Portand Oregon

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Richmond

by

The Richmond neighborhood is situated in southeast Portland and incorporates both the Hawthorne and Clinton/Division areas giving residents easy access to two distinct, vibrant, walkable areas full of an eclectic collection of retail, coffee shops, art galleries, entertainment, restaurants, markets, and nightlife. Many area businesses maintain strong ties to their past, like the Bagdad Theater and Pub on 37th and Hawthorne.  Originally opened in 1927, the Bagdad was one of the first to bring movies to the Portland area and continues to show films today.

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Richmond

Richmond Neighborhood Lifestyle

The Richmond area is admittedly a difficult place for parking – much to the dismay of the folks who own homes close to the central shopping areas. It is, however, a walker’s paradise with a walk score of 90 and a 97/100 for bicyclists. According to one Richmond area resident, “The great thing about this part of town is that you can walk pretty much anywhere! There are interesting shops and restaurants on Division Street as well as on Hawthorne and between these two streets, you can find just about anything you need.”

Local real estate agent Natalie Strom with Living Room Realty agrees, stating: “Eclectic, walkable, centrally located, funky, charming and super fun, Richmond has it all. Bikes abound in this neighborhood, and you can find locals and visitors alike roaming between cafes, book stores, restaurants, shops, brewpubs, and a great network of parks. Find yourself picking up an ultimate frisbee game at Sewallcrest Park in the morning and wandering down to Ladd’s Addition to tour the centuries’ old rose garden and lovingly maintained estate homes. Perfectly situated between Mt Tabor, Laurelhurst and world-class eating in Division, the Richmond neighborhood in SE can’t be beat!”

The Richmond area boasts two beautiful parks: Sewallcrest Park and Ivon Street Park. Sewallcrest offers just under 5 acres of public green space and includes a playground, basketball court, an unfenced off-leash dog park, paved walking paths, a picnic area, soccer field, and a softball field. Teeny Ivon Park is only a third of an acre and provides a sweet little green space and traditional playground set with swings and a slide, as well as benches.

Neighborhood Favorites

With so many wonderful things to eat in the Richmond area, it’s nearly impossible to narrow down the neighborhood favorites but with a few Yelp searches we’ve come up with the shortlist:

Taqueria Lindo Michoacan: serves up authentic Mexican food touted among locals as exceptional for the value. This little food truck puts out delectable street tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, tortas, combo plates, breakfast versions each, and even salads.

Malka: with dishes like the Beautiful Blouse (mini roast chicken sandwich) the Muriel, I Can’t Find My Vest (fried chicken and bacon sandwich [or veg version with eggplant and mushrooms)), and Important Helmet for Outer Space (rice bowl with pork shoulder in curry) this new, cozy eatery serves up as much personality as it does awesome fare.

Matcha Café Maiko: first opened in Hawaii, this relative newcomer to PDX quickly became a local favorite. All of their matcha is imported from Uji, Japan and everything is made in-house: ice cream, sponge cakes, waffle cones, and even the adzuki bean toppings,

Bete-Lukas Ethiopian Restaurant: offering a full Ethiopian food menu and weekend specials, Bete-Lukas serves up authentic and traditional foods. Salads and sambusas complement their fish, chicken, lamb, and beef dishes. Their extensive menu also includes vegan options.

Tov: is a cozy red double-decker bus with indoor and outdoor seating serving up traditional Egyptian coffee and Turkish tea as well as edible delicacies. Quirky drink names like Nectar of the Gods, and Sounds Like Trouble with the Cops adorn the chalkboard menu.

Trinket: this ultra-popular Richmond brunch and lunch spot serves up the chef’s own favorite family recipes including duck eggs benedict, seasonal hash, and polenta with steamed eggs and greens. Hearty lunch offerings like the French dip and tuna melt keep this small local join packed each day.

PokPok: a Portland sensation, this authentic Thai street food restaurant boasts a James Beard award and a Michelin star.

Kati: this Thai place is packed every single day with carnivores and herbivores alike, even though it is strictly vegan/vegetarian. Kati opens its waitlist each day at 11:30 am to help manage the throngs of patrons. Folks consistently rave about the food here.

PDX Sliders: voted best burger in PDX, this joint serves up burgers and sandwiches in two sizes (slider and full-size) and lets you order any burger or sandwich as a salad instead. Beef, braised pork, marinated or fried chicken, portabella mushrooms, corned beef, and black bean patties are all available options.

Richmond Neighborhood Schools

Richmond is served by the following schools: Richmond Elementary School (K-5, public); Woodward Montessori School (private preschool); St. Ignatius School (K-8, private Catholic); Cleveland High School (9-12, public).

Local Real Estate

Richmond neighborhood median home values are currently reported at around $500,000, however, in the last couple of months average home sale prices have topped $750,000 (up nearly 30% from the previous year) with an average of just 10 days on the market. The Richmond real estate market has been undeniably heating up.

Entry-level real estate opportunities in the area are apartments and condos starting at around $280,000. Single-family homes start in the mid-400s and come in just under 1 million dollars.

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in Richmondl or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help! Give me a call anytime, or start the prequalification process now with this easy online mortgage application form.

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a Home: Concordia

by

For decades, Northeast Portland’s Concordia neighborhood was one of the most rundown areas in the city. Thanks to urban renewal efforts it’s now one of the most vibrant NE areas PDX has to offer, largely due to the exceptional diversity the neighborhood boasts, with many African-American and Latino-owned businesses calling the area home. Also central to the growth of the Concordia neighborhood is the thriving Alberta Arts District, famous for 15 blocks of eclectic coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, bookstores, artisan storefronts, and service businesses.

Best Portland Oregon neighborhoods Concordia Fernhill Park

Neighborhood Real Estate

The dense suburban feel, varied local commerce, and great walkability in many parts of this expansive neighborhood have invigorated the real estate market in Concordia with families, singles, and retirees alike seeking out the strong community vibe.

Although the neighborhood has seen an increase in real estate prices, matching trends in Portland overall, it’s still possible to land a blank slate in Concordia with the occasional plot coming up for sale for a couple hundred thousand dollars as homeowners divide larger properties. Of course, the market swings equally far in the other direction with higher-end homes priced into the mid-to-high $800,000’s. However, Concordia’s median home value lands right around $367,000.

Concordia Community

An active Concordia Neighborhood Association does its part to ensure locals are aware of the numerous community events happening on a regular basis. With everything from Time Together at Cerimon House where folks are invited to “gather, knit, craft, fold, chat, be.” to FEAST (Forget Everything & Sing Together) Community Choir welcoming new singers to this “acapella choir with the goal to build community” and everything in between. Concordia is most popular in the summers with the Alberta Street Fair and the Last Thursday Arts Walk gathering people from all over the city to enjoy food, music, and art in the streets.

Concordia Lifestyle

Like most Portland neighborhoods, green space per capita is high, with the beautiful and expansive Fernhill and Alberta parks gracing the area. Fernhill is a massive 24-acre park with community softball and baseball diamonds, soccer and football fields, tennis courts, and a volleyball court. The park also has horseshoe pits, a running track, a playground, and a summertime kiddie pool, as well as picnic tables and an off-leash dog park. Fernhill also hosts a series of free live concerts in the summer on the expansive green lawn. Alberta Park is 17-with a baseball diamond, football and soccer fields, a covered basketball court, two tennis courts, and a playground. The park also includes a picnic area and a walking trail throughout.

A great example of the neighborhood’s renewal over the decades, locally famous Kennedy School was built in 1915 and served as a neighborhood Elementary School. As the neighborhood faced economic downturn, however, the school was left vacant until the 1990s when the McMenamins group purchased and renovated the building, turning it into a 57-room hotel with its own brewery, movie theater, bar, outdoor saltwater soaking pool, and restaurant complete with an outdoor courtyard and fireplace. (Neighbors and other Portland locals know Kennedy School’s soaking pool is one of PDX’s best-kept secrets with a one-hour soak available weekdays for just five dollars.)

Concordia Neighborhood Schools

Concordia students are served by the Portland Public School system through the following schools: Rigler Elementary School (public, K-5), Vernon (public, K-8), Faubion (public, K-8), Joseph L. Meek Professional Technical High School (public, 9-12), Jefferson High School (public, 9-12), Madison High School (public, 9-12). The namesake of the neighborhood, the University of Concordia, is a private liberal arts college that has central to the neighborhood since 1905. [Update 2/2020: After 115 years, Concordia University in Northeast Portland will close its doors at the end of the 2020 spring term.]

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in the Concordia area or any other Oregon or Washington neighborhood) or you just want to know what you qualify for, I’d love to help! I’d love the opportunity to discuss your home-ownership goals, answer any questions, and crunch the numbers so we know what you qualify for. Feel free to drop by my office at 1238 NW Glisan Suite A in Portland’s Pearl District, shoot me an email, or give me a call anytime at (971) 404-9844.

South Waterfront: Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House

by

Up and Coming Portland Neighborhoods: South Waterfront

As recently as 2010, Portland’s South Waterfront neighborhood, located in the intersection of the Willamette River and Downtown PDX, was essentially empty – populated by undeveloped lots and mostly unused buildings. 

When the neighborhood was first slated for growth, Portland’s Office of Planning and Sustainability offered this “Vision for 2035”: “…a dense, vibrant, walkable, distinctly urban mixed-use community, with market rate and affordable housing options and excellent access to transit, parks and neighborhood amenities…”

The Growth of Portland’s South Waterfront Neighborhood

In the past few years (especially since 2015 with the opening of the Tilikum Crossing, Portland’s newest bridge built to service the MAX Orange Line along with pedestrians or bicyclists) this urban neighborhood has begun to grow at a rapid pace and is attracting a varied mix of folks including young professionals, retired folks, OHSU medical students and doctors, and more. With an average resident age of 47, this newish area is not yet attracting as many young families with children as the more established neighborhoods but that doesn’t mean it lacks high energy. 52% of this small neighborhood’s population (just under 4k) are homeowners – mainly living in the high-rise condo buildings and new apartment buildings now populating the area.

While the district continues to grow toward the original vision and now contains not only residences but numerous busy restaurants, grocery, retail, and service businesses, the goal to include affordable housing has proved to be a difficult one for the city to deliver on. The neighborhood is indeed fast becoming ‘dense and vibrant’ and is certainly ‘walkable’ but it is also already one of the more expensive for real estate in the Portland area.

Even so, South Waterfront residents seem to be willing to pay the premium and love their ever-changing neighborhood noting the great public transit and safe, clean streets. One resident noted, “It’s still in progress, but this is turning into a gorgeous neighborhood.”

Sean Becker, principal real estate broker at Sean Z. Becker Real Estate, serves the entire Portland area but specializes in high-end South Waterfront real estate. He enjoys the area so much he even parked his office there and has this to say about the district: “Portland is a city of great neighborhoods, and South Waterfront is just another great neighborhood in a city full of them. For all the talk about South Waterfront being an “up and coming” neighborhood, the truth is that it is a great neighborhood right NOW. There are thousands of people who live, work, and play here daily, making for a very vibrant neighborhood. Our first-hand experience selling homes in South Waterfront since 2004, is that people who seek out South Waterfront do so for very specific reasons – the homes are beautiful and among the nicest condominiums in the city, and the neighborhood enjoys stunning views combined with a very peaceful and serene setting.”

South Waterfront Real Estate

Sean’s website currently lists a range of available properties starting at around $300,000 for a 631 square-foot furnished studio, one-bathroom with river, mountain, and city views, deeded parking, rooftop deck, 24/7 concierge, and a 2-acre park below. and careening all the way up to multiple property listings in the $1.5 million dollar range for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-terrace penthouse condo with sweeping views and loads of amenities. Sean also notes the average price for property in the South Waterfront area lands at around $740,000 – a whopping $468+ per square foot.

South Waterfront Neighborhood Lifestyle

Offering the best of two distinct worlds, the South Waterfront combines an urban, energized environment with immediate access to the beautiful natural views and surrounds of the Willamette River, including the expansive South Waterfront Greenway – a linear park and walking and biking trail along the riverfront. Still under development in some areas, the greenway includes breathtaking natural views, green spaces, and public art installations.

At the end of the greenway is the idyllic little South Waterfront Park: With restful ponds complete with lily pads, this oasis of peace and quiet in the busy city is touted by neighbors as one of the best newer parks in PDX.

The South Waterfront district is also served by numerous public transit options, allowing residents to not only enjoy their bustling immediate surrounds but to easily visit neighboring areas, giving South Waterfront residents a wide reach. Connected to the Central Eastside via the ‘Bridge of the People’ Tilikum Crossing, the South Waterfront is also served by the Portland Streetcar which connects riders to Northwest Portland and the Pearl District through Downtown and Portland State University. The Aerial Tram, and the MAX Orange Line are additional local transportation options. These transit options give easy access to amenities like Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on the Eastside, and all that NW and Central Downtown PDX have to offer.

Although the South Waterfront Walk Score currently hovers around 50 out of the possible 100 – this is quickly changing as more businesses are drawn to the area. With average commute times to Downtown Portland ranging from just 5 minutes by car, about 13 minutes by Streetcar, 8 minutes by bike, and 30 minutes on foot this neighborhood is perfectly poised for growth.

Schools in Portland’s South Waterfront Neighborhood

There are a few local options for families with children in this neighborhood, although all of them are non-traditional as there are no Portland Public Schools campuses in the district. Local schools include The Cottonwood School (K-8, Public Charter), The International School (Preschool-5, Private, Fully immersive Spanish, Japanese or Chinese) Sunstone Montessori School (Preschool-6, Private), and of course, a number of higher education campuses with some of OHSU’s schools in the area.

While Portland’s South Waterfront is a work-in-progress, it’s on the tipping point toward a bustling neighborhood with all of the amenities of a more established but still relatively new neighborhood like The Pearl District. It’ll be both exciting and interesting watch this area develop and mature.

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in the South Waterfront area or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help. Give me a call to discuss the numbers. Or start your mortgage prequalification process now via this online form.

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Foster-Powell

by

Portland, Oregon’s Southeast Foster-Powell neighborhood, affectionately referred to as FoPo, is one a few remaining truly affordable neighborhoods for families looking to purchase real estate. It’s affordable, mainly because it’s still considered to be ‘up and coming’ but ask any neighbor in this compact ‘hood and you’ll quickly learn that those who call this area home consider it one of the best and more diverse PDX has to offer.

The explosion in Portland real estate the last few years has brought an influx of new residents to this developing area. New residents = new energy. With plenty of small businesses taking root, Foster-Powell, an area that once had a pretty bad rep, has been and continues to be thoroughly invigorated. Historically, the area came about as a result of the construction of Portland’s original electric streetcar in the 1890s.

Great Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Foster-Powell

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Lifestyle

The Foster-Powell neighborhood rests in the Willamette River and Johnson Creek watersheds. Shaped like a triangle, this neighborhood is bordered by three major roadways: SE Powell Boulevard., SE Foster Road., and 82nd Avenue providing direct access to public transportation. While FoPo is not currently served by a MAX line, the city has been discussing the possibility. Commercial activity, consisting of everything a growing neighborhood could need, occurs at the outer edges – on Powell, Foster, and 82nd, with the interior streets being mainly residential.

With the Foster Transportation and Streetscape Project well underway the city plans to deliver “a street that is safer and more attractive for people walking, biking, taking transit and driving.” It will also add 190 new street trees and decorative street lights to help transform the area.

The FoPo neighborhood is buffeted by three local parks: Essex Park on 79th and Center, Kern Park on 66th and Center, and Laurelwood Park at the intersection of Foster Road and Holgate. There’s also the lovely Firland Parkway; a median strip of green in the city populated by large trees, right in the middle of 72nd Ave between Foster and Holgate.

With a coveted walk score of 80 and an almost perfect bike score of 99 (!!), Foster-Powell provides access to everyday community services and neighborhood resources within easy reach.

The strong FoPo Neighborhood Association helps provide even more stability to this growing, diverse community of families, retired folks, and young people.

This tight-knit neighborhood even has it’s own annual garden tour – showcasing 18-25 beautiful, local homegrown gardens each year. And from June to October the Woodstock Farmers Market serves fresh local food and live music to the community on Sundays.

Real estate agent Angela Talbott of Premiere Property Group agrees, “Foster-Powell is one of the top areas to live in Portland because it’s one of the most diverse and still affordable for close-in areas of the city! This fun neighborhood offers a huge amount of great restaurants, parks, and really good public school ratings. It’s a unique vibe, urban living in a neighborhood, and an area of “new ownership” for folks searching for their first home purchase!”

Things To Do In Foster-Powell

This smallish Portland neighborhood packs a big punch when it comes to things to do – from a busy nightlife to a huge assortment of delicious eats, FoPo has it all. Here are just a few local favorites:

Portland Mercado: The Portland Mercado is a grassroots community response to the dream of developing the first Latino public market in Portland while simultaneously operating as a response to wealth disparities in the region. The Mercado represents “the strong community desire to have a center for commerce based on Latino heritage.” You’ll find 9 food carts and 6 indoor business (including a neighborhood bar, a fresh produce market, and a Nicaraguan coffee shop) representing the diverse flavors of Latin America. The Portland Mercado is open daily from 11am-8pm.

Carts on Foster: There are no less than seventeen food carts parked in this covered lot at the intersection of Foster and 52nd. The diverse selection includes PDX favorites such as The Egg Carton for brunch and eggs; Road Runner BBQ; Fritkot PDX – Belgian fries and beef stew; The Chicken Coop for fried chicken goodness and other southern comforts; Istanbul Delight for perfect gyros, shawarma, and falafel; and much more!

There’s even Salon Bucci – a salon in a cart for haircuts, serving men, women, and children.

If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned burger and fries, head to neighborhood staple, Foster Burger, the rock n’ roll burger bar down the road.

Or, grab a big hot bowl of pho at local favorite Pho Hung.

Tango Berretin: Get your dance on at this local tango spot – take lessons, join guided tango practice each week, or dive in and take a group lesson before enjoying dancing a Saturday night away (9 pm – 1 am).

You’ll also find a plethora of unique art studios in Foster-Powell including Bohio Studio, Flat Blak Gallery, and Po’ Boy Art to name just a few.

Want something fun to do with the kids on a rainy day? Visit Make Do Art Studio offering classes, camps, and workshops for children and families.

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Schools

The Foster-Powell neighborhood is served by the following schools (this is not a comprehensive list): Arleta K-8 (K-8, public), Marysville School (K-8, public); Wild Lilac Child Development Community (Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, private); Franklin High School (9-12, public); Mt Scott Learning Center (9-12, private).

Foster-Powell Neighborhood Real Estate

Median home values in Foster-Powell are still higher than the natural average, but lower than most of the rest of the Portland- Metro area, at $250,716. About half of neighborhood residents are homeowners, as opposed to renters. Providing an increased sense of neighborhood stability.

Stay tuned for information on more great Portland, Oregon neighborhoods.

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in Foster-Powell or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help! Give me a call anytime, or start your home-loan prequalification now by submitting your info directly to me using this easy online mortgage application form.

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: Rose City Park

by

Rose City Park Neighborhood Overview

1907 was an important year in the growing city of Portland, Oregon. It was the year the Rose City Park neighborhood was platted; the same year as the very first Portland Rose Festival and the year the Portland Railway trolley service started running from the downtown area making it easier for working commuters and families to call home.

Transportation to and from Rose City Park has evolved with the times and now offers numerous public transportation options including a number of buses servicing the area as well as easy access to two TriMet stations: the NE 60th Ave Station and the Hollywood Transit Station with the Blue, Green, and Red lines running through both stations

Family-Friendly Portland Neighborhoods: Rose City Park

This well-established Northeast Portland neighborhood is bordered by Beaumont-Wilshire, Grant Park, and the Hollywood District on the west (at NE 47th Avenue), the Cully neighborhood to the north (at NE Fremont Street), Roseway and Madison South on the east (at NE 65th Avenue), and the Center neighborhood to the south. This relatively close-in suburban neighborhood boasts a ‘very walkable’ score of 71 and a nearly perfect bike score of 94.

NE Sandy Boulevard runs through the middle of the neighborhood, operating as a transportation and community hub providing central access to a post office, grocery shopping, coffee houses, and plenty of dining options including fast food as well as more diverse options. Long-time standards like Clyde’s Prime Rib, Du’s Grill, and The Laurelwood Public House and Brewery have provided neighbors with family dinners and lunch break fare for decades but the upswing of growth in the neighborhood has brought new options including a new collection of food carts, the Rose City Food Park which includes two dozen food carts, a covered area for cozy dining on rainy days, and a kids’ play space brightly decorated with murals by local artists. Walkable and shoppable Fremont Street borders the Rose City Park neighborhood, as does the more urban Hollywood neighborhood, providing additional dining and shopping options within reach.

Locals sounding off on Street Advisor love the neighborhood for being “clean & green”, having a “neighborly spirit”, offering “peace and quiet”, and for it’s great parks and recreation and public transportation.

Neighborhood resident Chris says it’s “[A] good All-American neighborhood.” while fellow neighbor Lynn states, “this neighborhood is quite convenient and near a great deal of shopping, businesses, and restaurants. It is also quite accessible to route 84 so one can easily get on and off the highway.”

Putting the ‘Park’ in Rose City Park

The Rose City Park neighborhood takes its moniker from a sprawling 10-acre park of the same name located within the neighborhood. This jewel of a park is located at NE 62nd Avenue and Tillamook Street. The park is green nearly year-round and is home to numerous Douglas firs and cedar trees, not to mention a plethora of beautifully well-kept rose bushes. The park also includes playground and picnic areas, public restrooms, paved and unpaved walking paths, and a soccer field, softball field, and tennis court. Neighborhood families and local school sports teams can frequently be found enjoying the vast and beautiful Rose City Park just about any time of year.

Neighborhood Schools

Families in Rose City Park can access a number of schools in the Portland Public School system including Rose City Park Elementary School (K-5, public), and St. Rose School (Pre-K-8, private, Catholic)/. This northeast Portland neighborhood is served at the middle school and high school levels by neighboring Beaumont Middle School (6-8, public), and Grant and Madison high schools (9-12, public).

Neighborhood Real Estate

Redfin’s market insights on the Rose City Park neighborhood confirm that this is still relatively a competitive area in the slightly slowed Portland housing market with many homes still getting multiple offers and going pending within about three weeks.

While most homes are generally selling for the list price, hotter neighborhood homes sell for about 2% above list price and go pending much more quickly, in an average of about 5 days.

Still, as of this writing, the median home price in Rose City Park has cooled considerably over the past year, down almost 20%, to around $471,000. For the Portland metro area, it’s a relatively affordable neighborhood with a few higher-end properties mixed in. Current listings range from about $225,000 to $1.8 million with the bulk of available properties landing around that $450,000-$500,000 mark.

Stay tuned for more articles on the best Portland, Oregon neighborhoods.

If you’re ready to start the home-buying process I’d love to help. Give me a call anytime, or start your home-loan prequalification now by submitting your info directly to me using this handy online form.

Best Portland Neighborhoods to Buy a House: The Pearl District

by

Hot Portland Neighborhoods: The Pearl District

Had you not lived in Portland in the 90s you might never guess that The Pearl District, a vibrant neighborhood full of high-end art galleries, expensive high rises, and upscale dining and shopping was previously the Northwest Industrial Triangle: a low-rent industrial area occupied by railroad yards and warehouses on unfinished lots.

Prior to that, the area’s long and storied history includes the expansion of Henry Weinhard’s brewery business to the point where he wanted to pipe his beer to the Skidmore Fountain in the 1860s, a turf war between two railway magnates in the early 1900s, and the notable story of one of the area’s first resident artists renting a 3,000 square foot space for a mere $100 a month in the 1970s as well as the opening  of the first Powell’s Books location.

There are numerous historical points of interest in the making of the Pearl District, but one fact that is often overlooked and rarely known is that the neighborhood is named after a real woman, Pearl Marie Amhara. Pearl was born in Ethiopia in 1936 and was described as a tall, striking woman who spoke 21 languages and was an avid women’s rights activist and humanitarian. The full story behind how the Northwest Industrial Triangle was coined ‘The Pearl District’ in 1985 is worth a read, and it’s truly fitting that one of Portland’s most unique neighborhoods is named after such an interesting person.

In the early 90s, developers began converting available warehouses in The Pearl District into open living spaces and used the term ‘loft’ to market these urban dwellings to buyers. The loft concept became so sought after that even new buildings in the area were designed in the same way. The Pearl District quickly became one of urban Portland’s most popular, and relatively expensive, neighborhoods. Because most developments in this area come from new construction, apartments and condos are relatively pricey.

This trendy neighborhood runs from West Burnside Street on the south to the Willamette River on the north, NW Broadway on the east and I-405 on the west. The area is stocked mainly with lofts (technically ‘condos’) and apartment buildings, with a few townhomes scattered in. There are no single-family homes in this Portland neighborhood.

The high cost to live in The Pearl (landing at a ‘D-’ for housing and an ‘F’ grade for cost of living) offers a balance with easy access to a plethora of local amenities. It also boasts nearly perfect walk and bike scores, and close proximity to educational institutions.

Schools In The Pearl District Neighborhood

While the Pearl District may be mostly inhabited by singles and professionals, the neighborhood does still cater to families with children, as well as university students, and offers many school options including: Chapman Elementary School (K-5, public), East-West Sylvan Middle School (6-8, public), Lincoln High School (9-12, public), The Emerson School (K-5, non-profit, charter), The Portland Chinese School (preschool-12, non-profit, alternative, private) is located on Portland State University’s campus on the south side of the Pearl.

The Pearl District Lifestyle

People who choose to buy homes in the Pearl are choosing a vibrant, urban environment and the lifestyle that embodies. Residents of The Pearl laud the accessible green space, with multiple parks throughout. Many will give up their motorized transportation and supplement walking with the exceptional public transportation options including TriMet bus and MAX train service and the Portland Streetcar. The Pearl offers engaging nightlife, an active arts, culture, and entertainment scene, diverse dining experiences, walkable shopping, and with all of this, even in this downtown environment, the Pearl can offer a close neighborhood feel.

One neighborhood resident, Jana, who moved from Vancouver, Washington to Portland’s The Pearl District a few years ago shares her reasoning behind the big change from suburban life:

“I wanted to be at the center of it all, yet still away from the crowds. I walk everywhere, I love living by the dog park, and I feel safe living in a condo building – the views from my condo are amazing! I’m also grateful for my incredible neighbors – I think we all were meant to live together and secretly I think we all know each other by our dogs’ names instead of our actual names!”

Home Prices in The Pearl District Neighborhood

Trulia puts median home prices in The Pearl at $480,000, while Zillow offers a more realistic number of $532,900. Zillow elaborates that Pearl neighborhood homes are, on average, listing nearly $50K higher than they’re selling for in the area, implying that the market leans towards buyers, or is at the very least somewhat neutral.

Those looking to purchase a home in Portland’s Pearl District will find a wide range of entry prices, with a few older, smaller options coming in at around $200,000 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 322 square feet – scaling all the way up to top-of-the-skyline luxury at $4.7 million for 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and about 3,500 square feet.

There’s something for just about everyone in the Pearl. If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in the Pearl District or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help. Give me a call to discuss your goals! Or, you can start your prequalification process right away by securely submitting your info to me using this online form.

You’re also welcome to stop by my office, which happens to be in the heart of the Pearl. I’m at 1238 NW Glisan, in the Chown Pella Lofts. Give me a ring to let me know you’ll be stopping by. I look forward to working with you!