Compare · Eastside Portland
Alberta vs. Hawthorne vs. Mississippi: Where to Stay on Portland's East Side
Hawthorne for a first visit: frequent Line 14 buses downtown, and 26 of our homes take pets. Mississippi for food, live music and Moda Center nights. Alberta for groups: 3-bedrooms at a $249 median a night, lowest of the three.
Our stake: we host 36 homes near Alberta, 32 around Hawthorne and Belmont, and 7 on Mississippi Avenue.
Alberta vs. Hawthorne vs. Mississippi at a glance
| Alberta | Hawthorne | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like | Murals, shops, brunch and bars along one long street | Vintage shops, restaurants and bars on two parallel streets | A compact strip of restaurants, bars and a music venue |
| Our homes | 36, averaging 2.5 bedrooms | 32, averaging 1.7 bedrooms | 7: four 1-bedrooms and three larger homes |
| Pet-friendly homes | 16 of 36 | 26 of 32 | 7 of 7 |
| Getting downtown | About 13 min by car; no frequent bus on Alberta itself | Frequent Line 14; about 10 min by car | MAX Yellow Line from Overlook Park, a 10-min walk |
| Big night out | Last Thursday gallery nights monthly, street fair June to August | Late dinners and bars on Belmont and Hawthorne | Shows at Mississippi Studios |
| Best for | Groups, families, art fans | First visits, dogs, longer stays | Food, live music, Moda Center events |
Choose Hawthorne if…
- It's your first time on the east side and you want plenty within a walk. Guests mention walkability in 19.9% of written reviews here, a little more than Mississippi (19.1%) and Alberta (16.6%).
- You're bringing a dog. 26 of our 32 homes here are pet-friendly, the most of the three.
- You want an easy ride downtown. Line 14 runs along Hawthorne into downtown every 15 minutes or less most of the day.
Choose Mississippi if…
- Food is the itinerary. A third of written reviews of our Mississippi homes mention restaurants, cafés or bars, the highest share of any neighborhood we host in.
- You have Moda Center tickets. The arena is under 2 miles away, two stops on the Yellow Line from Overlook Park.
- You can book early. We have seven homes here: four 1-bedrooms and three larger homes, including a 7-bedroom for big groups.
Choose Alberta if…
- You're a group or family. Our Alberta homes average 2.5 bedrooms, and 3-bedrooms book at a median $249 a night, the lowest of the three.
- You want a calmer base. Noise comes up in 4.3% of reviews, level with Hawthorne (4.5%) and below Mississippi (7.6%).
- Your trip includes Last Thursday: galleries hold openings each month, and the street closes to cars in June, July and August.
What guests write about each one
How often written reviews of our homes mention each topic. A mention isn't always a complaint ("never too noisy" counts too), so read this as what guests notice.
| Mentions | Alberta | Hawthorne | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkability | 16.6% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Food and drink | 23.8% | 24.2% | 33.2% |
| Noise | 4.3% | 4.5% | 7.6% |
| Parking | 9.7% | 11.1% | 9.6% |
| Reviews counted | 6,778 | 13,072 | 1,730 |
"Perfect to walk around Alberta, lots of bars, restaurants and shops in the area."
Airbnb guest, Alberta, October 2026
What it costs
| Per night | Alberta | Hawthorne | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $98 | $96 | $104 |
| 2 bedrooms | $139 | $162 | Too few |
| 3 bedrooms | $249 | $276 | $316 |
| Bookings counted | 892 | 1,946 | 473 |
Medians from bookings under 28 nights, October 2025 to September 2026, before cleaning fee and taxes. Rates move with dates and events; check yours for the exact total.
Where each one falls short
Alberta
No frequent bus runs on Alberta Street itself, and downtown is about 13 minutes by car. The street is long, so check how far a home is from the blocks you want.
Hawthorne
Smaller homes. Ours average 1.7 bedrooms, versus 2.5 in Alberta, so groups have fewer choices here.
Mississippi
Only seven homes, so fewer choices on any given date. And 7.6% of its reviews mention noise, against 4.3% and 4.5% for the other two.
Questions travelers ask
How do I get downtown from each neighborhood?
From Hawthorne, frequent Line 14 runs into downtown, or it's about 10 minutes by car. From Mississippi, walk about 10 minutes to Overlook Park for the MAX Yellow Line, which crosses the Steel Bridge into downtown. From Alberta, it's about 13 minutes by car.
Where should I stay for a Moda Center event?
Mississippi. The arena is under 2 miles away, and the Yellow Line runs from Overlook Park to Interstate/Rose Quarter in two stops.
Which is best with a dog?
Hawthorne: 26 of our 32 homes there are pet-friendly. The pet fee is $99 per pet, with no breed or weight restriction on pet-friendly homes.
Is Last Thursday on Alberta every month?
Galleries hold openings on the last Thursday of each month, and Alberta Art Works says the street is closed to traffic for Last Thursdays in June, July and August. Check the date before you plan around it.
How we compared
- Homes
- Our homes listed on October 17, 2026, checked against street addresses. 34 of the 36 Alberta homes are within about half a mile of NE Alberta Street; the other two are on N Vancouver Avenue.
- Reviews
- Written reviews from Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo guests at those homes. A mention is a keyword match: walkable or walking distance; noise, noisy or loud; parking; restaurant, café, coffee or bar.
- Rates
- Median nightly rate on confirmed bookings under 28 nights with check-out from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, before cleaning fees and taxes.
- Sources
- TriMet route and service-change pages, Travel Portland, and the MAX Yellow Line station list, checked October 17, 2026. Drive and walk times are map estimates outside rush hour.