South Portland (Corbett / Terwilliger)

I have been living in my 2 bedroom condo off Corbett Ave for almost 6 years now and it's truly home for my family. There has been a lot of change in Portland downtown and surrounding areas (including new apartments buildings on SW Macadam Ave) that seem to have popped up almost overnight. There is so much to do within a short bus or car ride away. Not to mention, the South Waterfront has brought cool local restaurants and also the streetcar, which is super awesome to get to downtown in a snap.

Corbett/Terwilliger neighborhood definitely has a family neighborhood vibe, so don't really expect it to have everything downtown has. Even though we are a 5 minute drive away, the neighborhoods are completely different. It's quieter here and trees line many of the streets. There are a lot of homes perched up on hills overlooking east towards the river. Some buildings are older, but a lot of new construction has been popping up around the neighborhood. Small scale and large scale on Macadam Ave.

Overall, if you are looking to move somewhere close to downtown, but cheaper rent/mortgage I would highly recommend South Portland. Some of my favorite go-to restaurants include JoLa Cafe, McMenamins Fulton Pub, Corbett Fish House (fried cheese curds are so good, gluten free options too), Etc...Eatery (Happy Hour), and Buffalo Gap Saloon. The Circuit Bouldering Gym is close if you like to go climb for fun/workout. For grocery stores, I usually go to both Zupan's or Fred Meyer, both less than 8 minutes away.

Overall, I think it's a quaint, but lively neighborhood that has only gotten better throughout the last 5 years. =)

Once known as Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill (say that five times fast), until the mid 1990’s, South Portland is a long stretch of neighborhood, which lies between the Willamette River and West Hills. Composed of several different areas, South Portland is often difficult to describe. Here you will find South Waterfront in the northeastern part of the neighborhood, Lair Hill in the northwestern section, Corbett, located south of Lair Hill, Terwilliger, John’s Landing and the South Portland Historic District. In each of these neighborhoods within a neighborhood, you will find a variety of homes, from historic on tree-lined streets to high-rise waterfront condos. Many are affordable, but others are highly expensive which means there is something for everyone.

There is excellent shopping, from some unique, quirky stores in John’s Landing, to higher end stores along South Waterfront. Lots of restaurant choices are available as well. You will find several excellent parks, but Willamette Park located along the river is the most popular. It’s over 25 acres and includes sports fields, dog off leash area, boat dock/ramp as well as all the Willamette Greenway Trail for bikers, runners and walkers.

A long, narrow neighborhood south of downtown Portland, South Portland is between Interstate 5 and the Willamette River, stretching four miles along the west bank. This neighborhood has many names, and you're likely to see many of these still in use, as many residents feel that 'South Portland' is too inclusive to accurately describe their neighborhood, which is actually a collection of several very different areas.

The South Waterfront area, which is actually near the north end of the neighborhood, has a lot of areas under construction, and is linked with Oregon Health & Science University with a unique aerial tram. Also in the north end of the neighborhood is Lair Hill, which was originally an ethnically diverse area, though much of this was demolished decades ago. The Corbett area is in central South Portland, while Terwilliger is south of that, and Johns Landing is at the southern tip, filled with condos offering river views.

Though the area is difficult to summarize, many blocks are in the process of converting from industrial to residential spaces. There are also a number of healthcare offices along the river, and a number of excellent green spaces. Along the east side of the neighborhood is Macadam Avenue, which offers many stores and restaurants. Traffic along this road can be a problem, as it leads to the Sellwood bridge and tends to back up during rush hour.

South Portland is a large but narrow stretch that runs along the river south of the Ross Island bridge. I always find this area a little tricky to navigate, but this neighborhood definitely has some substantial advantages. There are a lot of different types of homes in this area, some are very cute! You can find some really interesting old architecture and also some quirky shops and bars. Included in South Portland are smaller regions including South Waterfront, Lair Hill, Brooklyn and Terwillger. There is a lot going on in this area, and you are also close to downtown so all in all it is a very convenient place to live.

One big advantage to South Portland is the Willamette Park, which runs along the river. This park is very big and also quite picturesque since it is right on the water. This park is also directly across the river from Oaks Amusement Park, so you can sometimes hear some (rather unnerving) screams. There are other parks in South Portland too including Lair Hill Park, Butterfly Park and Cottonwood Bay.

There are a lot of old houses, but also a variety of architecture. I would imagine that homes could be found in this region to meet a lot of different budgets.

On the negative side, I have gotten stuck in traffic many times driving through this area, particularly around the Sellwood Bridge. If traffic drives you crazy, you might want to consider only driving on Macadam at very select hours.