Neighborhood:
The Riverfront With busy Southwest Macadam and Corbett avenues (not to mention I-5 and Southwest Barbur Boulevard) slicing right through this neighborhood, it’s easy to zip through Riverfront without a pause. (read more) But between the ribbons of blacktop, little gems are tucked away. For instance, Bamboo Grove (515 SW Carolina St., 977-2771) offers up exotic food, from bento to Hawaiian burgers, and hosts live music on Friday nights. Anchoring the main drag lies the headquarters of Oregon Public Broadcasting (7140 SW Macadam Ave., 244-9900, opb.org), a local source for nonprofit, objective radio and TV news—or Communist propaganda, if you ask someone from Medford. Willamette Park (Southwest Macadam Avenue and Nebraska Street) splashes over 27 acres of greenery, crisscrossed with trails for hikers and walkers. Running right along the river, you might see a great blue heron or other wildlife along the shoreline. Cap the day off (and improve the sunset) at Full Sail Brewery at RiverPlace (307 SW Montgomery St., 222-5343); overlooking the river, Portland’s outpost of the Hood River staple offers up hard-to-find beers from its vaults in the Gorge. —Shefali Kulkarni.
