The tram gives Portland visitors stunning views of the city, river, and mountains beyond. Grab the streetcar from downtown out to the waterfront. You’re delivered to the lower terminal for the three-minute ride carrying you 3,300 feet at 20 MPH to the upper terminal at OHSU. Linger for photo ops then head back down to explore. If it’s nice, skip the streetcar and walk back along the river. Daily workout, check. Roundtrip cost: $4. At the lower terminal, the Daily Cafe is an easy find in the atrium of the OHSU Clinical building as you disembark the pill-shaped car, built with precision by the Swiss. Head for the river and stroll along the shore in any weather. Double back along SW Bond Ave and consider lunch at Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro. Check out the pricey high-rise condos on the market in the real estate office windows, then relax in one of the pocket parks to people watch. It snows in Portland. A couple of times a winter, even downtown gets dusted and it’s a huge mess. I’ve dreamed about getting my ski gear on, grabbing my boards and heading for the PDX Tram at the South Waterfront. I’d casually climb aboard with the patients and medical folks heading up to “Pill Hill” and blow their minds.
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PDX: Go by Tram
The tram gives Portland visitors stunning views of the city, river, and mountains beyond. Grab the streetcar from downtown out to the waterfront. You’re delivered to the lower terminal for the three-minute ride carrying you 3,300 feet at 20 MPH to the upper terminal at OHSU. Linger for photo ops then head back down to explore. If it’s nice, skip the streetcar and walk back along the river. Daily workout, check. Roundtrip cost: $4. At the lower terminal, the Daily Cafe is an easy find in the atrium of the OHSU Clinical building as you disembark the pill-shaped car, built with precision by the Swiss. Head for the river and stroll along the shore in any weather. Double back along SW Bond Ave and consider lunch at Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro. Check out the pricey high-rise condos on the market in the real estate office windows, then relax in one of the pocket parks to people watch. It snows in Portland. A couple of times a winter, even downtown gets dusted and it’s a huge mess. I’ve dreamed about getting my ski gear on, grabbing my boards and heading for the PDX Tram at the South Waterfront. I’d casually climb aboard with the patients and medical folks heading up to “Pill Hill” and blow their minds.
The Most Diverse Transportation Hub in America
From bikes to streetcars to trams, Portland is famous for its transportation. And you can see all these modes and more at the corner of SW Moody & Gibbs. As many as 400 bikes park in the plaza, where Go By Bike offers rentals and free valet. The Portland Aerial Tram soars over the neighborhood every five minutes, offering city views and, on clear days, a direct view of Mount Hood and Mount St Helens. The streetcar and shuttle buses stop here. You can also arrive by Portland’s largest cycle track via Moody, or Portland’s largest pedestrian bridge via the Lair Hill neighborhood. Yep, even walking gets a powerful nod in this hub—and the bridge has a viewing deck for taking in the moving buzz of people. Ye olde automobile is also welcome with on-street parking nearby. Note of disclosure: This writer, as a university transportation guy, has a professional link to some of these services. No one has asked for or compensated for this write up. His personal, insider opinion is simply that this hub is pretty cool!