by Geon, Bryan
Paralleling Hawthorne six blocks to the north, Belmont Street has a similar, but smaller, selection of businesses. The Belmont Dairy mixed-use complex houses apartments, townhomes, and an upscale Zupan’s supermarket; to either side and across the street are restaurants, coffeehouses, an old movie theater-cumvideo arcade (the Avalon), antique stores, and boutiques. A Walgreen’s on the corner of Belmont and 39th/César Chávez does a brisk late-night trade. The Belmont business district continues east of César Chávez in an intermittent, desultory way; highlights include Movie Madness (possibly the best video rental store in the Northwest, www.moviemadnessvideo.com) and the British-style Horse Brass Pub (www.horsebrass.com), which has a legendary beer selection and screens English Premier League soccer games.
Belmont Street
Paralleling Hawthorne a few blocks to the south, Division Street is one of the city’s most rapidly changing thoroughfares. The half-mile or so west of César Chávez has seen a boom in residential loft and apartment building construction, but at the same time it has evolved into perhaps the city’s pre-eminent “restaurant row.” This part of Division is home to restaurants as diverse as nationally renowned Pok Pok (www.pokpokpdx.com, Thai street food), Ava Gene’s (www.avagenes.com, high-end rustic Italian), Xico (www.xicopdx.com, inventive Mexican-inspired cuisine), and Lauretta Jean’s (www.laurettajean.com, handmade pies), to name just a few. Division does not yet have the shopping options that Hawthorne enjoys, but it has now surpassed Hawthorne in the eateries department.
The residential neighborhoods that flank Hawthorne, Belmont, and Division house a mix of twenty-something singles, original hippies and their latter-day wanna-bes, skate punks, professionals, blue-collar workers, and both bona fide and aspiring indie pop stars. A substantial number of families with children also live in the area, particularly east of 39th Avenue/César Chávez. The neighborhood south of Hawthorne, officially known as Richmond, has a higher proportion of homeowners than the blocks north of Hawthorne (officially known as Sunnyside), but single-family and multi-family dwellings are found throughout the area.
Most homes in this area are bungalows, foursquares, or other prewar types, although some new townhomes, custom homes, and tall, skinny detached homes on narrow lots are being built as infill or as replacements for dilapidated older homes, and apartment bunkers are being slapped up with seeming abandon on the main streets. The old streetcar line down Belmont, opened in the 1880s, was the first line on the Eastside, and the adjacent blocks have a higher concentration of Victorians than most other parts of the city. (The Pied Cow coffeehouse on Belmont occupies one of these.) There are also plenty of 1920s garden apartments and brick walkups, along with hulking 1960s-era low-rise apartment complexes and some spanking new condos like the strikingly modern (and controversial) Belmont Street Lofts. Particularly east of César Chávez, these streets also offer other varieties of old houses, including English Tudor–style cottages, Cape Cods, and even a few ranches. Peacock Lane, which parallels César Chávez one block to the east between Belmont and Stark, is a street of 1920s-vintage English cottages known for its annual holiday light display.
Thanks to the close-in location and the abundant local shopping and dining opportunities, the median price for a single-family home in this area is well above the city average, but less than in more exclusive, predominantly residential neighborhoods to the north. Homes are generally more expensive east of César Chávez and less expensive south of Division Street, in an area that has not been as popular for as long as the zone closer to Hawthorne Boulevard. The Waverly Heights neighborhood, west of César Chávez Boulevard between Division and Powell, was for many years a good bet for more affordable older homes, but the redevelopment on Division has pushed up prices in this area. For many people, these neighborhoods represent a good compromise between price, location, and urban amenities.
Throughout the area, home conditions and neighborhood “feel” can vary tremendously from one block to another: some blocks are lined with restored Craftsman bungalows with mature shade trees and laughing children on tricycles, while others have ramshackle houses with overgrown yards next to grim, windowless mystery buildings. Unless you are a fan of loud, late-night drunken conversations, you may want to avoid living within a block or so of the main commercial zones. Also be aware that on-street parking can be in short supply near Hawthorne, Belmont, and Division Streets. Many of the old houses in these neighborhoods maximize their small lot sizes by sharing a single driveway between two neighboring homes; often each house will have its own small garage at the rear of the lot.
These districts enjoy frequent bus service down Hawthorne, Belmont, Division, and Powell to downtown Portland, and north along 39th/César Chávez to the Hollywood MAX stop. It is a quick bike ride down designated low-traffic “bike boulevards” to downtown Portland, and these neighborhoods have one of the city’s highest percentages of bike commuters. By car, it’s a 10-minute shot west over the Hawthorne or Morrison bridges into downtown Portland.
Mount Tabor
Neighborhood Association: Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor, the tree-clad butte that dominates the landscape about four miles due east of downtown Portland, is home to one of the city’s most diverse and popular parks. The park includes playgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, tennis courts, an off-leash dog park, and an extinct volcano. The park also has three open-air (but fenced-off) reservoirs, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (The city’s effort to cap the reservoirs for security reasons after the September 11 attacks met with a firestorm of opposition, and the reservoirs apparently will remain uncovered for now.) Mount Tabor offers fantastic, tree-framed views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and downtown Portland, too; the lawn on the west slope, just below the summit, is a favorite spot to watch the sun set over downtown and the West Hills, as the lights of Hawthorne Boulevard twinkle on 500 feet below.
Mount Tabor
Forest (and later, fruit orchards) covered Mount Tabor and the surrounding area until the late 19th century, when the Belmont streetcar line reached the neighborhood and significant residential development began. The western part of the neighborhood, especially the area between Hawthorne Boulevard and Stark Street just downhill from the park, contains some truly grand houses in a mix of styles ranging from Italianate and Queen Anne Victorian to Arts and Crafts and colonial revival. Many of these homes have views of the downtown skyline, and some have large yards with massive specimen trees—giant sequoias, monkey-puzzle trees, or European beeches, for example—that are now well over a century old. Interspersed with these elegant near-mansions are a host of more modest bungalows, foursquares, Dutch colonials, and English cottages; the first two styles are especially prevalent on the blocks south of Hawthorne, which are similar to the residential areas of the Hawthorne District proper and generally feature a younger mix of residents. High up on the north side of the hill, just below the northern entrance to the park, Belmont passes through a separate enclave of bungalows and other prewar homes; in addition to easy access to the park, many of these homes have wonderful Mount Hood views. The slopes downhill and further north were developed much later, and include a large number of mid-century ranches, many with views north to Mount St. Helens. The slightly less fashionable blocks to the east and northeast of the park have a mix of prewar and mid-century homes, many of which have been restored in recent years; again, thanks to the salutary effects of elevation, many of these homes have views of Mount Hood and Interstate 205 (which, from a distance of about a mile, is actually not a bad prospect). In general, Mount Tabor home prices are higher than in the adjacent flatlands, but lower than in fashionable closer-in neighborhoods such as Irvington. About a third of the neighborhood residents rent; rentals are most common on the western and northern fringes of Mount Tabor.
Warner Pacific College, a Christian liberal arts college, has a campus on Southeast Division Street, adjacent to the south end of the park. (A proposed college expansion onto city-owned land generat
ed heated neighborhood opposition, and appears to be dead.) Apart from a few small, isolated businesses, there are essentially no commercial areas within the Mount Tabor neighborhood, but most homes are within walking distance of a shopping district: the Hawthorne and Belmont districts on the west side, the burgeoning commercial district along Southeast Stark Street in Montavilla on the east side, and, on the north side, the QFC supermarket on Burnside Street and the Fred Meyer on Northeast Glisan Street, along with some smaller associated businesses.
It’s a 10- to 15-minute drive or 20- to 25-minute bike ride from Mount Tabor west to downtown Portland. Buses run east-west along Burnside, Belmont, and Division Streets, and north-south along Southeast 60th Avenue; the northernmost part of the neighborhood is within walking distance of the MAX stop at Northeast 60th.
Sellwood & The Morelands
Neighborhood Associations: Eastmoreland, Sellwood-Moreland
Eastmoreland lies south of (but technically includes) the classic campus of Reed College, with its old brick buildings and lawns filled with frisbee-throwing undergraduates. The neighborhood is worthy of its setting, with many truly grand homes on wide, tree-lined, curving streets that desultorily defy the city’s grid. (Eastmoreland, like several other classic Eastside neighborhoods, was developed by the Ladd Estate Company, whose planners seemed to disregard the grid almost as a point of pride.) Most of the homes predate the Second World War, although unlike many other Southeast Portland neighborhoods, Eastmoreland has a relative dearth of Craftsman bungalows: the area mostly developed after the bungalow style had become passé. Instead, one finds an abundance of generally large, well-maintained Tudor, colonial revival, stone manor, and other traditional styles, and also some nicely designed mid-century homes, mostly on corner lots that had remained vacant during the war. There are also a few bona fide mansions, as well as some more modest homes, particularly in the southern end of the neighborhood. Eastmoreland has a gracious, beautifully landscaped feel, with a strong sense of community spirit; the latter manifests itself in strident opposition to attempts to tear down existing homes to build infill dwellings that are deemed not in accord with the neighborhood character.
Eastmoreland is one of the most established and expensive neighborhoods on Portland’s eastside, and residents are generally affluent—but demographically they include a mix of tenured professors, a few students and recent graduates, mid-career professionals, retirees, and young families. In addition to the lush grounds of many homes in the neighborhood, Eastmoreland greenspaces include the centrally located Berkeley Park, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, the grounds of Reed College (including a small but surprisingly wild canyon), and Eastmoreland Golf Course. The grassy, shady median strip of Reed College Place is a popular walking route. There are virtually no businesses within Eastmoreland, but the neighborhood is a relatively short walk or drive from either Woodstock or Westmoreland (see below).
Eastmoreland
An unusual feature of the neighborhood is the Reed College nuclear reactor. The reactor produces very little heat, so despite the terrifying prospect of liberal arts students operating a nuclear reactor, a China Syndrome–style (or Modern Chinese Studies Syndrome–style) meltdown is not really a concern. A single bus line to downtown Portland serves the heart of Eastmoreland, although additional bus service is available on nearby streets.
To the west, across the railroad tracks and over busy McLoughlin Boulevard, is the aptly named Westmoreland neighborhood. Westmoreland was another Ladd development, but amazingly it is laid out according to the city grid. Milwaukie Avenue (which, although a named thoroughfare, runs north-south) is the neighborhood’s main drag, with restaurants, shops, banks, a hardware store, the 1920s-vintage Moreland Theatre, and other establishments that give the neighborhood a small-town feel. The densest concentration of businesses is at the intersection of Milwaukie and Bybee Boulevard. The Moreland Farmers’ Market (www.morelandfarmersmarket.org) takes place one block to the west of this intersection on Wednesday afternoons from mid-May through late October. On either side of Milwaukie, quiet, shady side streets are lined with bungalows, Old Portlands, and other older homes, with the odd 1950s ranch for the sake of variety. The western end of the neighborhood lies atop a bluff that overlooks Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, with views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River, and the West Hills.
Westmoreland
While it is connected both physically and in most Portlanders’ minds to Westmoreland, Sellwood predates its neighbor to the north. The area was an independent city and early rival of Portland before it was annexed in 1893, and it has tried for more than a century to maintain its identity. Bustling commercial districts line Southeast Tacoma Street and 13th and 17th Avenues, and most establishments are locally owned. Sellwood is less consciously hip than close-in neighborhoods further north—Sellwood’s best-known shopping experience is Antique Row, the parade of antique stores and malls along 13th Avenue—but the area offers everything from ethnic restaurants, bakeries, and children’s clothing stores to paint stores, factory outlet stores, and drive-through fast-food joints. New Seasons on Tacoma is a favorite local supermarket.
Sellwood, like Westmoreland, is filled with attractive older homes, including Victorians, along with some newer commercial and apartment buildings. In general, the housing mix is more diverse in Sellwood than Westmoreland. Homes at the top of the bluff along the Willamette offer views north to downtown Portland. A few condo complexes, and even a new office park, overlook the Willamette River near the Sellwood Bridge; a community of houseboats provides a fully water-oriented living option. Just south of Sellwood, the small enclave of Garthwick lies within Clackamas County but is technically part of the city of Portland. This neighborhood is adjacent to Waverly Country Club and is full of formal, traditional-style homes. Apart from the wealthy anomaly of Garthwick, homes in Westmoreland and Sellwood are more affordable than those in Eastmoreland, but are not inexpensive and are appreciating more rapidly.
Sellwood
Sellwood and Westmoreland are home to all sorts of people—young professional couples, singles, retirees, blue-collar workers, and 1960s dropouts—but both are becoming known as great family neighborhoods, with plenty of events like the Moreland Monster March around Halloween. This area has some excellent parks: besides Oaks Bottom, which is a prime birdwatching spot along the Willamette River, there are woodsy Sellwood Park; Sellwood Riverfront Park just below it, with river access; and Westmoreland Park, which includes an artificial casting pond (and a spring-fed lake that frequently overflows its banks). The Springwater Corridor, a long-distance bike and pedestrian path, runs from OMSI south to Sellwood, loops around the neighborhood, then follows an old rail line to Boring in Clackamas County. Other family-friendly neighborhood features include the Sellwood-Moreland Library in a new mixed-use building on 13th, which is walking distance from both Sellwood and Westmoreland, and century-old Oaks Amusement Park (www.oakspark.com), north of the Sellwood Bridge.
Speaking of the Sellwood Bridge, the rickety, two-lane span was long the weak link in the local transportation infrastructure. A properly sturdy replacement bridge is finally under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2015. In the meantime, a temporary bridge is in place. Other road connections north to downtown Portland or south to Clackamas County are reasonably efficient, but because railroad tracks and the high-speed thoroughfare of McLoughlin Boulevard cut off Westmoreland and Sellwood from the rest of the city, alternate routes are not plentiful. The new Orange Line MAX train to Milwaukie will run along McLoughlin Boulevard, with a stop serving Westmoreland/Eastmoreland and another at the east end of Sellwood. Bus service north to downtown Portland or south to the Milwaukie Transit Center is decent, if a bit pokey; bus service will likely be curtailed significantly once the MAX line starts running.
Reed, Creston-Kenilworth, and Woodstock
Neighborhood Associations: Creston-Kenilworth, Reed, Woodstock
Occupying a narrow swath of Southeast Po
rtland south of Powell and east of the railroad tracks, the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood is relatively close to the Division Street and Hawthorne Boulevard shopping districts, but is far enough south of them to be overlooked in home searches. The neighborhood is named for two city parks in the area; wooded Creston Park has a popular outdoor pool. The neighborhood is a mix of older homes, similar to that in the Hawthorne District, but with more apartment houses (and somewhat more homes in obvious need of maintenance). Some streets are lined with beautifully restored classic houses, while others could use many gallons of paint (and a lead remediation crew). While Powell Boulevard still has a ways to go, as the presence of several “exotic dancing” establishments suggests, it has shed some of the seediness that has traditionally plagued it as new establishments like Hopworks Urban Brewery have moved in. The neighborhood shares many of the advantages and much of the vibe offered by the Hawthorne and Division Street districts, but at a lower price point that is much closer to the citywide median.
South of Holgate and west of 39th/César Chávez, the small Reed neighborhood is a mix of apartment complexes, some built in the 1960s, and small single-family homes (many rented by groups of students, wanna-be students, and others attracted by the proximity of Reed). Part of the neighborhood offers the standard Southeast Portland range of prewar houses, but a large section in the middle, known as Reedwood, is comprised of late 1960s-era ranch and two-story homes that were built on the site of a former botanical garden. Reed in general has well-maintained, nicely landscaped homes, but as in other neighborhoods, unwanted infill and teardowns are changing the neighborhood character. While most of the neighborhood is residential, César Chávez Boulevard hosts a popular Trader Joe’s. The Brooklyn rail yards border both Reed and Creston-Kenilworth to the west, and can cause sleepless nights for noise-sensitive people.
