TRAVEL GUIDE

Wondering where to stay and how to get around once you get into Portland? The conference will be held at the Crystal Ballroom, in downtown Portland, and most conference events will be held within just a few blocks of the Crystal Ballroom.

Where to stay

We are not working with any of the hotels for attendee accommodations, but there are many hotels available within walking distance of the venue:

• Crystal Hotel
• Ace Hotel
• Hotel DeLuxe
• Mark Spencer
• The Sentinel

How to get around

Portland is a very accessible city and there are many transportation options available, public and otherwise.

Flying Into Portland

Portland International Airport (PDX) is a great airport, with direct flights from many destinations.

If you are traveling from outside the US, please contact us at dotnetfringe@gmail.com to obtain an offer letter from the conference to help with your border entry.

The MAX

The MAX is Portland’s major light-rail system. The MAX primarily connects Portland with the surrounding cities, such as Gresham, Beaverton, Clackamas, and Hillsboro.

If you’re flying into Portland Airport (PDX), we recommend taking the MAX into downtown Portland. There is a MAX station for the red line in the airport itself.

The venue is along Burnside Street at 14th Ave, just east of the I-405 underpass. The closest Red Line stop to the Crystal Ballroom is at Galleria SW 10th.

Streetcars and Buses

Portland also has a separate streetcar network which criss-crosses the MAX lines. These, along with Portland’s extensive bus network, ought to suffice.

The streetcar loop lines are also under construction, but only through Saturday 14 May. This means their detours will only matter during the day of the hike. They may be your lifeline during the rest of the conference.

The streetcars run along 10th and 11th Avenues. The closest stops to the venue are also on Couch Street. There is also a Whole Foods Market at NW Couch & 12th Ave. See the Streetcar Loop detour map for details.

Taxi Companies

While Portland does have Lyft and Uber, unfortunately they are somewhat unreliable. There are several reliable local taxi companies:

• Radio Cab
• Broadway Cab
• Portland Taxi

Please note that it is not common to hail taxis in Portland, and that your best bet is to call in advance.

Bike Rentals

There are two bike rental companies in downtown Portland that may be good options if you want to experience Portland by bike (which we very much recommend!):

• Waterfront Bikes
• Cycle Portland

Eating

Portland is an amazing food city. Here are some resources that will help you find something good to eat:

• The Eater38 is a great resource for delightful food.
• Willamette Week’s Restaurant Guide
• Urban Spoon’s Best of Portland
• Food Carts Portland