Skip to content

The Official Guide to Portland

  • Attractions
    • woman photographing view of portlandView All Attractions
    • Attractions Open Now
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people sitting at tables eating foodView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • people walking on the sidewalk under a vintage Hollywood Theater signView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • International Resources
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
Primary Menu 31 Events Near Me content loading animation Search
  • Attractions
    • woman photographing view of portlandView All Attractions
    • Attractions Open Now
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people sitting at tables eating foodView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • people walking on the sidewalk under a vintage Hollywood Theater signView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • International Resources
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
i
Wander through work by local artists at Alberta Street Gallery, one of several art spaces in the historic Northeast Portland Alberta Arts District.
Credit: NashCo
Neighborhoods / Northeast Portland

Alberta Arts District

Stroll Alberta's main street to discover local art, live music and a wide range of bars and restaurants.

i
Wander through work by local artists at Alberta Street Gallery, one of several art spaces in the historic Northeast Portland Alberta Arts District.
Credit: NashCo

Alberta Street is bursting with things to do any day of the year. If you’re having difficulty narrowing down where to go, use this guide to plan a perfect day filled with food, drink and local culture in Northeast Portland’s Alberta Arts District.

Learn More About Alberta Street

Where are the best places to eat on Alberta Street?

The answer depends on who you ask. Some will point you to one of the restaurants serving food by James Beard award-winning chefs that populate Alberta Street. Others will recommend a family-run taquería, their favorite vegan place, or tell you to skip dinner and head straight for dessert. Don’t forget you can always sign up for a food tour!

What are some quintessentially Portland things to do on Alberta Street?

Last Thursday is one of the best ways to experience Portland at its best and weirdest. If your visit doesn’t coincide with this event, consider some of the following suggestions:
  • Choose from inventive ice cream at hyper-popular Salt & Straw
  • Look for Mike Bennett’s yard zoo
  • Browse tiny (and regular-sized) survival and camping tools at Cord
  • See a show at The Alberta Rose Theater or Alberta Street Pub

What’s the history of Alberta Street?

Black Heritage Markers on Alberta’s main street honor and document the history of the Black community. Look for the markers on the sidewalk between 11th Avenue and 24th Avenue, or click the link above to see a photo of each one.

What other neighborhoods are near Alberta Arts District?

Located in the Northeast Portland quadrant, the Alberta Arts District is just one of many great neighborhoods to explore. From the charming urban farms on 42nd Avenue to the live music-focused Mississippi, there is an abundance of options with different personalities. Williams offers tons of local places to shop. Beaumont is a wealthier residential neighborhood with coffee shops and yoga studios that provide a great way to start the day. This Neighborhoods guide can help you learn more about each quadrant and the neighborhoods within.

Explore Portland With Near Me Now

Are you in Portland or visiting soon? Our Near Me Now web app will lead you to some of our favorite neighborhood spots.

Visit Near Me Now

Short-Term Rentals in the Alberta Arts District

Use the links below to search for short-term vacation rental listings in the Alberta Arts District.

Airbnb

Vacasa

Vrbo

Know Before You Go

The statewide mask mandate has been lifted. However, some event organizers may request or recommend mask-wearing at their events.

Additionally, some event organizers and venues may require proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test, for admission. Other events may be canceled, postponed or held virtually. Please check individual event websites for the most up-to-date information.

Where to Eat and Drink on Alberta

Wake up with a cup of direct trade coffee at hip local roaster Case Study Coffee, which serves seasonal java in an inviting café filled with warm wood beams, leafy potted plants, and ample natural light.

Case Study shares a patio with one of Portland’s most popular (and most dog-friendly) brunch destinations, Tin Shed. Chow down on the “Everything Nice,” a sampler platter piled with potato cakes, sausage, French toast, and scrambled eggs or a hearty breakfast bowl.

When lunchtime rolls around, kick back with a mason jar of boozy peach lemonade at the Bye and Bye, a vegan restaurant and watering hole where locals chow down on bowls of brown rice, Brussels sprouts, and barbecue tofu on a sun-dappled patio.

Highlights

Comfort Food on Alberta

  • La Bonita – Alberta

    La Bonita is a family-owned and operated Mexican eatery with homemade tacos and salsas.

  • Gumba

    Once a celebrated food cart, this restaurant offers freshly made pastas and hearty portions of Italian specials, inspired by ingredients grown in Oregon. The menu is ever-changing and uses the freshest ingredients, sourcing locally when possible.

  • Angel’s Donuts & Ice Cream

    This old-school bakeshop specializes in doughnuts and ice cream, and also offers burgers, fries, sodas and espresso.

  • Sugar Street

    This bakery and bistro specializes in custom cakes and cupcakes. During the week for lunch, diners enjoy a daily sample of the shop’s delectable treats.

  • Ritual Sweetcraft

    This vegan and gluten-free bake shop in Portland’s Alberta Arts District serves up everything from cupcakes and cookies to doughnuts and scones.

Enjoy elevated Spanish tapas at Urdaneta. Served in a casual environment, the visually striking plates play host to bold flavors. Each dish is complementary to the house craft cocktails, Spanish wines and sherries. Dining at Urdaneta is meant to be an experience. The open kitchen and dining areas help make eating dinner and dessert at the restaurant a communal affair. While the menu is always changing, seafood and meat dishes share space with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Chef for the recently shuttered Beast restaurant (and 2014 James Beard Award-winner) Naomi Pomeroy’s latest venture, Expatriate, offers a diverse array of culture-bridging and Burmese-inspired fare. Vinyl beats and vintage film projections set the vibe for meticulous cocktails from Pomeroy’s husband Kyle Linden Webster, and drinking snacks like Chinese-sausage corn dogs complement the standout libations.

Don’t let the name fool you; the Bollywood Theater doesn’t charge admission. Feast on Indian small plates of street food such as lamb samosas, pork vindaloo, or fried sweet and sour cauliflower while watching a Bollywood movie projected on the wall.

Yakuza Ghost Kitchen, a new concept from the original Yakuza Lounge owner Micah Camden, has a new home in the Alberta Arts District. Although the menu is always changing, diners can expect everything from fried kimchi and miso deviled eggs to negi saki on the raw menu alongside classic spicy tuna hand rolls.

Get an education in saké at Zilla Saké House, where the 70+ varieties of saké include offerings from SakéOne, located in Forest Grove, west of Portland. Let the experienced staff pour you a flight; they can also recommend the best pairings from the sushi menu.

5 To Try

Alberta Sipping Spots

Get a taste of Alberta at these recommended watering holes.

  • Les Caves

    Les Caves is an atmospheric underground wine bar serving rare and natural wines, plus a menu of light bar snacks.

  • Teote Mezcaleria

    The Teote Mezcaleria features original works of art and fine craftsmanship. Enjoy smooth tequilas and smoky mezcals at their expansive bar, or take your spirits outside to one of their fire pits.

  • Radio Room

    Radio Room is a full-service café, restaurant and lounge serving tasty, unpretentious food and drink, priced right and happily served to a diverse patronage.

  • Alberta Street Pub

    This neighborhood bar offers up great food and a hearty rotating draft list. Alberta Street Pub also has a sizable covered patio where they host outdoor live music.

  • Great Notion Brewing

    Great Notion Brewing (formerly The Mash Tun) serves up their own craft beer creations, inventive cocktails and pub snacks.

Alberta Street Art and Murals

In addition to dedicated gallery spaces like Alberta Street Gallery, murals and galleries of all sizes line Alberta Street. Monograph Bookwerks focuses on art books, but it’s also a stylish gallery with prints, paintings and midcentury ceramics. A couple of blocks away, Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books is a similar hybrid, offering collectible new and used books focused primarily on visual content, vintage photography and monthly art shows. At Flight 64 you can see art by local printmakers, or attend a workshop.

Guardino Gallery — one of the founders of the Last Thursday art/street fair — specializes in contemporary Northwest art and highlights fine crafts in its gift shop. Enjoy all kinds of art with several galleries on the street, like Nucleus or Antler, both showcasing contemporary art and handmade craft, or the local artist collective and gallery, Alberta Street Gallery.

Alberta Main Street recently collaborated with local Black artists and storytellers to teach visitors about the neighborhood’s history. Look for Black Heritage Markers on the sidewalk between 11th Avenue and 24th Avenue.

1 of 2
Community Cycling Center mural
2 of 2
African American murals adorn many North and Northeast Portland buildings.

Live Events on Alberta

When summertime arrives, Alberta welcomes back its iconic monthly street fair, Last Thursday. The traditionally more artist-based neighborhood’s response to the Pearl District’s more upscale First Thursday. During the Last Thursday art walk, more than 150 local vendors, artists, and musicians line Alberta Street, which is closed to vehicle traffic.

Anchoring the neighborhood’s east end, the Alberta Rose Theatre offers live music, comedy nights, art house films, and other events year-round, meaning there’s never a bad time to stop in.

Alberta Street Pub hosts live music almost every day of the week with multiple acts throughout the day during weekends. The massive outdoor patio is a great place to hang out with friends, and family or simply soak it all in.

Street Fairs

Many Portland neighborhoods celebrate summer with a street fair. You could spend nearly every weekend exploring these retail districts enjoying live music, food and local color.

Have Fun

The Alberta Street Fair, held in August, features live music on multiple stages, more than 150 local vendors, kids’ activities, a beer garden and more.

Alberta Shopping

With its many boutiques, galleries and indie shops, Alberta Street is made for leisurely shopping strolls.

For casual but beautiful locally-made fashion, pop next door to Tumbleweed for a selection of dresses and accessories by indie designers. At boutique Amelia, the vintage-inspired apparel and jewelry are made in the U.S. by designers, artisans and small production facilities. Frock offers an eclectic mix of vintage and locally designed fashions and accessories.

Underneath it all, nothing beats a bra that fits perfectly. Portland ladies sing the praises of The Pencil Test, a friendly shop whose small stock is almost guaranteed to include the best-fitting bra you’ve ever worn.

5 To Try

Fashion for Any Body

  • pedX Shoe Shangri-La

    pedX carries a wide array of boots, clogs, flats and more, from brands such as Swedish Hasbeens, Sorel and Kelsi Dagger.

  • Pie Footwear

    This eco-conscious, vegan-friendly shoe shop sells socially responsible brands and even recycles used shoes.

  • Amelia

    Amelia is a boutique that showcases feminine, vintage style with a modern sensibility. They focus on unique and limited-quantity products that aren’t found in other stores.

  • The Pencil Test

    This cozy shop specializes in foundation wear for women with cup sizes D and up, and with band sizes from 28 to 48. They carry fashion and activewear brands and styles not featured in department stores.

  • Grasshopper

    This store carries well-made and easy-to-wear children’s clothes (including organic and American-made options), safe toys and a collection of old and new books.

Shopping for Kids

At Grasshopper you’ll find organic, American-made children’s clothing and non-toxic toys. Find natural and recycled products for mothers, babies and kids at Milagros Boutique — from bath toys to carriers. For families, Green Bean Books makes a great rainy-day escape thanks to colorful walls, plush couches, weekly storytimes and frequent author readings.

Get Crafty

Feeling inspired? Stop by Collage to fulfill your creative urge. The well-stocked art supply store has everything you need for drawing, painting, jewelry-making, stamping, mixed-media or card-making.

Close-Knit sells yarn, knitting and crochet supplies and offers online classes for beginning and intermediate sweater makers. Browse their extensive yard selection online before you visit, or ask their friendly staff for recommendations.

Aspiring to join Portland’s numerous successful Project Runway contestants — or just wanting to sew yourself some new duds? Visit Modern Domestic for sewing classes and open sewing hours on their fleet of Bernina machines; a few blocks east, you’ll find a wide range of materials at Bolt Fabric Boutique. Next door to Bolt, yarn shop Close-Knit wins fans with its inspiring sample projects, great yarn selection and friendly staff.

Self Care Shopping and Soaks

Blendily is a handmade skincare kitchen where you can watch owner Ivy Chuang craft all-natural skincare, bath products and herbal remedies with fresh, organic wild ingredients. Indulge in the “Glow Up” facial steam for some sweet-smelling self-care. For added relaxation, head to the outdoor soaking pool at nearby McMenamins Kennedy School.

Neighborhoods, Tours & Itineraries
Go To Kennedy School
Related

More to Explore

The Alberta Arts District is just the beginning of Portland's love for the arts and magic.

a twilight street filled with people browsing tents with items on display

Monthly Art Walks in Portland

Explore Portland's art gallery scene with three regular art walks, held in different creative neighborhoods around town.

Maria Vashakidze owner of Seagrap, preparing herbs

Portland’s “Mystic District”: Three Magical Shops in One City Block

Whether you’re curious about crystals, dreaming of divination decks or just seeking sweet-smelling soap, Portland’s Mystic District has the store for you.

three people doing yoga surrounded by trees

Ways to Practice Self-Care in Portland

It’s okay to admit that you occasionally get stressed or down. Thankfully Portland's self-care offerings are deep; walk in over 200 parks, find time for yoga, sauna, soaking, and health-conscious food to practice self-care like a Portlander.

Illustration by Subin Yang

Northeast Portland Neighborhoods

Located east of Williams Ave. and north Burnside Street, Northeast Portland contains popular visitor destinations like the Alberta Arts District and The Grotto. Portland International Airport is in outer Northeast.

  • 28th Avenue
  • 42nd Avenue
  • Alberta Arts District
  • Beaumont
  • Cully
  • Hollywood
  • Lloyd
  • Roseway
  • Sandy Boulevard

Was this page helpful?

Map & Guide

Get a Copy

Newsletter Signup

Get your guide to Portland's events, attractions and news.

Follow Us

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Information For

Local Businesses
Media
Meeting Planners
Travel Industry Professionals
Event Organizers

Brought to you by

Travel Portland Logo

We are a promoter and steward of this evolving city and its progressive values, which have the power to transform the travelers who visit us.

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Español
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • 日本語
  • 汉语
  • 漢語
  • 한국어
Copyright © 2022 Travel Portland
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Copyright Policy
Visit The USA Logo