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.

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.