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Categories: Hotels, Cinema, American (New)
Neighborhoods: Northeast Portland, Concordia
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corey g. KENNEDY SCHOOL CLASS SCHEDULE FALL 2009
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PERIOD CLASS ROOM
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1 Homeroom Front Desk
2 Art Every Room & Hallway (pretty much everywhere)
3 PE Soaking Pool & Gymnasium
4 Chemistry Brewery & Boiler Room
6 Home Ec. Courtyard Restaurant & The Sewing Room
7 Film Movie Theater
8 Computers Site-wide free wifi
9 Botany Community Garden
10 Music Gym & theater
x Detention Detention Bar (of course, silly!)
* homework posted below
I LOVE SCHOOL!
This romantic affair began back in 1999 after reading an article about Kennedy School in the Oregonian. Ever since, I've stayed and visited Kennedy School many a time over the years.
The dilemma: Where To Begin?
SOAKING POOL
Kennedy School has so many things going for it, it's hard to think of a place to start.
euphoria (y-fôr'-, -fr'-) n. A feeling of great happiness or well-being.
I think that's a good place to start, yes? I love the Soaking Pool. It's always a highlight during a stay at the School. I plan my schedule around dipping myself in its magic waters (FYI, that's a movie quote). The Soaking Pool is in one of the courtyard areas of the School. It is a long pool with jets on one side of it (the timer's in the "Locker Room"). Basically, just set the timer to the maximum time and chill. The Pool is surrounded by lush vegetation, and steam from the water adds an eerily cool ambiance. I love it when it's cold outside, or better yet---raining--I love the contrasts. Looking up at the sky through the palm fronds is mesmerizing.
THE ROOMS
I've never had a bad room here. Each one is unique and is filled with its own story and art. On a recent stay I was in "The Sewing Room". All the rooms are HUGE, and come with a wall of chalk boards. I've always liked the linens as well--I want the bed spreads they have! For technological perks there is a phone and free wifi---THERE IS NO TV! There is a ceiling fan & a heater (no AC---but not an issue in PDX). There are usually used books in your room. So yeah, you get to sleep in an old classroom, but the amenities here are top notch and modern. I love the rooms.
THE BARS
On this trip I made it to several of the bars: Boiler Room, Detention Bar, and Cypress Room. By far, my favorite was the Boiler Room. This is the newest bar--I think it's only a year or two old. It's a two-story bar where you enter from the top (pool table, tables, tvs), and then walk downstairs to the bar (more tables, pool table, and one of those curling/bowling-type games). The drink-makers were always exremely friendly. I generally sat at the bar, and had libation, and ordered food from the kitchen.
TATER TOTS + BEER = THE BOMB
(learned that from my Math class at Kennedy School).
MASS TRANSIT
I drove to Kennedy School, but my vehicle stayed in the parking lot for virtually all four days I was there. There is a bus stop right in front of Kennedy School! So freakin' convenient. The #73 & I were like this: **crossing my fingers**! The #73 takes you to the Llyod Center Transit Center and from there, fuggedaboutit--PDX is yours. I love mass transit. (The Environmental Studies class taught me that at Kennedy School--gots ta save the Earf!).
FUN STUFF
Kennedy School is like one of those all-inclusive resorts. You can pretty much stay on the premises the whole time and be totally content. Admission to any movie is free when you have a room here. I love the theater. It is filled with cozy and old school couches & chairs along with tables. And then you can also drink a brew & have a pizza while enjoying the cinema.
Music is also big here, there are always bands here throughout the week.
And there are also events as well. I was there during Halloween. I must admit, this place was madcap traffic jam of kids, but it was cool. The kids were all trick or treating and having a good ole time (Kennedy School does many things for the local community). On Halloween Night, Kennedy School was filled with all kinds of costume crazyness. My favorite costumes: The Stimulus Package, Wolverine, and Waldo, but my favorite was Magnum PI!
IN CONCLUSION:
To me, there is nothing gooder (sorry failed English!) than Kennedy School. I've been going for the last decade, and know I'll keep going: I'm just dumb, and need to continue my education!!
* SPANISH HOMEWORK:
Translate This: ¡Y ése es seteciento!
0 stars if possible.
I was highly disappointed. I love the ambiance and wandering around the school but the food and the service here was awful. I will never come back.
I grabbed a pager and waited about 20 minutes to get seated. During that time, we just checked out the school. After being seated, we waited another 10 minutes for our waitress to great us. We sat between two other tables and she served both sides of us without even greeting us or saying a word. She would keep disappearing for long periods of time and even the table next to us wondered aloud where she ran of to.
When she finally came by, she didn't tell us the special or ask anything. I felt very rushed as she tried to take our order and left. Afterwards, she forgot a drink and barely said a single word to us. When our food did come, we were highly disappointed.
My wife ordered a simple veggy pizza. The pizza came out only warm. It appeared that they just heated up an old pizza and then after it was heated, they put on cold tomatoes. The veggies weren't really cooked.
0 stars and never coming back to any of the locations. I was forewarned that the food wasn't great but I didn't expect anything so bad.
Going to the Kennedy School is like going to an enhanced version of a high-school lock in. We can drink bourbon in the boiler room! We can cuddle on a couch and watch a movie! The cafeteria serves beer and tator tots! Let's take off our clothes and jump in the pool and swear we'll be best friends forever. LYLAS!
Wait a minute, I hated high school. I don't miss it a bit, but maybe you do? Friend, you're in luck! It seems that McMenamins has contracted with your high school cafeteria to bring the finest in reheated, low-quality food. And surely if the Coke machine dispensed bourbon, it would be in a tiny, watered down portion, just like McMen's. When it's time to grow up again, just look at the prices, and you'll remember where you really are: in an overpriced novelty bar, drinking the worst beer in town.
This brings us to the soaking pool. If you've been dying to pick up athlete's foot, might I suggest a quick barefoot stroll in the changing room? Come already changed and without valuables; not only is every inch of the room soaking wet, but there's no place to lock up your wallet. The pool itself is both wonderful and terrifying. It's warm and relaxing, surrounded by lush greenery, with a lovely view of the stars overhead. When it's cold, the steam rises off the pool and makes a sort of curtain over the entire thing, so there's a feeling of privacy and solitude, even if you're surrounded by people. Unfortunately, the water is nightmare-inducing. Under the glowing, magical lights, you can see every particle that's come off the bodies of your fellow soakers, and it's pretty horrific. We all stank noticeably after leaving the pool, and today I'm itchy and broken out. I loved the experience of sitting in the pool at night, but probably won't be returning anytime soon.
This is not to say that the Kennedy School doesn't have its charms. The Honors Bar is pretty great -- a tiny, tiny little nook with a stove, perfect for whispering secrets. Movies are cheap and the couches are comfy. This is the perfect place to bring a visitor with a conservative palate who asks to be taken someplace "funky." But you, full-time Portlander? No, you can do better.
A fun evening! We love the soaking pool (though we wish it had a little less chlorine). The food is solid, if not exceptional, as is the service most of the time. The ambiance is fantastic, however, and it's a brilliant place to see a film, if you enjoy snuggling with your spouse on a couch ; )
Love this place! Visited and stayed many times. Great for an inexpensive evening or get-away.
What can I say about the McMenamins Kennedy School? It's super! I love how they turned an old school into a hip hotel, bar, movie theater, and pool. This place is wonderful. You can order Ruby beer, have a wonderful meal, go to the "Detention" room and then stay the night. The rooms are creatively decorated, but the only drawback is you have to walk down the hallway to use the restroom. If you have never been to Portland this is a must see!
I was visiting Portland and had the chance to stop by and watch a movie the way I like it: in a couch, with food and some good beer. Make sure to arrive with anticipation, weekends there is a big demand!
A great idea!! can't wait to try more!
This is one of the most charming hotels I have ever stayed at!
Rooms: $110 a night-- king bed I think. My friends couldn't resist writing me love notes on the chalkboard as they skipped down my private hallway. I slept in "Sally's Room." Messages: "Ride Sally Ride" and "Sally, Whew that girl!" The ceilings are high and the beds are comfy. The sheets weren't 800 thread Egyptian cotton, but I was busy having too much fun to notice.
To do: I like the Cypress room for drinks and the dining court for burgers and tatar-tots; bring some gum if you decide you want Cajun flavor. The boiler room is cool too if you like to play pool, but the detention room is my favorite! I know, weird right? Well, they used to allow people to smoke in there until the nonsmoking law passed. I like it because it's dark, and only fits a few people; you can actually have an intimate conversation in there, then head back to the crowd. The theater creeps me out a bit, but I'm weird about public couches. What else.... Oh, they have reasonable wedding packages from what I hear.
K-School is a lot of fun, especially if you have a party and invite the cool kids! Think about it, getting tipsy, running through the halls and hiding in different bars...sneaking off into a class room where you can lock the door behind you. They supply books, but no Yeah, you kinda get to make your own rules at school. Now what is cooler than that?
Extra plus:
They carry their own beer and wine and both are good. And, you don't have to drive-- all of your entertainment is right there! Need a Walgreens-- take a quick walk then head back.
What's weird is that, rationally, I can think of all the ways in which the Kennedy school is awesome. Beautifully landscaped grounds, cool artwork, creative bars (especially the Boiler Room!). Their mommy matinees are an awesome idea as they have enabled me to get out of the house with my little one.
However, I struggle to give it four stars and that's because it strangely creeps me out. I think the long hallways and old classrooms remind me of the scenes in the Shining where those freaky twins are standing in the long, blood-flooding hallway.
Hope I didn't just ruin the Kennedy School for you. It's cool, it really is. Just don't think about the Shining.
Two pints and a dope plate of hummus and pita bread for $8. WHY DO I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES?
I can only imagine Kevin McCallister's stay at the Plaza Hotel being more enjoyable than my… Read more »
Go to this place for everything but the food.
What a fun place to wander around and check everything out. Just like the name says, it's an old renovated school. Art work down all the hallways and much more to explore. Lots of the rooms have been turned into many different places; some secluded 8 seat bars with a personal bartender (now that's cool!!!) Cigar rooms, a movie theater, broiler room bar, brewery, restaurant, locker rooms and so much more.
The beer is not bad, it tastes even better when walking through the halls looking at all the strange artwork. They had a happy hour from 4-6 which meant $3 draws and $2.50 ice cold coors lights. Pretty decent, but let me reiterate again. The food was blah blah even for a burger and tots, and the service was even slower.
Cool place to have a couple drinks!
This place does not disappoint. The parking is ample and the mood is so charming. The old schoolhouse just feels warm and reminds you of more innocent days... except people are walking down the halls with beer and I think there were some people smoking cigars.
I watched a few movies over the course of 2-3 visits and all the friends I brought with me were thoroughly impressed. Great date location, and the concept is so smart. Will McMenamins take over the world?
Let me preface this review by saying that I love the concept of the old school turned bar/movie theater/restaurant, and it looks great...but the food and service, oh my!
Our waiter was out to lunch (at dinner). The drinks we ordered had cobwebs on them by the time they arrived. The food was absolute crap. My burger was passable, but the fries that came with it were the worst I've had in a restaurant in recent memory. The fish and chips was a disgrace -- same crappy fries and a grease-laden, crunch-free piece of cod. The African curry bowl was spicy but mediocre and tasted like something that Panda Express could top. The beers, while ok, are certainly no great shakes, especially in a town like Portland.
I cannot believe that anyone would give this place 4 or 5 stars! I mean the concept is a good one, but it is about the food to some degree. Five stars should be reserved for only the best of a genre and the food at this place keeps it far from that. It is a neat place with cute little themed bars, but the food kills it for me.
Wish it was possible to give something more than five stars, this place deserves it, incredibly unique. Wish it wasn't so out of the way for me. Great rooms, great restaurant, great artwork on the walls, kind of creepy to walk through the halls in the middle of the night when no one's around. Next time you're in Portland, stay here, or any of the other McMenamins hotels for that matter!
I wrote lots of dirty words on the chalk board.
I went to detention.
I drank tequila in Portland a beer city.
Does this make me a bad person?
PS: I really fucking love this hotel! More to come.
Kennedy school makes me proud to be a Portlander - what makes Portland unique. I would bring out of town guests here to show off this one of a kind concept of a elementary school converted to restaurant/brewery/movies/[fill in the blank].
Some things you can do:
The movies at the gymnasium with random different couches
Going to the bathroom to see how small/short everything is
Having beer/dinner at the courtyard with the outdoor fireplace
Wandering through the hallway being reminded of your elementary school
I'm not really a huge fan of the McMenamins beer (but I still drink it =)), and the food is just better than average pub grub. It's the atmosphere you're going for here..
I haven't even explored the whole thing. Whenever I get a visitor, I'll bring them over so I can try a different side of it.
$3 for a movie and you can drink beer!? How could you ever go wrong! We went to see The Hangover tonight for the THIRD time on the big screen (Best Comedy ever). I love the fact that you can plan a date night with a movie, a pitcher of beer and a slice of pizza for under $30 and have a Great time! The Kennedy could easily be worth 5-stars if the service at the Courtyard Restaurant was a little better. Although I think most people accept the fact that you will get mediocre service at most Mcmenamins restaurants. Overall, I am a fan of the Mcmenamins locations. The concept is great, the beer is decent and there's always something going on!
This was my second stay at this hotel and I brought a new friend. As per the last visit, I had a blast. There is so much to do there you hardly think about leaving!
The movie theater is the best...nice couches and they serve you pizza and beer.
The restaurant was OK...nothing to write home about.
the new boiler room bar was very nice...the decor was awesome.
Love the soaking pool..
Kennedy School is a must for anyone visiting Portland or just up for a fun dining experience. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant... a schoolhouse converted into a place to eat, watch a movie, grab a drink, or even stay overnight. The food is decent... not always the best but not terrible. This morning I went for breakfast for the first time. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros, which was supposed to come with poached eggs and ended up coming with almost hard-boiled eggs. I asked for new ones and though they took awhile, they arrived eventually. It was a decent sized breakfast, but nothing out-of-this-world. Don't always expect the best service at Kennedy School, nor the quickest. This place can get pretty busy at night especially in the summer, but consider a breakfast or lunch date to enjoy the ambiance a bit.
Make sure and take a look around, there are tons of fun places to see at the School. I recommend seeing a movie here too (though some of the movies titles they choose are less than interesting to me).
McMenamins is part of the Portland scene. Try it out, if not for the food then for the experience.
HOLY MOLY BATMAN! I think I'm in love... when i win the lottery I'll have a permanent room at the Kennedy School. Not that I spent a single night in this elementary school turned into a series of themed bars and lodgings, but because every inch of this place is so beautiful. No strike that, it's not beautiful, its crafty and for an overactive imagination like my own you start wondering if the person who designed this place wasn't watching The Shinning on Mescaline.
So there are themed bars within the school... the best, the detention bar, was closed... but its small and the ready to serve, I mean punish, the guilty.
Take a stroll about the grounds, inside and out, there's a small soaking pool and gardens and depending on the season there are blooms of all sorts of flowers. The halls have been ever so slightly changed to seem dream like and the walls are covered with vintage photographs of the schools and the classes that went through them.
The boiler room is a must see. The pub/restaurant is like a tim burton film come to live. One part penguin lair, one part edward scissor hands, it's a joy to sit on any of the tiered levels of this metal and wood paneled structure. How they created the twisting plumbing that is not at all functional but wonderfully decorative I don't know, but they did and I couldn't get enough of it!
How can one not love sipping brandy in Detention?
Is it still cool, to call a place "cool"? Wild, quirky, funky, silly, kooky, and completely smile-inducing work too, if "cool" went out when McMenamin's chose to save this historic school, turning it into a hotel/cinema/restaurant/pool/bar/etc.
Aside from being the ONLY McMenamin's I've found (in Eugene or Portland) where the food is still decent, the location is a blast. Enough of a blast to distract from the grumpy servers, and constantly deteriorating food quality, that seem to have taken over the entire McMenamin's chain.
Definitely a must-stop for any out-of-towner, and a "you don't know Portland until you have", for the locals -- just don't expect a fantastic dining experience.
Why can't we have something like this in LA? I have thing for spaces made out of other spaces: movie theaters made out of nunneries, hotels made out of insane asylums, etc. A restaurant/movie theater/bar/spa/hotel made out of an old elementary school? Hold me close, I may faint.
I only had the pleasure of having lunch at this fabulous place, but I did take a nice stroll around the grounds and was blown away. The food and dining experience itself is probably a 4 stars, but the whole place is so amazing that I'm giving it 5 stars. For lunch I had a veggie burger (patty handmade on location as I understood it), spicy tater tots (yay tots!), and raspberry ale. I'd like to bathe in that ale, and any opportunity I have to eat tater tots outside of a real, functioning elementary school is a great one.
Now I just need to convince close friends to have their wedding here and pay for my spa visits. A girl can dream, no?
While the women were at a baby shower five of us guys ate at McMenamins. This restaurant cannot even make a decent burger. We asked for a burger on the rare side. Came well done. Bad bun. Soggy fries. No napkins. Slow service. Good grief, why do people eat there? Never again for any of us.
Loved this hotel! I was worried that it would be noisy, but our room was set further back in the building and perfectly quiet. The concept is fantastic, and the place is enormous. I really like that it's a part of the community. When we were in the restaurant I found the food to be pretty tasty. We didn't rent a car on our trip, just caught the bus right across the street to head downtown. Kennedy School's also in walking distance of some nice shops and restaurants. We'd definitely stay here again!
The one thing that I was disappointed with was the fact that they didn't offer any kind of voucher or coupon for people staying at the hotel to use on breakfast items. That would have been a nice touch.
As someone who loves school, i think its pretty darn amazing that the Kennedy school used to be one! And i can sleep in it! Sometimes i feel like i should just sleep at my school, so this experience kind of showed me what that might be like :P
I stayed in a 3rd grade classroom, complete with chalkboards and all. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was nice. But while they have free internet, they dont have TVs in the room! That did not help my jet lag when i woke up at 5am with nothing to do! I will also say that even with a massive fan, the room was always ridiculously hot. Like boarderline boiling hot. In portland! In April! It shouldn't be that hot.
Speaking of boiling, one of the cooler things was that they turned the boiler room into a bar! While the beers here are only ok, that was pretty neat to see.
I will say that it can get noisy since there are so many people coming and going to the restaurants and bars that sleeping here is a little difficult. They have pretty much anything you could want including out door patios, pools and a movie theater!
We also went here for breakfast, which was awesome. My omelet was great! I got the garden omelet, full of veggies and swiss cheese. The potatoes it came with may have been the best fried breakfast potatoes i've ever eaten. I highly reccommend staying here for breakfast
If you like the rustic feel and dont need the modern convience of tv, then this place is a great place to stay. if nothing else, it definitely is fun for teachers to finally experience sleeping at school :)
After a long day exploring the Historic Columbia River Highway during our visit to Portland, my husband and I headed out for a late bite to eat. Friends and Portland locals recommended the Kennedy School and we loved our dinner at the unique elementary school turned hotel & restaurant! It is one of the most original restaurants we've ever been to, maintaining the historic character of the school with a funky twist.
The old cafeteria has been transformed into a restaurant, the gym an eclectic movie theater where you can order from the menu during the show, and the classrooms have become hotel rooms in an adjoining wing. There is even a pool for the hotel guests. It seemed to be another fun option for accommodations in Portland.
It was a pleasant evening to enjoy a meal al fresco on the patio. There is a large fireplace in the middle of the patio which is great for slightly chilly nights. My hubby and I both had burgers. I would rate the food average, but the unique character and fun dining experience still makes it a memorable restaurant in my book, and one that I'd both re-visit and recommend to friends visiting Portland.
I am crazy about the unique nostalgia of this place. Not so crazy about the food. Standard pub/bar food, not always done right. The brews and wine are great and the charm of the surroundings makes it all worth the trip. Great place for a movie or a casual meal. Try the fries.
This is a review of the movie theater at the Kennedy School.
Couches inside a movie theater. Very cool. The sound could have been louder. I don't drink the beer here.
Shortest. Review. Ever.
LOVE the concept. I loved wandering around this renovated school and peeking into the various bars and facilities. I loved that the bathrooms were still basically old school bathrooms with low sinks and all. The boiler room bar was where we were situated and it's a lovely dark low light bar on two levels that reminds me slightly of HR Giger with all the sculptures and exposed maze of pipes. It wasn't the best room for large groups though as a pool table takes up most of the upper floor. I can't comment on the food or drink just yet, since I arrived late and didn't drink (designated driver). But if I'm in the area I'd like to come back and perhaps stay in one of the hotel rooms. It's sort of eerie and yet completely gorgeous.
I went here for the first time on an extra credit venture for my history class. Every Monday at about 7 PM, they hold what's called a "History Pub" lecture in the gym. One thing that surprised me about the place is that it literally was an old school. It was an elementary school built in around 1915. It was decommisioned in the '70s, I believe. They have tour pamphlets in the facility though. There's tons of rooms and activities. Some classrooms are converted into hotel rooms and there's a large courtyard restaurant that's both indoor and outdoor. You can order food from pretty much anywhere in the building, which is really cool. There's around 3-4 bars in the building as well as a movie theater.
McMenamins has a very eclectic theme throughout their franchise, and they conveyed that very creatively throughout this building. In the gym, there's art on the basketball backboards. There's art on the doors. There's art pretty much everywhere. It's a very unique place to go to.
The food is actually a little better than most McMenamins. They have higher quality fish, like halibut instead of cod. You pay the price, though. It can be 1.5-2 times the price as a conventional McMenamins restaurant. The pizza is fantastic. A friend and I ordered some pizza during the History Pub lecture and it wasn't too greasy, despite the Peperoni. It was cooked just right too. The wi-fi is a little weak in this building. From the gym, I wasn't able to really do anything on my computer. I had better reception in the courtyard restaurant. I'm assuming they only have one router that's located by the hotel rooms.
If you're into local history with some interesting art, put this place on a weekend trip or something.
Picture this, an old historic school house with all the classrooms turned into different Pubs and themed hotel rooms....Party! In addition to this there's a theater where we watched a movie while sipping a glass of wine and then later having a warm "black and white browning with vanilla bean ice cream" dessert which was wonderful! The charge for the movie was only $3, wow, where can you go to a movie for $3 anymore and have a glass of wine and dessert too all while relaxing comfortably on a large couch!
The decor was beautifully restored, very clever and the art, mosaic and murals were very well done.
The food was good and the well priced. Outside was a large soaking tub (Huge Hot Tub) 2 much Fun!
I am definitely planning on going back again, we had a very good time!!
This is a good place to take out of town guests. They pretty much have something for everybody and usually people are pretty interested in going to a restaurant/movie theater/bar in an old school. I can't really give it more stars than three though because every time I go there, the servers are super-sassy!
I was once a super-sassy server myself but that was when I was an east-coaster where most of us were practically trained to be that way. There aren't too many of that sort over here in Portland. I wonder why they seem to really dislike their jobs?
At least the tater-tots are good.
Oh, man, this place was awesome, despite the weak selection of beers on-hand.
The service was not so bad after a local had told me the service at every Kennedy location was below-average. I had their IPA. The Hammerhead hoppy, Terminator stout, Ruby light raspberry ale, and IPA were the only available brews.
The school was fantastic. It was kind of creepy and eerie walking through an old school but awesome at the same time. The theater and restaurant were cool. I had a beer in their boiler room bar, which had custom hand-rails (all soldered pipes/valves) and radiators!
I love this place to go watch a movie, or eat a burger or something during the movie and sit on a couch.
I've been here so many times, I've lost count. Love Kennedy School.
I'm reviewing the newest bar at the K-Hole: the Boiler Room. Off to the the side, down some stairs you find yourself surrounded by wood. Lots of wood. Wooden rafters. Wooden banisters. Lots of dudes (heh).
There is a full sized pool table that would have been fun to play. There is a game room that also looked fun. They have shuffleboard, etc. However, I didn't get to play any of these potentially fun games secondary to the fact that everyone else also decided to come play games and drink overpriced beverages on Saturday night. So we sat in a big booth in the corner and tried our best to not be ignored by the bartender. Took my friend oh like 3 tries at ordering and at least 30 minutes to get her drink. Which was probably OK cause she was pretty drunk.
Would I return on a weekend? Nope. Would I give it a second shot on a weekday due to its potential? Probs.
The concept and overall design of Kennedy School is worth checking out, an old school building altered to function as a hotel and restaurant, with several little Pubs sprinkled throughout the building. The rooms are fun, maintaining some of the original school room look and feel. I'm a fan of the outdoor hot pool for $5 and movies for $3, but the food is just okay. It's fun to get the wine sampler if you enjoy wine and perhaps the food is more impressive for meat eaters, not sure. I must disclose that I am not a beer drinker, so my review leaves out a large draw to this place.
I think Kennedy School is an asset to Portland, let me tell you why.
First, the site is very unique. To turn a school into a hotel/resturant/bar/theater while maintaining the original feel - amazing.
The food in the Courtyard restaurant was a few dollars on the high side from what I thought it deserved. The hazelnut crusted salmon - while tasty, was not crusty enough. The service was also slow and inattentive.
The hotel rooms were clean, large, unique and comfy.
The beer was very good. The mini-pubs (The Honors Bar / Detention) are great concepts well executed.
You guys don't realize what you've got with those Pub/Theaters, they're awesome. With couches to boot! For shame if you give that a bad review.
I would recommend this place to anyone. Singles, family's, whoever.
This former public school is a grand old building that opened in 1915, closed in 1975, then opened in its present incarnation in 1997, when, facing condemnation, it was rescued by the McMenamin brothers. They turned it into a singular resort, an art-heavy, history-conscious production with a bar, a movie theater, a restaurant and a hotel (and probably many other things that I don't know about).
When I walked in the door, the first thing that hit me was the amusingly transgressive smell of cigarette smoke that was drifting through the open door of the bar.
The restaurant informed us there'd be a wait of up to a half hour. I took advantage of the delay to go into the movie theater, get a beer at the ticket counter, then to take in the art and projects that decorate the school hallways. These evoke the school's history and are consciously intended to connect to public sentiment over an old institution. Given that objective, it is remarkable that they never descend into bathos.
There is, for example, a photograph of past presidents of the PTA that consists of extremely well-dressed smiling old ladies. There's a photograph of former students, now adults, that was probably snapped in the seventies and in which one fellow is hitching up his pants at the moment the photo is snapped. That fellow, off to the left, becomes the weird, endearing focus of the photo, reminding me that, in the seventies, self-conscious teenage boys like my older brother always readied themselves to enter a building by hitching up their bell-bottoms.
A cabinet display recounts the memories of one of the school's first two African American students, who attended in 1935. Finally, there are the numerous paintings, most of which are devoted to school-related themes (children on a merry-go-round, for example), but almost all of which, despite their thematic homogeneity, are very fine paintings.
The restaurant is hit-and-miss, but at worst was not bad enough to detract from the overwhelming merits of the place. They become even more forgivable with each glass of raspberry beer.
The bottom line: this is an artful and intelligent application of private funds to nourish an institution that occupies an irreplaceable niche in the collective memory of an appreciative community.
As absolutely original as you can get . . .
I still get excited thinking about how cool this place is. I can't wait to go back!
We rolled in about 10 PM and thought we were lost as we drove deeper into the residential neighborhood that hides this gem.
Barely lit, we found the parking lot in back and thought it might be closed. It seemed really quiet. We opened a school door and found ourselves wandering the hallways of an old school. The gym is a movie theater, there are several bars (honors, detention, etc) and classrooms have been converted to very affordable hotel rooms.
Check in is in the principles office and rooms fill up fast so make an early reservation or you will just be passing through as we were.
I found this on Yelp (Thank You) and was forewarned not to expect much from the restaurant. The drink was weak, the food was slow and mediocre at best and well, the restaurant was about as as lame as it could be, but then again . . . it met my Yelp expectations.
Don't miss the large patio seating area with the huge outdoor fireplace, it is a perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon or start an evening before getting lost in one of the small bars or the movie theater.
I can't wait to go back and stay a night or two and some of their other properties look even better. What an idea!
You must go here.
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Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
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Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Cinema
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Cinema
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Hotels
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