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North Lombard Street

Diverse elements flow through North Lombard Street, North Portland’s bustling main artery. Glistening Range Rovers glide by on their way to the burgeoning neighborhood of St Johns while, to the east, Kenton continues to represent Portland’s blue collar history. Between those neighborhoods, young immigrant families set down roots in New Columbia, and Nike-clad college kids … Continue reading North Lombard Street

Mississippi-Albina

North Mississippi Avenue is a bustling commercial district compressed into a seven-block promenade. Once the heart of a redline district, 20 years of gentrification transformed this strip into a Portlandia playground, much to the chagrin of some longtime residents. Today, Mississippi hosts food-cart pods, music venues, breweries, coffee shops, brunch and local art. Spend the … Continue reading Mississippi-Albina

Killingsworth

Until a few years ago, North Killingsworth Street was most notable for its confluence of excellent ethnic markets, from Mexican to Ethiopian to Vietnamese—a diversity of food cultures complemented by an equal diversity among students of a Portland Community College campus that instated a colonialism-focused “white history month” this year. But lately, the streets have … Continue reading Killingsworth

Williams/Vancouver

It’s easy to get fatigued by the gentrification debate in Portland, but in the case of North Williams, it’s impossible to ignore—if not downright irresponsible—because it’s where you can see it happening in real time. Once the city’s African-American business hub, the last black-owned business got forced out two years ago, replaced by New Seasons, … Continue reading Williams/Vancouver

Overlook

For a neighborhood largely built on the detritus of transportation hubs past—only a refurbished smokestack remains from the once-sprawling Union Pacific freight house—Overlook no longer seems on the way to anywhere. There’s an eerily detached permanence to this area, as if it managed to evade decay in order to embrace picturesque obsolescence, save for one … Continue reading Overlook

Kenton

Kenton was built out of necessity as a company town. Set down on the Columbia at the junction of several rail lines, the city was designed to be Portland’s meat-packing and transportation hub, and serves as such to this day. Many port and rail workers call the neighborhood home, which is why a walk through … Continue reading Kenton

St. Johns

The streets of St. Johns are changing as fast as any neighborhood in Portland. Yes, there’s a forest of new apartments and condos, but there are also exciting new bars, restaurants and businesses that have brought a bull economy to the community. And for now, the things that brought people to this charming neighborhood, like … Continue reading St. Johns

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