Sellwood-Moreland - Portland, OR Area Guide

Sellwood-Moreland was once a distinct city adjoining its elder sister, Portland. Built on the Donation Land Claim of Reverend John Sellwood and incorporated in 1889, the town gave way to annexation just four years later. Today’s residents can enjoy the same view as yesteryear's by standing along the bluff above Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and gazing at the nearby Willamette River, which bisects Portland.

Area culture remains steadfastly proletarian, with the public library and a movie theater, the Moreland, providing year-round fodder for arts lovers. The more pervasive vibe is outdoorsy and social. Fresh-air gathering places include Sellwood Community Gardens and Moreland Farmers Market. A summertime concert series takes place annually at Sellwood Waterfront Park, on the Willamette River.

Want brunch, lunch or dinner with your dessert? Start at one of Sellwood-Moreland’s most revered Milwaukie Avenue restaurants, Papa Haydn . The dessert case serves as its visual and culinary focal point, but the main courses also earn high praise from foodies. “Local” is de rigueur here, from the hand-foraged chanterelle mushrooms to house-smoked trout. Whether you enjoy the organic chicken, meats or veggies raised nearby, be sure to saveroom for the real reason you came: sweets that strike the eye as well as the palate with singular beauty. The artful dessert menu includes French meringue-based signatures such as Boccone Dolce and Autumn Meringue plus seasonal cheesecake specials.

For Italian specialties like Mama used to make, cruise over to Gino’s on Southeast 13th Avenue. This reasonably priced eatery blends class and casual comfort to draw date-night couples, quiet families and late-nighters looking for a bite. Dinners feature steaks, chops, chicken and pasta, with a red sauce so meaty it just might make you cry. The house special cioppino smacks of the freshest seafood, while local organic produce drives the changing vegetarian options. A family style menu satisfies groups of eight or more diners, and late night options take care of those who visit the bar after 9 or 10 p.m.

If you’re anywhere near the corner of Southeast Milwaukie and Bybee in the early evening, expect see a line of diners wind out the door and around the corner of Saburo’s Sushi House. This tiny palace of perfections offers sushi, teriyaki, salads and appetizers that are worth waiting for. Order some sake and edamame to accompany a variety of the freshest sashimi and nigiri this side of Japan. Regulars swear by the roasted salmon skin salad and any of the dozens of seafood or vegetable rolls.

As the sun sets and your thirst grows, take your pick between old school and new school. Kay’s Bar has been mixing drinks and serving basic grub since 1934. The neighborhood anchor stocks 50 whiskey labels and gives a nod to the 21st century with 10 taps of craft beer. Around the corner on Bybee Boulevard, past meets future at Oaks Bottom Public House. Ales by Lompoc Brewing come in a rainbow of goldens, ambers, reds and stouts. Soak them up with the house “tochos, ”a train wreck of an appetizer in which tater tots meet nachos. The covered outdoor patio rocks in all weather, and Miser Mondays promise throwback pint prices of $2.50.

Pedestrian-friendly streets and marked bike lanes encourage Sellwood-Moreland locals to park their cars and meet their neighbors. Shoppers and visitors, however, enjoy plenty of free street parking. Those who travel by bus have a quick 15-minute trip downtown, where connections to streetcars, light-rail trains and taxicab stands access the larger metro area.

The Sellwood Bridge to the south and the Ross Island Bridge to the north frame the neighborhood and offer options for crossing the Willamette River. Oregon Route 99E marks the eastern Sellwood-Moreland boundary and offers a straight shot to downtown freeway interchanges, where you can connect to Interstate 5 north to Vancouver, Washington, or south to the Oregon state capital at Salem.

Bring the kids, dogs, lunch and binoculars to Sellwood Park. The popular city park features tennis and basketball courts and boasts towering Douglas fir trees and a knock-out view of Mount St. Helen. Each August, the public park hosts Sundae in the Park, a day of free music with an ice cream social and an 1890s theme.

From Sellwood Park, a 1-mile hiking path loop connects the park ridge with Oaks Bottom, a wildlife estuary, whose main trail head and parking lot sit on high ground on Milwaukie Avenue, one block south of McLaughlin Boulevard (OR 99E). This trail affords sightings of snowy egrets, great blue herons, and an array of ducks and geese. You can also hike all the way to Sellwood Riverfront Park.

Sellwood Riverfront Park takes advantage of the neighborhood’s location on the banks of the mighty Willamette River. Here, you can walk, jog, bike or otherwise make your way along a scenic path that offers direct views across the water to the bright lights and bridges of downtown Portland. Dogs can romp in the off-leash area. In summer, enjoy free music from salsa to symphony on the lawn.

For funhouse rides and games, hit Oaks Amusement Park , located just north of the riverfront park. Upgraded and modernized since its opening in 1905, this small amusement park retains an old-time feel. Spend a spring or summer day on the carousel, playing midway games or skating at the roller rink. Oaks was one of the first U.S. parks of its kind; its roller rink pipe organ and wooden floor have survived major earthquakes and floods. Gate admission, parking and picnicking are free; roller rink prices and skate rentals vary. The rides and midway are open March to September. Call for year-round roller rink skate sessions.

It doesn’t cost much more above the city average to make Sellwood-Moreland your home. A wide variety of rental options, from older single-story apartment complexes to modern mixed-use high-rises keeps this area affordable to a wide range of incomes. At about $1,125 per month, rents for one-bedroom apartments remain less than 1 percent above the average Portland wide.

Gas costs in the area average about 1 percent more than the national average. Bus fares also measure about the same or less than most big cities, at $2.50 for a two-hour ride. For those who imbibe, a pint of handcrafted ale sells for about $4.75, with happy hours and specials undercutting that price.

Whether you shop on impulse or by necessity, you don't have to leave the neighborhood to satisfy your needs. Stock your pantry with the basics at Quality Food Center on Southeast Milwaukie Avenue. At the foot of the Sellwood Bridge, New Seasons is the standby for the upscale specialty food–buying crowd.

Just about anything else you need can be found at or near the nexus of Southeast Milwaukie and Bybee Boulevard. Need hardware? Visit Westmoreland True Value. Flowers? Try By the Bunch for a beautiful bouquet of flowers for any occasion. Head a few blocks south and west toward Southeast 13th Avenue and Tacoma Streets for Sellwood’s antique row, where you can find vintage consignment at Sellwood Antique Collective. Outdoor enthusiasts and clothing bargain hunters duck into Columbia Sportswear Outlet on Tacoma.