The rose quarter is the heart of Portland, they hold all the great shows and events. I've always felt safe and comfortable here with security. Easy to access with the freeways and max right off the road. Parking garages are pricey so I usually take trimet. Have fun and enjoy a show read more

Rose Quarter - Such a fun place to hangout and people watch - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Had many fond memories created at concerts at THE ROSE QUARTER aka " Memorial Coliseum " as I refer it as. My journey started in the early 80's to see in 1982 tour for a triple bill of heavy metal with GIRLSCHOOL , IRON MAIDEN & SCORPIONS ! I mean can you believe that lineup and only $10.... Of coarse I've ventured to the venue many times. It not really improved much throughout the years but always nostalgic when I do see a show... I'm glad they keep it open. read more

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Rose Quarter is the spot to be if you're up for a good time ! You've got everything from epic sports showdowns at the Moda Center to kickass concerts. I even had my graduation ceremony at this exact location . The venue is spacious and has some what okish seats . I feel atleast for a few hours they are alright and plus if you have the means to splurge there defnately can be an option to get better ones.Navigation is alright but more or less there are people who can help guide you in case you are lost . And when hunger strikes, the dining scene nearby is helpful , I wouldnt say that they are reasonably priced or have a lot of options but again when you come to an event like this , its pretty much expected that you will be charged slightly higher than the norm . Parking is horrendous and I would highly recommend taking public transit .In all these years of coming here , only once did we make the mistake of taking our car and regretted it instantly. All in all It's the perfect place to soak up the city vibes and make some awesome memories. read more

I just recently went for a concert, I sat outside all day to get a good GA spot and the staff were amazing they let us in to bathrooms and to warm up for a bit. Once we got let in everyone was so sweet and calm we were on the floor about 4 rows back from barricade and a lovely security guard had a Gatorade square bottle and was giving us water at any chance he could. We appreciated him so much seeing as we were packed in like sardines we had the most amazing time and the staff elevated our entire experience. I am short and view from the floor was still great for this specific event the sound was amazing even with everyone singing and dancing over all a great experience 10/10 read more

I'll start by saying: I am not a fan of big arena shows. Sure, there are perks: huge production values, (generally) excellent sound quality, and (arguably) world class artists. Even when the performer in question is not precisely to my taste, the pros are usually enough to either outweigh, or at least, bring balance to the cons. Thus, we come to my review of last night's Michael Buble concert. While he's not really my cup of tea, Buble puts on an unquestionably five-star performance. His voice alone is worth the price of admission, and I have nothing negative to say about the concert whatsoever. Instead, all of my criticism is laid firmly at the feet of the Moda Center and the Rose Quarter entities. (And, just to ensure full coverage, all of the critiques below apply to the entirety of the Rose Quarter: things are no better, and often times worse, at the adjacent Veteran's Memorial Coliseum). Absolutely ATROCIOUS parking. Getting in, and out, in a timely and efficient manner, is impossible. Adding insult to injury is the $28 parking fee for bringing your vehicle to rest anywhere even remotely within the orbit of the stadium. How parking isn't automatically integrated into the already obscene cost of an event ticket, in the Year Of Our Lord 2022, is tantamount to a crime against humanity. Navigating the arena, and finding your seats, is reasonably simple and stress-free...once you get through the ticketing gates. This is more difficult than it should be, as the perennially inept ticket checkers love to hold up the line, waiting for people to fumble through logging in to the abysmal experience known as Ticketmaster (which I would *LOVE* to roast in its own review, if it were a terrestrial entity), instead of letting people who have their shit together bounce around them and keep the line moving. When the security guards at the metal detectors are the most pleasant and efficient part of the ingress experience, you know that something is diabolically wrong. Thankfully (used with the utmost scorn and derision), there is a bounty of (wallet-pillaging) food and beverage options on each level of the concentric rings on the outer fringes of the arena, ranging in quality from "high school cafeteria" to "lipstick on a pig", the latter being various attempts at emulating food that would be the highlight of a menu at Applebee's. On a related note: $14.25 for a WHITE CLAW?! SERIOUSLY? Screw Old Town or 82nd Avenue, there's a robbery (continually) in progress at the Moda Center! There is no doubt that the Moda Center is the home of the Portland Trailblazers first, and an event venue second. The basketball bravado is pervasive, with myriad murals throughout proudly declaring, "This is our house". That's absolutely true, as only someone who receives millions of dollars per year could possibly think that the economic ecosystem that sustains this cyclopean coliseum is in anyway accessible to the common layperson, on a regular basis. Instead, it stands as a monument to the three E's of Evil: excess, ego, and elitism. And like the contests of gladiators in the ancient world, we consume the events at the Moda Center with the same level of remoteness and disconnect, observing the bloodshed through the filters of extravagance, inconvenience, and grotesque spectacle. No matter how fantastic the performance, the lingering scent of blood is not easily washed away. read more

The Rose Quarter is a great spot to catch an event or just spend some fun time with friends and family. The location has both the Moda Center and the Memorial Coliseum and has been the home to the Portland Trail Blosers since the teams inception in the 70's. The Rose Quarter has easy access to downtown or N and NE Portland, which offers many dining and or shopping experiences as well as sites to see. The Quarter also offers a pretty good view of downtown, which Portland has an incredible skyline for you to enjoy. Seen many a concert and show here as well as many basketball games being a former partial season ticket holder. I grew up in Portland but was blessed enough to grow up a Lakers fan and saw many purple and gold victories in these buildings. Spend time at the Rose Quarter, find an event that fits your desires and make a day of it, you will not be disappointed. Won't be disappointed unless its a playoff game, then you might be..... read more

This place has grown and expanded from the early days when it was really primarily the Memorial Coliseum. Home to the only professional sports team in Oregon, obviously they get a ton of activity related to NBA and the Portland Trailblazers. In addition to that I've attended minor league hockey events and tons of concerts between here and Moda Center. Venues have nice seats and multiple levels (tiers - 1 - 2 - 3) as well as box seats. Plenty of restaurants in the area and good easy access to highways so you can hit the road and be headed where you need to go relatively quickly. Really like this area .... check them out! read more

I have seen many a hockey game here and sat all over the arena from top to bottom - there REALLY is not a bad seat in the house! I am happy I do not drink beer since I hear it is steep but I will say though the food is overpriced (as with ANY stadium), it is not nearly as bad as some. For some items it seemed downright cheap! I have also been to catered events upstairs and to a catered box here - not a bad way to watch an event at all - they do a solid job. This arena really is a credit to Portland. read more

Rose Quarter - Winterhawks Game 2010 - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

How do you rate a venue like the Rose Quarter? It's actually kind of hard. Because what do you really compare it to? These giant entertainment complexes are not that common - they exist in major cities but how often does a guy really get to go to enough to determine how his hometown version stacks up? Sure I've been to some major league baseball stadiums, the Kingdome (RIP), the Seattle Coliseum (cum Key Arena - RIP Sonics), the Tacoma Dome, and some college sports arenas. But not too many that include an entire entertainment district. So I can't really say how the Rose Quarter stands up to the other ones. The Rose Garden Arena is where the Blazers play. It's decently modern, has some nice new attributes, and some usual food service circumstances. Similar to an airport, the food service is all contracted out by a large company that hires people who have no connection to the food or beverage they are serving. This is fairly counter to what happens in the rest of Portland, where people take pride in the subject matter of their service. The upside is that there is a lot of local food going on in the Arena, so you can get Laurelwood, Widmer, and similar brews alongside food from outfits like Po Shines and local BBQ. The food isn't all that bad if you do it right (and are willing to pay the jacked up prices), but don't expect the folks serving it to know much about it in particular. The Memorial Coliseum is old and dated but still has that classic arena charm. There's not really a bad seat in the house, and that house used to, and can still rock. The food is abysmal. The rest of this complex consists of some parking structures, a sports medicine facility, and some storefronts that used to house restaurants and bars. The location is awkward and the restaurants were only busy during events, which in a town that until 2011 only had one major league sports team - and basketball at that - didn't happen often. So the restaurants that used to exist there don't any more. Now they're mostly vacant - occupied by temporary food and booze service for pre- and during-game times. The rest of the time they're vacant. Making this area, aside from the sports rehab and management offices, a dead zone in off times. Sure it would be nice to have a vibrant entertainment district surrounding this arena as might exist in other markets, but I'm not sure that in a place like Portland it's feasible. The type of places that would cater to the crowds that show up to games would probably not be able to draw from the remainder of the Portland market in off nights. Unless maybe you transported the barmuda triangle across the river. So with a fairly modern NBA/concert arena, an aging NBA bowl now used for rasslin', monster trucks and Dew Tour, and some mostly-vacant should-be-restaurants... the Rose Quarter serves a specific and limited purpose. And they do an okay job at it. Unless you park in the East/West lots during a blazer game (it'll take you hours to get out... srsly). I guess 3 stars is what it's worth. It could be better, but I'm not wise enough to say how that would actually work. read more

Things my family has seen in the Rose Garden over the years.... *Little people (the circus) *Big people (Trailblazer games) *Spinning and jumping people (Stars on Ice) *Creatures that eat people (Dinosaurs Live) *Loud vehicles (Monster trucks) *Melodic people (concerts) Krista T. nailed it when she said that parking and driving around the Rose Garden is a nightmare. We didn't exit out of the main gate of the Garden Garage, so we were diverted two miles up to Interstate to get on I-5 South. If you live near the MAX line, take it people. Or, just walk across the Steel Bridge from the west side. So convenient! I've enjoyed seeing the events above from just about everywhere (lower level, mid-level, suites and nosebleed). Until last night (separate Trailblazer review to follow), my best experiences were in the suites. But about five years ago, many companies and individuals dropped their boxes and the Rose Garden has been going through a world of hurt. What I realize now, is that the boxes are nice, but really separate you from the event. You tend to spend more time socializing and aren't really focused on the performance. You are also pretty darn high up. Now that my kids are older (and can stay seated throughout a performance), I really enjoy the seats. This is Oregon's premier stadium venue, so the biggest sports, music and specialty acts go through here. I agree with others that the acoustics and viewing angles aren't the best for concerts, but I really like the venue. I thought the concession prices were about what I'd expect when they have you trapped in a contained environment and usually all my interactions with the ushers and staff have been Portland friendly. read more

We had a great time watching the Blazers put the hurt to the A-town Hawks last Saturday. My wife had a co-worker give her some tickets since he couldn't make it up from Eugene. We both wanted to drink before and after the game so instead of being un-elite and Drinking and Driving, we decided to catch the max. AWESOME. We walked from our appartment to the max and got off right in front of the arena, how convenient! When we entered we asked an older fellow where we would be able to find our seats. After he checked out or tickets, he said, "You actually follow these stairs up to the next level. Everything is free except alcohol." What did you just say? Huh? I'm confused....did he just say everything was free? For the next 15 seconds while walking up the stairs I was wondering what I was going to see. WOW!! Meat trays, Cheese trays, fruit, fried rice, egg rolls, short ribs, pizza, hot dogs, pop corn, all candy, ice cream, soda, water....FREE! I was shocked and surprised! Apparently we were in the preferred seating area and it was part of the seats. We pigged out and enjoyed a great Blazer performance. The arena is open, no obstructed views, seats are packed tight, and if you are sitting in the middle of a row, every person will have to stand up to let you out. Which sucks to say, "Excuse me, Sorry, Excuse me, Thanks, Appreciate it," Sure the time may have been a bit enhanced by being able to pig out for $0.00, but the price of the drinks knocked us back to reality. $9 for a cocktail, $8 for an IPA. DAAAMN!! Good thing I had a flask of whisky on me. Shhhh! I didn't just say that. We had a great time, people around us were nice and conversational, L.A. was hitting his turn around jumpers, Batum was all over the court, Camby was building a brick house from the charity stripe... 4 stars for this PDX venue! read more

Rose Quarter - Blazers Vs. Hawks 02/18/11 - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We came here to see the Trailblazers vs. Clippers game during a very bad storm. I know it rains a lot here but this was one of their worst storms of the year so I was surprised so many fans trekked their way to the arena to watch the game. It's a beautiful arena and they have really good beers too. Why am I the first to review? Portland Yelpers...get reviewing! read more

Rose Quarter - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My first time at the Rose Garden was also my first time at an NBA game since I lived in Chicago...and if it tells you how long ago that was, Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippin were pretty much the talk of the town! I won some tickets for the Blazers/Hawks game at work and decided it would be a good idea to go. So my friend Steve and I head on over to the Rose Garden and I was wowed that Portland has such a venue! There really is no bad seat in the house, but with that said, our were particularly good - behind the 1st half visiting team backboard about twenty rows from the action - pretty cool! I didn't bother taking the bar up on any drinks (not being willing to take out a large personal loan to fund the transaction) but the whole arena is very modern, with huge monitors and elaborate light-up boards that run the entire perimeter of the structure. The game was fun, and the arena was easy to navigate (even with the over-eager security guard who decided that I would make a good random search! Profiling! Yelpers are being singled out! XD ) I really enjoyed my time at the Rose Garden, and hope to take in more games, shows and what-not in the future! read more

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What can you say about the Rose Quarter that hasn't already been said? I've been here honestly a dozen times. Mostly sit in the 100 levels so the view is nice. But honsetly, the cheap 300 level seats work perfectly fine too. Saw Ellie and Bruno last night and they were amazing. I saw Gaga the first time in the 100 level which was great. And the second time i just opted for cheap 300 level seats which were surprisingly good. Place is clean, and exiting the Rose Quarter afterwards is fairly easy. And take the max, its the easiest way to travel downtown Portland. read more

When this place was built only 10 years ago, it was the rejoice of Portland fans all across the city as the Memorial Coliseum finally had met its modern match. However, the old style Memorial Coliseum is actually part of what makes up this little area, which also includes the Rose Garden, Rose Quarter Commons, Theater of the Clouds, and the Rose Quarter Exhibit Hall. The facilities here make it ideal for virtually any venue whether it be a basketball game, hockey game, convention, concert, etc. The businesses around here are no where near cheap and are touristy in price. Now that this place is crawling with something going on virtually every weekend / other day, its fascinating to see what kinds of shows and exhibits are being played here. Its a part of Portland that is worth visiting for all who are in the area. read more

As far as sporting events, this is one of the best experience sports fans can get. I was away on business and the colleagues and I decided to take an adventure to the Rose Garden, since none of us had been there before. We were all from out of town. Since being a giant Basketball fan, my only experience will obviously be the Staples Center for comparisons. So on Wednesday we got tickets ummm (scalpers) and got great seats, lower level bowl - 50.00 tickets in the 200 section behind the basket. You know the 120.00 tickets for Lakers and 60.00 for Clips! We got in the building and this place was packed. What? Fans actually arrive before the game cheer? Completely unheard of at Staple Center for Lakers. The place was loud! The game was Blazers vs. Mavs and they booed the Mavs every opportunity they got. The environment was similar to that of a college basketball game. For some inferior complex reason, they actually brought up the Lakers at a Mavs game and the fans went crazy of course. Laker Haters! Ehh! Now the food, for 7.00 you get a giant Italian Sausage cooked to order with grilled peppers and onions. For 10.00 you get a plain Hot Dog called the Sky Scraper Dog at Staples. The Italian Sausage was so good that I had two of them. Awesome!! Not good for the health though! I recommend this place if you are in town. It is what a sporting event should be, not talking on the cell phone, texting, and looking for celebrities. I love the Lakers but Staples suck as far as fans goes! TIPS - It can get real loud here, don't go here if you have an ear infection. Your ear drums will blow up and spill out of your nose! read more

Rose Quarter - Lost Knight says "Get 2" - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Good seating arrangement for what I can tell, although I've only seen a few games from general admission. My uncle's company has a luxury suite, so I when I go to games or events, that's where I'm sitting. Great arena for NBA games, but my concert experience here wasn't good at all. I saw Dave Matthews Band, and the acoustics were awful. It sounded like all the audio channels had been compressed into one center channel and the resulting mix was just a muddled mess. I won't ever see another concert here, but I'll continue to check out Blazer games anytime I'm down visiting family in the PDX! read more

I have had the pleasure of attending three Blazer games this season and I have to say that Portland is blessed with a very nice arena. Good size, easy to get around, the big screen makes seats high up pretty viable. If you are coming from downtown you can get a free ride on Max and it pretty much drops you off at the front door. For an NBA game this place is great. The level of noise from a smaller arena is staggering and the crowd has great energy for every game I have been to. The obscene prices for concessions is of course a downer but expected. read more

Rose Quarter - Big Board - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Love the outdoor fountain with the fire and the water jets. The whole atmosphere here is generally fun. Can't say I love the food options, but it could be worse. I won some Blazer's tickets here once when there had a promotional day with all the radio stations and sponsors. That was fun. Good times to be had by all. read more

Western society seems to look down upon walking in circles. People think you don't know where you're headed or are in hot pursuit of a lost jacket or child. Maybe it's our addiction to progress and obvious cause-and-effect patterns. Either way, they assume something is wrong when your meanderings are circular . But numerous circles around the concourse in the Rose Garden have yielded: 62 roars of "Did you SEE that?" 59 moans of "What are you doing?!?" 54 high fives exchanged with strangers 22.3 overpriced beers 19 exuberant chest bumps 7 regular season ticket stubs 5 overpriced dinners 5 coupons for free chalupas 3 forms of Obnoxious LA Lakers fans 3 spontaneous choral outbreaks to the tune of "Beat LA" 1 contrabando Rudy T-shirt 1 pair of authentic Trailblazers shorts to bring the Blazer Girl out of even the most stalwart anti-dancer 1 foam hand 1unfortunate gum on the sleeve incident 1 unfortunate lost Canon incident 1 Lippazzaner show. You know those Tijuana donkey shows I love so much? The Lippazzaners don't do that. 12008 to 2009 season at an end 1 arena that started off as your garden variety clusterfuck that slowly became, like they say, our house Keep my house warm for me until I can come back next year, OK? Thanks. read more

With mud caked to my formerly pristinely white low top Converse All Stars, the evening wasn't starting off quite as planned. First there was the lot attendant's hostile demand of $15 for a muck infested spot only a block away from cleaner $5 opportunities. Then the subsequent rude dismissal and scorn portrayed by said attendant regarding my choice to relocate my car as I trudged back through his parking lot quagmire, all while muttering derogatory comments of the un-pc kind. Yes, normally this would have pissed me the hell off. But that wasn't to be the case tonight. You see tonight was playoff basketball. Tonight I was living large in Rip City. I joined the throng of red and black dressed fans heading towards the garden, my coveted 100 level ticket held in a vice grip like it was the golden ticket into Willy Wonka's LSD inspired candy factory, a free pass into a call girl training conference, or admission for an "all you can handle" buffet of baby slits, Bolivian Marching Powder, mushies, yellow sunshine and mighty mezz. Like an oracle for future success, there was Bill Schonley, basking in the attention of the bright lights and cameras, as he was preparing to go on air for an interview with a local news station. Always immaculately dressed, hair white as good Columbia blow, he was greeting revelers with a smile, a wink and a handshake to the past. "You've got to make your free throws" sounding in my head all the while. It was still an hour before tip off, but already the crowd was growing, anxious with anticipation, ready for their team of young upstarts to take the court. A band played in the concourse, fans shopped through the team store, groups gathered to discuss the upcoming game, while children, hotties and cougars lined up to get their faces painted with Blazer logos. Nothing beats the atmosphere of a playoff game. Especially here in Portland. My prefunk found me getting down and dirty with a pair of shapely 9% double IPA's, but any seasoned fan knows that a cold beverage in hand is always a requirement when attending any game. Thus, I begrudgingly parted with $8 each time my glass of macro ale disguised as a micro began to run dry; throw in a pretzel and heart burn inducing dog to soak up some of the brew, and I was comfortably satiated and inebriated throughout most of the game. I found my seat, settled in next to a pair of lifelong season ticket holders and watched the diminutive Blazer dancers walk past in their skin tight lycra outfits, and wondered why in a city with an overabundance of strippers, this was the best we could do. Dear God, there was lots of butter to spread in them black spandex outfits. As the crowd began to settle in, and the pregame introductions commenced, the Garden took on a feeling of electricity. Shouts of "Let's go Blazers" from the rowdy 300 section turned into arena rocking chants as the entire building rose in unison and cheered on their beloved team. The noise levels were deafening as the team took the court and the opening tip commenced. Chants of "Defense" from the first opponent possession displayed the vigor and enthusiasm of the Portland faithful as well as their knowledge for the game. I've been to many sporting events, in some great venues for some high stakes, but I have never seen a fan base so in tune and so dedicated to cheering on their team to victory. Camaraderie that was built instantly continued through the final horn and the crowd filed out of the arena, high fives amongst strangers, impromptu chants while crossing the street and horns honking in celebration kept the feelings of victory and solidarity fresh on everyone's mind. For Rip City is back, baby and the Rose Garden is fertile ground for future scenes of Blazermania. read more

I've been to Rose Quarter a bunch of times for Blazers games and concerts. There are some pros and cons about our Rose Quarter/Rose Garden Arena. Pros: - Nice Blazers basketball court. It looks really good on tv and when you see it yourself. - Awesome newer big screen televisions so you can enjoy the game even when you seat all the way up in the nose bleed section. - Friendly ushers and staffs. Cons: - Over priced food and drinks. $3.75 for an Oregon Rain bottle water that I can get at plaid pantry for 99 cents. No outside food and drinks allowed. - Some of the seats are old and uncomfortable. - Parking can be awful. $20 to park in the garage and it's always full. It's way better if you take bus and max to go there. - We went to a blazers game and we put our bobbleheads under our seat and when we left we forgot. So we went back in there and our bobbleheads gone...and this is only like 10 seconds different because we realized that we forgot about it outside our entrance so we weren't even walked out yet! I know is our fault that we forgot and whoever loser that took our bobbleheads fault, not the Rose Garden fault, but for my next visit there, I will be super cautious with the security of my belongings. read more

Theater of the Clouds. Per the website: "The Rose Garden was specially constructed to include curtains and a one-of-a-kind acoustic cloud, in order to transform the large arena into a theatrical setting, suitable for intimate shows of 3,000 to 6,500 guests." Um, hell no. Big disappointment. What the hell was people thinking? It is not a theater, nor something that can remotely resemble a cloud. Dont try to make up special words for it and try to turn it into something it is not. It is not an "acoustic cloud." I recently saw a concert here and the sound was so bad, I could hardly make out lyrics from songs. Don't call it something it's not. Do not overtype it. It is just the Rose Arena, with a big, cheap ass curtain draped over the middle. Nothing special. Next time, I would think twice about seeing an artist perform here. read more

Sometimes, when everything seems just "alright" you don't realize how good you really have it. The Rose Garden Arena may seem like your basic venue that is primarily for a basketball team, but I can tell you it's one of the better venues of its ilk on the West Coast. The 4 main things it has going for it are: accessibility, pricing, viewing options, and the variety of events that take place there. Being able to take the MAX is a huge plus. Have you ever had to wait over 20 minutes to pull out of a parking lot when thousands of people are all leaving at once? If not, try going to LA or OC sometime, and worse yet they charge $20 for onsite parking. Another added bonus is that taking the MAX enables you to drink before, or during, your event. The pricing for Blazers games and concerts is excellent. I could get good seats for the playoffs here, for what the worst seats would cost at a Lakers games at the Staples Center during the regular season. If you wanna buy the cheapest seats, you can go to like 4 games for what it would cost to go to 1 in LA. And there really isn't a bad seat in the house, I've had front row on the floor, club level, and nosebleeds, and it's all been good. Wanna see a major headlining musical act? True, they don't always come to Portland, but when they do it's much much cheaper, and it usually doesn't sell out as quick either. There hasn't been an event at the Rose Quarter where I didn't feel like I was having the time of my life. And to cap it off, rather than waiting to hop on the MAX when everyone else is leaving, I often decided to walk over the bridge and take in the scenery on my way back to Downtown. You can't beat that. read more

Went to the Strikeforce MMA event at the Rose Garden Arena today. Very nice venue. Although my awesome seats were cage-side, I noticed that even the nose-bleeds look pretty good. Getting to the arena was incredibly easy by bus (me) and MAX (my companions). Transit drop off is right in front of the place and is absolutely the only way I would go. So easy and convenient and no worries about driving home impaired. The arena itself is clean and bright. I had no problem picking up my tickets at the will call window and walking right on inside. There are plenty of different concessions from which to choose. We stopped for a beer at the Pyramid Taproom. Ahhh, delicious local beer on tap. Sure, it came in a plastic cup, but it was a premium IPA. I look forward to attending other events at Rose Quarter. read more

The last time I saw a Blazer game, Pippen, Sheed and DD were still on the team. It's an arena, y'know? What do you go by reviewing an arena? It's not like there's a whole lot of competition in town. Getting in is quick. Getting out is quick. The prices aren't as ridiculous as I was afraid of. A little more than a movie theater, not as bad as Disneyland. The seats are a bit on the tiny side. I fit with some room to spare, but if you're at all wide for one reason or another, you may be in trouble. read more

Every time I visit the rose quarter, for a basketball game or any other event, I typically can't go without dropping: "bustabucketwho'dadunkitblazerdutysupersunkitslamn'geezitkillerthree'sitgoupgetitgotitgood" ... at least once. You long time portlanders know what I'm talkin' about... for those of you that don't let me school you in on a little pdx secret called early 90s z-100 meets the dan reed network: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5pGfakssHc The song is older than Rose Quarter itself, and Kevin Duckworth, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, and Buck Williams have long since made way for guys like Scottie Pippen, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. Opened in 1995 it's a 20,000 seat venue for games, concerts, speeches, and shows and has been both criticized as an eyesore for the city and a iconic addition to the skyline. It has the same problems many other arenas have, expensive parking, extreme prices at concessions, and long lines. Thankfully though there are ways to remedy these problems. Park in any of the neat neighborhoods (lloyd and downtown for starters) in the outlying area, grab a meal at one of the fine establishments and then hop on max for a quick ride to the event. You'll get let off closer than you'll find a place to park there anyway. Lines can't really be avoided without a little effort in planning. However, the increased number of bathrooms included in the program ensure that your waiting for services won't be too bad. While one can't plan on the event they go to see to be a success (we can always keep our fingers crossed though...) the experience there will likely be alright. For Rip City, that's not so bad. read more

Hidden somewhere under the bleachers, in a place known only to all indoor sporting venue professionals, there lies a super secret handbook that tells you how to seamlessly convert a floor from: - an ice hockey rink to - a basketball court to - a concert venue to - a circus with live animals to - a monster truck course to - a wrestling ring ...all within days of each other, and all the while avoiding the scheduling awkwardness of an elephant slipping on an icy floor, or a pink tutu-ed ice skating fan twirling headlong into a crowd full of juggalo (juggaleese? juggalander?) The venue is big enough for the city's largest shows, but not so big that you can't spot a friend down on the floor when you're up in the nosebleeds. What it takes for them to pull it all together well enough for us spectators to be able to complain, predictably, about large event parking, ticket amounts and outrageous food prices, is a mystery, stored (I can only imagine) in that secret book. What I wouldn't give to get a peek. read more

**huffing and puffing** Really, there can't be more than one entrance door to this freaking place? The entrance is oooooooover there and my seats are ooooooooooooover there? Drinks and food are insanely, insanely overpriced. These people know exactly what a captive audience is and are giggling madly with glee, making it rain twenties behind the curtain. If I'm going to pay $5 for a pretzel then it better be 1) effing edible and 2) the standard soft pretzel with salt chunks on it, not a STALE KNOT OF UTTER BULLSHIT. The BF took the first bite and said "I hope you don't have any dental issues; you may after this." But everyone is right - there is not a bad seat in the house. All arena staff seem friendly and helpful, that's a plus. And, huge bonus that MAX stops right next to the arena - for 2 of us coming from Beaverton, it's $9.00 and change round trip to not worry about traffic and parking, which is well worth it in my suburban sensibilities. So, 2 1/2 stars rounded up, but get a new pretzel vendor, would you? read more

I have been to the Rose Quarter several times a year over the past 40 years but this is the first time I have been prompted to write a review. I attended the Leonard Cohen concert a couple of days ago with my "mother-in-law" and boyfriend. The MIL is elderly and has a difficult time walking so I arranged to get a wheel chair and handicap seating. Kudos to the staff that handle this a the RQ! we got a wheel chair and were wheeled to seats that were slightly better than the seats I had purchased. We were told that someone would come by after the concert and wheel us into the parking garage. As soon as the lights came on there was an attendant who quickly whisked us out before the crowds started to mob the exit. Great staff and efficiently handled! Can't give 5 stars to a venue that charges $8 for a beer. Bend me over! read more

The Rose Garden Arena is a modern arena with plenty of seating. And I mean plenty. I've been to several concerts at the Rose Garden, and they have enough seating so that you can sit far enough back to barely see the stage. But at least you can go to the concert. So, its size is both a blessing and a curse. Another nice thing about the Rose Garden is that the city's light rail train stops right next to it. So unless you live very close to the Rose Garden, it helps to take the light rail so you don't have to worry about finding a parking space, let alone paying for parking (taking light rail is probably cheaper). Also, the rose garden is completely enclosed, which can make for some pretty good concerts (no rain to worry about, and the band can put on some cool light shows if they want). I don't know what I'd do if I didn't live in a city with a good concert venue such as the Rose Garden! read more

I use to work Event Services staff and I got to say its a fun area to work in. The Rose Quarter is a 30-acre (12-hectare)[1] sports and entertainment district located in Portland's Lloyd District on the east bank of the Willamette River, just east of downtown. The Rose Quarter is bounded on the west by NE Interstate Avenue, on the north by NE Broadway and NE Weidler Streets, on the east by Interstate 5, and on the south by NE Holliday Street. The site contains two multipurpose arenas, the Moda Center and the Memorial Coliseum. Nearby landmarks include the Steel and Broadway bridges, the Oregon Convention Center, and the Eastbank Esplanade. Facilities The Rose Quarter contains two multipurpose arenas and a large theatre, as well as a box office, four parking garages, a 40,000-square-foot (3,700-square-meter) convention facility, several restaurants and bars, and a large public space, the Rose Quarter Commons.[2] Moda Center Main article: Moda Center The Moda Center is a 785,000-square-foot (7.29-hectare), 19,980-seat multipurpose arena. The arena is divided into two major sections, an upper and lower bowl, separated by a level of luxury boxes. The arena opened in 1995, and is the current home of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. The Moda Center also hosts games of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, and the Portland LumberJax of the National Lacrosse League. It is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions.[3] Memorial Coliseum The Memorial Coliseum Main article: Memorial Coliseum (Portland) The Memorial Coliseum is a 12,888-seat multipurpose arena located on the Rose Quarter campus. Built in 1960, it was the original home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Three NBA Finals have been played within its walls, and twice the Larry O'Brien Trophy has been secured on its hardwood, once by the Trail Blazers in 1977, and once by the opposing Detroit Pistons in 1990. It remained the Blazers home court until the team moved into the larger and more modern Rose Garden Arena (since renamed to Moda Center) in 1995. The arena is still actively used for Portland Winterhawks hockey games. The arena is also used for concerts, circuses, rodeos, ice shows, and conventions,[3] and hosted the 2007 Davis Cup final between the United States and Russia. The Coliseum is commonly known as the "glass palace". Transportation and parking Two MAX Light Rail stations serve the Rose Quarter area. The Rose Quarter Transit Center is located on the red, blue and green lines, and is located south of the arena, in an underpass where the tracks cross under Interstate 5.[4] A separate station, the Interstate/Rose Quarter station, is located on the western side of the Rose Quarter campus and serves riders on the yellow line. Tri-Met also operates several bus lines which serve the arena. The Rose Quarter offers over 2,600 parking spaces for Rose Quarter patrons on the premises. The spaces are distributed among four parking garages and two uncovered parking lots. In addition, arena management operates a pair of off-site parking lots with 1,700 additional spaces, located several blocks from the arena. Both off-site facilities are located on the MAX Light Rail line, which provides service to the Rose Quarter. Parking prices vary depending on the event, typically between US$6 and US$13 per vehicle.[5] The parking garages are operated by City Center Parking.[6] On-street parking near the arena is also available. Ownership and management The Rose Quarter is jointly owned by the Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE) and the City of Portland. (VSE) is a subsidiary of Vulcan Inc., a holding company owned by Paul Allen which manages Allen's various sports-related properties. Tod Leiweke is the current president of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment.[7] VSE owns the Moda Center and the underlying land; the City owns the remainder of the Rose Quarter premises. VSE are responsible for managing all Rose Quarter properties. Management and operation of the Rose Quarter is contracted out to Global Spectrum,[8] who is under contract to run the Garden until August 2008. Global Spectrum employs more than 75 full-time and 700 part-time employees at the Moda Center.[9] Mike Scanlon is the current general manager of the Rose Quarter.[10] History The Moda Center, located in the Rose Quarter For site history prior to 1993, see Memorial Coliseum (Portland). For site history after 1993, see Moda Center. The Rose Quarter was created in 1993, when significant parts of the parking lot of the Memorial Coliseum were transferred to the Oregon Arena Corporation, an operating company owned by Paul Allen, to facilitate construction of the Rose Garden Arena, later renamed the Moda Center. read more

You will always be the Rose Quarter to me. Still large. Lots of vendors. $7+ beers. I like that there is a variety of other eats from other places like Bunk sandwiches and Pyramid beers. The customer service folks are helpful and they're just doing their jobs so no reason to haggle, raggle, and vent at them. We saw one guy and his friends take over the first row. When they were politely asked to go back to their seats, he gives a sob story of how he bought 16 tickets and none of his friends showed up. And how that related to him taking over the first row seats, I don't know but they did eventually leave and the people whose seats those truly belonged to showed up within 5 minutes. They should be thanking the guest service rep for preventing an awkward confrontation because dude, if you spring for 16 tickets, go ahead and spring for those first row seats too and maybe your friends will show up too. We were here for some arena football so not all of the vending was open (I could have gone for a Bunk sandwich if they were operating). That's okay. The food and drink lines are long but they move as efficiently as possible. It could be a better system so people waiting for their order aren't intermixing with people wanting to order. All in all, I love the Rose Quarter and it shall always be that to me. MODA what? read more

I'm so mixed about this place. The outward appearance is kinda nice. Has two large arenas, but is missing so much. There is not nearly enough parking here. They don't have enough parking for half of the capacity of the Moda Center alone, let alone when there are two events going on at the same time. Then there is the lack of nearby food options. Ya, they just opened Dr. Jacks, but that place has the worse service in the world, the prices are still to high, and there isn't nearly enough seating in there (not to mention they don't utilize the already covered outdoor seating area at all...even for standing room). read more

Stopped in here for a Trailblazers game while on a business trip to Portland. The ticket office is in another building within the same complex that is the Rose Quarter. I found the employees to be friendly, patient and helpful. The seating is more spacious than that of my home arena (US Airways in Phoenix) and each seat offers a cup holder (not just the Lexus Club seats like at US Airways). The video screen here is huge, very clear and easy to see even from the "cheap" seats. The food selection was pretty standard but I didn't explore the concessions area thoroughly. read more

I agree with the others here that there isn't really a bad seat in the house at least from what I could tell. I'm new to Portland so this was my first time here. I went and watched a really fun Winterhawks game (they tied with 2 seconds left and won in a shootout). I didn't deal with parking, opting to take the train in instead (which I think was probably a good call overall). So it was an easy in, easy out sort of deal. We got in a line to buy tickets that took forever, and once up to the window found out that there were no $15 dollar seats and ended up paying $25. I didn't really dig that at all, especially because I am poor and the cheaper seats were highly advertised. From what I could tell it wasn't that they were sold out, it was because they just weren't available. That was annoying. I liked this place because it was easy to navigate and it was a simple task to find our seats, get settled, etc. So I really had no complaints about the area itself. Just the tickets. Oh, and the concessions. 8.50 for a beer?!?!?!? Are you F*&$ing serious??!?!?!?! Good thing I was half-lit before I got there. I realize you must expect to pay more for concessions when you go to an event like that, but come on. That's ridiculous and I'm not even that cheap. I decided to just sober up throughout the game instead rather than spend that much on a beer that probably cost the area 2 cents to actual dispense, labor included. I think it's worth our while to drink what we need to drink before we go and boycott the concessions until they drop their places at least a little bit. I understand maybe $5 dollars a beer or even $6... but $8.50???? I really honestly couldn't believe that. Okay, I am done being aghast. I will certainly go back here for games and concerts and the like, but I don't be drinking or eating. read more

Never been here for a NBA Trail Blazers game, but have been here when they had the Portland WInterhawks vs the SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS games, nice Arena, I love how they have a parking garage next to it, and a walkway from the garage to the stadium, so if its raining outside you dont have to get wet if you dont want to . The seating here is good, and there is stuff to do before and after the game, and of course you can pretty much get around anywhere on their light rail system. read more

Was here on June 28 to meet britney spears. The staff was vary professional and nice the ARENA was beautiful parking at $15 was cheap i am from California were i have paid 40 to park just for 3 hours. A place i would go back to in a heartbeat. I LOVED THIS CITY IT IS AMAZING AND THE PEOPLE HERE ARE JUST WONDERFUL read more

Growing up I loved the Blazer's. I loved Rasheed Wallace and was instantly a Blazer's fan til he parted ways with them. Although I am no longer a die hard Blazer's fan anymore, I still have a soft sport in my heart for them. With this in mind, I wanted to watch a Blazer's game while I lived in Portland. The games are held at the Rose Garden, which was really convenient to where I used to live in SW Portland, near PSU. What makes the location great is that all 4 max lines run through it so it shouldn't be hard for people to get to and from the Rose Garden. The arena is nice, big, and clean. I have watched several Blazer's game here as well as the Nike Hoop Summit and I have no complaints about this place. Some of my fave memories of living in Portland has to be the max rides to and from the Rose Garden. We were squished like sardines but we were happy as hell in our Blazer's gear. read more

There really is not a bad seat in the house. Been going here for years for basketball games and more recently, a great concert. Even when sold out, parking isnt nearly as bad as other venues, and if you know where to look, you can find a spot for $5-$10. The MAX is an even better way to go if you are local (not hard to figure out even if you arent). Beers cost too much but that is the norm, and I appreciate the variety of local ales...even if they were $9.50. The staff is friendly and my experiences here are always memorable read more