Pio stop offers day of tasty bites, study spots, thrifting

The SE 13th and Tacoma bus stop is the first stop on the Pioneer Express weekend route, and the surrounding area has many attractions for students. It is situated right in the heart of Sellwood, an area home to many family homes, apartments, boutiques, food spots and fun shops. Follow along for a fun weekend.

To start off the day with fresh coffee and a boiled bagel, come to the Starbucks and Henry Higgins Boiled Bagel shop right across from the stop. Just to the left of the stop, there is New Seasons Market which has a wide variety of food options including a bakery, and delicious made-to-order bagel sandwiches. Outside of the market, there is a heated and covered seating area where you can enjoy your meal. 

Then turn to SE 13th Ave, where as you walk along the street, you will find a diverse array of antique and vintage stores, some with amazing prices. 

The vintage stores include Fat Baby, Sellwood Union and Spencers Antiques. Fat Baby is a small resale boutique with a variety of jewelry, clothing and accessories. Next to Fat Baby is Sellwood Union, a large vintage shop that houses numerous independent resellers and vendors, where you can thrift and find almost anything! With great prices, color-coordinated items and different style sections, Sellwood Union has everything an LC student could want. 

Spencer’s Antiques is a small antique store that buys and sells vintage items, mainly furniture and decor. The items may be costly, but everything has a story to tell, so even browsing is entertaining. It seemed that the customer base was largely made up of seniors, some browsing for certain pieces, others lounging on the antique chairs for sale, having conversations about the weather. It makes for a comforting, laid-back ambiance. 

A little further down the street, there is the Sellwood branch of the Multnomah County Library.  If students want a break from the classic Aubrey R. Watzek Library, this is a great place to study in a peaceful place, surrounded by books. 

As for food, there is an eclectic mix of restaurants and food trucks catering to all tastes and preferences. There are many other food carts available, but our top choice is Taqueria Luna, a Mexican food cart. There are also excellent vegan food options at Supernova Vegan and Nama Ramen. Nama Ramen’s menu also features delicious poke bowls,  including our favorite, the fresh, mouth-watering Ahi Tuna bowl, paired with kimchi on the side.

Last but not least, for the boba lovers out there, there are two spots you should definitely check out. The first is Bobablastic, a food truck at the Sellwood food truck lot. Our personal favorite was the mango milk tea with boba. The second spot is not only a great place to enjoy hot teas and boba drinks, but is also a great study spot. There are nooks and crannies filled with several different seating options and a nice fireplace in the main lobby. Our favorite hot tea is the coconut chai, and our favorite iced tea is the lavender milk tea with boba. This is a great place to work on school projects, cozy up with a book or catch up with friends. 

These are just a few places we wanted to highlight, but we encourage you to explore the many things SE 13th and Tacoma has to offer.