Brooklyn Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon
Renewing the Past
The Aladdin Theater, the diverse locals, the colorful parks and the close proximity to downtown Portland are all reasons why Brooklyn is a great SE Portland neighborhood. The Brooklyn neighborhood is rich with history, as it is one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, and the community is dedicated to preserving its historical sites. This preservation is what makes the neighborhood so interesting, and gives it a depth that surpasses the present and reaches back into the past. A Brooklyn local named John says that the neighborhood is “constructive of the past,” as it reuses its buildings again and again, giving more meaning to the area. The Brooklyn Historical Society is a group of people made up of mostly Brooklyn residents, with a mission to preserve and promote the history of the neighborhood. Seeing a continually declining appreciation of history in areas that presume to build large corporations over historical landmarks, it is great to see a community that values more than just the present and the future.
My Experience with a Couple of Locals
I ran into a couple of locals taking a walk around the neighborhood, and they guided me through the area sharing with me the names of flowers, trees, history of the neighborhood and excellent places to go in Portland. To sum up everything that we talked about, they explained to me in rich detail why Portland is such a great city to live in. And Brooklyn, being a place of accessibility and history, is a pillar in the grand scheme of Portland. The locals, John and Ed, elaborated on what this neighborhood and the city of Portland is capable of. The Aladdin Theater on SE Milwaukie Avenue, the coffee, the food, the parks, the people and together how they create the quilt of Brooklyn is a vibrant aspect to this Portland neighborhood. And Brooklyn, being a vein to the lively downtown, leads to even more opportunity.
A Great Location
I walked into the True Brew Coffeehouse on SE Milwaukie Avenue and talked to David who has been working at True Brew for one year and living in Brooklyn for seven years. David says that he likes Brooklyn because of the “eclectic mix of people” and for how close it is to downtown. Location really is a key figure in this neighborhood, as it is near the Sellwood-Moreland, Hawthorne and Clinton neighborhoods, as well as downtown. For the most part Brooklyn is a residential neighborhood, but everything else is close at hand in terms of things to do.
Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhoods are heavily independent, and most of the businesses are locally run while being heavily supported by the community.
Homes and Real Estate
In terms of the style of homes, the Brooklyn neighborhood has a diverse mix of craftsman style bungalows, English architecture, four square homes and a plethora of other styles. Scattered among the neighborhood are also plenty of new style condos and apartment complexes.
Keeping the Family in Mind
“The neighborhood is full of young families,” says another local named Kat who has lived in Brooklyn for about six years. Kat likes living in the neighborhood because of its proximity to cafes, bars and parks. She doesn’t have a car and doesn’t need one because she says it is easy to commute by bus and bike with the convenient bus line and the generosity Portland gives to their bikers. Across the city there are tons of accessible paths and lanes designated especially for bikers. Commenting on the general personality type of the Brooklyn residents, Kat says they are very friendly. Walking around the neighborhood myself, I noticed that people look you in the eye and say hi in passing. Throughout the neighborhood there are plenty of runners, mothers with children in strollers, kids on the swings at the park, and dog walkers. As I observed the people and the activity within the neighborhood, it became very evident how safe of a neighborhood it is. It’s just the culture, and that culture is friendly, welcoming, and focused on the family.
Photos of Brooklyn
Schools
Grout Elementary is a k-5 school that highly encourages community and parent involvement. With a caring and respectful environment created by the teachers, Grout offers a literacy program for the entirety of the school’s students which happens through daily small group instruction. The school offers preschool and an all day kindergarten to children, as well as an on-site child care provided by the YMCA.
Hosford Middle School is a culturally rich school that is known for its rigorous academics and its value of world languages. Hosford offers language immersion programs for Spanish and Mandarin, and puts students into core classes based on their abilities. Hosford also offers a variety of before and after school programs.
Cleveland High School is known for being holistically advanced in its academic standards and areas of education. Cleveland is the only high school in the area to offer a special-focus business program, and only one of two high schools in the area to host the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
Parks & Attractions
Powell Park and Brooklyn Park are two parks located within the neighborhood that the locals love and appreciate for their convenience and their safety. Brooklyn Park is located on SE 10th Avenue and Haig Street, and Powell Park is located on the eastern side of the neighborhood on SE 26th Avenue and Powell Boulevard. What brings most visitors to the Brooklyn neighborhood is the Aladdin Theater, which is a historic 1920′s theater that is one of Portland’s premier music venues, hosting internationally famous attractions.
In Conclusion
Brooklyn is a safe neighborhood that is thriving while still holding onto its roots of the past. With a small number of independently run businesses and a large amount of homes that run on a wide scale of prices, this neighborhood is great for young families and people who want to be a part of the lively Portland, Oregon.
