The Song Fight Bulletin Board

This be the thread for logistical concerns -- where to stay and getting around PDX. In short:

- Our public transit system is excellent. You don't need a car unless you are hauling big gear / staying out late.
- You could also rent a bike!
- For hotels, I'd aim for downtown, NW, or close-in SE or NE. I'd avoid the airport and SE 82nd Ave. "Convention Center" hotels are pretty well-situated, actually, although not in the cutest part of town.


And IMPORTANT for those of you traveling with kids!
Portland's liquor licensing is draconian. This means that the venues we will be playing are 21 and over only. I'm sorry, I know this is a total drag for those of you with kiddos! If many of you are traveling with the wee ones, we can look into some sort of collective childcare solution. Keep me posted!


Staying here (See my map further down the thread):
Air BnB and VRBO strike me as likely the best options, I'm happy to field questions on location.

The McMenamins Empire has some inexpensive (shared-bath )rooms still available at the (haunted!) White Eagle:
http://www.mcmenamins.com/


It's my impression that the Ace Hotel has fairly inexpensive (sometimes shared bath) rooms, plus they have built-in excellent coffee shop and some of the best cocktails in town at Clyde Common:
https://www.acehotel.com/

Oh, this place is cheap and central:
http://universityplaceportland.com/

As is this place:
http://www.downtownvalueinn.com/

And this:
http://www.jupiterhotel.com/default-en.html

And don't know anything about this place, but it's well-situated:
http://brooklyncentersuites.com

If any of you are looking for high-dollar luxury accommodations, that would be an entirely different list.

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What to wear:

Portland is actually, usually BEAUTIFUL this time of year. But that said, it could be 100 degrees (unlikely) or it could be pouring (also unlikely.) Check the weather. It cools down a lot here at night. (A novelty for a former Midwesterner!) Bring layers -- they weren't just for grunge! You'll likely want a sweater / jacket at night.

Wear comfortable shoes. And maybe bring hiking-appropriate shoes, as we are natural-wonder adjacent here.


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Here is a MAP!

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... ERbcjKq-O4

Here's hoping I don't Nevada this up...
[Edit: Ah! Scroll Bars!]

Map o' Portland -- aim to stay within the big blue blob!

That icon in the corner of the map lies. There is NO WAY Portland is actually on Earth.

fluffy wrote:That icon in the corner of the map lies. There is NO WAY Portland is actually on Earth.

Oh, I understand your confusion! That's not the Google logo -- that's actually an enormous public greenspace called "Earth" that includes a dog run, cat run, a play structure crocheted by volunteers, and a beer and beard museum. Definitely worth checking out! (I'd skip the vegan cheese bar, though.)

Where's that awesome "Church of..." something I can't remember. It was a door that was decorated with bottle caps and had a slot for quarters and you heard a random recording from whomever this door-church freak-show was for. Is that still around?

I believe you're thinking of the 24 hour Church of Elvis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Hour_Church_of_Elvis

Sadly, the Church is no more, as far as I am aware. However, if we're able to garner adequate interest for a group outing, I may be able to talk the guy who runs the Mystery Hole into letting us do a field trip there.

http://www.barronmind.com/wmh.htm

Oh, this is important! (I will update the main threads to reflect this information.)

Portland's liquor licensing is draconian. This means that the venues we will be playing are 21 and over only. I'm sorry, I know this is a total drag for those of you with kiddos! If many of you are traveling with the wee ones, we can look into some sort of collective childcare solution. Keep me posted!

This looks like it might be a solution for drop-in evening care (for at least most of the evening.)

http://www.wevillage.com/about-us/hours

Just looking at the google map of Portland and suddenly thought it was the coolest town on earth when I saw - just south of the Banfield Expy, near Buckman Field Park - what appeared to be "NED Flanders St" - but I was mistaken.

I really hope local scallywags attach an extra "d" to this street sign at regular intervals.

Caravan Ray wrote:Just looking at the google map of Portland and suddenly thought it was the coolest town on earth when I saw - just south of the Banfield Expy, near Buckman Field Park - what appeared to be "NED Flanders St" - but I was mistaken.

I really hope local scallywags attach an extra "d" to this street sign at regular intervals.

That is not accidental. There is also a (reverend) Lovejoy street, a (Mayor) Quimby street! Groening is from around these parts, you know.

Yep. He famously named many of the Simpsons characters after areas and streets in Portland.

Wow! I did not know that. What a wonderful piece of trivia to start a Saturday morning! Very much looking forward to going now!

anti-m wrote:I believe you're thinking of the 24 hour Church of Elvis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Hour_Church_of_Elvis

That's awesome. Exactly! I was going to say it was probably 30 years ago, the first time my sister lived in Portland. A truly memorable experience.

So - I will probably look for somewhere near one of the venues. Which is a better area?

Or - is there somewhere we can hang out during the day for quick rehearsals ? Where would that be?

There's also a Kearney Blvd, IIRC. Kearney is the name of one of the kids that bullies Bart. And also a Terwilliger Blvd - that's Sideshow Bob's last name.

The practice space, barring cosmic humors and other fuck-ups, is going to be @ SE 41st & Clinton-which is down a ways from the venues. But PDX's a lovely place that time of year, and pretty much anywhere's nice to stay. Except near the airport… that's just out of the way. Public transportation's good, the MAX train'll take you from the airport to pubtrans hubs throughout the city, if'n you're traveling like that.

Good to hear that the public transportation is there. I don't drive, so it will help.

Now that I know where the venues are and the practice space, time to triangulate and figure out a hotel.

Caravan Ray wrote:So - I will probably look for somewhere near one of the venues. Which is a better area?

Or - is there somewhere we can hang out during the day for quick rehearsals ? Where would that be?

I'm about to launch a Google map with the particulars, but Ray, there aren't too many places exactly on top of the venues, unless you can find an Air BnB or VRBO in the hood. Both hoods are very nice -- Mississippi is probably the more "happening" of the two.

Most of the Portland Hotels are clustered downtown, near the convention center, or near the airport. I recommend either staying downtown or at the convention center if you are hoteling it.

I'll update the top o' the post with this info, but here is a map in progress:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... ERbcjKq-O4

I have found a lot of good looking Air BnB places around, some near Mississippi - quite a few whole houses with 2 bedrooms (or one bedroom and a sofa bed in the loungeroom) if another person or couple wants to share - should work out to somewhere in the vicinity of about $50 - $80 per person per night - depending on which one I can get.


Couple of examples would be something like this
https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2772182 ... s=6&s=x6WE
Which could fit a room for me, a room for a couple, and a 4th person crashing on the sofa bed - for about $40-$50 a night each

or maybe this one:

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/5393950 ... s=6&s=o6yy
same sort of configuration for around $60-$70 a night each

(NB: those links may show AUD$ - I am quoting in USD$ - either way - they look like much better options than hotels. I have stayed in a lot of AirBnBs recently in Aus - they have all been great)


I am possibly looking at about 5 nights accom (Wed to Sun) - so any divvying up of costs would sort of rely on how many people want to share, how long you want to stay, and whether it is a private bedroom or loungeroom sofabed.

Those both look great!

I'll be hanging at the Shiloh.