sorry to revive, but just wanted to :
1. thank all here again for their kind advice. We just got back from a first three day visit and we loved portland.
My wife hates cold weather, and it was unseasonably cold during our stay (low 40s-upper 50s) - she
still wants to move there! We definitely need to go back for a longer stay and check out more neighborhoods. btw, the food was great everywhere we went. We walked and biked a lot and I still think I gained weight......
2. offer up my two cents for anyone else planing to visit - we stayed at the Inn@Northrup Station, which is at the outer edge of the streetcar line - while not right in town (we stayed away due to all the construction, and indeed there is a lot of work being done all over), it is super fast and easy by bike or streetcar. we even walked most of it - might be a bit much if you are not used to walking a lot, but in any case it's extremely easy to get around. The Inn was reasonably priced, super clean, very quaint if a bit bright and the service was outstanding.
More mainstream than hipster but We'd stay there again in a heartbeat.
Btw we didn't rent a car at all as we only stayed three days. we did take a bus up to Washington Park and across the Morrison Bridge. Mass transit is very nice and easy to use. Next trip we'll drive to Beaverton, etc.
bike shops there were great too. I dropped way too much dough.....Bike Gallery (beautiful big shop) had the nicest clothes (I picked up some new Showers Pass gear, among other stuff) but i also grabbed some cool stuff at 21st Ave (which is right around the corner from the inn and who had 2 of the most ****** bike mechanic bays I've ever seen......love it) and we rented comfort clunker monstrosities from City Bikes on SE Akeny, very reasonable prices and staffed by very Nice folks!