1 Tank / 1 Trip: Even Portland's shady side has its urban delights

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Even the promise of a walk through the city's seedy underbelly delivers more charm than menace in this city.

On the new Underground Portland walking tour, guide David Schargel takes visitors to Portland's Chinatown, down to the waterfront and through the streets and alleys where bar dwellers were once kidnapped onto sea voyages, and brothels sheltered sailors and gamblers.

Today, the same streets are home to meth addicts, late-night revelers and transients, Schargel tells his crowd of about dozen on a recent afternoon.

"It's not the prettiest part of town," said the native New Yorker, who founded Portland Walking Tours seven years ago.

Still, Schargel's attempt to unearth the city's less palatable past -- he toyed with calling the tour "The Worst of Portland" -- only highlights its bright present.

Restored 19th-century facades, a funky old pizza place and a walking path along the Willamette River add up to a fun, if slightly less-scrubbed Portland experience.

This compact, walkable city is full of such urban delights. There's a sense of civility here and a feeling that Portland residents know they have it good.

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Hannah Welch of Fairfax, Va., takes a moment to wholeheartedly smell a rose at the Portland Rose Gardens.

It's the kind of place where a downtown deli offers customers complimentary earplugs to protect against construction noise across the street.

And it's easy to get around, especially for visitors who likely will cluster around sites in downtown, where public transportation is free. For walkers, the blocks in Portland are 200 feet on a side, shorter than the average city block. In Seattle, for example, the downtown blocks are generally 240 by 320 feet.

Burnside Street serves as the boundary between the city's southwest and northwest quadrants. Cross Burnside and you enter the Pearl District, the jewel in Portland's revitalization crown. The neighborhood's hip bars, unique boutiques and multiple restaurants draw crowds on warm summer evenings.

On your way to the Pearl District, stop at Powell's City of Books. With both new and used books, the store is a must for readers of all tastes and interests. Browse on a full stomach and allow at least two hours to wind your way through the shelves.

For perspective, take the bus or drive to Washington Park. With a view of Mount Hood on a clear day and the city below, the Japanese Garden provides a serene four acres to reflect and wander along streams and over ponds on tiny bridges.

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Mount Hood is a backdrop for the Portland skyline.

Reut Douer and Udi Zorani made the Japanese Garden their first stop in Portland after embarking on a road trip to escape the Los Angeles heat.

Douer, a student at the University of Southern California, developed an affinity for Japanese culture while living in San Francisco for a year.

"When you're a tourist, you look for something different, but also something familiar," said Douer, a native of Israel.

To take advantage of summer's brisk tourist flow, this month the garden opened its recurring "Behind the Shoji" art show featuring local artists (the show usually runs around Christmas).

The garden certainly is beautiful under the clear summer skies, but it's hard not to imagine the moss and trees covered in water droplets on a less crowded, rainy day.

For a brisk morning walk, hike up Park Street to Washington Park. But prepare to be humbled by a pack of new mothers pushing strollers up the hill. The 40-acre park features playgrounds, public tennis courts, a Lewis and Clark memorial and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial.

The memorial, with names of Oregon survivors and their family members who died during the Holocaust, is spare and haunting. Models of toys, books and musical instruments left behind on the way to concentration camps are strewn along the path leading to the memorial wall.

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Jenna Vissell of Minneapolis and Bryan Pynn of Portland stroll over the Zig Zag Bridge through the iris beds at the Japanese Gardens.

Back at the base of town, in what is now the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood, our Underground Portland tour continues.

During the 19th century, this area frequently flooded.

A decade ago, when floodwaters threatened to spill over the sea wall for the first time since 1894, the community launched into action, joining city workers to build a 4-foot tall, 1-mile long sandbag barrier, according to Dakota InyoSwan, spokeswoman for the city's office of transportation.

Today, the neighborhood is in the midst of a revival, with new sidewalks and street lamps.

Many of the old buildings also are getting a face-lift. Using a magnet, Schargel tests the facades of 19th-century buildings for authenticity: cast-iron or fiberglass reproduction?

The Underground tour, which lasts about 2 1/2 hours and will be offered through Nov. 30, also pauses at the memorial to the 3,500 Japanese residents of Portland sent to internment camps during World War II.

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Portland Walking Tours guide David Schargel lights the way through a tunnel beneath the streets of Portland.

The site is now a favorite of local skateboarders, who use one of the engraved stones as a ramp, says Schargel, pointing out the worn surface.

The walk finishes up underground in the basement of Old Town Pizza, a Portland institution purchased three years ago by longtime customer Adam Milne, who ate there as a kid. "I read about it (being for sale) in a newspaper," said Milne. "And I didn't want it to change."

Below the restaurant, the basement leads to dark rooms and narrow passageways where drunken and drugged soon-to-be sailors were led to their fates.

If you go

TO DO:

* Underground Portland walking tour -- Meets at Pioneer Courthouse Square at Southwest Morrison and Broadway. Offered daily at 2 p.m. by Portland Walking Tours. $15 seniors/children $12; under 12 free. 503-774-4522; www.portlandwalking tours.com

* Japanese Garden -- In Washington Park, at 611 S.W. Kingston Ave., two miles from downtown. Hours: through Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, noon-7 Monday; shorter hours Oct. 1-March 31. $8, $6.25 college students and seniors 62+, $5.25 students 6-17, free for 5 and under. 503-223-1321; www.japanesegarden.com

* Powell's City of Books -- 1005 W. Burnside St.; 800-291-9676, 503-228-4651, Ext. 5482; www.powells.com

TO EAT:

* Elephants Delicatessen -- Local deli chain with fresh sandwiches, salads and soups. Three outlets in Portland. www.elephantsdeli.com

* Andina -- Pearl District hot spot serving delicious Peruvian-inspired dishes, with a choice of entrees or small plates. Dinner for two: About $80 with appetizers and wine. Reservations recommended. 1314 N.W. Glisan St.; 503-228-9535; www.andinarestaurant.com

* Mother's Bistro & Bar -- Great for breakfast Tuesday-Sunday until 2:30 p.m. Also open for lunch and dinner. You'll probably wait for a table on weekend mornings. 212 S.W. Stark St.; 503-464-1122; www.mothersbistro.com

TO STAY:

* Hotel deLuxe -- After a $10 million renovation, the former Mallory Hotel opened as the deLuxe in May. The hotel's theme is Old Hollywood glamour, with photos of actors and directors from Tinseltown's golden age gracing the hallways and lobby. Rates start at $159 a night. 729 S.W. 15th Ave.; 866-895-2094; www.hoteldeluxeportland.com

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