Why Kaplan English students love the Portland nightlife

The open minded people of Portland have always given the US North-western city a vibrant, unique feel, and nothing displays this better than the diverse nightlife scene.

Take the Someday Lounge for example, a contemporary live music venue like any other at first glance, but a closer look also reveals breathtaking circus acts. The Boiler room is not all that different from a typical American karaoke and comedy bar…apart from the fact they hold weekly Pictionary competitions with grand prizes.

Continuing with the games, Portland’s Gypsy bar offers bingo and quiz nights, plus 60oz cocktail ‘fishbowls’ for you to share with your friends from Kaplan’s Portland English school. The Lucky Lab, on the other hand, one of Portland’s many brewpubs, takes innovation into its own hands by offering a great range of in-house brewed beers.

Teardrop cocktail lounge is just as inventive, crafting speciality liqueurs daily from scratch to mix into cocktails such as the ‘impossible dream.’ Fashionable live music club Holocene and sleek Pan-Asian restaurant Saucebox, complete with beautifully presented dishes and art installation décor, are other Portland cocktail hotspots.

The Original also deserves a mention, for bringing an adult edge to a sweet treat with its after dark alcoholic shakes. Continue the theme of childhood food with a classic American peanut butter and jelly sandwich, served till 2am at Portland’s Goodfoot pub. Bites at the Brazil Grill restaurant aren’t quite so light, as it offers an all you can eat policy, but are just as tasty.

Next, choose between the bright lights of the Barracuda nightclub and the more alternative crowd at the New Copper Penny, a favourite with Kaplan’s Portland English language students. Not a fan of the US club scene? Try the Blue Monk jazz club, a play at the Artists Repertory theatre or a game with friends at Grand Central bowling.

Tired out? Even reading about Portland’s extensive nightlife scene is exhausting, so I’ll save the rest for you to discover for yourself when you study there with Kaplan International Colleges.

If you’ve already lived the American dream in Portland, here’s your chance to share your experiences with other students, by leaving a comment.

Enjoyed the blog? Why not become a part of it by joining one of our world-class English language Schools today? Kaplan International Colleges (formerly known as Kaplan Aspect) have been providing International students, like you, with the learning opportunity of a lifetime for over 40 years. Take a look at our website, Kaplan International Colleges, to see what our English courses could do for you.