St Johns Bridge is just lovely. Even if bridges and architecture aren't your thing, this one is…read moredefinitely worth the stop. It was built in the 1930's and is a stunning example of Gothic revival architecture with soaring steel towers and suspension cables stretching across the Willamette River. It looks especially dramatic on a cloudy day. It's a work of art really and worth a little detour to check out.

In my esteem, the St. John's Bridge is the most beautiful bridge in all of Portland. Prior to the…read morebridge, the neighborhood of St. John's was served by a ferry and the construction of the bridge began just a month before the stock market crash of 1929. The bridge was built in 21 months and even one million under budget. Government officials waited until St. Patrick's Day 1931 to proclaim the bridge would be painted green. The bridge dedication ceremony was postponed until the 23rd annual Rose Festival on June 13, 1931. The bridge is a suspension style, at 2067 feet long, and 400 feet high. It's a Portland Historic Landmark and underneath you will also find stunning views from Cathedral Park. 2025 - Review # 17

A busy bridge, somewhat minimalist and unremarkable in architecture, the Morrison connects Belmont…read moreSt to downtown, and allows on-ramp access to the highways. The highlight of the bridge, for me, is literally the nightly lights displayed on the side. They'll be colored to fit with a theme or event like a local sports team's win or an awareness month. It adds a night element to the river view at night!

Of all the bridges in Portland, and there are 12, I travel the Morrison Bridge the most. Centrally…read morelocated with convenient drop offs onto I-5 and I-84 from central downtown, I am on this bridge constantly! The good news, is I am typically going in the opposite direction of traffic making this bridge a fast and efficient Way to get to my gym on the east side in the morning. When I lived on the east side and commuted to Hillsboro, I didn't like this bridge too much! Because I was always in traffic. But that isn't the fault of the bridge. It's a nice wide street with beautiful views looking north or south and great vistas of the downtown buildings and Tom McCall Park where so many festivals take place. I've also walked across the Morrison many times and I really enjoy it. The walkway is wide, there are ramps on either end making the incline super easy. On the south side there are also stairways. The view from up top is beautiful, especially in a blue sky day and in the fall. I especially like looking over the lush green hill at Tom McCall Park. Today it was sunny then instantly turned to rain, but it was still gorgeous with the huge expanse of storm clouds as a backdrop to the Willamette and downtown. Only once in 20 years was I on the bridge when it stopped to open. It's a drawbridge and I was the first car stopped behind the opening and it was truly incredible. Also a little intimidating since I drive a tiny Smart car!

It's one of the easier bridges in this town. It's very open with a lot of lanes so it doesn't tend…read moreto get stuffed up and you can get a clear line of sight throughout. The sidewalks are nice and wide for foot traffic and no one added weird barriers for problems like a lot of the other bridges.

If you've ever seen that iconic white "Portland Oregon" stag sign glowing over the river in photos,…read morechances are you were looking straight at the soul of the Burnside Bridge. This isn't just a crossing it's a front-row seat to the city's personality, grit and all. Roll through it by car, catch a glimpse from above, or better yet, walk it. Because underneath its steel bones lies the legendary Burnside Skatepark a raw, living piece of Portland culture. It's the underbelly, sure, but it's also the heartbeat. Skaters carving lines, the hum of traffic overhead, the Willamette flowing steady beside it ...it all blends into something uniquely Portland. Now let's talk about that stag sign. That's your Kodak moment right there. But here's the move: skip parking right in the thick of downtown if you're not feeling the chaos. It can get a little rowdy, a little unpredictable. Instead, park across the river, take the scenic approach, and walk your way in. Trust me it builds the moment. The reveal hits different when you earn it. And if you're feeling a little romantic? This bridge will meet you halfway. Catch it at dusk when the lights flicker on and the city softens just enough. Where you stand matters every angle tells a different story. One side gives you skyline glow, the other gives you street-level truth. The Burnside Bridge doesn't try to hide what Portland is it shows it off. A little rough, a little beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.

Since this historic Goose Hollow neighborhood bridge doesn't cross a river (instead it crosses over…read morethe Jefferson St road and max line), it doesn't get the the recognition and attention that most Portland bridges do, but it's important for connecting the King's Hill and Vista Ridge areas, and for providing a nice view of the downtown Portland cityscape. It even has 4 balconies (with benches) that extend from the sidewalk to give pedestrians a place to photograph and gaze (the title shot for Portlandia, with tall evergreens on the sides and Big Pink smack in the middle, was actually shot here). Unfortunately, it's more commonly known not for its picturesque view, but rather for the number of people using it to commit suicide (It's locally known by some as "Suicide Bridge"). 6 people in just the last 8 years have died (5 attempts happened in 2011 alone, and 2 people have died so far in 2013). It looks like city support is gathering to some kind of barriers/fences to decrease future attempts, but given it's a registered historic bridge, the chances of it happening are decreased since multiple other agencies may need to approve the changes before any construction could begin. If you're in the area, take the opportunity to stop by and catch the view before it's obscured by chainlink fences or the like! And by all means, take the opportunity now to put the Multnomah County Crisis Hotline (503-988-4888) in your phone now so that if you ever need it for yourself or someone else, you know where to find it.

Sometimes I commute by this bridge. It has a beautiful view to the East overlooking our small city…read more Mt Hood, when clear. In a great collaboration between neighbors, business and the new transportation commissioner, some fences were built in record time. Before the fences were completed, neighbors volunteered to watch the bridge to keep angels from falling. In turn the love lock tradition attached. I love love, but please don't drop those keys on people below! Yes they will probably have to be cut off. There is a better option and we need a museum for them, holding new things, everyday, which are lovely. Are Lincoln neuromantics behind this? http://toool.us/lovelocks.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pRHljnD6xU http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/09/paris-bridge-railing-collapses-weight-love-locks

Pioneer square has a lot of history, it was the site of an early public school, then A big hotel…read more(this was the front gate for the hotel. Then a parking garage... I like that the gate was returned here to the square it is a nice piece of history and nod to the past. fun fact: it is supposed to be back in about the original spot.

There are bridges... and then there's the Steel Bridge a true Portland original that doesn't just…read moreget you across the river, it gives you a front-row seat to the city itself. Coming in by train, this is where it hits you. That slow roll over the Willamette, the tracks shifting as you glide onto the bridge it's iconic. Built in 1912 by the Union Pacific Railroad, with Union Station standing proudly nearby, this bridge has been welcoming travelers into Portland for over a century. And it's no ordinary structure it's one of the only double-deck vertical lift bridges in the world, carrying trains, cars, bikes, and pedestrians all at once. But here's the part I love most on foot. Walk it, take your time, and look out. You get one of the best viewpoints of Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the river bending through the city, and that full loop that calls your name if you're in the mood to move. It's the kind of spot that makes a simple walk feel like an experience. Historic, hardworking, and still showing off this bridge isn't just part of Portland... it is Portland.

It has been a minute since I walked over this bridge but it is a lovely walk leading you to the…read moreends of both parks on either side. If bike riding is your speed, you can also do that! The Max uses it for it's crossing over to the MODA Center stop so you will cross it if you are going that way.

i'd driven by a hundred times and never noticed, but this time was different…read more burnt graffiti covered walls, barbed wire, pane-less windows, roofless skeleton, exposed reflective pool floors, an unintentional urban art masterpiece begging to be shot. so i did. so should you (if you're into that sort of thing). old taylor electric supply co. building (previously ingresoll rand equipment co.). transformed into "art exhibit" by fire in 2006. located between SE Clay, SE Market, and SE 2nd Ave. photos: http://www.pdxploration.com/2010/11/photo-op.html

Building has been mostly demolished, and a wire fence surrounds the grounds. In other words,…read morenothing much to see here anymore.

A very small pull out to view the Willamette Falls. Interesting history of the various mills which…read moreharnessed the natural falls.

My wife and I were in Portland with my sister and brother-in-law and we stopped after the grotto…read morefor this overlook that had a huge rush of water, I read somewhere that it had the second most volume of water in America, but it seemed far-fetched. The view was pretty, but from where we were standing, it seemed to have a lot of blocking obstructions, I know big problems, but hey.... We stayed for about 10 minutes and were on our way again. Hey, it was free, I think the other side of the river would have been better.