Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade — Attraction in Portland

Compare to the west side, the Eastbank Esplanade has more of an industrial vibe, concrete walls and metal fences, definitely less green and therefore less tourists too. On the positive side, because downtown Portland and the park are on the other side, the view from Eastbank is pretty nice. During the day you get a good look of the Portland Skyline; during night the "light show" is very nice too. I run along the Esplanade often and couldn't resist the urge to take some pictures, no matter day or night, sunny or cloudy, there is always something...

Portland is lucky to have such a lovely multi-use path like the esplanade. It can be a little crowded on days when the sun is out, with all the runners, walkers and cyclists, but the proximity to the water and convenient location more than make up for that. The Vera Katz statue is a great landmark for meeting up with cyclists before going on a big ride. It's central, and super easy for bikes to get to. My only recommendation to anyone who goes there is please don't listen to headphones to loud, you'll want to hear someone warning you...

I have mixed feelings about the Esplanade. On one hand, it's nice to walk/run/bike along the water and there are some great views of downtown. On the other, it's right next to I-5, so there's no escaping the noise or fumes. Add to that that there's a growing transient population in the area can make the place a little shady at night. Still, there is plenty...