Woodlawn

An old, historic neighborhood, Woodlawn has much going for it and is finally recognized as a community escaping the shadows of its bordering neighbors. Woodlawn is a family friendly area whose origins started as a rural farming village over 150 years ago, making it the oldest settled town in Portland’s history. This area, now known as Woodlawn Historic District, has had several ups and downs in the past, mostly down but that has changed. Today, you will find charming, well kept older homes, and a variety of fun businesses, shops, restaurants and community activities, the most popular being the Trek in the Park held each summer which draws huge crowds.

The local community is active and works hard to continue improving Woodlawn. The Woodlawn Park is a popular meeting place and includes a playground, outdoor stage, sports fields and picnic areas. Keep in mind that this is well known artist community, so you will see lots of incredible art (street art being one) and noteworthy art shows.

Commuting to Downtown Portland is easy, being a short 15 minute car ride away and the airport is an accessible 10 minutes. All in all, this is a great community to consider.

Most of the businesses are on Columbia Boulevard (home to the Humane Society), Lombard Street, and Dekum Street, which offers one of my favorite blocks in the city, home to a coffee house, a brewery, and a pizza restaurant, among many other great locally-owned businesses. Be sure to visit the Firehouse, which offers wood-fired pizza.

Woodlawn is very diverse, with high numbers of African-American and Hispanic residents. Like other neighborhoods in this part of the city, Woodlawn can be described as up-and-coming; many new businesses have opened in the past five years. Homes here tend to be small bungalows and are relatively affordable, especially when compared with neighboring areas of the city. You'll find a few newer homes mixed in with homes built in the mid-20th century. These homes are set along quiet streets, and are mostly well maintained.

Towards the north end of the neighborhood is Woodlawn Park, a large triangular park that used to be the home of a train station. Woodlawn Elementary School is also located towards the north edge of the neighborhood. Unlike surrounding neighborhoods, many of Woodlawn's streets are not set on a perfect grid. Instead, they run at a 45 degree angle, making for some tricky intersections as you try to navigate through the neighborhood. Many residents commute by bike, so be sure to watch for cyclists as you cross these tricky intersections. You'll soon learn the diagonals, making commuting anywhere else in Portland easy.