South Portland - Portland, OR Area Guide

Immigrant Jews in early 1900s Portland first forged the South Portland neighborhood. By the 1920s, Portlanders knew the area for its concentration of Jewish Diaspora and Italian immigrants. By the 1960s, most of the immigrant population spread to either Southeast Portland or farther Southwest, leaving only a small pocket of counterculture behind. The construction of the I-5 in the 1960s cleared a wide swath right through the neighborhood, and the resulting cheap rental prices attracted students of Lewis & Clark College, Portland State University and the Oregon Health and Science University. Soon after the student boom, prospective homeowners began flocking to the neighborhood to purchase a historic home close to downtown, turning the South Portland into a trendy area.

Fans of Portland's adventurous cuisine delight in the neighborhood's culinary options, most of which are located close to either Macadam Avenue or Highway 43, the main north-south thoroughfares for the South Portland neighborhood.

Authentic Chinese hot pots and noodles abound at Szechuan Chef, a restaurant that comfortably pairs standards, such as, Kung Pao chicken with outre cuisine such as cumin lamb. The spacious dining area can comfortably seat large groups, and the hot pots are meals meant to be shared. Szechuan cuisine shows its true colors with the spicier dishes; locals recommend the robust Chong Qing hot chicken or anything from the chef's specials menu.

Enjoy more traditional American fare at Elephants on Corbett, a Portland destination for fine wines, cheeses, pastas and deli meats, founded in 1979. This Elephants location impresses with brick oven pizzas and a variety of grass-fed beef burgers to sample. Keep this location in your back pocket for unexpected vacancies in your schedule; they're open from 7:30 am to 8 pm.

If you're on the run, stop in at Little Big Burger on the South Waterfront, a growing Portland establishment known for one thing: hamburgers. Options are few at Little Big Burger; buy two cheeseburgers (or veggie burgers) and the famous truffle fries. For dessert, you might like one of their signature floats. After that, you've run out of menu options.

At night, beer-lovers find the tap selection at McMenamins Fulton Pub and Brewery inviting. Like most McMenamins locations, the Fulton Pub and Brewery found its home in a historic building, a former Prohibition-era speakeasy. Rumor has it that the McMenamins Hammerhead ale was perfected at this location; either way, the Fulton serves as a nice option for both groups hoping to spend a night with some swill or families looking for a restaurant that caters to all ages. Check out their happy hour from 3 to 6 pm, or 10 pm until close.

Macadam Avenue (also known as Highway 43) cuts through South Portland in the north-south direction; if you travel by car, traversing the neighborhood on this street is common. Interstate 5 cuts through the western side of South Portland, providing easy freeway access. By car, downtown Portland lies only a 10 minute drive to the north.

Portland's TriMet public transportation system serves the area as well. The 35 line runs along Macadam Avenue to downtown Portland, serving most stops twice an hour and up to four times an hour during rush hours. The Streetcar runs north-south from downtown Portland to the South Waterfront, and the line extends all the way to the boutique shops and nightlife of NW 23rd Avenue. Public transit takes only about 20 minutes to get downtown.

Walkability in South Portland doesn't hold up to the rest of Portland. WalkScore.com gives the whole of Portland a 63, but this neighborhood garners a 61. Bikers find the whole of South Portland hill enticing, as many streets provide bike lanes. The steep hills in the area may give less active bikers a challenge.

If biking, walking or driving your own car aren't what you fancy, then take advantage of Portland's cabs and the Uber car service that travel to and from the neighborhood. Call ahead if you plan to take a cab, as Portland is not a city where you can hail a cab on the street with ease.

Like most of the green city of Portland, outdoors enthusiasts can find many places to relax and enjoy the sunshine in the South Portland hill neighborhood. Bikers can commute next to riverfront scenery on a bike path that hugs the shoreline from Willamette Park to the Cottonwood Bay Park.

Willamette Park, along Portland's own Willamette River, just north of the Sellwood Bridge, gives park-goers a front-row seat to the city's second-largest waterway. Dog owners can take the ruffians to the off-leash area, and small-boat owners can launch canoes from the specialized canoe launch. Music-lovers must return in the summertime to catch the Concerts in the Park series, held in Willamette Park and in parks all over town.

Catch an awe-inspiring view of downtown Portland from the Terwilliger Parkway's spectacular trails. Hikers, joggers and bikers alike love this 99-acre wooded park, located west of the South Waterfront. Kids love the greenery of the Terwilliger Parkway, but the steep hills of the area may pose a challenge for kids, the elderly or the less physically-inclined.

The cost of living in this neighborhood sits just around average compared to Portland's rental market; prospective renters can find a one-bedroom apartment for $950, just shy of the $1,200 average. The upscale South Waterfront costs more than the rest of the South Portland neighborhood. Expect to spend about $200 more than the city average to get one of the luxurious high-rise views available there.

TriMet costs $2.50 for a two-hour pass, good for the bus and light rail. A beer in the neighborhood sets you back about $3.50, and gas costs about 10 percent more than the national average.

Like most of Portland's mixed-use neighborhoods, you can find a bevy of retail stores mixed in with the homes and restaurants of South Portland. Most shops reside along Macadam Avenue, such as the upscale vintage clothing at Here We Go Again Consignment, the lingerie at Just Like a Woman and the photography products at Camera Solutions. Shoppers on the hunt for larger name brands can find furniture and other goodies at Pier One along the main drag as well.

Get your groceries at the high-end Zupans Market, located on Macadam Avenue, or browse the vendors at the South Waterfront farmers market every Thursday from 2 to 7 pm, July through October.