Bordered by the Willamette on the east and the West Hills to the west, and marked by the Marquam Bridge to the north and the Sellwood Bridge to the south, South Portland is a long and narrow strip of awesome. The neighborhood is comprised of several different areas; it used to be known as Corbett-Terwilliger-Lair Hill. The South Waterfront is in the northeast part of the neighborhood and is distinct from the other areas because the residential construction is both more recent and much higher density. Lair Hill is the northwest corner of the neighborhod; Corbett lies to the east of Lair Hill and to the west of Macadam Ave; Terwilliger is south of Corbett, between SW Barbur Blvd and SW Macadam Ave; and Johns Landing area is east of I-5, between the Terwilliger curves and the Willamette River.
The South Portland Historic District, designated by the Portland City Council in 1998, was built between the 1870s and the 1920s. The site of Portland’s first residence is here. Built by William Johnson, a sailor from the war of 1818, the residence–which was actually a cabin–was built in 1842. Most of the area’s early residents were Italian and Jewish immigrants. Tragically, in 1958, Portland created the South Auditorium Urban Renewal District, and destroyed 54 blocks of this tight knit community. In 2015, this article in the Oregonian covered the history of and contention around Portland’s foray into urban renewal 60 years ago. The city is currently reviewing design guidelines for this historic district, you can learn more about their efforts and how to get involved here.
Close to OHSU, downtown, and near Lewis & Clark College, South Portland is home to a mix of young professionals, researchers, doctors, professors, families, and retirees.
South Portland is home to some of Portland’s earliest residences and one of its newest development areas. This makes the overall neighborhood feel more like a patchwork of distinct areas than one cohesive region. This mix of old and new is why you will find beautiful, historic Victorian houses mixed with new apartment buildings and condos. Unifying all areas of South Portland are the views of the west hills and the river, an abundance of parks, and proximity to downtown. The neighborhood also boasts the city’s only aerial tram, what more could you want?
Ammenities
All areas of South Portland have great access to downtown Portland, and both the I-405 and I-5. Public transit options are better at the northern end of the neighborhood because of access to the Portland Trolley (aka Portland Streetcar) and Aerial Tram.
There are no public schools within the South Portland neighborhood boundary. The two closest areas with elementary, middle and high schools would be Northwest Portland (Chapman Elementary, West Sylvan Middle School, and Lincoln High) and Hillsdale (Rieke Elementary, Robert Gray Middle School, and Wilson High). If you’re interested in a language immersion program in Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese, the International School–located in the northeastern part of the neighborhood–offers early childhood and elementary schooling.
The neighborhood is home to a variety of parks. The Corbett-Lair Hill area has Lair Hill Park, offering grassy fields, a play area, and tennis courts. The northeast portion of Marquam Nature Park is within South Portland’s boundary too. This park offers a network of trails and also connectivity to Portland’s 40-mile loop system of walking and biking trails. Elizabeth Caruthers Park is a lovely green space flanked by office and residential buildings. The park is home to the South Waterfront Farmers Market, which runs through the summer and is expanding to offer a monthly winter market this year! Willamette Park, spans a whopping 26+ acres along the river at the southern end of South Portland. The park is a great place for picnics, long walks, tennis, soccer, and getting out on the river in a boat or canoe. If you’re looking for a less manicured park visit, explore birds and native plants in the single acre of Butterfly Park, just south of Willamette Park.
Points of Interest
Portland’s Aerial Tram is somewhat of a landmark in the neighborhood; opened in 2006, it runs from the waterfront to OHSU’s Marquam Hill campus in a fun-filled, 22 mph, three-minute ride that rises 500 feet. If you’re not specifically planning a trip to OHSU, a ride on the tram can be incorporated into a longer adventure that Portlanders call the 4T trail which involves a trip on the Max light rail train, some walking on the Marquam Trail, a ride on the Aerial Tram, and finally a quick trip on the Portland Trolley to get you back to Pioneer Square.
Duniway Lilac Gardens, situated in the northwestern quadrant of South Portland, are definitely worth a visit especially in the spring when you can see over 125 varieties of lilacs in bloom against a backdrop of fir and cedar in the surrounding hills. The gardens are named for Abigail Scott Duniway, the first legal female voter in Multnomah County.
Interested in digging deeper into the roots of one of Portland’s oldest residential areas? Consider taking the Lair Hill Historic Tour with Portland’s Architectural Heritage Center. You might also enjoy a brief walk around the Johns Landing Water Tower, redeveloped by famous architect John Gray, is a great example of Portland’s penchant for taking old historic structures and reusing them. This 1903 furniture manufacturing building was reimagined and converted to a class A office space in the 1970’s, well before the practice was commonplace in Portland.
Culture
After you’ve taken a ride on the Tram, wander over to Elizabeth Caruthers Park in the South Waterfront area and have a bite to eat at Vietnamese Bistro Bambuza. At the southern end of the park, and the adjacent blocks there is a burgeoning collection of eateries and specialty markets like the Lebanese restaurant Al Hawr, Oracle Coffee, the Growler Guys, and Portland favorites Blue Star Donuts & Little Big Burger. For an upscale experience, with river views, try Rosswood at the River’s Edge Hotel.
Along Macadam Avenue, you will find the neighborhood’s only large grocery store, Zupans, and a collection of old neighborhood standbys including Bamboo Grove Hawaiian Grill, Corbett Fish House, Cafe du Berry, and the infamous Buffalo Gap.
