Every city has its tourist attractions, and Portland is no exception — they aren’t “traps” per se, but places like the International Rose Test Garden or Pittock Mansion certainly get busy during the peak travel season.
But what would a travel guide curated by locals look like? To that aim, The Pudding, a digital publication that tells stories with data, created an interactive map to 74,762 attractions across the country using 9,526,193 reviews from Tripadvisor.
How to read the map 🗺️
- Users can toggle between destinations with tourist-majority reviews (orange) and locals-majority reviews (pink) of a certain area.
- For this project, a “local” was defined as someone who lives within 30 miles of the place they reviewed. “Tourists” are anyone visiting from beyond that range.
- The bigger the circle, the more reviews a location has received.
- Lighter color equals lower ratings + a darker shade means higher ratings.
We zoomed in on our neck of the woods and discovered some lesser-known spots — happy exploring.
🥃 Stone Barn Brandyworks | 3315 SE 19th Ave. B
Tastings of its fruit brandies, liqueurs + whiskey are by appointment only, but you can also find its spirits at various farmers markets. Distillery tours can be arranged if the situation allows.
🧶 Mill End Store | 9701 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Milwaukie
Whether you’re simply browsing or have a specific project in mind, this family-owned fabric store (est. 1918) has miles of materials and helpful staff.
🌸 Rogerson Clematis Garden | 125 Rosemont Rd., West Linn
Flower power is always in effect at this beautiful slice of Luscher Farm City Park. Entrance is free and rewards guests with views of the namesake climbing vines with elegant blooms.
🎭 Portland Playhouse | 602 NE Prescott St.
Community engagement and artistic excellence are just a couple of the benefits you experience in supporting this local theater. Tickets for its upcoming 15th anniversary season are on sale now.
What are your favorite hidden gems in the Portland area? Let us know.
