Having lived in Portland for 20+ years, I can honestly say, I finally made a purposeful visit this summer, rather than the "drive through". And boy was I impressed. The weather was pleasant. The streets were full of farmers market vendors and thriving people shopping. We stopped at a glass blowing shop and got to watch them make some gorgeous art. Then we had our choice of 3 brew pubs within walking distance and we chose one right on the water with great beer and views. I truly saw this as a young peoples town, and not the cutesy, "let's retire here" campy feel. Although, it has that, because old people still like to feel young too!!!
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Astoria has always been on the frontier, both the Lewis and Clark variety (they set up camp here in 1805) and the geographic (it sits both at the mouth of the Columbia River and in a teeming temperate rain forest). Sure, the place has prettied itself up nicely since those pioneer days with the addition of aging Victorians and craftsman-style bungalows, but the folks in sleepy coastal Astoria have never lost touch with their rough-and-tumble side.
Take, for example, the surfers off of Astoria's scenic beaches, where ocean temperatures rarely break 60 degrees until midsummer. "You really have to suit up," says Mark Taylor, owner of Cold Water Surf (1001 Commercial St.). "We're talking five-millimeter wet suits, gloves, and booties — but Astorians have always been a tough bunch!" Even the city's swankiest design hotel, the Commodore, embraces a decidedly masculine and nautical aesthetic (258 14th St., from $89). Reopened two years ago after being shuttered since 1966, the property pairs modern furnishings with sly nods to the city's history as a seaside cannery hub: thick braided ropes, nautical charts and fishing floats.
As afternoon rolls around, locals gather at the four-year-old Fort George Brewery + Public House for burgers made from local beef, as well as pints of the hoppy Vortex IPA, the Belgian-style Quick Wit ale, and as of this year, the 1811 Pre-Prohibition Lager, created in honor of Astoria's bicentennial (1483 Duane St., pints from $4.25). You didn't really think these former pioneers would celebrate with champagne, did you? — Beth Collins
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Steve Roesch
steve@pdxhomegroup.com
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