Getting to know Portland Close in Eastside Neighborhoods
Some of the nicest and most popular neighborhoods in Portland are in the NE. Part of the elegant Laurelhurst neighborhood in the SE of Portland crosses over to the NE as well. Its immediate neighborhood, Irvington, shares the same charm and character. Homes in Irvington also start from the mid $300k to millions. There are also a few charming Bed & Breakfast places in this neighborhood worth staying in for a few nights.
Alameda
Some of the homes in the Alameda neighborhood, especially those along the periphery of the ridge, afford breathtaking views of the Willamette River and the downtown skyline.
On a high plateau above the city, the Alameda neighborhood sits on the 1859 land claim of William C. Bowering and his wife, Isabelle. The area became known as Gravelly Hill Road for a gravel pit at NE 33rd and Fremont. In 1909, the Alameda Land Company laid out the exclusive Alameda Park subdivision that was then added to the City of Portland.
It’s a neighborhood where you will find tree-lined streets, older architecturally significant and view homes, trendy neighborhood shops, coffee shops, and high level of community involvement.
Beaumont-Wilshire
One of the advantages of living in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is the variety of home styles that are available. South of Fremont, most of the homes were built in the early 1900s and you will find Tudors, Craftsman, bungalows, etc. Once you cross Fremont heading north, you’ll find early 1900s classic styles along with a few homes that were built after 1950.
Besides the variety of homes on the north end of the neighborhood, it is home to Wilshire Park, a 14.83 acre paradise filled with a canopy of mature trees, playgrounds, and picnic facilities.
Alameda Ridge Offers Views
The Alameda Ridge takes a 45-degree turn at NE 33rd Avenue and extends into the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood ending at 49th. The homes along the ridge offer some breath-taking views.
Fremont Street is Focal Point
Northeast Fremont Street, between NE 33rd and NE 50th Avenues, serves as the focal point of activity for the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood. As a neighborhood center, NE Fremont Street provides a mix of housing, commercial, institutional and retail services to residents and visitors. It is places where people can socialize, run their errands, window shop, and dine at local restaurants. Interspersed between the commercial activities are small professional offices that provide medical, legal, and financial services to the greater community.
Beaumont Market
One of our favorite stores is the 5,000 square foot Beaumont Market at 4130 NE Fremont. In addition to the grocery items, there is an amazing amount of other stuff. Look up as it goes all the way from the floor to the ceiling, including some things hanging from the ceiling. You can always find a last minute gift item somewhere in Beaumont. They carry a good quantity of wine as well as the Harris Ranch meats. And fresh produce.
Grant Park
If you like these three things, then you will love Grant Park: Walking, Tree lined streets, Historic homes
Walking in Grant Park means more than taking an evening stroll in the neighborhood. It means that you can walk to the library, restaurants, and even to food markets such as Trader’s Joe over in the Hollywood area.
In the City of Portland 2005 Livability study, 94% of Grant Park residents rated their neighborhood “good” or “very good” on these two items: (1) Walking distance to bus stop and (2) Access to shopping and other services.
Beverly Cleary
This Beverly Cleary sculpture garden at Grant Park celebrates author Beverly Cleary’s colorful characters. The writer grew up in this neighborhood, and Grant Park is where her stories take place. Statues of Henry Higgins with his dog, Ribsy, and Ramona in her raingear stand around a central fountain. Lee Hunt, a local artist, designed the garden’s child-friendly bronze sculptures.
Irvington
The Irvington neighborhood is named for William Irving, who claimed land in the area in 1852. After Irving’s death in 1872, his widow and son began subdividing and selling much of the original claim. The young neighborhood became part of the city of Albina, which was annexed to Portland in the early 1890s. Many of Irvington’s large, historic homes were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
NE Knott runs through the heart of Irvington and is lined with some of Irvington’s most beautiful homes. Each year during the Christmas season a group of owners offer open houses to the public that can be toured on horse drawn carriages.
Close to MAX
MAX, Portland’s light rail system, is within walking distance of many of the homes. Walk to NE Broadway and visit boutiques, eateries, the Lloyd Center (Oregon’s largest Mall), the Rose Garden (home of the Portland Trailblazers) or the Convention Center.
Laurelhurst
Laurelhurst is a close-in residential area of 427 acres containing in its 1,817 households a total of 4,549 people (2000 census). 86% of the Laurelhurst residents live in their own homes. It’s about a 7-10 minute drive to downtown Portland once you turn onto East Burnside.
The elegant Laurelhurst area is a great place to dog walk, people watch, check out some awesome old homes, and generally relax. Most of the homes here are over 80 to 100 years old. They are gorgeous, charming, and full of character. However, do watch out for these older homes particularly when they have not been remodeled recently. There could be plumbing, electrical wiring, and oil tank issues that you’ll need to deal with when buying properties in this area. So make sure you hire a great inspector before you seal the deal. A lot of times, you’ll need a geo-engineer to check out.
History of Laurelhurst
In 1909, the land that is now Laurelhurst Park was purchased from the estate of William S. Ladd, who developed Ladd’s addition and twice was mayor of Portland. Ladd named his land “Hazelfern,” the name of one of the streets in the area. Here Ladd developed one of the most prestigious stock farms in the West. His purebred Jersey cattle probably laid the foundation for Oregon’s future livestock industry. Laurelhurst Park is a spring-fed pond on the property had always been a favorite watering hole for cattle, as well as a favorite swimming hole for both children and adults. In 1911, seeing the potential for a park as part of the Olmsted’s plan, the City of Portland bought 30-31 of the acres, including the pond. Workers were hired to deepen the pond into a 3-acre lake. Also developed was a “play park” between Oak and Stark Streets. The boys were to play on the south side, the girls were to play on the north side, and general games were to be held in the eastern block.
Mt Tabor
Hawthorne Boulevard ends at the base of Mount Tabor, an extinct volcano and one of the city’s most used parks. The Mount Tabor reservoirs hold a large portion of Portland’s drinking water, piped straight from the Bull Run Reservoir in the Cascades. The park has trails, bike paths, and stands of old growth Douglas Firs and other trees. Catch a summer sun setting on downtown and the West Hills from the park.
Peacock Lane – Awe those Holiday Lights
Houses along the one block street in Southeast Portland’s Sunnyside neighborhood are decked out in lights and other decorations every evening during the winter holiday season. The Peacock Lane tradition goes back more than 70 years to 1929, when residents of the block bounded by Southeast Stark and Belmont streets decided to decorate houses as a show of civic pride.
Eastmoreland
A few blocks away from the renowned Reed College is Eastmoreland where home prices range from mid $300,000s to as high as millions. You’ll see a mix of different architecture here, from Victorian style or Craftsman. Like Laurelhurst, Eastmoreland has the equal old time charm and character. The streets are full of old growth trees along the sidewalk. Its elegance is unmistakable. There used to be, and it still has, many Reed College professors who like to live in this neighborhood due to its proximity.
Two comfortable Portland neighborhoods near each other in southeast Portland, are Westmoreland (part of the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood) and Eastmoreland. If you like wide tree-lined streets (lots of elms), quiet neighbors, and a variety of house styles, move to Eastmoreland. Take a drive on SE Reed – it’s a boulevard with a median – and soon you’ll be looking at the “Houses for Sale in Eastmoreland” ads in the paper.
Eastmoreland homes show a wide range of architectural styles popular in the 1920′s and 1930′s, including Tudor, Colonial, stone, and stucco. Today the neighborhood is well established and stable. Of the 1,500 lots in the neighborhood, only a few remain empty.
Reed College
A well-regarded liberal arts college founded in 1908. Eastmoreland is probably the only Portland neighborhood with an operating nuclear reactor. It’s located on the campus of Reed College. Reed is the only liberal arts college in the world with a nuclear reactor. Since the reactor only produces 250 kilowatts of heat (about 10 times as much as a home heating furnace), a meltdown or other serious event is not likely since the reactor doesn’t produce enough heat to melt down.
Sellwood-Moreland
Right across the East Moreland Golf Course towards the Willamette River, you’ll arrive at Sellwood. Sellwood is a small neighborhood famous for its antique shops, funky shops and restaurants. Homes were built primarily in the 1920s to 1940s. Few new homes were constructed in recent years. However, newcomers have been buying some of these older homes in this charming neighborhood and remodeled them with modern facilities. Typically, you’ll find smaller homes here of between a few hundred square feet to just under 2,000 square feet (including basement). Prices also range from $200k to $400k.
Ready for my nickle tour – Just call 503-495-5231 or Ping me. I look forward to meeting you.
Roberta
