Beaumont-Wilshire - Portland, OR Area Guide

The Beaumont neighborhood was established in 1910 and the Wilshire neighborhood in 1922. The area was annexed by the city of Portland in 1928 and was considered a highly valuable asset because of the fantastic views of downtown from Alameda Ridge.

Many houses are from the early 1900s, giving the neighborhood an older and more charming feel. There are many single-family homes with nice yards. This has traditionally been a demographically older neighborhood, but recently there have been more young people moving in with the wave of economic growth on 42nd.

Beaumont-Wilshire borders the Rose City Cemetery, a beautiful tree-lined area with many historic graves, several with intricate photos inlayed into the headstones. It's a great place to explore the history of Portland's World War II experience.

Every summer, the annual Fremont Festival brings all kinds of revelers to Beaumont Village for three stages of music and rows of craft vendors.

Beaumont Village and 42nd Avenue are both great options when it comes to great dining. Fremont avenue is lined with fantastic restaurants and lounges, including those specializing n Thai food and Hawaiian cuisine and several boutique bars and wine bars.

42nd Ave hosts Old Salt Marketplace, a "new American supper club" combined with a very fresh and gourmet butchery. Check out its website for events and cooking classes, or stop in to feast on their shop specialty, smoked ham hock, which is slow-roasted and wood-smoked to perfection. Old Salt even has a mid-week farmer's market with food vendors and local produce by the bushel.

Blackbird Wine Shop is a spacious and very modern shop with a treasure trove of great local wines and wines from around the world too, as well as tasty snacks and small tapas-like offerings. Blackbird is the perfect place to sit, listen to some jazz with a complex Bordeaux and sample some amazing cheeses. Owner Andy Diaz presents custom wine flights every Friday night, showcasing different themes, regions and grapes.

Nightlife in the neighborhood is somewhat limited, but there are several low-key pubs and bars, some with occasional live music. Fret not, however, there are plenty of clubs and venues in the surrounding neighborhoods and NE Portland to satisfy your live music and performance needs. The Wonder Ballroom hosts fantastic artists from around the country in a great big venue that was once a church. The Alberta Rose Theater is a renovated movie house from the 1920s that now hosts live music, comedy, theater and more.

Transportation is accessible and reliable in Beaumont-Wilshire, thanks to convenient and frequent bus service, the compact and walkable size of the area and bike lanes available in all directions. Residents value the close access to so many great amenities: the neighborhood scored 76 out of 100 as a Walk Score, making it one of the easiest neighborhoods to access by foot in NE Portland. Portland's light-rail system is also connected to the bus line, making travel downtown easy.

Neighborhood streets are mostly bike friendly, and there are several bike-dedicated roads and bike lines. The area is quite safe for biking because the level of car traffic is lower than the average for Portland.

The neighborhood is located less than two miles away from Interstate 84, linking drivers with destinations east and west, including downtown. Newcomers will delight in the relative abundance of parking spaces in the area, especially in contrast to other commercial or residential districts in the Portland area.

Cabs are not available to hail on the street but they'll swing into the area if you call ahead. Uber is also a potential option for those interested in contributing to the sharing economy.

The Beaumont-Wilshire area is home to Wilshire park, a great tree-filled, green-space with ample opportunities for recreation for people of all ages and dogs too. The park is free to the public and hosts events such as Movies in the Park. Wilshire park has a great off-leash area for your four-legged friends and a great play structure that younger kids will fawn over. Grant Park is also a short distance away, and has a fantastic outdoor pool to cool off in during the hot summer months. Alberta Park is another great option for summer, with water features keeping kids cool as the temperature rises.

The cost of living in Beaumont-Wilshire is higher than the average compared with Portland, but it is more affordable when compared to areas such as the Pearl, Alberta and other highly sought-after locations.

Median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood runs from about $900 to $1100. Public transportation on Portland's celebrated Trimet system costs $2.50 and allows commuters to reach downtown and many other areas.

A beer at the local pub would cost from around $3 to $5, although a Pabst could be had for considerably less. Gas prices in the area sit at around 10 percent lower than the national average, but are on par with the state average.

Beaumont Village hosts a number of great shopping options in a compact walking area. The area is very casual, but unique. Find great women's and kids' clothes in several local boutiques, killer boots from Amenity Shoes and all of your pet supplies at Green Dog Pet Supply.

Adorn on Fremont is a great place for casual and professional woman's clothing from boutique brands to local designers. Feel fabulous on any budget with the help of in-house styling and advice from Adorn's savvy staff. Looks range from classic to Portland chic. Grocery stores such as Trader Joe's and New Seasons Market can be found in the Hollywood and Concordia neighborhoods, respectively. The King neighborhood is a short drive away from the great variety of produce and specialty items from Portland's renowned farmers markets.