(Sarah Hansell -- The Beacon)
By Sarah Hansell Staff Writer hansell14@up.edu
Cathedral Park – Nestled underneath the gothic St. John's Bridge, this park is an oasis of green amidst pavement and train tracks. This is a perfect place for a picnic or just to spend the day. From N Richmond Avenue, just follow N Crawford Street downhill until you hit N Pittsburg Avenue and the park is right there.
Peninsula Park Rose Garden –699 N Ainsworth St.
Located just off N Albina Avenue on N Ainsworth Street,you enter this Sound of Music-esque garden and the aroma of roses hits you. Ahead you see children splashing and floating in the fountain and an Oriental-style gazebo.
North Station Food Carts – 2730 N Killingsworth St.
Close to UP on N Killingsworth Street and Greeley Avenue, this food cart pod (a grouping of food carts) has both indoor and outside seating. Inside you can eat your gyro from Istanbul Delight or your homemade ice cream from Scoop and plug your laptop into the wall, making North Station the perfect study spot for college students.
12th and Hawthorne Food Carts – SE Hawthorne Boulevard and SE 12th Avenue
Two words: Potato Champion. There is no medium size for the fries at this food cart, so you are forced to go big or go home, or get an x-small, or small, that is. This pod includes Whiffie's Fried Pie Cart, where you can find savory and sweet pies, and Bubba Bernie's with the best of Southern food.
Forest Park – Stretching for eight miles, and with an entrance at Germantown Road, this park is one of the country's largest urban forest reserves. The minute you start hiking one of the 70 miles worth of trails, you feel like you have left the city far behind.
Waffle Window – 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Head on down Hawthorne Boulevard to SE 36th for dessert at Waffle Window, on the side of Bread and Ink Café. Most of the waffles here are $4, and many include some elaborate pairing of fruit and whipped cream,or standout ingredients like peanut butter mousse.
Mississippi Marketplace – 4237 N Mississippi Ave.
This food cart pod is right behind the German beer pub Prost! on Mississippi Avenue and Skidmore Street. If you are 21 or older, this pod is the perfect place to go for food carts and beer at the same time — two of all Portlanders' favorite things. Some of the food cart choices include pork-heavy Asian food at The Pink Pig and all-vegetarian sushi at Sushi Tree. While you are in the area check out the boutiques, restaurants and music venues on this historic street.
Pier Park – Located on N Lombard and Bruce Avenue this almost 90 acre park has everything for the active and athletic: a basketball court, baseball and softball fields, a soccer field, a tennis court, hiking paths and a skate park. But the highlight is the disc golf course, which is immensly popular among park visitors.
Overlook Park – Right on N Interstate Avenue and Fremont Street, this park is a good place for a view of industrial Portland, to play kickball or baseball on one of the fields.There is also a covered area and the giant, beautiful trees offer shade for the hotter days.
Skidmore Bluffs/Mocks Crest Park – Located on N Skidmore Terrace, this park is secluded from the public. Called one of Portland's "Best Worst-Kept Secrets" by the Portland Mercury for its spectacular sunset view, this spot has been growing in popularity only recently, and it is common to find hundreds of hipsters (and hundreds of bikes) frequenting this park until late at night.
(Sarah Hansell -- The Beacon)
