WHILE YOU’RE IN TOWN…

We’re always so honored when students choose to travel to Portland from all over the country (sometimes even beyond!) to take a bag making workshop with us. Portland, Oregon is a maker’s dream, where craft and local manufacturing are alive and well, the food and drink scene is on point, and the surrounding natural beauty is breathtaking. If you’re coming out for a workshop and are able to tack on an extra couple of days to explore, we highly recommend doing so. Below you’ll find some of our recommendations to where to stay, how to get around, where to eat, where to shop, and where to get out and soak in the great outdoors. 

Happy travels! We can’t wait to make with you.

XO KH

WHERE TO STAY

Airbnbs

A great way to have a unique Portland experience is to book an Airbnb. There are tons of them, with new options being added all the time. Here are a few that are cute and are highly rated.

• Cute Private Room @ the Overlook Travelers Home
  
• Magic Caravan - Two Blocks From Mississippi Ave
• Williams Studio Retreat
• Overlook Backshack

Hotels

Portland has more trendy, boutique hotels than we can keep track of. Here are just a few:

• The Jupiter Hotel - Located in southeast Portland, the Jupiter Hotel has two restaurants and a rad music venue (The Doug Fir Lounge) on site. The rooms are modern and well designed. Great location.
  
• Mcmenamins Kennedy School - Located in a revamped historic elementary school, you can spend the night in a former classroom, complete with original chalkboard! There’s also a restaurant, multiple small bars, a movie theater, a soaking pool, and a brewery in the building. You could never leave! (But you should.)
• Woodlark Hotel - The Woodlark is located in downtown Portland, very close to Powell’s City of Books and the Portland Art Museum. It has a fitness center, a restaurant, a lounge, coffee in the lobby, and lovely decor. 

HOW TO GET AROUND

There’s plenty to explore on foot in Portland, but if you’d like to venture further, there are a bunch of transportation options available.

 

• Rideshare - Rideshare options are alive and well here in Portland, Lyfts and Ubers are all over the place and are a great option for getting anywhere at all, especially to and from the airport.
• Public Transportation - Portland has an extensive bus network and MAX train system. 
• Bike Share - Portland has a great bike share system called BIKETOWN. You can download their mobile app and use it to locate and borrow a bright orange bike, take it for a ride, and return it anywhere in the city. 
• E-Scooters - If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also try out one of Portland’s e-scooter rentals: Lime, Bolt, and Spin. They work similar to the bikes (you’ll need to download the app), but they don’t have set docking stations, so you could come across one anywhere on the street and zip off into the Portland sunset. 

WHERE TO EAT

These are some of our favorite places to eat in the city! We are partial to places in North Portland, since that's our stomping grounds, but there's sooo much good food in Portland, so we encourage you to do your own research as well. We host our workshops in various locations around the city, so make sure to check your pre-event emails to find out what the location of your workshop is.

• Smokin’ Fire Fish - Really good Hawaiian food and poke bowls! This and Tamale Boy are our go-to lunch spots. All of the poke is amazing, with generous portions of super fresh fish. We also love the spam musubi and creamy mac salad. 
  
• Tamale Boy - Tamale Boy is right next door to Smokin’ Fire Fish, and just as good. You can’t go wrong with any of the tamales—and a side of crema! 
• Bernstein’s Bagels - This bagel spot is legit. We’ve got a couple of former east coasters on the team who can confirm: in a blind taste test, these bagels hold their own alongside any New York deli. Go in the morning and they might still be warm! No toasting required.  Try the breakfast sandwich! They’ve got drip coffee too.
• Lottie + Zulas - A great little sandwich joint that’s open for breakfast and lunch. It’s a bit further afoot than Smokin’ Fire Fish and Tamale Boy, but still totally doable for lunch. They make a mean Italian sub. Grab yourself a chocolate chip cookie while you’re at it.

• Lovely’s Fifty Fifty - A seasonal selection of beautiful wood fire pizzas with super fresh ingredients—think Chanterelle mushrooms, housemade fennel sausage, and maybe even some edible flowers! And OMG the ice cream. You have to try the ice cream.
• Teppanyaki Hut Food Truck - No trip to Portland is complete without a food truck stop! This place has the best sushi burritos in PDX. The ramen is excellent, too. There are plenty of picnic tables and few other food trucks in the vicinity.
• Por Que No - Awesome street tacos and fun atmosphere. Get the housemade chips + guac and treat yourself to a horchata! Arrive on the early side though, as wait times can be tricky.
• Wolf and Bear’s - Another excellent food truck on Mississippi Ave, this one has some of the best falafel wraps you’ve ever had. We also highly recommend the Sabich wrap, which comes with hummus, grilled eggplant, potato, mango amba, hard boiled egg, and pickles. It’s everything you ever wanted in a pita.

WHERE TO SHOP + VISIT (FOR MAKERS)

When you attend a Klum House workshop, you’ll get to shop our collection in-person (with an exclusive student discount) on the day of your workshop. It’s a great opportunity to stock up on additional kits, hardware, leather strips, tools—you name it. Additionally, there are some really great fabric and leather stores in town, if you’d like to venture out! 

• Bolt Fabrics - Bolt carries a lovely selection of fabric, notions, patterns, books, and supplies. They are located in NE Portland, a 15-min drive from Klum House.

• Modern Domestic - Another great selection of independent sewing patterns, fabric, and tools, as well as Bernina sewing machines and equipment. They are located in NE Portland, an 8-minute drive from Klum House.
• Pendleton Woolen Mill Store - This outlet receives fabric, home goods, and trims every week from one of the few remaining US fabric mills. They have top-quality wool in beautiful colorways. This one is a 20-minute drive south in Milwaukie, OR, but totally worth the trip if you’re into Pendleton wool.
• Sincere Sewing Studio - Sincere is Portlands premiere community sewing studio. This is where Klum House will often do pop-ups and host workshops. They host a plethora of sewing workshops and have community sewing open hours.
• Oregon Leather - A huge selection of hides, tools, and discount scrap bins to dig through. They are located in downtown Portland, a 5-minute drive from Klum House.

WHERE TO GET OUTSIDE

• Overlook Park - This 11 acre park is in North Portland and offers beautiful views of the surrounding city. There are picnic tables, a playground, and a dog park. It’s a great place to have a picnic nearby.
• Cathedral Park - Named for the soaring gothic supports and towers of the St. John’s Bridge, this incredibly picturesque park has grassy expanses and walking paths along the Willamette River. It’s a 17-minute drive from Klum House—and well worth it!
• Peninsula Park Rose Garden - Portland is the “city of roses,” and holds true to its name at this French-style garden in the Piedmont neighborhood. The 5,000 different rose plants are typically in bloom from mid-June through October, but it’s beautiful at any time of year. It’s an 8-minute drive north of Klum House.
• Forest Park - If you’re looking to lace up your hiking boots, a 20-minute drive to Forest Park offers 80 miles of hiking trails through 5,300 acres, one of the largest urban forests in the United States. Major Fern Gully vibes.
  
  

About the Author

Ellie Lum

Klum House founder Ellie Lum has over 25 years of professional bag making experience. Ellie's superpower is teaching makers to achieve professional-quality results on a home sewing machine— and have a hell of a lot of fun while doing it. She's passionate about empowering folks through sharing her craft.