A Portland Grimm Weekend Itinerary + Map of Filming Locations

Planning a trip to Portland? Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Here is a unique, 2-day, Grimm-themed weekend itinerary to explore filming locations, neighborhoods, and landmarks featured throughout the show.

Below is a map of all the Grimm filming stops on this itinerary:

This itinerary includes several filming locations from Grimm, and historic landmarks in Portland’s neighborhoods.

Day 1: Welcome to Wesen Territory

Focus: North Portland Iconic Scenes + Forest Park

☕ Morning: Coffee + Nick’s Neighborhood (Drive-By Only)

Start your day with coffee from Fuller's Coffee Shop, or a classic Portland roaster like Stumptown, or Coava.

Then head north for a drive-by view of Nick & Juliette's house @ 805 NE Prescott Street. This is a private residence; enjoy respectfully from the street. You’ll instantly recognize the yellow craftsman exterior from dozens of episodes. 

Flash back to my Q&A with the owner back in 2012!

Nick & Juliette's house (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Venture further and drive by the Black Claw Mansion, a historical building @ 2211 NE Thompson Street.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boschke-Boyd_House_(Portland,_OR).JPG

🌉 Late Morning: Photo Opps at Cathedral Park & St. Johns Bridge

Walk under the towering Gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge, one of the most iconic backdrops in Grimm. Wesen showdowns, hidden crypts, and moody encounters were filmed here throughout all six seasons. Stroll through Cathedral Park for photos — the vibe is pure Grimm.

- Episode 209

- Episode 210

- Episode 305

🌲 Afternoon: Forest Park, The Heart of the Show’s Forest Scenes

Head into Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the U.S. Many of Grimm’s chase scenes and woodland encounters were filmed along the trails.

• Lower Macleay Trails 
• Choose a 2–5 mile hike to soak in the moss, ferns, and mist.
• For the intrepid, Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion is a 5 mile hike roundtrip.

Stone House (AKA Witches Castle) via forestparkconservancy.org 

Pittock Mansion — Classic Grimm Setting

Drive (or hike from Lower Macleay) up to Pittock Mansion. The historic locale is used in several episodes, it’s the perfect old-world mansion for supernatural intrigue. The sweeping panorama of Portland from the viewpoint is worth the trip alone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittock_Mansion

🍺 Evening: Dinner + Craft Beer (Very Monroe)

You will be hungry! End your day at Cafe Nell in NW Portland for a glimpse into one of the filming sites.

Alternatively, a stop by North Portland brewery would also provide a nice Grimm vibe. Monroe would approve.

Day 2: Downtown / NW Vibes + Iconic Landmarks

Focus: Downtown + NW Portland

🥐 Morning: Breakfast at Hotel Deluxe + Downtown Exploration

Take your breakfast with a touch of Hollywood glamour at Hotel Deluxe's Gracie's restaurant.

Then head towards PSU and the Park Blocks to see a few exteriors. If it's a Saturday morning, enjoy the PSU Farmers' Market before stopping by a few sites:

• Portland Art Museum
• St James Lutheran Church
• Ladd Carriage House
• First Presbyterian - Episode 11, 205

Ladd Carriage House

🧭 Midday: Lunch in the Pearl

Stop in for lunch at the Sultan Cafe or a cup of coffee from any local shop.

Then tour the Pearl district by foot or streetcar, to see The Fields park, Encore condos, The Gregory, and more familiar scenery. Rewatch Episode 11!

Encore building on Google maps

If you can, stop by the "Police Precinct", Old Customs House @ 220 NW 8th Avenue.

US Customs House on 8th Ave (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

🧱 Afternoon: Industrial Portland — Casefile Territory + Waterfront

Explore the industrial eastside along the Willamette River. These warehouses, docks, and industrial corridors were used constantly for crime scenes, Wesen hideouts and chase sequences.

• Episode 4
• Episode 12 Boxing Gym
• Episode 17

You’ll recognize the gritty backdrop immediately.

(c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Next stop: Portland Waterfront and Marina

Drive through the waterfront area from the Tom McCall fountain to the Riverplace waterfront marina and on to the South Waterfront. 

• Riverplace, riverfront marina - Episode 11
• South Waterfront streetcar - Episode 3
• OHSU Tram - great views! Filmed in the South Waterfront in 2011.

2011 (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Fun fact: Portlandia filmed here in 2013, "Timid Driver", Season 4, Episode 5 - check out photos from the filming.

Grab some coffee or tea in honor of Monroe, at the (long-standing OG since 2006!) Daily Cafe at the Tram or Ovation in The Ardea, before heading up the hill to your next destination... 

SW Portland & House of Monroe

Now's your chance to swing by the House of Monroe in SW Portland @ 418 SW Hamilton Street. This is another drive-by, private residence situation; please be respectful.

https://www.mysouthwaterfront.com/2012/03/house-of-monroe.html

🍜 Evening: Dinner at Huber's

Make your way back downtown and set aside your dinner hour for the Huber's Cafe experience. 

• The Red Menace Episode

https://www.koin.com/news/where-we-live-hubers-cafe-and-spanish-coffee/

Explore more Grimm-Inspired Food & Dining Options:

A Grimm Take on Portland Food & Dining 

Where to Stay (to Maximize the Grimm Vibe)

• Hotel Deluxe - as seen in Grimm
• The Sentinel (classic, historic downtown, formerly The Governor) - as seen in Grimm
• McMenamins Kennedy School (quirky, atmospheric, very Portland)

Tips for Grimm Fans Visiting Portland

• Forest Park is most atmospheric in the early morning mist
• Respect private residences
• Pack layers, waterproof shoes, and a camera-ready jacket (!).
• Another recommended resource for a Grimm tour in Portland here: A Grimm tour guide - OregonLive

New dining at RiverPlace

It looks like RiverPlace will be getting another new casual dining option. In the former Stanford's location (1831 SW River Dr), there is new life. These liquor licenses were posted on the window; responses needed by: July 14, 2012.

Lil Cooperstown Bar & Grill

Lil Cooperstown currently has 4 other locations, sports pub-y bar and grill type joints with corresponding menus and lots of TV's. Looks like a little competition for McCormick & Schmicks... 

By the way, the Lucier property is still available. It has been a hotly speculated upon and rumor-milled spot but as of yet, too high-end for the current economy. Some folks have talked about putting in a more casual, family-oriented, brewery-type establishment...thoughts?

urbanworksrealestate.com

Bikers, take note of the new traffic pattern at RiverPlace. No more biking through the path between The Strand and the old Lucier. Walkers, you're OK. There's a gate.

Gated path at The Strand

FTA & Burgers in the South Waterfront

1. Mayor Sam visited the South Waterfront today along with Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and cohorts, to check out the Streetcar and Moody Ave project.

Story from the BizJournal: 

FTA leader lauds South Waterfront development
"Rogoff said Obama officials believe Portland can set examples for other places that could add streetcars. Those cities include Atlanta, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
“It’s not just jobs that we’re excited about, it’s the way you brought about this development,” he said, pointing to the new life sciences center site. “Oregon Health & Science University will add thousands of jobs to this space that, before, was abandoned.”"

AND...

2. We are getting a burger joint. Little Big Burger announced plans to open a store in the South Waterfront. Watch out Subway, you are in for some competition!

Urban Works Blog
OregonLive story

www.littlebigburger.com 

Added Feb. 9, 2012 

Added Feb. 9, 2012

Little red food cart: Local Motive

Crazy for Cornmeal Encrusted Razor Clams? Here's your cart!  Local Motive is the newest (and the most colorful) cart to join the growing South Waterfront food cart scene.

Their menu is local, organic and seafood-centric, featuring chowder, salads and sandwiches, and a Crispy Panko Cod if you're lucky. 

They have a Facebook page, which you can find here: www.facebook.com/localmotivepdx - you can also follow them on twitter: @localmotivepdx

Have you tried Local Motive yet? We'd love to hear about it! Please leave your comments below.

More food carts coming...

Two new food carts are opening on Moody Ave. in the south waterfront very soon, bringing the total to 6. The word on the street is these carts will bring: 1. seafood, chowder, crab;  and 2. fondue.

New cart: Let's Eat Thai Food!

This week my Food Cart Monday post was pre-empted by all the "Grimm" excitement. So for this week, it is Food Cart Tuesday - and the lucky cart is... "Let's Eat Thai Food"!

Let's Eat Thai Food is located at the north end of what we are now calling Food Cart Row in the South Waterfront, including the 4 carts* parked along Moody Ave.

This is the first food cart venture for owner/founder "Venus". She started the cart business up a few months ago and is working together with her parents. Her mom is doing the cooking and to give you a hint of what you are in for...she is using HER OWN FAMILY RECIPES.

Venus said that their standard noodle dishes, Pad Thai & Pad Kee Mow, are popular, as well as Green Curry & Yellow Curry on the rice dish side of the house.   I chose to go with the Pad Thai for lunch (medium spice). Three words to describe it?
Light
Fresh
Tangy...maybe even Citrus-y (if that is a word)

It was a full, hot box of tangy, fresh pad thai, maybe the best I've had in Portland. I'll be back to explore the menu further!  (Those salad rolls looked good.)

We also ordered the Thai Tea, upon recommendation from a friend.  It faintly reminded me of an orange creamsicle, in a good way. Definitely $1 worth of wonderful-ness there.

A crowd of people were eating & waiting for orders, including a few regular customers (already). Venus said that while business was a little slow starting, it is now picking up. They are also getting some 100% straight positive reviews on Yelp. These are all good signs!

By the way, Let's Eat Thai Food is the only one of our food carts open through dinner, and some on the weekends. So, it is a good option if you are looking for somewhere to stop by on your walk, bike, or drive home from work.

I continue to be surprised and impressed by what I'm finding on Food Cart Row.

* Kai's Kitchen, Taste of a Gyro, & last but not least, yet to be reviewed, Rip City Grill

Food Cart Monday: Kai's Kitchen

Today I visited Kai's Kitchen for lunch, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit it was my first time.

I have often wondered about this lone, green food cart stationed at the NW corner of Moody & Bancroft. It always seemed an odd spot for a teriyaki stand, right at the exit to Macadam, and especially so when the foreign car dealer/shop was located in the same lot.

Kai's Kitchen is a hidden gem!  Why did I wait?

It turns out, Kai's Kitchen may be one of the longest running businesses in the neighborhood. Kai says she opened the stand over 10 years ago. At that time there were no high rises or OHSU CHH in the neighborhood, just some businesses in (what is now) the OHSU Research Administration offices & surrounding buildings. The spot was a good choice due to very affordable rent, although pretty isolated. She says her business has not really benefited from the growth of the South Waterfront yet, but I predict it is just a matter of time, as the older buildings are filling up again, new ones are popping up, and the word gets out.

There are 4 items on the menu, including 3 standards and a daily special. Kai's secret ingredient is her thai sweet chili sauce, used on all the dishes. I tried the chicken bento box. I thought the extra pop of the sweet chili sauce was perfect, and an order ($6.95) was enough for 2 lunches.

The delightful Kai prepares and serves her teriyaki goodness:

 That was one tasty bento box!

New Food Cart: Taste of Gyro

A new food cart popped up overnight on SW Moody: Taste of a Gyro, "your neighborhood Greek spot". The cart was previously located at A La Carts in SE Portland, and offers an "I'm sorry" sauce which was featured on the food network.

The gyros were tasty, and service was swift and friendly.

Taste of a Gyro joined the other 3 carts currently located in the SWF, all on Moody: Rip City Grill (local fave), Let's Eat Thai Food, and Kai's Kitchen.

The Hot Pink Taco Truck was hanging around the SWF for a few weeks around the time of the Leverage filming, but I haven't seen them for a month or so. The last I saw, they were by the Atwater tanking up with water from the SWF Community Garden water hose... which I must say is probably looked down upon by the gardeners and did not go unnoticed by the Atwater residents.

June is Portland Dining Month

"In June the city's chef elite, from downtown and beyond, will please every eager palate with select 3-course dinners for only $25."

Two walkable choices for waterfront dining are on the list of 46 participating restaurants:

- Aqua Riva
Follow the bike/walking trail just 1/2 mile south of the S Waterfront... Aqua Riva offers fresh Northwest cuisine and indoor/outdoor riverside dining on the Willamette.

- McCormick & Schmick's Harborside at the Marina
Located 1 mile north in the RiverPlace Marina, offering seafood and a waterfront view. Take the streetcar to the RiverPlace stop or enjoy the ~10 minute walk.