Out and About

Oh, the Places We’ll Go!
Our 2007 ‘Family Favorites’ Reader Survey Awards

By Metro Parent Staff

Visit Our 2008 ‘Family Favorites’ Reader Survey Awards

Man, oh, man – what we wouldn’t give to be kids in the Portland area in the 21st century!

From its kid-pleasing restaurants, toy stores and book shops to its perfect-for-family-outings parks and rainy day (or any day) indoor destinations, the metropolitan area is teeming with great choices for families. We asked Metro Parent readers to pick their ‘family favorite’ places in the region. Here are the winners:

Restaurant: ‘Happy Highchair’ Honors

For the second year in a row, readers chose this Portland jewel as the most family-friendly restaurant in the region. We’re not surprised. While the metropolitan area boasts numerous “adult” eateries where kids are welcome,

P.B. & Ellie’s is more like a kids’ restaurant where parents are welcome. From the play space in the very center of the eating area to the kid-pleasing menu, P.B. & Ellie’s has done everything possible to accommodate parents and children. As one reader summed it up “Can’t be beat for catering to kids! And now they’ve added alcohol and more adult-friendly choices to their menu too.” ‘Nuff said. 4405 SW Vermont; 503-282-1783; www.pbecafe.com.

Honorable Mention:
Family-friendly brewpub Laurelwood was a strong second. Readers appreciated their kid-loving wait staff and the great food (and beer!).(Sandy Blvd., Kearney and NE 40th locations; www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com).

Laughing Planet Café also won approval from our readers who noted that every table is set with action figures or dinosaurs (!). A definite perk: “Staff doesn’t bat an eye at kid messes or noise.” (Belmont, Woodstock, Mississippi and NW 21st locations; www.laughingplanetcafe.com)

Coffee Shop
If anyone is entitled to a good cup of joe, it’s you, Mom (or Dad!) – wearing a baby, a toddler hanging on your leg and four hours of sleep under your belt. While Starbucks works in a pinch, there are, thankfully, many other locally owned options (indeed, Portland ranks sixth in the country for the number of coffee shops per capita.) And, in 2007, many of them qualify as family friendly.

Urban Grind Coffeehouse won top honors as our family favorite coffee shop. Why? LOTS of play space for kids to roam, kid-friendly atmosphere – and free coffee on Sundays (9 am to 4 pm). (2214 NE Oregon St.; 503-546-0649; www.urbangrindcoffee.com)

Honorable Mention:
Café Sip-n-Play (3000 SE 164th Ave.; www.cafesipnplay.com; 360-896-4446), another establishment tailor-made for families, and Sip & Kranz (503-336-1335; 901 NW 10th Ave.; www.sipandkranz.com), which boasts a glass enclosed, sound-proof play area.

Ice Cream Parlor
Did you know that Portland has the highest per capita ice cream consumption of any city in the U.S.? (You’d think it would be Phoenix or Miami or Houston, wouldn’t you?) Anyway, we like our ice cream – and apparently we also like lots of choices.
Our first place winner is Baskin-Robbins (multiple locations; www.baskinrobbins.com).
Honorable Mention:
Ben & Jerry’s, purveyor of numerous “outside the carton” flavors, was also popular (Hawthorne, NW 23rd and downtown locations; www.benjerry.com) along with Mia Gelato (Pearl District, NE Brazee and NW 23rd).

Toy Store
It was nearly a dead heat for the top choice in this category but Finnegan’s edged out Thinker Toys for the No. 1 spot.

Finnegan’s, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, was lauded for its “awesome toys and atmosphere.” As one reader succinctly put it: “Always friendly. Always playful. Always fun.” (922 SW Yamhill; 503-221-0306; www.finneganstoys.com)

Thinker Toys has a similar loyal following among local families. The Multnomah Village icon won kudos for their free gift wrap, frequent buyer program, playhouse and more. One Thinker Toy regular recited a near mantra for the local toy-buying parent: “they don’t carry all the commercial crap that you find at other toy stores.” (7784 SW Capitol Hwy; 503-245-3936; www.thinkertoysoregon.com)

Children’s Book Shop
Portland is rumored to have more independent bookstores per capita than any other American city. It’s fitting then that those establishments would cater to the next generation of book lovers – our kids.

Powerhouse Powell’s Bookstore took top honors as the area’s most family-friendly bookstore. Along with amenities like children’s book areas with comfortable chairs and tables, parents liked the incredible selection of both new and used books. (multiple locations; www.powells.com)
Honorable Mention:
Locally-owned Annie Bloom’s (7834 SW Capitol Hwy; 503-246-0053; www.annieblooms.com) and A Children’s Place (4807 NE Fremont; 503-284-8294; www.achildrensplacebookstore.com) were also popular with area parents for their knowledgeable staffs and kid-friendly ambience. National chain Barnes & Noble (multiple locations; www.bn.com) earned points for storytelling and other kid-friendly events.

Kids’ Clothing Store
This category had a greater number of individual nominees than any other.
Those establishments garnering the most votes included Black Wagon (3964 N Mississippi; 503-916-0004; www.blackwagon.com), Gymboree (multiple locations; www.gymboree.com), Piccolina (2700 SE 26th; 503-963-8548) and Lily Toad (7322 N Leavitt; 503-285-8623; www.lilytoad.com). All of these businesses earned points for the two most sought after kid clothing attributes: cuteness and high quality.

Park/Playground
Washington Park, covering 130 acres and boasting numerous attractions, like the International Rose Test Garden and the Children’s Park, earned the top spot in this category. (head of SW Park Place; www.portlandonline.com/parks)
Honorable Mention:

Laurelhurst Park (SE 30th and Stark), Wilshire Park (NE 33rd and Skidmore) and Marshall Community Park (1015 E McLoughlin, Vancouver; www.ci.vancouver.wa.us/parks-recreation) also received multiple votes for their kid-pleasing amenities.

Indoor Destination
Indoor options are a godsend for families with small children living in a region that receives its fair share (and more) of rain. But it doesn’t need to be raining to opt for OMSI, our readers’ first choice in this category. Science Playground is the big draw for toddlers and preschoolers; numerous other exhibits and spaces entertain and education older kids. One reader summed up OMSI’s charms by saying “so many things to do in a safe, enclosed environment.” (1945 SE Water Ave.; 503-797-4000; www.omsi.edu)
Honorable Mention:
Portland Children’s Museum is also a favorite among area parents. Amenities like the Water Works exhibit and the Clay Studio were cited as reasons to while away the rainy days here. (4015 SW Canyon Rd.; 503-223-6500; www.portlandcm.org)

Theater
Another indoor option for families is going to a movie.

McMenamin’s Kennedy School was the hands-down favorite in this category, with readers citing the comfy couches, relaxed atmosphere, great food and, especially, the Mommy Matinees, which one mom touted as “the most brilliant idea ever.” (5736 NE 33rd; 503-249-3983; www.mcmenamins.com)
Honorable Mention:
Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark; 503-252-0500; www.academytheaterpdx.com) was lauded for its cheap movies, Flying Pie pizza – and, of course, the babysitting room.

Vacation Destination
The area’s proximity to myriad natural wonders – the Cascade Mountains, the Columbia Gorge, Central Oregon’s High Desert – makes the choice of a favorite family vacation destination a difficult one. But Oregon’s phenomenal coastline trumps all of those other miracles of nature. Readers overwhelmingly opted for the world’s biggest sandbox for their downtime, specifically Cannon Beach, Newport and Seaside.

Holiday Event/Attraction
We had another run away winner in this category: ZooLights. Who can resist the magic of more than half a million twinkling lights, depicting dozens of animals, blanketing trees and bushes and illuminating the Zoo train? (begins Dec. 1; www.oregonzoo.org)