Portland Parks & Bridges

By Ellie Goodwin

Cathedral Park

We are lucky to have so many beautiful parks to play in, workout in, have a picnic, or simply sit down and enjoy the view. A couple of my favorite parks to sit and enjoy the view involve bridges.

I love the Fields Park, located in the Pearl District because as the name suggests it’s an open pocket of field, surrounded by buildings, with the most epic view of the Fremont Bridge. This is one of my favorite bridges because of it’s sheer height. There is one time yearly they allow pedestrians on this bridge for a run called, “Bridges to Brews.” I’m not a runner in the slightest, but I partook because I wanted to be on top of that bridge with my own two legs. I told my grandfather it was my favorite bridge one day in conversation and he surprised me by sharing that back when he worked in road construction around the state of Oregon, he hung the first flag at the top of that bridge. Every time I look at that flag up top, I remember him and think of what a badass he was for climbing to the very tip-top of the Fremont Bridge.

My second favorite park/bridge combo is Cathedral Park, located beneath the St. John’s Bridge. Their is something simply stunning about the peaks in the bridge, which are very cathedral-like, hence the name. It’s refreshing to see cathedral-like architecture in an outdoor setting. You feel the essence of mother nature combined with the utter magnitude of the bridge’s cathedral peaks. This is a very magical place. Some friends of mine were married here a few years back and it’s no surprise as to why. This is also an excellent place to get outdoors and enjoy some shelter from the often Oregon rain. My final tip: head to close by, “Tienda Santa Cruz,” for a burrito to enjoy with the view. The front of Tienda Santa Cruz looks like a regular market, but walk through to the back of the store to find the delicious Mexican food counter and free salsa bar.

The Fields Park