While the west side of the Willamette River provided a deep port, the east side was too shallow for shipping, and so the area remained undeveloped for the first fifty years of Portland's life. The Morrison Bridge crept across at the end of the nineteenth century; since then, most of Portland's population has lived here at some point, in various neighborhoods that are almost entirely residential. Perhaps the best reason to venture in this direction is to walk or bike the 2.3-mile loop of the Eastbank Esplanade , a new $30-million concourse that connects from the Hawthorne to the Steel bridge on floating walkways and cantilevered footpaths, offering striking views of downtown and close-up perspectives on the city's industrial zone. Near the south end of the esplanade, the splashy exhibits of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry , 1945 SE Water Ave (June-Aug daily 9.30am-7pm, rest of year Tues-Sun 9.30am-5.30pm; $6.50; ), are primarily geared toward children, with hundreds of interactive booths, toys and kiosks aimed at those with only a sketchy knowledge of science.

More appealing, two miles further east, the Hawthorne District is Portland's best alternative culture zone. With Hawthorne Boulevard as its axis between 34th and 45th streets, and dominated by the sparkly, quasi-Moorish Bagdad Theatre/Brewpub at 37th street, the area teems with bookstores, hip cafés, dive bars, cheap ethnic restaurants, and as yet only a handful of corporate chain stores. Six blocks north, Belmont Avenue is a historic corridor thick with boutiques and ethnic restaurants, centered around the neon lights of the Avalon Theatre , at no. 3451, while a mile southwest around 26th Avenue, Clinton Street is home to several good diners, funky bars and vintage clothiers (the best being Xtabay , at no. 2515). Finally, only sports fans and conventioneers should bother to visit the overly hyped Rose Quarter , west of I-5 between the Steel and Broadway bridges ( ), where a green-spired convention center and basketball stadium are the only points of interest amid a clutch of overpriced restaurants and dreary chain motels.

East of the river

• East of the river

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