Sometimes nicknames stick. Montavilla, formerly Mount Tabor Villa Addition, got its name from the abbreviation used on signs for the streetcar stop–Mt. Ta. Villa–which evolved to Montavilla, the name we use today. In the early days, over 130 years ago, Montavilla was a small farming community. Construction of the Morrison Bridge in 1887 made East Portland more appealing and more accessible, opening the door for residential development in neighborhoods like Montavilla.
The 1890s saw commercial development too, with a few grocery stores and meat markets, a bank, a post office, and a streetcar stop along the extended Ankeny line. Residents could access jobs in downtown Portland via the streetcar, and investors and developers took note of the area’s changing status. By 1914, Montavilla was considered a prosperous suburb.
Continued prosperity led to further residential and commercial development. Although Montavilla experienced a decline in the 1970s and 80s along with the rest of Portland, it bounced back beginning in the 1990s with anchors like the Flying Pie Pizzeria, the BiPartisan Cafe and the Academy Theater–renovated in 2006.
The neighborhood still has many older buildings, both commercial and residential, and there is currently a project underway to document historical buildings on a portion of the central commercial district. Graduate students from the University of Oregon’s Historic Preservation Program will review and record all historic buildings along SE Stark between SE 76th and 85th and SE Washington between SE 80th and 84th.
Montavilla has an active Neighborhood Association that is committed to ensuring that the perspectives of all residents are considered in neighborhood plans like proposed zoning changes, maintaining diversity, and supporting local schools. Residents have formed groups around various shared interests–gardening, pets, crafting, and even emergency preparedness–as a way to develop community and help neighbors get to know one another.
A big part of the appeal of Montavilla is that it feels like a town within a city where residents can get most of their basic needs met locally. Residents value community and appreciate friendly neighbors–wander down any residential street, and you’re likely to see evidence of neighborliness like the numerous little libraries in front of homes.
Amenities
Montavilla’s boundaries are I-84 to the north, I-205 to the east, SE Division to the south, and it’s western edge runs from NE 68th and then doglegs on Burnside over to SE 76th Ave. The neighborhood is well-positioned for commuters given ready access to both I-84 and I-205.
There is one elementary school in Montavilla, Vestal Elementary (K-5), three elementary/middle schools Creative Science School (K-8), Harrison Park School (K-8), and Bridger School (K-8). The closest high school is Franklin High School in South Tabor. Portland Community College’s Southeast Campus is located at the neighborhood’s southern boundary.
POINTS OF INTEREST
While Montavilla residents have excellent access to the expansive, 190-acre, Mt Tabor Park in the adjacent Mt Tabor neighborhood, they also have a lovely park of their own. Established in 1921, Montavilla Park covers nearly 10-acres. The park has play structures, picnic areas, and paved paths. In 2014, the Portland Timbers sponsored the construction of a futsal field within the park.
CULTURE
In the 1890s, when Montavilla was just a collection of small farm sites, there was a little business district clustered around what was known as the P5 marker. The P5 marker, erected in 1854, on Baseline Road (now SE Stark Street) at SE 78th Avenue, indicated a five-mile distance to downtown Portland. The commercial heart of this neighborhood still hovers around this same area.
A wonderful mix of vintage shops, services, restaurants, and watering holes, Lonely Planet voted Montavilla one of the best neighborhoods in the country a few years ago. There are a handful of long-standing business anchors like Flying Pie Pizzeria opened 35 years ago in Montavilla, beloved Lebanese restaurant YaHala that opened in 1999, and BiPartisan Cafe, the neighborhood fixture for coffee and pie since 2004.
The Academy Theater that opened on SE Stark in 1948 underwent renovations in 2006 after being used as an office building through the 1970s. Now it shows second run and classic films. There is plenty of nightlife around the theater, including extensive tap lists to explore at Roscoe’s and Beer Bunker, and craft cocktails at the slightly swanky Vintage Cocktail Lounge.
A handful of small boutiques and vintage shops keep this commercial corridor active during the daytime too. Union Rose retails locally made wares, Cactus Records thrift store sells an assortment of vintage goods including records, and Monticello Antique Market stocks vintage goods from over 100 vendors. Former food cart Hungry Heart Bakery opened a few years ago just off the main drag on SE 80th serving breakfast and lunch along with hand-crafted pastries and coffee.
Five blocks north, on NE Glisan, there are a few popular spots for food and drink, including thin-crust-focused East Glisan Pizza Lounge, and Vietnamese classic Hanoi Kitchen. A few years ago, German bread and pastry wizards Fressen Bakery, took over a space on NE Glisan when they relocated from Sullivan’s Gulch to Montavilla.