Portland Oregon Neighborhoods – A casual sampling
94- Portland Neighborhoods
There are 95 official neighborhoods in Portland! Only about 10 of them are so well known that you will recognize them. This link will take you to a detailed map.
Many times while perusing the pages of Craigslist I’ve seen posts from people who are thinking of moving to Portland (PDX) and wondering about the neighborhoods. I’ve responded to many of them, even helped a few find just the right place to live. I thought it might be helpful to put this out into the cyber world for people to find and read. I’m hoping to do a series on certain neighborhoods soon. Of course if you have questions about any of them in particular I’m happy to answer. I’m just a gal who loves the city she lives in and wants to share it with others!
If you’ve been doing research you’ve have probably figured out that Portland is separated into quadrants. The river divides the city into East and West and Burnside divides North and South. I'll try to give you a few neighborhoods in each quadrant to give you a better perspective. Every place has crime but for the most part Portland's seems to be centered in outer NE, SE and North Portland (close to airport and Vancouver).
SOUTH EAST PORTLAND- as a whole used to be a little scary but has overcome that stigma. It's actually a beautiful part of the city, full of parks, restaurants, coffee shops and plenty of activities to keep anyone busy. In the last few years it has boomed and housing prices are still on the rise. While there is some crime associated with SE it's usually on streets past 60th. If you stay in the lower street numbers it's not something you really need to worry about.
Creston-Kenilworth (considered inner SE)- This is actually the neighborhood that I live in and I am a bit biased. We're small in size, but full of things to see and do. A few parks including Powell Park with basketball courts and walking paths. Also Kenilworth Park which is a throw back to the old days with old fashioned lamp posts that light the walkways, tall trees and a general "Old Portland" feel. There are small pubs and a few bars within walking distance of most homes. One, the famous Pub at the End of the Universe - is a hang out for Reed College kids and neighborhood dwellers. Very smokey but lots of beer on tap and a few pool tables. Not unusual to hear The Beatles, Violent Femmes and the Cure on the juke box. The houses range in price from about $180k-$400k. Big range I know! Our home is mid $200's and rather small (900 sqft) but we also have a view from the back yard of the Portland West Hills. Crime seems to be non-existent (I'm sure some things happen but we are never awoken by sirens or gunfire). Just a ten minute drive to downtown and a few minutes to other neighborhoods like Hawthorne, East Moreland, Sellwood, Woodstock, and Clinton. As a fun side note, the neighborhood was named for a novel by Sir Walter Scott when it was plotted in the late 1800's.
Woodstock (considered inner SE) - Beautiful old houses mixed in with newer homes where lots have been sold and developed. Small retail area with locally owned stores and the nicest Safeway in SE Portland. A few great restaurants, Mickey Finn's is a favorite of ours, non-smoking with a great selection of beer and fabulous eggs benedict at breakfast. Very low crime. You never hear this neighborhood mentioned on the news. Some bike trails run through areas here and will connect you to other neighborhoods. The only downfall that I have yet to find with Woodstock are the alley ways that make up a majority of the residential roads. Some of them have pot holes that are the size of a small car! Urban planning seems to have missed the boat here. Very liberal crowd as a whole. A lot of the health food nuts live here.
Sellwood/West Moreland - This neighborhood is runner up for most beautiful houses (second only to Laurelhurst which I will talk about later). Classic bungalows and adorable Cape Cods. Almost all houses here are above $300k and most are above $500k. We just did a remodel on a 1920's bungalow last year that sold for $550k. Great antique shopping here, some of the best restaurants - Sushi, Thai, Mexican and so much more. Home of Portland's famous amusement park Oaks Park. They still have the original wood floors for the skating rink. Pedestrian and bicycle friendly. This is a very trendy neighborhood and people who can afford to usually want to live here. It's less then fifteen minutes to downtown but you feel like you might run into Wally and The Beave. Only crime we have ever encountered is some homeless theft. A few live under the Bybee Bridge that connects Sellwood to East Moreland. I should stress that it's very limited. I would say a good mix of liberal and conservative people here.
East Moreland - Well to do neighborhood with large beautiful homes and schools. Reed College is here and their buildings and grounds are stunning. There is not much in the way of retail but the neighborhood is very bike and pedestrian friendly. Each summer the entire neighborhood holds a garage sale and it draws crowds from all of Portland. Mix of liberal and conservative here, might be a little heavier on the conservative side. Though the college population is VERY liberal and it's well known around the area. Absolutely
no crime ever reported on the news or from friends who live here.
Hawthorne (also called Sunnyside) - Fun! Fun bars, restaurants, stores! I love to spend a weekend afternoon walking up and down Hawthorne. The people who live in this neighborhood can be somewhat hippie-ish (for lack of a better term). VERY liberal! It's another trendy place to live at the moment and housing prices reflect that. For a nice home expect to pay $350-500k. The beauty of this area is that you can walk to the grocery store or your favorite coffee shop. They also have a Powell's Bookstore - much smaller then the original but full of good finds. This neighborhood also encompasses Belmont St. which is home to an arcade full of games that play on nickels. We take our nephew there and all of us have a fun time. A few inexpensive movie theaters that serve beer and pizza also make for fun stops. If I could pick another neighborhood to live in this would be it. Only drawback is a small amount of crime, mostly drug and homeless related and horrible parking issues if you are near one of the main roads. Lot's of health food nuts here too.
NORTH EAST PORTLAND
Irvington (considered inner NE)- Pricey and pretty. We have friends who have remodeled homes here and lived in the neighborhood. It's a neat spot because you feel like you are tucked into the 'burbs but you're actually right in the city. Close to the Rose Garden (basketball, hockey and concerts) and Lloyd Center Mall. Easy bike ride to restaurant and coffee shops. Not much crime to speak of though I remember one shooting in the last five or six months. The mall does draw some crime and teen gang activity but it doesn't seem to spill into the neighborhood much.
Laurelhurst (considered inner NE) - Like I mentioned before, this neighborhood has the most beautiful homes. This is old Portland at its best. The neighborhood can be a little exclusive, but it's a pretty liberal crowd. Easy access to Burnside for commuting and shopping. The streets are lined with trees that create a canopy. It's really picturesque. It's very expensive to live here (by Portland standards - perhaps not Seattle's). Not much in the way of retail but a quick drive to grocery stores and other neighborhoods. Again not much crime.
Hollywood - This is one area that tends to have some crime and traffic problems. There seems to be some gang activity and drug related issues. This is also a lower income bracket for the most part and sadly that often brings crime. There is a fairly large retail area but the stores are aging and could use some TLC. I volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and their office is here. I have never felt unsafe, but I am certainly more aware of my surroundings here.
NORTH WEST PORTLAND - Closest to downtown and I think that feeling spills out into most of it's neighborhoods. Seems to be a bit faster paced and a little more contemporary as a whole. That's not to say that it's not FULL of character though.
Pearl District - The newest, trendiest place to call home in Portland. Home to new restaurants, wine bars and fancy hair salons. We like to visit here, but I'm not sure I would live here. I'd constantly feel pressure to look hip and trendy and while I try to keep up with current fashions and such, I'm not a pro. The real estate here is full of lofts and condo's, mostly from old warehouse buildings that have been converted. Parking can be nasty unless you live there and have passes or paid spots. NW - This is in and around NW 23rd Ave. It has some of the best little shops in Portland and a few bars and restaurants that are always a safe bet. Parking is an absolute nightmare even if you live there. There had been talk of building a parking garage but the city voted it down a few weeks ago. If you could live on the outskirts and have guaranteed parking this would be a great place to call home. Housing is very spendy, rent is spendy but the houses are full of character and charm. Great place to get manicures and pedicures on Irving and 21st if you're into that sort of thing. SOUTHWEST PORTLAND Multnomah - Charming and full of things to do. Good bookstore, fun coffee shops, little restaurants. It's pretty much sits between downtown and the suburbs Tigard/Tualatin/Lake Oswego. There are some older classic homes here but also a lot of 70's 80's additions making for a patchwork kind of layout. People love this place and as far as I know there is very little crime. Garden Home - this isn't on the map but any realtor will know it by name. It's really pretty much in the 'burbs but I love it because it feels like you're in a park no matter where you are. Close to Washington Square Mall and I-5. Many of the houses are post WWII and can be on the small side. Yards are almost all large and gorgeous. Some retail tucked into residential and bike friendly. Not much crime here either.PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
My wife and I are new to the Portland area, we have been here for about 1 1/2 years. This article is very helpful especially for someone like us. It's nice to have an over-view in summation form.
Thanks for the post!
Thanks so much! Happy to know people are reading it and getting something from it!
I live in Hollywood on 42 Ave sandwiched between this neighborhood and Beaumont Village. I think it has character. I love the Moon and Sixpence, the Laurelwood, the Library, etc... This is Ramona Quimby's hood, which I think is very cool. I absolutely LOVE my neighborhood and I have never felt unsafe here ever. I write a blog on my zip code (which includes a lot more than just Hollywood) and you can check it out here: http://www.97213.net/
I had completley forgotten about the Moon and Sixpence! I love that place too.
I take exception to your characterization of Most of partland (everything past 60th) as being lower income and higher crime. If you ever venture out into the rest of the east side 60th-182nd you'll find that, that is where real Portland lives. here you will find, Refugees in their own city, seeking shelter from the sky rocketing property values in the inner neighborhoods their grandparents built. I guess we had to leave to make the inner part of the city acceptable for the snobs and Californians. Enjoy our city.
I'm sorry that you take excpetion to my characterization. My family is full of native Oregonians who are "taking refuge" as you say. Just because I point out that there is more crime the further out you go doesn't mean I am a snob. If anything I'm a citizen of this great city, watching the nightly news. I actually only mentioned crime being past 60th for SE PDX, and I'm sorry, if you don't agree then you arent paying attention to the trends in the area. I live very close and keep tabs on those areas, including my own neighborhood which boarders 52nd. Every city has lower income, higher income, a middle class and crime. Crime happens everywhere, but as I stated above, it unfortunately happens in lowi income areas more. I grew up in a lower income area, I know what it's like. The truth is, most poor people aren't criminals, but most criminals are poor people. If you don't believe me about Portland crime spend an afternoon browsing PortlandMaps.com and view the crime maps. Like I said, it's sad, but true.
I hope you enjoy your city too, and for the record this hub was posted with nothing but good intentions, like sharing this wonderful city. I'm sad that someone so angry had to pick it apart.
For the record, I'm not a high income dweler, in fact I boarder on low income/middle class with a self employed spouse who works in construction. So please don't judge me.
Thank you so much for your info. I watched a travel channel show and they said there were alot of retirees who chose one of the sections you mentioned, because they were close to shops, restaurants, movies, (concerts as well) and they could walk or bike to all the places, seldom using their car. The environment and the green factor was their style of living. Any suggestions on which area this might be?By the way, it is unbelieveable I found this article because I have been thinking of moving to Portland for some time now. It is a big move since I am from the Midwest and I don't know a soul in Portland! (But I am one of those who loves rainy days!). I wanted to find out about the different neighborhoods and you popped up!! A fluke or karma?
Jean, so glad you found this hub. A move to Portland is huge, but it's so wonderful when you get here that you forget the hassle!
I suspect the Travel Channel was talking about the Pearl District if it's walkable, bikeable, with lots of shopping and concerts. Not positive about that though. Most of the city is walkable and bikeable thankfully and city planners have done a pretty good job of getting just the right amount of commercial zoning in the residential areas.
Good luck with your move if you choose to do it! And if you have any other questions please let me know!
I am considering relocating to the Portland area and am looking for a small commercial building in a residential neighborhood that can be renovated to be a residence, preferably a 2 family to help pay the mortgage.
What do you suggest?
Wow, great hub. Very thorough. I could have used this when I moved here in 1996. Nicely done. Hello, fellow Portlander!
hi erinlis. i was just wondering, there wasnt mention of milwaukie, and if there was im sorry, im new in portland and dont really know the different areas... so can you let me know about milwaukie? my sister wants to move there, but my dad is worried about it, he doesnt know much about it.
Melanie, Milwaukie is a city just south east of Portland. It's actually its own city so it's not included here as a neighborhood.
I haven't spent a lot of time there so I'm not an expert, but they do have a nice farmers market in the spring and summer. I know that as a whole it's a little more afordable then living in Portland proper, but as with any city there is probably a large range of housing/rent pricing.
I am a first time visitor to Portland. I live in LA and lived in SF in the past. I am staying in the downtown area at one of the not-so-cheap hotels and I can't say I have a good impression. I am here on business and I don't ever want to come back. The main reason is that I do not feel safe here. I was hoping to do some exploring in the evenings like I have in other cities like Boston, DC, NYC, but in my limited time here so far I have been in some uncomfortable situations. There are far too many bored, shiftless youths standing about, scary homeless (scarier than SF or Berkeley), prostitutes, and other unsavory characters lurking. It was nice to go to Powell's, but I did not even feel safe walking there from my hotel and I stopped taking my laptop to my meetings with me because I didn't want to carry it on the streets. Police presence was nil. How can the people of Portland tolerate this?! I stumbled on this blog when trying to find out where I can send my wife out during the day by herself. A lot of people (on other pages) say "Well, there's some crime but it's like any other big city." Well, no. Portland isn't that big and in most large cities you are fine if you stay out of the slums, but looking at the crime map it seems like a good portion of the city is crime-ridden and what should worry residents is that a lot of these crimes occur during the day! Portland needs a police chief who is tough on crime, because it is hurting you. I know there will be a major convention in Portland in 2 years for an organization I belong to and I doubt I will attend that year based on my experiences this time. The State of Oregon is lovely. Portland is a lowlight of my 11 day trip here and greatly dashed any hopes I had for it!
DVG, I must say that I am surprised by your characterization of Portland. Having lived in the Bay Area and San Diego I can say that I've pretty much always felt safer in Portland. I have to wonder where in SF you lived? And where you currently live? Perhaps your version of the cities you hail from is quite different than my own.
I'm not sure if you're seeing more transients and shirtless youth because of the extreme heat? Oregonians are really not sure what to do with this type of weather so they may be wandering looking for any way to stay cool. Regardless I don't really think they are a threat at all. I walk around Portland at night and never feel unsafe, especially in downtown.
There are plenty of safe places to see here in our city. I hope that you'll get out and explore a little more because you really are missing out if you hide in your fancy hotel room. I won't point out all the beautiful sights as you can find them fairly easily on a travel site, try Trip Advisor, and my blog is really about specific neighborhoods.
I won't dispute that there are likely some safe areas. The area around 23rd and Burnside seemed okay and there were others. However, as a whole Portland felt very unsafe to me. I witnessed a lot of drug deals in plain daylight, the mentally insane (including someone who took off his pants and exposed himself to my wife), "homeless" people dressed better than I was asking me for change, and a streetfight. I overheard a girl at Whole Foods tell her friends she likes to steal from Target and gets a rush from it. I overheard a guy on the street tell his buddies that a bike locked up to a post belonged to a cop and "Should I pick the lock?". I was only in the city for 4 nights. For sure, there are areas of SF and LA that are worse than Portland. However, Portland seemed to have generate an overall sense of unease and the city reminded me a lot of Oakland or the bad parts of Berkeley in that sense. A lot of the things I witnessed occurred during the day and there were several stabbings (and a murder) reported on the news during my stay. I decided to take the car out once to Laurelhurst and the people walking around on the streets once I got off the freeway on the other side of the bridge rivaled anything I have seen in South Central. I didn't even bother trying to find the restaurant I was looking for. My concierge said it is "bohemian". If only. I felt I was going to get jacked in my luxury car and, if I didn't, it would be broken into while I dined.
The police did crackdown for two days during my stay and those were the two most pleasant. The other two were terrible. I am not sure which is more indicative of the city, but I am guessing that if a city is unsafe unless there is a cop on every corner then that's not a safe city. People I was doing business with who live in Portland say I am exaggerating and must have stumbled into the ghettos, but I think they are deluding themselves. Once you get to know a city you tend to know where you can go and where you can't, but Portland had bad elements just about everywhere. The only place I didn't encounter any was up in the hills, where it was strictly residential - which is why I am reminded of Oakland.
Wow. I went and watched a movie in Laurelhurst Park on Monday night and didn't for an instant feel that it was unsafe. It was dark. It was 11pm before I left the park. There were no people to rival those of South Central, just regular Portland folk picnicking with their dogs in a beautiful park. It was a perfect evening and we plan to do it again soon.
Unfortunately I get a sense from your writing that you are very keen to point out your luxury lifestyle. Perhaps that is really why you felt uneasy here. While plenty of us have nice cars and live in big fancy houses, it's not the first thing we think of when venturing out into town for dinner. I have a one year old Volkswagen that I park on the street in SE Portland every night. It's never been broken in to. That car is my baby as it's my first new car ever and it has leather heated seats and pretty wheels. I love that car. I have never witnessed a mugging or drug deal in Laurelhurst. Yes there are murders from time to time. It's horrible and any city would be a better place without them, but small towns have murders too. Bad things happen in good places. Doesn't make the place bad. How many murders happened in San Francisco and Los Angeles on those days?
I actually talked with my husband about your posts, I wanted to make sure I wasn't being too sensitive as I get a little guarded over things I love, Portland being one of them. He too felt like you didn't give the city a chance, and that you perhaps have unreal expectations. To think that someone might steal your laptop from you, while walking in downtown Portland in daylight is absurd. Not only would no one attempt it, throngs of people would step forward to prevent it if by some chance someone tried.
I love to explore this place and don't just stick to my normal route. I'm always venturing out into a new neighborhood. That's why I wrote this Hub in the first place!
I'm not sure this city could please you so it's probably best you don't want to come back. Plenty of people do love to visit here as indicated by the activity on travel sites such as TripAdvisor. I think the people you were working with were right, and maybe you are deluded.
Happy travels to other cities...
I think you should listen to some of what I am saying, because I am not making this up. Having lived in some of the less-than-upscale parts of Berkeley, I know that familiarity tends to impart a sense of security and I think that a lot of Portlanders feel secure for this reason. I used to walk through bad parts of Berkeley, Oakland, and SF after midnight alone and never had a problem. I even got used to it. When other people (like my parents) visited and freaked out I sometimes felt they were overreacting. I was just used to it and had developed a sense of who the "usual weirdos" were versus the criminals, for instance. I became very comfortable in areas some people wouldn't be. However, that doesn't mean those areas were good. They were bad and lots of crimes happened. I just adapted.
I am not "very keen" on pointing out luxury lifestyle. I only mentioned that my car is a very expensive car because it was quite out of place and it made me feel like a target. Had I been driving a 1993 Honda Civic I may have been less concerned. I don't have a Bentley, but if I did I would drive it in Laguna Beach and not Compton. There were only a few areas of Portland where I felt that it was safe to park the particular car I happened to drive up to Oregon. If I lived there I'd definitely have to have a beater car for most uses and reserve the nice car for special occasions. As far as hotels, there is no Ritz or Four Seasons in Portland, as you know. The only reason I mentioned my hotel was among the nicest is to point out that I didn't witness the streetfight or the man-without-pants from the window of some Motel 6 in the ghetto. This was one of the nicer hotels and I actually had to move rooms to a higher floor because of all the goings-on I witnessed from a lower floor. Maybe you, living in SE, don't realize the crap that happens closer to downtown.
I also want to say that Laurelhurst itself may be nice, but it was the area off the freeway in NE TO GET THERE from the Steel Bridge that was sketchy. I probably didn't go the way a native would have gone and that's back to the "feeling familiar" mantra. I live in LA now and I definitely know when to ignore the Nav and bypass some areas for a less direct route. Well, let me tell you that Portland has some similar areas despite everyone's insistence to the opposite.
How many murders happened in LA? Not sure, but LA is much, much larger: 10 times the size for City of LA alone. To be fair, I never really felt my life threatened in Portland. However, I did feel I could easily be the victim of a mugging, vandalism, or theft. Looking at bestplaces.net :
"Portland, OR, violent crime, on a scale from 1 (low crime) to 10, is 7. Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The US average is 3.
Portland, OR, property crime, on a scale from 1 (low) to 10, is 8. Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. The US average is 3."
Believe it or not, Los Angeles ranks 7 for violent crime and 6 for property crime. That's better than Portland (!) and consider that:
1) No one would call LA a safe city
2) The best areas of "LA" (like Beverly Hills) aren't part of the city
3) 50% of crimes take place in South Central and if you don't go there crime is even less.
So I would say that Portland has an unaddressed problem and it will remain unaddressed until people wake up and realize it exists. I could not believe I saw things like a woman buying drugs from a guy in a car in broad daylight not far from the Art Museum or a girl with heroin tracks all up and down her bare arms get into the hotel elevator only to be followed in (and later escorted out) by watchful employees whose vigilance was appreciated but unnerving at times as they scrutinized any person who entered the premises in an effort to keep certain elements out. I hate to break the news to you, but this is not typical of a city with low crime.
DVG - I think we will have to agree to disagree. I live here and don't feel unsafe. That's that. While I appreciate how fervently you feel the crime in Portland needs to be addressed I do believe you have a skewed view. You were here for four days. I have been here for 16 years.
Please take stock. If the people you were working with here think you are overreacting and I agree, than maybe you are.
I don't wish to continue this dialog any further as it actually detracts from the intended purpose of this Hub. I also feel that you are being unreasonable. You have made your point, a few times and I am done defending a city that doesn't need defending.
I have lived in Portland for 20-some odd years and have traveled extensively to cities such as NY, Boston, DC, LA, San Fransisco, etc. and do not feel that Portland is a city to be afraid of. That being said, it is big, and you will see crime, just like any other city. For those of you who love stats, take DVG's afore referenced Best Places stats.
1. The stats he is quoting are for only 1 of the 5 Portland counties, and this county encompasses a much larger area than DVG visited.
2. Best Places is finding crime statistics for just about every city in the US. We are averaging cities such as Lewistown, MT,(population 5,945, violent crime 1, Property crime 5) against major cities - those with a population of over 500,000. There are approximately 3,662 cities in the US, and only 33 of them have a population of over 500,000. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the national average of 3 is a little bit skewed. Most Portlanders, including those who commented on Best Places site regarding the crime statistics, would wholeheartedly agree.
I also find it a bit funny that the area of town DVG thought was "OK" is one of the trendiest areas of Portland and is well equipped with boutiques, restaurants, nice cars, and trendy, fashionable people. It is also one of the areas of Portland with the highest crime statistics: Violent crime - 7, Property Crime, 8. Looks can be deceiving.
For those of you who are interested in visiting Portland, the people and the city have a flavor and a look all their own. Do not expect a Boston, or an LA or other Schmancy Metropolitan city vibe here. Expect some good people watching, a laid back, casual, open, alternative lifestyle, and some of your greatest friends to have dreadlocks and multiple, visible piercings and tattoos. If your comfort zone does not extend past Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, and Nordstrom, P-Town may not be the city for you.
I am sorry, DVG, that you were so afraid of Portland that you missed out on so much such as the Waterfront at night, a viewing of Casablanca at the Laurelhurst Park, a late night snack at VooDoo Donut downtown, the skyline from Council Crest, fantastic shopping in Sellwood, Alberta, Division, Hawthorne, a play at the Gerding theater....The list goes on. Keep Portland Wierd!
I'd love to debate this topic some more if you wish to, but I don't want to hijack Erin's web site since she seems opposed to healthy debate.
However, I want to say this:
1. I won't claim Best Places is the be-all, end-all. However, it's one source of information. Regardless of how accurate the absolute numbers are, they can be used to compare one city to another and Portland did not score well on this one particular metric.
2. You seem to think that I think that people with dreadlocks, piercings, and tattoos are scary. I am not some Orange County Republican. I lived in a mediocre part of Berkeley and used to spend all night out in San Francisco - doing stupid stuff like taking the trans-bay bus into Oakland at 4am. "Keep Portland Weird" (which I heard more than once when I was complaining to colleagues) is not a rallying cry any more than "Keep Austin Weird" (Austin is weird only to other Texans) or "Keep Berkeley Weird" is. Having lived in places like Hollywood, Portland is hardly the weirdest place I've been. I am not afraid of "weird". For a time in my life I defined weird. Brooks Brothers and J. Crew are so not my cup of tea, so you've not pegged me incorrectly there, although if I *have* to dress up I prefer Armani.
3. For someone like me, who is used to the dealing with the seedy side of life (but prefers to avoid it as I am getting older), to think a place is crummy is atypical. I tend to have pretty good judgement and actually be fairly forgiving. It's one thing to be a Newport Beach housewife and say: "Gee, that area looked bad" and have no evidence to back it up except that there were some minorities around. It's quite another to see open drug dealing, people without pants doing inappropriate things while looking into hotel windows, people bragging about their petty thefts, and a street fight somewhere around MLK and Rosa Parks. When I told my concierge I thought that area (MLK and Rosa Parks) was dangerous (I didn't mention the rather large fight) he dismissed me as if I was a racist with a comment like: "Yeah, well, it was named Portland Boulevard until recently" like somehow I was scared that it was a BLACK NAME. Scary!
I would never claim that Portland is as bad as some other places are. I mean, compared to the bad areas of St. Louis, Detroit, or LA, Portland is a nirvana. However, my point is to say that as someone who visited Portland on business and has other possible business in the next couple of years, I didn't feel comfortable there based on things I saw and heard to the extent that I would seriously consider avoiding the city if given a choice. It's bad enough that the amenities in the city are substandard, but it seems that criminals have the upper hand at the moment against a police force that (from what I saw) seems to be trying but against the wishes of the populace who still think police = The Man.
"The MAX has been a living nightmare for us. I would not ride it at night -- and I'm armed all the time. There are massive fights, guns displayed, stabbings, people being threatened and bullied." --East Precinct Sgt. Kim Preston, Portland police.
Portland is WAY too small (hardly a "big city") and homogenous (this matters) to have these big city problems you might expect in NYC or Chicago and you should not accept that as the status quo. My impression of Portland is not "Little San Francisco" but "Oakland North". That's really too bad, because it's otherwise a cute little town and the state is very nice.
If you wish to debate this, my e-mail is: "dvg3@yahoo.com".
This topic is now closed unless you wish to ask questions about a particular neighborhood. I'm happy to answer questions from people who are interested in parts of the city.
DVG please, I've asked you already to not post any more about your safety concerns for Portland. While I love healthy debate, I was a Poly Sci major after all, I don't think you can argue with someone who won't listen to the other side and you really don't. It's not just me you won't listen too, it's the people you work with as you've said yourself. Please refrain from posting here. This hub was not intended for this sort of debate.
Thanks! Great info and very accurate from what I have heard. I am thinking of moving and very helpful.
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Happy St. Pats, Portland.... We're home here at our stead on Mississippi Ave in North Portland cooking up a fine Irish meal (you guessed it): corned beef and cabbage...With some slight tweaks and variations on an old and trusted recipe, I think we have... - 2 years ago
- Portland, Oregon Real Estate-- The Skinny
What's Happening? As of this writing, there are only 3 cities in the US that still have a very healthy real estate market and appreciating prices. They are: Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and Charlotte NC. Yes, ladies and gents, we are in the lucky few.... - 2 years ago
Virtual Help 4 U says:
2 years ago
Nice page. We live about 4 hours from Portland and always find it interesting visiting there. :}