Williams
This vibrant North Portland street offers stellar shopping, dining and things to do.
Pack in stylish shopping, delicious international cuisine and quirky bar-hopping in North Portland’s Williams neighborhood. Read on for more of our favorite things to do in Williams.
Eat and Drink on Williams
When the craving for dumplings and noodles strikes, check out XLB on North Williams for classic Chinese comfort food and their namesake xiao long bao.
Named “Restaurant of the Year” in 2019 by The Oregonian, Eem’s Thai dishes, such as sweet and sour fried chicken and fried egg-topped soy curl stir fry, are all jammed with flavor. Cocktails arrive in over-the-top, photo-worthy Tiki glasses, but the cuisine crafted at Eem remains its star component.
More notable meals on Williams include handmade pastries and bacon-flecked baguettes by Dos Hermanos Bakery; beautiful, intricately decorated desserts at Jinju Patisserie; and vegan-friendly, authentic Japanese ramen at Kayo’s Ramen.
Migration Brewing on Williams opened in 2021 with a redesigned airy and open interior. Grab a pint from one of their 18 Migration beers on tap and head out to the 2000 square feet (186 m²) dog-friendly patio with both covered and uncovered seating. Another great place to grab a pint on Williams Avenue is AleFire. While you’re there peruse their highly curated list of hot sauces where you can take home a bottle of Hellfire.
More Tastes to Sample on Williams
North Williams Avenue is home to several eclectic drinking holes and delicious places to eat, including these favorites.
Shopping on Williams
SpielWerk Toys sells new children’s toys, but it transports shoppers to a simpler time. Filled with classic playthings crafted from natural materials, the shop’s simple, kid-powered toys like jump ropes, tea sets, dress-up kits and musical instruments promise timeless fun. Offering ethically sourced clothing made by small-batch designers, Monochromatic is a women-owned business committed to providing pronoun inclusive, simple designs.
Stop by Workshop Vintage where designing duo Audra Santillo and Nate Moore showcase their love for all things vintage and custom-crafted pieces. This quirky boutique is uniquely modern with a rustic interior, boasting both newly created and nostalgic collectibles.
Questions About North Williams Avenue
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Activities on Williams
Start a stroll down Williams with a visit to The Wishing Tree. Planted in a neighborhood local’s front yard, the humble tree is strung with thousands of handwritten notes, each fastened to strings threaded through the tree’s branches. (Leave your own note by using the pens and paper stashed in mason jars at the base of the tree.)
Across from the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center is a small park with a big history. Dawson Park is a 2 acre (1 hectare) park that functioned as an unofficial town square for the surrounding African American community and was the epicenter of many political and social movements — like civil rights marches. With a restored 120-year-old gazebo and a splash pad, this park is a great place to enjoy the summer while learning about the history of the surrounding neighborhood.
Events in Williams Neighborhood
Get to know the neighborhood at these upcoming events.
Augustana
Dan Layus has fronted Augustana as its singer and primary songwriter since its formation in 2002. Building a dedicated following of fans off of the backbone of hits like “Boston,” “Sweet and Low,” “Fire,” and “Steal Your Heart,” Augustana have established themselves as a staple of American Pop/Rock. A touring artist for nearly two decades,…
bbymutha
Brittnee Moore, known professionally by the stage name of bbymutha, is an American rapper. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In a 2017 interview Moore described herself as a 'stay-at-home mom' who earns her income through rapping. She began her career through SoundCloud, where she released her first track, "Slut". In 2017, she rose to prominence…
Joy Again
For Joy Again, inspiration indiscriminately bounces around like a superball. It ping-pongs between the Philadelphia band before it settles and crystallizes in one capriciously catchy bop after another. These six lo-fi alternative pop outliers — Sachi DiSerafino [vocals, guitar], Arthur Shea [vocals, guitar], Blaise O’Brien [keys], Zachary Tyndall [keys], Will Butera [drums], and Kieran Ferris[bass]…
METZ
With time comes the understanding that the joy of connection is mirrored by the void of loss, how the constancy of love is matched only by the impermanence of life, and the simple idea that life cannot be created without risking the dark. So it is with METZ, a band once known for blowing out…
The High Hawks
The High Hawks are a group of musical friends who hail from various jam and Americana bands: Vince Herman, frontman and festival ring leader from Leftover Salmon; Tim Carbone, ace fiddler and multi-instrumentalist from Railroad Earth; Adam Greuel, ring leader and guitarist from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades; Chad Staehly, keyboardist from Hard Working Americans; Brian…
Paco Versailles
Paco Versailles is a collaboration between guitarist/composer Vahagni and songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant (Capital Cities).Their sound is a mix of flamenco guitar rhythms with disco-leaning electronic production and captivating vocals, a new genre they call Dancemenco. The name Paco Versailles was conceived while imagining a collaboration between their biggest influences, the legendary Spanish guitarist Paco De…
Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM
JThe Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM, are an instrumental trio formed in Los Angeles in 2021. They blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 60’s soul ballads and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard parties and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country
Sam Evian
It was New Year's Eve 2022, the night before Sam Evian started recording Plunge, his fourth LP, now set for release on Flying Cloud Recordings via Thirty Tigers — his first album on his new imprint. He invited his friends and fellow musicians to his property in the Catskills, where he’d just painstakingly relocated and…
Ash
Ash is an independent artist with over 750 million streams on digital platforms. Since the beginning of his career, the 27-year-old musician and live artist has been releasing music through his own label Ash Music. A multi-instrumentalist who plays the Piano, Guitar, Sax, Drums and Synthesizers, he blends his Egyptian and French background in electronic…
Donny Benet
He’s older now, more thoughtful and wise. He’s traveled the world, and he’s seen some things. Time passes, and he matures like the finer things in life: behold the timeless, elegant, sophisticated man, Donny Benét. More than a decade since the world first fell for his charms, Donny Benét is taking charge of his destiny like…
Chris Pureka
It’s rare for an artist to bridge the divide between critical acclaim and dedicated fan engagement. Chris Pureka is a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose work has resonated deeply with these seemingly disparate milieus. Their music has straddled the folk, Americana and indie rock genres over the course of their 20 year career, and over that time,…
Caroline Rose
After a series of heartbreaking events, Rose had no desire to make a statement, let alone make a new album. It was a time of contemplation and transformation, a time to slow down. What transpired was what the artist considers a gradual union of reconnection and growth. “I was writing songs the way that I…
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Over his past decade-plus of writing, recording, and producing, Tasjan has released four excellent and critically acclaimed solo albums, touring the world on his own and as the guitarist in the New York Dolls. He co-founded and co-wrote all the material for the band Semi Precious Weapons. In 2021, he was nominated for a Grammy…
Fox and Bones
Scott Gilmore and Sarah Vitort are Fox and Bones — energetic offbeat folksters with a retro pop-rock bent who have been setting the world alight with a handclapping, foot-stomping good time since 2016. The indomitable duo has brought their optimistic Americana polish to international stages shared with Rayland Baxter, The Dead South, ZZ Ward, The…
VIAL
What happens when you give musicians KT Branscom and Taylor Kraemer a Tinder account? They find a third and start a band. VIAL is a Minneapolis-based indie punk band made up of keytarist and bassist Taylor Kraemer (she/they), guitarist KT Branscom (they/them), and drummer Katie Fischer (she/they). VIAL brings their genre-bending cascade of sound into…
Tribal Seeds
Tribal Seeds has toured worldwide, seeking the spiritual aromatics of earth smoke and forming bonds with fans and musicians. In their 15 years as a reggae rock band, originally from San Diego, Tribal Seeds has released four full-length albums and two EPs. It’s helped them amass over 224M song streams and 250,000 followers on Spotify….
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
A mix of sprawling, exploratory psych-pop, prog-rock, and heavy garage riffs, Australia's Psychedelic Porn Crumpets rose out of Perth's indie underground, earning a devoted fan base through hard touring and releases like 2016's High Visceral, Pt. 1 and 2019's more muscular And Now for the Whatchamacallit. The group's ARIA-nominated fourth album, Shyga! The Sunlight Mound,…
Major Tomboys
Ziggy Stardust fell to Earth once upon a time. It is the mission of Major Tomboys to pay tribute to his god-given ass. Major Tomboys is Portland’s all-femme David Bowie tribute band, founded by Renée Muzquiz (lead singer/guitar) and Lauren Hatch (keyboard) in the summer of 2018. There was a flash of lightning, an explosion…
Greyhounds
Greyhounds are the Austin trio of Anthony Farrell (vocals, keyboards), Andrew Trube (vocals and guitar) and Ed Miles (drums). Many music fans remember Farrell and Trube as key members of JJ Grey’s band MOFRO for many years.
Medium Build
Medium Build, the queer singer-songwriter born Nick Carpenter, has a generous and inviting spirit that manifests in his songwriting. Medium Build built a cult following in Anchorage, Alaska, where he became a local celebrity and hometown hero before moving to Nashville, moving closer to his southern roots and dedicating himself to his musical career. He…
Cosmic Psychos
The Cosmic Psychos are (almost) an Australian punk rock institution formed in Spring Plains, Victoria in 1982, spearheaded by founding member and bass player Ross Knight. To date, the band has released ten studio albums since their self-titled debut (1987). Their influence has been global, with UK band The Prodigy sampling their music on 1997’s…
Dent May
Every morning when Dent May wakes up, the first thing he says is, “What’s for breakfast?” For the Los Angeles-based songwriter and pop auteur, this question is part inside joke with his girlfriend, part sitcom-style catchphrase, and part mantra about getting up every day and persevering in the face of good or bad is happening…
Therapy Gecko
After embarking on a sold-out world tour last year, multi-platform internet sensation Lyle Forever brings his beloved Therapy Gecko live show on the road again in 2024. Fans will get to converse with Lyle live on stage as they share their hopes, dreams, and anything else in the recesses of their mind with the internet's…
Francis Of Delirium
Francis of Delirium, AKA 22-year-old Luxembourg-based Jana Bahrich, is the loudest voice in a very quiet country. From recording and self-producing 3 EPs brimming with alt-rock angst and lockdown nihilism in abasement next to the washing machine, Francis of Delirium is on the precipice of releasing her highly anticipated debut album, Lighthouse via Dalliance Recordings. With fans…
Little Big
Little Big is a Russian rave-pop band that has taken the international music scene by storm with its infectious beats, eccentric visuals, and unique blend of genres. Their music is a fusion of electronic, punk, and pop elements, creating a sound that is both energetic and unpredictable. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Little Big…
Babehoven
Babehoven is a band fronted by singer-songwriter Maya Bon and collaborator Ryan Albert in Hudson, NY. Their new album, Water’s Here In You, is available everywhere on April 26 via Double Double Whammy. Written and recorded at the duo’s home studio throughout the winter of 2022–2023, ‘Water’s Here In You’ comes close on the heels of…
Motion City Soundtrack
A leading light in the punk-pop genre, Motion City Soundtrack includes members Joshua Cain (guitar), Tony Thaxton (drums), Justin Pierre (vocals/guitar), Jesse Johnson (Moog), and Matthew Taylor (bass). Following their high school graduation, Minneapolis natives Pierre and Cain — both of whom were inspired by Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbox, the Flaming Lips, and Superchunk…
Lip Critic
Formed in 2018 in New York, Lip Critic is the project of Bret Kaser, Connor Kleitz, Daniel Eberle, and Ilan Natter. The band is comprised of two samplers, two drummers and vocals. Through their unconventional instrumentation, Lip Critic executes an eclectic blend of punk, hardcore, club, and modernistic pop sounds and structures without inhibition. Paired…
Boulet Brothers’ Dragula
You’ve watched these monsters battle all season long, now come see them LIVE. The Official Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Season 5 Tour is hitting the road and bringing screams, nightmares, and dreams to a city near you soon. Starring The Boulet Brothers and featuring Niohuru X (the world’s reigning Drag Supermonster) along with Blackberri, Orkgotik, and…
Oliver Hazard
Oliver Hazard is an American indie folk band from Waterville, Ohio. Their music is a ramshackle of uprooted- folk stomp. Three childhood friends — a maintenance worker, a salesman, and an adventure guide — reconnected in their hometown of Waterville, Ohio. They met up, wrote some songs, happened to win some studio time in a…
Of Montreal
Kevin Barnes did not believe they could ever leave Georgia. Barnes arrived in the erstwhile college-rock hub of Athens around 1996, a pop four-tracker in their early twenties with permissive images of Bowie, Prince, and Iggy Pop prancing through their head. Almost immediately, of Montreal became a signal flare for a slowly changing South. Barnes,…
Allie X
Alexandra Ashley Hughes, known by her stage name Allie X, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She began her career as an indie pop artist in Toronto in the mid-2000s, playing with local bands and writing and recording a handful of self-released albums.
Omni
The music of Atlanta trio Omni has always swung fast and hit hard. And Souvenir, their fourth album and second for Sub Pop, packs their biggest punch yet. Inactive during most of the pandemic — the longest downtime in their history — they approached this recording with lots of pent-up energy. Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist…
Jessica Pratt
From the opening seconds of “Life Is,” it’s clear that Here in the Pitch is a very different kind of album from Jessica Pratt. The revered Los Angeles artist has become one of her generation's most singular and distinctive songwriters, largely through the bewitching sound of her acoustic guitar and vocals: a mystical, elusive blend…
November Ultra
November Ultra welcomes listeners into her personal diary. From the bottom of her heart, she shares moments of her life, bright and dark stories, and sweet lullabies that gather touches of R&B, Pop, folk and music hall. Soft and intimate her first LP, Bedroom Walls shares all her secrets , intimacy into a colorful sanctuary:…
The Sweet Lillies
The Sweet Lillies' music is, first and foremost, heartfelt and collaborative. Those defining traits are given life by the quartet of musicians who make up the Lillies, Julie Gussaroff, Becca Bisque, Dustin Rohleder and Jones Maynard. Together they have combined their individual strengths to deliver powerful narratives of life in song. With their newly formed…
Soft Kill
Soft Kill from Chicago Illinois is the brainchild of Tobias Grave, making morose and infectious punk songs since 2011. Starting with the seminal “An Open Door” and including stand out records like 2016’s “Choke” and 2020’s Billboard chart topping “Dead Kids, R.I.P. City”. Tobias’ struggle with addiction and loss have created a depth and emotional…
Bôa
British alt-rock band bôa has reformed following an incredible renaissance for their track “Duvet,” driven by TikTok fans worldwide. Originally released in 1998 and placed as the soundtrack to cult-classic anime series Serial Experiments Lain, “Duvet” became a viral hit on social media towards the end of 2021 — sparking an ongoing, enormous interest in…
Ziggy Alberts
Known for his distinctive sound and captivating live performances, this tour will showcase Alberts’ musical aptitude and unique stage presence, offering fans across North America an authentic and memorable Summer performance. Ziggy Alberts has cultivated a profound connection with his growing global audience, evident in his melodic fan favorites like “RUNAWAY” and “REWIND,” receiving airplay…
The Longest Johns
I doubt any of Bristol’s The Longest Johns ever imagined they would be able to get so far on just four voices. In a few short years they have gone from singing sea shanties in a kitchen to International folk festivals, tours, and TV appearances and gained a huge online following. With their third studio…
Stars
Montreal is a cold, cruel place in winter. It’s the sort of city where you have to chip the tears off your cheeks when you start to cry, where words freeze barely halfway out of your mouth. The cold is a vindictive bride — she’ll trap you between her thighs and turn your heart to…
Ocie Elliott
Ocie Elliott pen tunes that feel lived-in. You can hear their memories, moments, and emotions in the dusty acoustic guitars, the sparse production, and the graceful harmonies between Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy. Their experiences as a couple pour into a living and breathing vision for 21st-century folk amplified by alternative nuance and unassuming pop…
Homeshake
It’s the early 2000s. A music video plays on a nearby loop on the Much Music TV channel. A man stands in a room. The background is nothing, nonexistent, as if in a void. The camera rolls and does not stop. He is shirtless. Sparse guitars begin as the camera sways effortlessly through the abyss,…
Illustration by Subin Yang
North Portland Neighborhoods
Sometimes called the “Fifth Quadrant,” North Portland encompasses a range of neighborhoods and commercial districts, including St. Johns, Mississippi/Williams and Kenton. Attractions include the St. Johns Bridge, Portland International Raceway, Peninsula Park Rose Garden and Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area.
More North and Northeast Portland
Discover two city quadrants at these local spots in North and Northeast Portland.
Mississippi
Enjoy live music, local shops and popular restaurants and bars on this historic North Portland street.
The Grotto
This serene woodland sanctuary in Northeast Portland features 62 acres (25 hectares) of lush botanical gardens. No matter what time of year you visit, the Grotto offers calm, peace and introspection, transcending boundaries.
Alberta Arts District
Lined with street art, galleries, restaurants and bars, this Northeast Portland neighborhood is best known for its colorful monthly street fair.
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