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Archives for December 2008

Things to do in Portland on New Year’s Day

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After an acceptable sleeping-in period, besides watching bowl games, what else is there to do on New Year’s Day?

I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about American Football.

Places to Go

The Burnside Powell’s Books (1005 W Burnside) is open 10am to 9pm. And unlike on Xmas day, all the other locations are open too.

samudraeatinghayThe Oregon Zoo is open every day except Xmas Day.

Most movie theaters and bowling alleys are open too.

Food and Drink

Though it’s customary for many bars and taverns to close on New Year’s Day to recover from one of their biggest days of the year, your odds of finding a place to get a pint or a brunch today are pretty good.

On the New Year’s Eve post at Portland Food and Drink, many of the restaurants mentioned also indicate whether they’re open on New Year’s Day.

PortlandBarFly.com maintains a comprehensive list of Bars open in Portland 365 days a year.

Transit

TriMet buses and MAX are running today on a Sunday schedule, the streetcar on the Saturday schedule.

A low key New Year’s Eve in Portland

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PDX Pipeline is your source for New Year’s Eve events in Portland.

Christian at TriMetiquette called me out, but to be honest I often stay in on the big party nights, e.g. St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Darwin Day, New Year’s Eve. I could make a disingenuous joke about those being amateur nights, but in all honesty they really are amateur nights . . . I kid!  I kid!  They’re just not my thing.

My only recommendation would be to go someplace that doesn’t require driving to get there; your neighborhood tavern, restaurant, or a neighbor’s house. On any night of the year, but especially true on New Years, the only drivers out after midnight are drunk or cops.

Or TriMet.

All buses and trains are free after 8pm on New Year’s Eve – TriMetiquette has the details!

Portland 5-page barista application makes the New York Times

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More Hockey Less WarA story covered by Portland blog More Hockey Less War a month ago is now being covered by the New York Times: An Application for Baristas That’s More Than Milk and Beans.

North Portland’s Ladybug Organic Coffee Company (8438 N Lombard) asks prospective employees to fill out a (pdf) five page application form that includes such non-traditional questions as:

What is the most important thing that you have ever learned, and how has it changed your life?” one question reads. “What is something that you do on a regular basis to make the world a better place?” And, “What is one thing that you think would make Portland a better city?

The article’s gist is that Portland is obsessed with coffee, and in this difficult economy Ladybug Organic Coffee Company has a better chance of finding cheerful and competent employees using this unorthodox application process.

Personally, I think a large number of potentially fantastic employees won’t bother to waste their time on a 5 page application with essay questions. If I were looking for work such an application would be a red flag indicating a potentially obsessive, micro-managing boss.

Steve, at More Hockey Less War, sums up the reaction a lot of potential applicants might have:

What one thing makes you absolutely stand out above the rest? Why should we hire you over applicant X? (Because I wasted an hour of my life answering these ridiculous questions?)

Read the rest: So you want to be a barista.

Things to do in Portland on Christmas Day

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powellsbooks_logoMy family does the Xmas thing on Xmas eve, so I have traditionally spent part of Xmas day at Powell’s (1005 W Burnside). The downtown Powell’s is open 10am to 6pm today. It’s the best place on Xmas to encounter Portland’s non-Xian literati (read: cute Jewish girls – though of course I have a beautiful girlfriend so that’s not why I’m going this year!). This year I’m going to do my holiday shopping, which I was unable to do the past few weeks due to the crap weather. So if you’re expecting a Festivus present from me; sorry, you’ll have to wait a few more days!

rialto200After your visit to Powell’s, wander around downtown. You’ll find that most hotel restaurants and bars are open on Xmas day too.

Also downtown, stop in at the Rialto (529 SW 4th). It stays open 365 days a year. Play some pinball or pool, while enjoying your beer. Watch basketball on the ginormous TVs.

In the Clinton neighborhood, according to this post on Craigslist, you can get your latte on at K&F Coffee (2706 SE 26th Ave. – at Clinton St.).

The smokiest bar in town ®, the Basement Pub (1028 SE 12th), is open today too. As is the Cheerful Tortoise (1939 SW 6th) (though the Cheerful Bullpen is closed).

Other neighborhood pubs and taverns that cater to real drinkers have a better than average chance of being open too. Take a walk through your neighborhood business district; you might be pleasantly surprised.

Update: PDX Pipeline knows of several other places that are open today: Chopsticks Express (2651 E Burnside), Grand Central Bowl (SE 8th and Morrison), BOG (4801 SE Hawthorne), Tanker Bar (4825 SE Hawthorne), and the Jolly Roger (1340 SE 12th).

BlazersThis doesn’t happen every year, in fact it seldom happens, but the Trailblazers are playing on Xmas day this year. They take on the Dallas Mavericks at 7:30 tonight at the Rose Garden. There are plenty of tickets available too. I’m going to tonight’s game; perhaps after a couple pints at the Rialto . . .

Trimetiquette has all the TriMet Xmas day schedule updates.

At the end of the day crank up the baseboard heat, settle into a comfy chair and read a good book while enjoying your glühwein!

Of course this list is far from comprehensive – if you know of particular restaurants, bars, etc. that are open today please comment!