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
How far is it to Downtown from Williams Avenue?
What if I don’t have a car?
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.

Living Legends
The Living Legends, a loose collective of MCs and DJs from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Japan, and Europe, are unique for both their down-to-earth songs and approach to the music business. Following in the footsteps of California artists who made a name selling tapes out of car trunks, the Legends also chose…

Holiday Maker Market
Every Saturday and Sunday 11/25 – 12/17 DIY Bar will be having a holiday maker market in the courtyard. Expect local and handmade goods, delicious treats from Bread and Honey café, and festive vibes all around.

Hania Rani
Hania Rani is a pianist, composer and musician who was born in Gdansk and splits her life between Warsaw, where she makes her home, and Berlin where she studied and often works. her debut album Esja, a beguiling collection of solo piano pieces on Gondwana Records, was released to international acclaim on April 5, 2019,…

Spring Forward: William Hernandez, Paul Rutz, Linda Cochrane, Amy Daileda and Jodi Burton
Yes, it's December, but time is hurtling forward, and you're invited to Spring Forward into the unknown. Artists that tickle fancies and create exciting and moving narratives have been invited, including painters William Hernandez, Paul Rutz, Linda Cochrane, Amy Daileda, and LK Gallery-represented artist Jodi Burton. Meet all the artists during this First Thursday party,…

Rose City Sneakerfest
Inspired by the lack of Sneaker events here in Portland, Oregon. Rose City Sneakerfest plans to establish itself as a place where Sneakerheads of the Pacific Northwest can socialize and hang out with other members of the Sneakerhead community. The goal is to put the city of Portland on the world stage and cement it…

Portland Music Month: Night Herons and Sun Atoms
Night Heron The record is called “Instructions for Night.” And by the end of the first track on Night Heron’s debut, the listener knows who these instructions are for. They’re for those of us awake against our will: tossing in bed after a terrible fight, pacing the hallways of new parenthood, stricken with fear of…

Qveen Herby
Qveen Herby is a top independent rapper, writer of bops, and all-around self-discovery guru. The Nebraska native, Berklee College of Music graduate emerged with viral pop duo KARMIN in 2011. Tune in for her weekly aura cleanses and podcast “House of Herby” for inspiration on indulging your inner artist.

Y La Bamba
To declare one thematic narrative from Lucha, Y La Bamba’s seventh album, would be to chisel away a story within a story into the illusion of something singular. “Lucha is a symbol of how hard it is for me to tackle healing, live life, and be present,” Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos, lead vocalist and producer…

Jamila Woods
On her expansive new album, Water Made Us, Chicago musician and poet Jamila Woods shines anew as she asks what it means to fully surrender to love. Across Water Made Us, Jamila embraces new genres as she wades through the exhilarating tumult of love’s wreckage and refuge. While 2017’s HEAVN saw Jamila celebrating her community…

The Elovaters
The Elovaters new album “Endless Summer” was released on Belly Full Records on July 28, 2023. Exploding into the American progressive roots scene in 2018 with their #1 Billboard Reggae album Defy Gravity, The Elovaters have quickly become a household name for lovers of Sublime, Jack Johnson, Slightly Stoopid, G. Love, Stick Figure, The Movement,…

Otoboke Beaver
Otoboke Beaver are a punk-rock-garage quartet from Kyoto, Japan. Formed at Kyoto University’s music club, the band consists of Accorinrin (Lead Vocal and Guitar), Yoyoyoshie (Guitar and Vocals), Hirochan (Bass and Vocals) and Kahokiss (Drums and Vocals). Acco’s off-kilter, self-taught compositional and confrontational performance skills and the band’s incredible musicianship make for a thrilling and…

Dorian Electra
Pop music provocateur Dorian Electra’s first two albums – the world-building 2019 album Flamboyant and 2020’s edgy My Agenda (Deluxe) masterfully blend together an assortment of genres, including pop, metal, jazz, medieval, epic baroque, classical, EDM, and more. They’ve collaborated with Lady Gaga, Tove Lo, Charli XCX, 100 gecs, Village People, Pussy Riot and others….

The Hotelier + Foxing
People often ask what the most influential emo albums of November 2013 & February 2014 were. Somewhere on the deep web there is an algorithm processing, workshopping the perfect tour for the people that ponder that question. As it turns out, there are two records that stand out and those records happen to be by…

Cherry Glazerr
It’s been four years since Cherry Glazerr released her resplendent third album Stuffed and Ready, but Clementine Creevy has been in no rush. “I’ve spent these years taking a hard look at myself, at my relationships, and writing about it,” she says. “I guess I’m coming to terms with a lot of my bullshit.” Cherry…

Claire Rosinkranz
Claire Rosinkranz turns the idyllic days of a teenage summer, road trips, post-high school adventures, and the butterflies of young love into breezy alternative pop anthems. In 2020, the 19-year-old, Gold-Certified Southern California singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist emerged as a smart, sharp, and savvy voice for Gen-Z with her independent breakout “Backyard Boy.” It was…

The Paper Kites
The Paper Kites are a folk-rock five-piece from Melbourne, Australia. Formed in 2010, members include Sam Bentley, Christina Lacy, David Powys, Samuel Rasmussen and Josh Bentley. The ARIA-nominated group has released five studio albums, with their most recent record ‘Roses’ (2021) garnering over 88 million streams. The band has received 160 million streams in 2022…

Collie Buddz With Kash’d Out and DMP
Colin Patrick Harper hails from the tiny island of Bermuda. In the music industry, he is known as the reggae artist Collie Buddz. Buddz was born on August 21, 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduating from high school, he attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, where he decided to study studio engineering….

Code Orange
Evoking the frantic fury of punk-metal progenitors like Converge, Black Flag, and Nine Inch Nails, Pittsburgh's Code Orange emerged in the early 2010s with an explosive take on classic, hardcore-leaning metalcore. The title cut from their 2017 major-label debut, Forever, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, and in 2020 the band issued Underneath,…

Ricky Montgomery
Music always lures Ricky Montgomery back. He blames the internet. First a devotee of the Vine underground, and now — nearly a decade and several jobs later — an unexpected hitmaker, the Los Angeles native has spent the last few years trying to reconcile with his artist self. He recently surpassed 1 billion global streams…
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.
Was this page helpful?