Principal Broker
We know that lots of folks are relocating to Portland Or, but we were stunned to learn that Portland’s Hillside Neighborhood was the most searched U.S. neighborhood in September 2011 according to Zillow. But wait….there’s even more exciting news for Portland! Two more Portland neighborhoods were on that same Top Ten List, giving Portland 3 out of the 10 of most searched neighborhoods in the US for September. If you’re considering a move to Portland, you’ll want to explore the details of these popular neighborhoods to see if they meet your needs. Both Hillside and West Hills neighborhoods have median prices in the $500,000′s, but a home can be found in close in Sunnyside for the mid-$200,000′s.
Hillside Neighborhood in Portland
If you aren’t familiar with the Hillside neighborhood of Portland, perhaps you didn’t realize that when you visited the historic
Hillside Neighborhood in Portland
Pittock Mansion, or when you walked some of the Wildwood Trail, you were in the area of Portland called Hillside! Located above West Burnside, the old stagecoach road of the 19th century, Hillside homes with incredible views of Portland and Washington to the north, cling tenaciously to the hill. Curving narrow streets echoing those in Europe, display older homes–some grand, some not–with a few surprising contemporary homes wedged in. There’s even a condo complex, with access so steep off of Burnside, that the road is heated underneath in the event of a surprise winter freeze! Hillside adjoins the 5000 acre Forest Park, and its popular Wildwood Trail meanders through the neighborhood. I feel like I’m in a land far away when I’m in the beautiful and intriguing Hillside Neighborhood, as the streets entice me to find out what is around the next curve–and if you look at this map, you’ll appreciate how many curves there are! Sometimes this area is referred to as Kings Heights–and it’s not because we had royalty in Portland, but because a Mr. King took on the challenging task of devloping some of Hillside many years ago.
An old family friend, Will Bone, helped start the Hillside Community Center, designed by Portland’s famed architect Pietro Beluschi years earlier when it was the private Caitlin Gable School. Later it transformed into an arts school, and subsequently was put up for sale. Fearful that it could turn into condo’s or something else not compatible with the neighborhood, a devoted small group of homeowners, including Will, worked tirelessly to raise the funds to purchase it for a community center. Eventually some even mortgaged their homes in order to contribute. The Center was given to the City of Portland to run, and today the Belluschi Building remains–it was the old gym. This is an active area now, with tennis courts, soccer field, and meeting rooms.
If you’d like to check out the fascinating homes, you’re invited to search Hillside home listings.
Portland SW Hills Neighborhood
Zillow’s Top Ten home search list for September 2011 placed the SW Hills neighborhood as the #3 most popular US home search.
Map of Portland's SW Hills Neighborhood
For some, the SW Hills area above downtown Portland represents the quintessential look of elegant old Portland. Along Vista Avenue are the mansions of early bankers & lumber barons. I like to imagine how grand it must have been in the early 20th century–as in some Portland neighborhoods, you can still spot the iron rings in the curbs for tying up the horses. As Vista turns into the winding Patton Road, the grand mansions yield to an eclectic assortment of homes both old and new nestled in wooded areas, and then to more organized neighborhoods again on the west side of the hills. For the highest point in Portland, a visit to the 1000 plus foot high Council Crest will reward you with a view of 5 mountains, and a 180 degree view of Portland and its suburbs. Council Crest has a long history, from a meeting spot for Native Americans, to an amusement park in the early 20th century with streetcars ferrying people up the hillside. Some hikers start on trails lower down near near OHSU, and make the trek to Counil Crest. Visit this elegant SW Hills neighborhood and search for homes.
Sunnyside Neighborhood in Portland
Bordered by Hawthorne on the south, and Stark Street on the north, & wedged between SE 28th & 52nd Avenues, the Sunnyside Neighborhood of SE Portland was #9 in national home searches on September 2011 according to a Zillow report. That’s not a
The Sunnyside Neighborhood
surprise. Sunnyside is the hip place to live in Portland, with interesting & quirky districts conveniently located within an easy biking commute to downtown Portland. Two parallel streets or “districts” offer shops, cafes, pubs. The premiere & oldest developed district is SE Hawthorne, a mecca for sampling casual dining from Korean to Thai
Hawthorne Street Shops
to French to Japanese, to pizza served served with movies at the Baghdad Theatre or at highly rated Apizza Scholls . Here you’ll find bookstores, vintage clothing & exchange shops, boutiques, gift shops, records, and shops catering to children’s clothing and toys. People watching from sidewalk cafes is free & fun. For bike commuters, it’s an easy ride to downtown Portland via the Hawthorne Bridge–about 30 blocks below the Sunnyside neighborhood.
SE Belmont District is the up & coming cousin of Hawthorne with cafes, pubs including the historic Horse Brass Pub, brewery, some of Portland’s famous food carts, Movie Madness with its world class collection of dvd’s & videos, the Wunderland Arcade & Avalon Theater, yoga, and theatre companies including Profile Theatre which shares space at Theatre Theatre. You get the picture! Locally owned grocery stores such as Zupan’s and fabulous middle eastern food at Hoda’s are some of the other treats here. Between Stark Street & Belmont is Peacock Lane where each year the quaint homes all decorate for Christmas. The entire Sunnyside neighborhood would score high on Walkscore! Homes here include Victorian, early 20th century, and craftsman style homes from the 30′s & 40′s. Homes in Sunnyside are more moderately priced than Hillside or West Hills. Take a peek at some Sunnyside homes for sale.
If you’d like more information about the Hillside, West Hills or Sunnyside neighborhoods of Portland, please contact us.
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