Portland Oregon has perhaps more Happy Hours than many cities, and in the darker days of winter, it’s a great time of day to enjoy inexpensive food & beverages. Last Sunday we spent a couple hours at the cozy Heathman Hotel bistro with friends, ordering many small plates, wine, & dessert. The Heathman’s bistro is in their beautifully classic paneled room (high tea area during the Holidays), with comfy seats, small tables, a roaring fire, and sometimes music in the evenings. On the weekend, the bistro menu starts at 3:00 and goes all evening.

Most Portland Happy Hours are limited to early nibbles from about 3P.M. To 7 P.M. and again for the after theatre crowd around 9:00 or 10:00 P.M. These small plates are not always so small: at the Hotel Deluxe there is a plate of 3 sliders in the retro Driftwood Room with its authentic Mad Men mystique, and the smoked chicken chowder is amazing. Some Happy Hours discount drinks while others discount food.

I always thought this tradition was based on Oregon liquour regulations requiring food offered with alcoholic beverages, but this might just be a rumour. Apparently most other U.S. cities don’t have this economical & enticing option for dining.

If you’re ready to test the Happy Hour waters, check out Urban Drink, which lists hours and offerings by neighborhood. This is a great value in Portland.

Another Portland value in 2012 is the price of Portland area homes, which as of December 2011 have decreased and average of 6.7% over the previous year. Even when comparing December 2011 home prices to November 2011, the signals were mixed about the future: average prices from .5% while median prices fell 3.7% The pace of sales however has picked up dramatically, while the inventory of homes for sale is just over 5 months. The Portland Housing Market Report December 2011 is issued by the Regional Multiple Listing Service by the middle of each month for the previous month’s results. The prices have been bouncing slightly up and down since last fall, and people in a position to buy Oregon real estate, can find a bargain in Portland homes for sale in 2012, and that includes even the more expensive neighborhoods of Lake Oswego, Dunthorpe, NW Portland, and the SW Hills of Portland.

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Sharon Francis

Lake Oswego & Portland Real Estate Agent & Principal Broker at My Portland Oregon Home associated with Meadows Group Realtors Inc.

Family, Portland,and Oregon, help define who Sharon is. Sharing her love of real estate & homes is what she does as she helps local home buyers and sellers with their real estate transactions, and introduces those who relocate to the joys and pleasures of greater Portland & Oregon. Community involvement, volunteering, law, business, fine arts are all experiences that enable Sharon to give buyers and sellers the best representation, whether in negotiating contracts, marketing homes, or solving problems.

Latest posts by Sharon Francis (see all)

• Portland Home Sales & Prices Springing Higher in March into April 2013 - April 12, 2013
• Happy Birthday, Governor McCall, and Thanks for Caring. - March 22, 2013
• Portland 2013 Home Prices: Still Rising After All These Months - March 17, 2013