Farrell is a family-owned business that specializes in North Portland. We’ve been here since 1980 and we all love it. In fact, most of us have chosen to work and live here because it’s just where we want to be. Here are 10 reasons why we think you’ll love living in North Portland, too.
1. Less Traffic
Portland is full of traffic. But one good thing about living in North Portland is that you can get to the airport and to downtown Portland without even going on the freeway. And once you see how traffic-laden the freeways are, you’ll be even more grateful for that!
2. St. Johns Square
St. Johns Square is a gathering place with restaurants, access to transportation, and a friendly neighborhood vibe.
It’s also the home to our farmer’s market, which is utterly fantastic. It’s filled with all kinds of local goodies. If you’re looking for something unique, delicious, or both, this is definitely the place to go. Even better, it’s in a small enough area that you don’t have to worry about being completely exhausted when it’s over. This is also the home of the St. Johns Bizarre, which is a wonderful event full of good food, homemade crafts, and fun.
There’s also a large Christmas tree put up in the square every year, and it makes the entire area feel homey and festive.
3. Parks
North Portland is home to many city parks, and they’re great for walking your dog, taking your kids to play, or just spending time in our beautiful outdoors. If you get tired of one, we have plenty more in close proximity.
Here’s a good list of parks you should check out here in North Portland:
- Cathedral Park
- Peninsula Park
- Pier Park
- Overlook Park
- Kelley Point Park
- Arbor Lodge Park
- Columbia Park
- Chimney Park
- Lotus Isle Park
- Johns Park
4. Food Carts
Portland has many food carts, and North Portland is no exception to having some truly great ones. Food cart pods are areas that have multiple food carts clustered together, and here’s a map of food cart pods in Portland.
Here are some favorite food carts to check out:
5. Small-Town Feel
One of the things we tell anybody who will listen is that North Portland feels like a small town in the middle of a big city, which means that you get the very best of both of those worlds when you’re living in North Portland. You’ll actually get help if you ask for it, and you’ll get to know your neighbors and community in a way that you may not be used to. We love it!
6. St. Johns Theater
The historic St. Johns Theater is a recognized for its historical value and is really just a cool place to go see a movie.
The elaborate theater was built in 1905 as part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition World Fair. Though it was only intended to stand for six months, it was one of the few buildings from the fair that survived. It’s gone through a lot in its time (including spending time as a church building), but around 20 years ago it was returned to being used as a theater. It’s such an interesting piece of history to have in our neighborhood.
7. It’s Pet-Friendly
You’d be hard pressed to find a more pet-friendly place to live than North Portland. You’ll constantly see people out walking their dogs, and there are so many shops devoted to our animal friends. On hot days, people even put bowls of water out so animals can drink from them. Plus, Chimney Park is a huge off-leash dog park and is right up the street on Columbia.
8. St. Johns Bridge
The stunning St. Johns Bridge is lovingly known as the Grand Lady of Portland. And she looks it, too. It has 40-story Gothic cathedral spires and beautiful arches. This suspension bridge spans the Willamette River, and it is the largest suspension bridge in Oregon. Though the bridge was originally to be yellow with black stripes, we’re glad the city went with the bridge’s iconic green hue.
9. Food
We already mentioned food carts, but there is so much other good food in North Portland. New restaurants open up all the time, too, so there’s always something else to try if you’re the mood for food you haven’t had before. Here are links to a few blog posts about North Portland’s food scene:
- Best North Portland Pizza
- Best New North Portland Restaurants
- Best North Portland Brunch Spots
- Yelp! Best North Portland Restaurants
10. Drink
North Portland has so many delicious coffee shops and bars. For coffee shops, check out:
For drinks, check out:
We hope that you’ll love North Portland as much as we do. If you need any help finding a place to live, this is our stomping grounds, so let us put our expertise to work for you!