likely find yourself getting lost among the 200-plus vendors as you wander from tent to tent surrounded by organic goodness.

Now that you’ve visited two of the most iconic spots in Portland its time to try some beer straight from the source. Home to over 60 breweries, Portland has more breweries within its city limits than any other city in the world. Rightfully dubbed ‘Beervana’ Portland is home to breweries such as BridgePort, Deschutes, Cascade, and Widmer Brothers.

 

Are you planning a trip to Portland? Click Here to view all of our downtown Vacation Rentals

The Best Ice Cream in Town

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals — No Comments ↓

Source: State Library of Victoria, via Flickr

July is National Ice Cream Month, which gives you the perfect excuse to enjoy your favorite frozen treat. If you’re one of our guests, check out this list to find the best ice cream in town:

Boston:

Picco: The Pizza and Ice Cream Company (Picco for short) is a popular Boston restaurant that delivers the dream combination of delicious pizza and homemade ice cream. A little bit lighter than the typically dense New England offering, Picco’s ice cream explodes with sophisticated flavors.

Denver

Little Man Ice Cream: Denverites love their ice cream, and Little Man serves up the best in town. Easy to find, just look for the 28-foot tall milk can with a line of people queued up to get their sweet fix. They rotate a great mix of classic ice cream flavors, as well as few you wouldn’t expect, like salted Oreo. They even have vegan ice cream.

Memphis:

Jerry’s Sno-Cones: Kids and adult alike seem to flock to this local favorite when the weather turns warm. Although snow cones made with homemade syrup are this shop’s specialty, they also offer soft serve ice cream, either on its own or combined with a snow cone (order it “supreme”).

Nashville

Pied Piper Creamery: Across the river in East Nashville you will find this funky ice cream shop located in a vintage house. The ice cream is delicious and features wacky pun-filled titles like Minty Python, Oreo Speedwagon, and Handlebar Pistachio.

New Orleans:

Angelo Brocato’s: No dessert shop in New Orleans is as beloved as Angelo Brocato’s. Established in 1905, this gelateria and pasticceria is steeped in Italian tradition and offers authentic gelato you have to taste to believe. And if your love of cold sweets extends beyond ice cream, this joint is also known for its delectable granitas: fresh Italian fruit ice.

Philadelphia:

The Franklin Fountain: This old-timey ice cream parlor dishes up some of the best and most authentically Philly-style ice cream in town. The old school soda fountain theme, from bow tied servers to the antique cash register, adds to the charm, but it’s the achingly delicious handmade flavors, like Teaberry gum, that will keep you coming back.

Portland:

Cool Moon Ice Cream: Sure, you could go to Salt & Straw like everyone else. Or you could skip waiting in a forty-minute line for overhyped “artisanal” ice cream and just head into Cool Moon. Much more family friendly and still offering intriguing flavors made with local natural ingredients, Cool Moon will satisfy your cravings while the rest of those people are still waiting.

San Antonio:

Justin’s Ice Cream: Hometown boy Justin Arecchi’s ice cream has been called a national treasure by President Clinton. After a four-year absence, his new family-run ice cream shop has reopened right on the River Walk, making it a breeze to sample the same cool treats that have been enjoyed by kings and dignitaries.

Seattle

Molly Moon’s: The ever-popular chain of modern-rustic ice cream shops are frequently wrapped with lines of people, and for very good reason. Molly Moon starts with a base of Snoqualmie ice cream and mixes in a wide variety of locally-sourced ingredients to create unique flavors like honey lavender and balsamic strawberry. You can also find many vegan-friendly sorbets and coconut milk-based treats.

 

Are you planning a trip? Click Here to view all of our downtown vacation rentals

Top 5 Activities in Portland

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals — No Comments ↓

Portland’s Old Town. Source: Flickr user pdx107

Whether you enjoy urban adventures or exploring nature, or both, you can always find plenty of exciting and fun activities in Portland. Here is a list of some of our favorite things to do when we visit Stumptown:

  1. Hug A Tree: Portland prides itself on its green spaces and residents love to spend time in the city’s many parks. The most popular is Forest Park, the largest urban park in the country covering more than 5,100 square miles with over 70 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
  2. Ride A Bike: Whether you want to take a guided tour or just explore on your own, the best way to experience Portland is from a bicycle seat. Cycle Portland and Waterfront Bikes are two companies that offer tours and rent out a wide variety of bikes which include a helmet, a lock, and a handy map.
  3. Go To The Market: The Portland Saturday Market (also open Sundays) located on the waterfront under the Burnside Bridge and the Portland Farmers Market located on the PSU campus are popular places for locals and tourists alike. At the Saturday Market you can find a wide variety of handmade crafts and food carts, while the Farmer’s Market has nearly every type of produce you can imagine.
  4. Take A Brewery Tour: There are over 50 breweries in Portland, quite possible the most of any city in the world, which can make deciding which to visit a daunting task. Luckily the good people at Brewvana are happy to drive you and your friends around on their awesome party bus and show you the inner workings of their favorite establishments. You even get snacks and souvenirs!
  5. Sample The Food Carts: The food cart may not have been invented in Portland but it was definitely perfected here. Just like fish and teenagers, food carts often hang out in groups (known locally as “pods”) which makes it easy to find something you like or sample a little bit of everything. The largest of these pods is located downtown on SW Alder St. and SW 10th St.

Are you planning a trip to Portland? Click here to view all our our great vacation rentals in Portland, Oregon

America’s Best Fried Chicken

Posted on February 24, 2015 by admin — No Comments ↓

Fried chicken is of those ubiquitous American meals that can serve any purpose, from Sunday night family dinner to a leisurely picnic in the park. And there are probably as many different recipes for fried chicken as there is places to eat it. Some lucky folks at Thrillist had the chance to scour the country in search of the best fried chicken in America, and it turns out there’s a few places on their list that are in Stay Alfred cities (and a couple in cities we’re looking at)! We thought we would share these finds with you, in fact you’ll probably get to try them before we do!

The following was published 2/20/15 by Kevin Alexander and Liz Childers at Thrillist:

 

Portland, OR: The People’s Pig

“People’s Pig answers a question few have asked, yet probably should: what would bacon taste like if bacon was made from fried chicken? The answer is the Smoked Fried Chicken at this food cart turned brick-and-mortar, which gives the boneless bird a light wood-based sauna session before it’s dunked in batter and fried. Not bad for a place that made its name with porchetta and BBQ. There’s a lot of great fried chicken in Stumptown (big love to Dub’s and Reel M Inn), but the People’s Pig gets mad love for taking something as beloved as fried chicken and transforming it into something utterly different and magnificent.”

 

Nashville, TN: Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack

“Yes, we know it’s technically hot chicken. But that hot chicken is fried, right? And Prince’s, on the North side of Nashville, just happens to be the best damn spicy fried chicken in America. If you can spare a couple of hours to deal with the line, hit up Andre Prince’s ode to the spicy side of the bird and get a whole chicken, some extra pickles, and bread. We like it “hot,” which is just enough to make us sweat, but not enough that it feels like you’re being punished for eating. And don’t worry about finishing the whole bird. We just wanted to leave you enough to take some home with you.”

 

Willie Mae’s Fried Chicken. Flickr/the foodhoe

New Orleans, LA: Willie Mae’s Scotch House

“New Orleanians are wont to throw around words like ‘legendary’ and ‘institution’ and ‘classic’ when it comes to their restaurants that can lay any kind of claim to those adjectives. But, well, Willie Mae’s fried chicken deserves it. That crispy, spicy chicken was enough to drive crowds of volunteers to tend to the nearly half-a-century old restaurant after Katrina flooded through, and its melt-in-your-mouth skin and juicy meat are enough to beckon even the most tourist-averse locals to wait in the lunch line on a weekday for a plate, plus a side of salty, smoky red beans and rice. So, yes, Willie Mae’s Scotch House is a legendary, classic institution — not just of NOLA, but of the South.”

 

Austin, TX: Top Notch

“Sure, you can’t start any conversation about Top Notch without mentioning its iconic placement in Dazed & Confused, but there’s a damn good reason the old-school drive-up joint’s in the movie to begin with. Since 1971, it’s made Austin’s finest fried bird. And as the city’s food scene has evolved into more haute takes on comfort classics, Top Notch still does what it’s always done: it makes a perfectly crisp, salty, old-school chunk of chicken that’s golden fried and bursting with juice. That’s the good thing about Top Notch. You keep getting older, but that chicken stays the same.”

Are you planning a trip to any of these cities? Click here to view all our our great vacation rentals.

Top 10 Food Carts in Portland

Posted on February 5, 2015 by admin — No Comments ↓

Food carts hold a treasured place in the heart of Portlanders. With over 400 food carts operating in the city, you can find every type of food you can possibly imagine (and quite a few you never would have thought of). Like whales and teenagers, Portland’s food carts love to hang out in groups (known locally as “pods”), which makes it easy to sample a wide variety of delicious treats. The largest downtown pod is the Alder Street pod; you’ll also find the 5th Avenue Pod and the 3rd Avenue Pod downtown. Other popular pods are the Cartopia Pod located on SE Hawthorne at SE 12th Ave, and the Cartlandia Pod located along the Springwater Corridor bike path in Southeast Portland. Obviously with so many food carts in Portland any Top Ten list is bound to be open for debate, but here are some of our personal favorites:

Nong’s Khao Man Gai, source Flickr user sstrieu

Nong’s Khao Man Gai (Alder Pod) Perennial contender for Best Cart in the City does one thing and does it to perfection: their namesake Khao Man Gai (Chicken and Rice)

Koi Fusion (6 locations) One of Portland’s original food carts, this local favorite offers Korean-infused Mexican food like bulgogi beef burritos and kimchi quesadillas.

Miss Kate’s Southern Kitchen (Mississippi Marketplace) Features the owner’s grandmother’s recipes for Southern staples like biscuits and gravy, collard greens, and some of the best fried chicken in the city.

Tábor (5th Ave Pod) Homestyle Czech specialties like potato pancakes and borscht, but the star of the menu is their famous Schnitzelwich, a huge breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

The Frying Scotsman (Alder Pod) Run by a Scottish ex-pat, this “chippie” offers the genuine British fish and chips experience, serving up cod, haddock, halibut and more.

People’s Pig (Alder Pod)- Known for their mighty pork sandwiches made several different ways, like BBQ pulled pork, Cubano, and the always-satisfying porchetta sandwich.

Grilled Cheese Grill (Alder Pod) From basic grilled cheese sandwiches to the monster Cheesus Burger which has grilled cheese sandwiches in place of buns, this food cart puts the distinctive Portland flair on childhood favorites.

808 Grinds (Alder Pod) Authentic Hawaiian lunch plates like kalua pork, fried chicken, and Spam musubi, all served with rice and macaroni salad.

Haan Ghin (PSU Pod) Skip the ubiquitous Thai food and try some delicious Laotian cuisine at the Portland State University campus. Try the Laap Gai (basically DIY chicken lettuce wraps).

Pyro Pizza (Cartopia) Another one of those carts that has become a Portland institution, the specialty here is authentic Italian-style wood fired pizzas made from locally sourced ingredients. They even make their own natural sodas!

Are you planning a trip to Portland? Click here to check out all of our great Portland vacation rentals

Property Spotlight: The Essex House

Posted on January 15, 2015 by admin — No Comments ↓

Stay Alfred’s newest vacation rental property is located right in the heart of downtown Portland, in the quiet Business District. The Essex House offers all the comforts that our guests have come to expect, as well as perfect location to explore everything that Portland has to offer. First off, the building itself is amazing. The 9-foot ceilings and large windows allow plenty of natural light as well as dramatic city and waterfront views. Porcelain tile floors, granite counter tops, and stainless steel appliances and fixtures add and extra degree of elegance to home away from home. After a workout in the state-of-the-art fitness center, relax in the hot tub and sauna. If the weather’s nice, enjoy the outdoor sun terrace and barbecue grill.

The Essex House: Stay Alfred’s Newest Portland Vacation Rental

Of course, we don’t expect you to spend your entire vacation inside your unit (although after seeing it, you may want to). The best part about Stay Alfred’s properties is how close you’ll be to all kinds of dining and entertainment. In the blocks surrounding the Essex House you’ll find some of Portland’s best restaurants: Veritable Quandary, Raven and Rose, Nel Centro, Shigezo, and The Picnic House. Want to take in some of the city’s unique culture? The Portland Art Museum and the Oregon Historical Society are quarter of a mile away, as well at the historic Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Portland’s amazing shopping is never far away, either. Pioneer Place Mall is a five-minute walk up 3rd Avenue, where you’ll find over 100 upscale retail shops and eateries, like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., as well as Regal Cinemas. Keep heading north and you’ll run into the famous Portland Saturday Market (it’s also open Sundays), nationally recognized as the largest continuously operating open-air arts and crafts market in the country. Don’t forget to stop by Voodoo Doughnut, home of the original Bacon Maple Bar!

No matter what your plans are for your stay in the City of Roses, The Essex House is conveniently located close to the Transit Mall and multiple MAX stations, making travel to all parts of the city a breeze. Like all of our Portland vacation rentals, you can expect the highest standards of cleanliness and hospitality. Our free smartphone app provides you an insider’s guide to the city, and our super-friendly customer care agents are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Enjoy your vacation, Stay Alfred’s got your back!

Still planning your vacation? Click Here to view all of Stay Alfred’s Portland Vacation Rentals

Stay Alfred Opens More Brand New Portland Vacation Rentals

Posted on January 2, 2015 by admin — No Comments ↓

National Vacation Rental Manager Offers Free Nights for Grand Opening

The nationwide vacation rental and corporate housing firm headquartered in Spokane, Wash., Stay Alfred, has opened several new Portland vacation rentals in two buildings downtown.

The 2-bedroom vacation rentals in boast all the amenities Stay Alfred guests have come to expect, including modern furnishings, equipped kitchens, wi-fi, cable, DVD players, linens, laundry and ironing facilities, air conditioning, secure parking, balconies, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Guests also benefit from the industry-leading customer service for which Stay Alfred has been honored with the “Top Rental Manager” award by Travel + Leisure’s Top Vacation Rental Site, FlipKey.

The units in the Essex House are just blocks from the Waterfront and boast a community lounge, outdoor sun terrace, and a grill and picnic area.

The units in the distinctive Indigo are just outside the Pearl district, and the building’s rooftop wind turbines can be spotted from miles around.

These Portland vacation rentals are situated in the best locations, so that travelers can easily get to attractions like Portland State University, the Portland Art Museum, Portland Saturday Market, Rose Garden Arena, Oregon Convention Center, Portland Children’s Museum, and Oregon Zoo.

Stay Alfred manages vacation rentals and corporate housing in Bellevue, Wash., Denver, Colo., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., Portland, Ore., San Antonio, Tex., and Seattle, Wash.

The vacation rentals can be viewed online and even booked with Stay Alfred’s convenient, industry-leading one-click booking feature at StayAlfred.com. Stay alfred is offering a 4th-night-free promotion to launch this property. Reservationists can be reached 24 hours a day at 866-232-3864.

Celebrate Halloween Like a Local in 6 Stay Alfred Cities

Posted on October 31, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Halloween with Stay Alfred

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s that time of year again: Jack-o-lanterns, fake spiderwebs, plastic bats hanging from the trees (along with the occasional roll of toilet paper). We’re all familiar with the trappings of Halloween but if you happen to be from out of town, it can be confusing when you want to party like a local. Luckily, we have the inside scoop when it comes to best celebrations and events, no matter which city you’re going to be in on All Hallow’s Eve!

New Orleans
There is no city that celebrates Halloween as enthusiastically as New Orleans. With its famous cemeteries, voodoo rituals, and long history of ghosts and spirits, the city practically oozes scary. It should be no surprise that its residents embrace New Orleans’ intrinsic spookiness and party with a gusto usually reserved for their other favorite holiday: Mardi Gras. Crowds will flock to Bourbon and Frenchmen for street parties and parades, so don your best costume and join in the festivities. Cate Root from The Times-Picayune has a great breakdown of all the major happenings.

Nashville
Nashville loves to party no matter what the occasion and Halloween is no exception. Any club you hit is almost guaranteed to be having a costume party or themed event of some kind. To see the cream of the crop, head to Play Nashville for their Freak Show contest with $5000 in prizes. Next door, Tribe Nashville is having a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock that’s sure to be a scream. Looking for some real excitement? You will definitely want to try the Demons on Demonbreun Hill, a combination pub crawl and zombie paintball shoot.

Boston
Costume contests, pub crawls, haunted mansions, and graveyard tours are just a few of the exciting Halloween events you can find in Boston. Before you head out for the night’s festivities be sure to stop at Dorothy’s Boutique in Back Bay, the biggest adult costume shop in Boston, to pick up some cool accessories. If you happen to have a bike (and more importantly a costume you can ride in), the Halloween Bike Ride draws hundreds of participants for a casual 10-12 mile ride through the city, starting at Copley Square.

Denver
Besides the typically nightclub craziness, Denver also has a lot of great family-friendly Halloween attractions. The Denver Zoo puts on their annual Boo at the Zoo event with over 25 trick-or-treat stations and other kid-centric activities, all free with normal zoo admission. The Haunted Field of Screams in Thornton is Colorado’s largest Halloween attraction with over 35 acres of “haunted” cornfields. For more grown up activities, ColoWeen at the City Hall Event Center is the most anticipated costume party of the year.

Seattle
Halloween in Seattle usually means one thing: putting on your sexiest costume and dancing until the break of dawn. FreakNight is the main event with big-name DJs, but if you don’t feel like spending a couple hundred dollars for the 2-day pass, there are plenty of other dance parties where you’ll have just as much fun like Pulse at the EMP Museum. Dancing not your thing? Try the Crawl-O-Ween pub crawl and see some of downtown’s hottest bars. Or if you’re feeling extra adventurous, Citizen Zero is a zombie-themed urban hide and seek game on a massive scale.

Portland
Nothing cool ever happens in Portland. You might as well just stay inside and hand out candy to the trick-or treaters. Ok just kidding, you can find the usual mix of costume contests, dance parties, pub crawls, and zombie-themed everything. Jamie Hale of the Oregonian has already put together his procrastinator’s guide to Halloween in Portland, so we’ll just skip reinventing the wheel on this one.

Art in the Pearl September 1-2!

Posted on August 22, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

Art in The Pearl offers 100 booths of fine art as well as music, food, and hands-on art activities along NW 8th Ave in North Park Blocks. Art in The Pearl has been named one of the top 10 Arts and Crafts Festivals in the County (source: Art Fair Source Book). Over one hundred artists display and sell their work that ranges from wooden furniture, paintings to fine art photography, jewelry, glass, clay, metal and so much more!

Hours: 10am-6pm Saturday – Sunday August 31- September 1st & 10am -5pm Monday September 2nd

For more information please visit www.artinthepearl.com

Also please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.

Doughnuts that will delight your taste buds!

Posted on August 20, 2013 by admin — No Comments ↓

If there was ever a business that captured the unique essence of Portland, it’s Voodoo. They offer an amazingly wide variety of artistic donuts and are no different to than any other gourmet doughnut shop. But they are famous and a very popular tourist attraction. Their funny name, exciting interior, creatively-matched flavors, and quick service offer a great atmosphere for Portland. For newcomers, the wait is a little long but the doughnuts are not too expensive and you get a great experience in the process! So if you’re in the neighborhood check out Voodoo Doughnuts for a fun and delightful time!

If you would like to check out Voodoo Doughnuts for yourself they have two locations in Portland:

22 SW 3rd Ave Portland Oregon

1501 NE Davis Street Portland Oregon

For more information about Voodoo Doughnuts please visit http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php

Also please be sure to visit us in any of the cities we are in and check out our website at www.StayAlfred.com where you can view all of our properties, rates and make reservations.