Yup. No tailgating. It is part of the culture to do it at UO and OSU football games. But downtown Portland is not cursed/blessed with a lot of blacktop. There are a few parking garages/lots within a few blocks of Jeld-Wen but they are all private and are not exclusive stadium parking. Public garages are about 10 blocks away on the other side of the 405 (Check the satellite images). Bars in the vicinity have been the culture. Here is the neighborhood in 1947. Naturally it's more urban today. Tailgating grew out of a matter of circumstance. Large stadiums, big parking lots, no public transportation, no bars within walking distance. When you change #2-4 tailgating is impossible or useless. It shouldn't be an assault on your sensibilities as a fan we reflect the pressures of our situation.
Agreed. I love a good tailgate (even to a Chicago Bears game in December), but I wouldn't even dream of attempting to do it for a Timbers game. Tailgating is a great (and cheap) solution to a problem which doesn't exist at Jeld-Wen. I live out in the suburbs, and use Timbers games as an excuse to go into the city and have a night out. Yeah it costs more than tailgating usually does, but Portland is fairly low priced compared to most other cities I've been to, and I have it already worked into my budget.
I understand your point of view, having been raised in Wisconsin going to Packers / Brewers games where tailgating is the only way to get food before a match. Here in Portland, the stadium is within short walking distance of a huge array of eats & drinks, so there's really no need to waste time gathering grills, lawn chairs, folding tables, ice, condiments, not to mention beer, food and a portable tent (likely). If your hotel is within the central district, then you might consider hanging out in the area between NW Flanders and 14th (the Rogue public house) and NW Davis and 11th (the Deschutes Brewery), and then stumble your drunk ass down Burnside to the stadium. Otherwise, all the bars and restaurants within 3 blocks of the stadium will be hoppin' on game day. Just walk around the area and you'll understand. Trust me, you won't miss tailgating one bit.
http://oregonbeer.org/portland-metro/ Personally, I'd tend to pass on the Widmers, Bridgeports, Deschutes-type places in favor of more unique places like Upright and Hair of the Dog (although both of those have very restricted tasting room hours). You could, for example, hit both of those in the early afternoon then roll downtown closer to game time and hit one or more of the many bars downtown or on the way to the stadium. But please make sure you eat somewhere other than the Bitter End.
I guess that is all part of traveling right? Experiencing different cultures? Sorry about being so sarcastic. But seriously, if the point hasn't already been made loud and clear, this is an urban stadium. There is no parking lot. There are a few scattered lots in the vicinity owned by the city (used on workdays for people who commute in and work in that area) but we are talking lots that hold 20-75 cars. The only people who can park there on game days are those who bought passes which go to the club seat people who are not tailgating folk. They head on into the stadium late and often don't take their seats until the teams start to come out onto the field. If you absolutely have to tailgate, your hotel parking lot may be your best answer. Keep in mind, Portland was built with a small block grid so 3 blocks from the stadium is about a 5 minute walk. You won't find any parking closer than that. Those of us who do drive often park 10+ blocks away and either walk or grab the bus up to the stadium. I have never been to KC, but just google mapping it, JeldWen is probably the equivalent location as the Sprint Center ... but with 90% less parking around it (looks like there are several pretty big lots all around that despite its downtown location). While JeldWen is just outside of it (but another 4 block walk and you are in it), keep in mind that Portland has something called fareless square, so busses and light rail are free if you have something mapped out on different sides of downtown. As for the car, yes, if you are planning side trips then that is a good idea, but I agree with the others, you probably will be surprised how little you need to use it in Portland if you are staying downtown near JeldWen and honestly it is more of a pain to find somewhere to park if you are going somewhere in just a few blocks than walking or jumping on a free bus/MAX in fareless square. I grew up in the burbs here, but when I lived elsewhere my family stayed at a downtown hotel during the holidays. We only used the car if we were driving to the burbs to see family, otherwise we walked a few blocks in any direction and found anything/everything we needed. Hope you enjoy your trip.
A couple quick notes: Buses are no longer free in downtown Portland, and the free rail zone (formerly fareless square) does not contain JeldWen, so if you ride transit to the stadium you will need a ticket. Even though I have a pass, I will typically hoof it to downtown afterwards, grab a drink, then hop on the much less crowded and more comfy train.
Sorry about the misinfo regarding the buses ... have not been a regular user of downtown for a few years now (the burbs called me back and I have to say it is nice to live and work within a mile or so of each other). I guess the buses changed when the new N/S rail lines were put in? I do use rail or bus on game days often since my season tix come with passes. I usually park down by pioneer square and hoof it on nice days, use a JW special bus or Max on less than stellar weather days.
This thread has been really helpful. Thanks. Quick question, I was debating about stopping over for a couple days in Portland in July. Was either thinking of trying to go to the July 3rd game, or to the July 28th game. Is Portland kind of a mess when OregonBrewFest is going on (with tons of tourists and annoying), or is it a fun time had by all? Thanks.
Portland never has tons of tourists. I would pick the 28th just because you're almost gauranteed to have good weather. With the way our spring is going, I would not be surprised if Juneuary turns into early Julyuary.
Damn You La Nina! There are still piles of snow in parking lots from last week's Spring blizzard. [at least in Salem]
It is messy, but if you like beer, in a good way. So much good beer to be had at the festival. You would want to get there early, prior to the crowds.
The Brewfest itself is kind of annoying. Parts of downtown can get flooded, but it doesn't drastically disrupt the city or anything. But if you're going for a brewfest, I'd suggest the Organic Brewfest, which is much, much chiller.
To each one's own, but my wife and I love the OBF, from the massive selection of impressive ales to the spontaneous howls that spread through the crowd. I have never seen so many happy drunks in one place. It's central location and public transit make it easy to get to, no matter where you are staying. Timbers and the OBF sound like a perfect weekend to me.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll be making it to Portland either way, and it will be nice to see a stadium with fans in it (woe is me a Revs fan).
For what it's worth, and this comes from a MLS fan that has been going to at least a dozen MLS games each year since 1996 (except while in Portland during 2008-2010), including MLS Cup 2002 in your stadium; Revs fans deserve a lot better than the second-class treatment you get at the hands of Kraft. I hope you stick with it and get your just rewards -- a proper home -- one day soon.
I'll be down there the weekend of July 7th for a friend's bachelor party (he's no soccer fan), but anything going on that weekend that would be fun and not just acropalis (sp?) for steaks & strippers/??? thanks, and good luck with RSL this weekend
After 10 years I stopped being a season ticket holder this year. I'll still go to games on occasion, especially afternoon games so I can tailgate, but otherwise I don't want to commit to a whole season. I would definitely renew if there was a stadium in the city... sadly since discussions about that aren't even really happening, that means we're at least 4 years away from that happening.
Anyone interested in a friendly kick around Saturday morning April 21st? Thats our (KC) big road trip this year and was just curious. I didn't know if there would be a local field we could get on or not. Any ideas are welcome. Also, Friday night we are wanting to have a big get together at a local bar. I'm guessing there will be about 50 of us. We have a contact at Deschutes Brewery, waiting to hear back from them. Any other locations we could try, just in case? Thanks everyone!
There are several teams that are now under the Timbers Army Football Club initiative (read about it here) who might be interested. There are various teams of various skill level. All contact info for the various teams can be had via the same link.
Timbers Fans... I'm going to be in Portland July 12-16. I plan on going to the game on the 14th. If I'm just looking for a single ticket, can I just get at the counter at the stadium (or from a random person just looking to sell a ticket). Or should I get one beforehand (just looked on ticketmaster, and I couldn't find any). Any other destination suggestions (in the Portland area) are appreciated...
Stadium counter is probably not going to do you much good as the team's sold out their games for the season, and the Galaxy game is a particularly difficult ticket to procure. Always worth a shot by asking at the ticket counter though, the law of singles may apply, but I'd do it before the 14th - they may have better ideas. There are ticket scalpers around the stadium but not only is that illegal and runs the risk of fake tickets they will price-gouge you. Fortunately if you can't get in you won't be the only one and there are plenty of bars around the city which will have the game on television.
Agree with swissman here. Every reg season game has been sold out since preseason. This one is a particularly tough ticket since it is Galaxy. Sometimes in the days prior to the match the FO releases a few more tix (unsold group seats, away allocation, etc.). It is quite unpredictable when that will happen though. You are stuck with secondary markets now (stubhub, scalper out front) and will likely pay through the nose (be ready to pay at least 4-5x face value -- and yes the scalpers are illegal in the City of Portland, though I have yet to see the police enforce it). There are other ticket exchanges where people sell for face value (scusa, facebook) but probably way too late for that and those ticket holders are very picky, not wanting to sell to scalpers, and often only sell to people they know for sure are not looking to sell them again. Hope that helps.
May get lucky if you keep tabs on Ticketmaster a few days before the game. Some do get released to that website. The No Pity Van sometimes tweets out that the TA has a few tickets to sell/give away. [https://twitter.com/NoPityVan] But walking up invites paying scalpers, and the Timbers Army does not encourage that illegal yet unenforced behavior. EDIT: watch the #RCTID hashtag on game day as well if you're really set on trying to find tickets.