Overlook Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

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Located in a perfect little nook of N Portland is the Overlook neighborhood, squished between lower industrial Portland along the Willamette and fun N and NE Portland neighborhoods that have recently gained popularity with Portlanders. Beautiful homes, lush gardens and views that people who live in SE only dream of having are all reasons why Overlook locals love their neighborhood. Mark is a local business owner to the Overlook neighborhood, and talks about Krakow Cafe & Pub and the Overlook neighborhood in a video interview.

Location

The Overlook neighborhood is located in north Portland near University Park, Arbor Lodge, Humboldt, Boise and Eliot neighborhoods. The popular Mississippi Avenue is located a few blocks to the east of the neighborhood, and is a hot spot for great restaurants, funky boutiques and vintage shops. The neighborhood has easy access to downtown Portland, either by taking I-5 or by going down Interstate Avenue. And of course, the multiple bridges in the area provide that easy access to downtown Portland in all its glory. The accessibility through the MAX yellow line that runs down Interstate Avenue is another great way to get around Portland, and it’s by far the easiest method of transportation because commuters don’t have to deal with traffic and the cost of gas.

Swan Island

Swan Island is a continuation of the Overlook neighborhood, visible on the foreground of the beautiful downtown views. Swan Island used to be a completely natural area that sat along the Willamette River before the mid-1900s when Portland started growing rapidly. Eventually it turned into a completely industrial area that is now allotted for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution activities. Seeing Swan Island with the tall downtown Portland buildings in the background gives the Overlook neighborhood an almost edgy and industrial feel, though the homes are the exact opposite.

Homes and Real Estate

Like most Portland neighborhoods, there is a wide variety of styles of architecture in the homes of the Overlook neighborhood. From bungalows to Victorians to condos and Old Portland styles, Overlook has an eclectic mix of architecture that add to the safe and charming vibe of the area. Because the area has seen an influx of new residents, Overlook’s real estate prices have gone up with its attention and popularity.

Neighborhood Vibe

Overlook is a safe and calm neighborhood to take a walk in, as the locals are working in their gardens, walking children in strollers and out for daily runs. The lanes of the neighborhood are aligned with basketball hoops every so often, old grown trees, and sidewalk corners that are splattered with chalk art. I talked to Debbie who works at the Kaiser Permanente in the neighborhood. She as well as many other employees of Kaiser come to Overlook Park along Interstate Avenue to eat homemade lunches and to take a break from work. Debbie enjoys walking around the Overlook neighborhood, looking at the beautiful homes and observing the atmosphere. She says the locals “take pride in their gardens,” which is evident when walking down the streets. She loves the Old Portland homes and says she wishes she “could afford to live in the neighborhood.” But the homes are big and beautiful, which gives many Portlanders no chance at easy living in Overlook. I asked a man in passing if he lived in the neighborhood and he quickly replied, “Nope. Just enjoy it.” That really is the vibe in Overlook, that many home owners that can afford it enjoy it, but there are plenty of visitors from nearby areas that come to look and relish in the beauty of it all.

Polish Culture

Overlook is Oregon’s historic Polish neighborhood, and the neighborhood hosts a large Polish festival every year. The festival is the largest Polish fest in the western United States. This year the community is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the festival with Polish entrees, pastries, kielbasa sausages, Polish imported beers, dancers of the Polonez renaissance dance court company and a special exhibit on the city of Torun, Poland. Apart from the annual festival, the neighborhood celebrates Polish culture with its Polish library, that provides the community with the best of Polish literature.

Schools

Students in the neighborhood attend Beach Elementary, Ockley Green Middle School and Jefferson High School.

Parks & Recreation

There are many green spaces in the area to bask in the great views, to relax or to bring the children to play. Overlook Park is one of the most notable parks, as it is centrally located on Interstate Avenue and easily accessible from the MAX line. Other parks in the area include Peninsula City Park, Madrona Park and Patton Square Park.

The neighborhood is located in a beautiful and accessible area that is safe for families and fun for visitors.
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This post was written by...

Scott Krager – who has written 11 posts on Portlanders.

Scott Krager is the founder of portlanders.com. He lives in Portland, Oregon, spending most of his time writing, coding, and avoiding the rain. Scott doesn't like to run but forces himself at least once a week. Google+ | Twitter | Quora | LinkedIn