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THE BEST WAY

From LAX, nonstop service is available on Alaska and United; direct service (stop, no change of plane) is available on Southwest, and connecting service (change of plane) is offered on Delta. Restricted, round-trip fares begin at $190.

WHERE TO STAY

Plenty of hotels can be found near the Portland Street Car route, including longtime downtown institutions like the Benson, the Governor and the Heathman and newer lodgings to the south like the RiverPlace hotel; the Marriott Residence Inn Portland Downtown at RiverPlace; and the Avalon Hotel and Spa. Among the places I checked out:

The Inn @ Northrup Station, 2025 N.W. Northrup St., (503) 224-0543 or (800) 224-1180, www.northrupstation.com. This 70-room boutique hotel lacks a restaurant and many other services that come with a larger hotel. But it sits in a great neighborhood and offers playful design, a good free continental breakfast in the lobby, a third-floor terrace for warm days, kitchenettes in rooms and free streetcar passes to guests. Rates begin at $109.

Ace Hotel, 1022 S.W. Stark St.; (503) 228-2277, www.acehotel.com. Having made a splash with an Ace Hotel in Seattle, the entrepreneur behind Ace has taken over the former Clyde Hotel and outfitted 79 rooms in the 1912 building. The neighborhood is gritty urban, the style is modern bohemian, and the target guest is under 30 years old, but with retro tastes. The headboards are made from recycled German military ponchos. The bedspreads are blankets custom-made by Pendleton. Fourteen deluxe rooms will soon be outfitted with turntables and a random selection of vintage vinyl. (And when the in-house PR guy hands me his business card, his job title is listed as "cultural engineer.") There's a coffee shop downstairs, and two restaurants are said to be coming soon. Rates begin at $95 with shared bath (there are 10 such rooms, sharing six hallway bathrooms) and go up to $250 for the fanciest suite.

Hotel Lucia, 400 S.W. Broadway; (503) 225-1717 or (877) 225-1717, www.hotellucia.com. Pleasant design and a big emphasis on tranquillity and art in this 127-room hotel. Hence a "pillow menu" to choose whether you want flat or fluffy, and 679 images of the famous and notorious by photographer David Hume-Kennerly. Think twice before taking an interior room (views of ugly ducts) or the smallest size, which is indeed small. (The owners also own the year-old Hotel DeLuxe, on S.W. 15th, which carries a glitzy Old-Hollywood theme.) Opened in 2002. Rates begin at $139, more for suites.

Jupiter Hotel, 800 E. Burnside St., (503) 230-9200 or (877) 800-0004, www.jupiterhotel.com. This raffish, youthful 80-room lodging lies far from the streetcar route, on the east side of the Willamette, next to the very popular, very loud Doug Fir bar and restaurant. (Hotel guests are offered a choice between the hotel's "party side" or its quiet side.) Rates $89 to $250.

Mark Spencer Hotel, 409 S.W. 11th Ave.; (503) 224-3293 or (800) 548-3934, www.markspencer.com. Not new, not sexy but not pricey either. This 102-room, 100-year-old building is downtown. It was built as a hotel, converted to apartments, then remade again as a hotel. Rates $89-$120, with weekly and monthly discounts sometimes available.

Hotel Monaco Portland, 506 S.W. Washington St., (503) 222-0001 or (800) 711-2971, www.monaco-portland.com. First this building was a department store, then in the 1990s, boutique hotel pioneer Bill Kimpton converted it into the Fifth Avenues Suites Hotel. In February 2007, this 221-room hotel was renamed and remodeled. Rates $149-$360.

WHERE TO EAT

Like its bars, Portland's restaurants like to emphasize local ingredients, from produce to seafood to distilled spirits.

Le Happy, 1011 N.W, 16th Ave., (503) 226-1258, www.lehappy.com. This 6-year-old bar and creperie has great crepes and steak, with board games available on request, and a thousand points of red light bouncing around the dining room, thanks to a mirror ball. (Apparently it gets lively later on.) Dinner only, closed Sundays. Entrees up to $18. Most crepes less than $9, including Le Trash Blanc, a bacon-and-cheddar crepe with a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $5.50.

Papa Haydn, 701 N.W. 23rd Ave.; (503) 228-7317, www.papahaydn.com. A longtime Portland favorite with locations on both sides of the river. I went for dessert to the one on 23rd and shared a six-layer glacé and berry cobbler with friends, along with a pleasant sip of apple and pear brandy from the Clear Creek Distillery. (This being Portland, the fruit was locally grown and the distillery was about 10 blocks away.) Dinner entrees $17 to $21. Most desserts $5-$8.

Portland City Grill, 111 S.W. 5th Ave., 30th floor, (503) 450-0030, www.portlandcitygrill.com. Better views than the tram, and they bring you steak and seafood and drinks. Unless you want to lay out $56 for a 22-ounce porterhouse steak (that's the steep end of the menu), go for happy hour and linger over a $4.95 draft beer and a $3.95 crab cake. Lunch and dinner weekdays, dinner only on weekends.

Santa Fe Taqueria, 831 N.W. 23rd St., (503) 220-0406. A tang of Southwest flavor amid much Northwestness. Lunch and dinner. Entrees up to $9.50. I had a good, and spicy, chicken enchilada.

St. Honoré Boulangerie, 2335 N.W. Thurman St., (503) 445-4342, www.sainthonorebakery.com. A hopping breakfast spot full of tempting baked goods and bustling bakers. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with nothing over $8.50.

Bo Restobar, off the lobby of Hotel Lucia (see above). A dark, sleek Asian space that opened in November. I had an excellent crab, avocado and egg bread sandwich for $12. Lunch and dinner. Entrees up to $18.

23 Hoyt, 529 N.W. 23rd Ave., (503) 445-7400, www.23hoyt.com. Stylish dinner spot with tables upstairs and down. I liked the risotto with mushrooms. Dinner $22 to $32.

The Tea Zone and Camellia Lounge, 510 N.W. 11th Ave.; (503) 221-2130, www.teazone.com. By day, it peddles calming hot drinks and small meals like the $3.95 chicken curry empanada I tried. But from 4 p.m. on, all kinds of booze flow, including tea-infused spirits and such microbrews as Mateveza Yerba Maté Ale. Most sandwiches and quiche $4 to $6.

TO LEARN MORE

Portland Oregon Visitors Assn., (877) 678-5263, www.travelportland.com.