The History of Portland’s Quadrants

Did you know that Portland has more than 90 formally recognized neighborhoods? These diverse communities fit snugly into geographic boundaries, known throughout the city as quadrants. Interestingly enough, there aren’t four quadrants, but rather six.

Neighborhood We Love: Eastmoreland

Driving or walking through Eastmoreland’s tree-lined streets full of large, elegant homes, you’re struck by the neighborhood’s beauty. And that’s not an accident. According to the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association, the neighborhood was laid out by devotees of the national City Beautiful movement of the early 1900s.

Neighborhood We Love: Multnomah Village

Minutes from downtown, this charming and quintessentially Portland neighborhood centers around a main street that boasts breakfast joints, gift shops, bakeries, a beloved toy store and much more. And a yearly summer parade and street fair is a much-cherished community event.

Neighborhood We Love: Rose City Park

The neighborhood of Rose City Park was incorporated the same year as the inaugural Rose Festival. Today, this Northeast neighborhood comprises a diverse mix of established Portland, with gentrified updates and hip eateries. It’s also family- and dog-friendly with outdoor spaces, parks and shopping.

Neighborhood We Love: University Park

Like this North Portland area’s name suggests, this compact neighborhood is named after a university — the University of Portland. In fact, the Catholic campus takes up a large swath of realty in the neighborhood’s southern corner.

Neighborhood We Love: Wilsonville

Originally called Boone’s Landing after a descendant of Daniel Boone, Wilsonville got a name change in 1880. The name hasn’t been the only change in its history; Wilsonville has transformed from ferry site to port to train depot, and finally to the southernmost suburb in the Portland-metro area with a major freeway artery running right through its center.

Neighborhood We Love: Bethany

Niche.com’s No. 1 Best Place to Raise a Family in Oregon is closer than you might think: this year’s choice is Bethany, a small suburb of Portland in Washington County. This tracks with what locals say of this safe, quiet neighborhood with good schools.

Neighborhood We Love: Milwaukie

The charming town of Milwaukie, less than a 10-minute drive from southeast Portland’s Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, is an ideal location for families looking for more space, lower home prices, a quaint downtown, and the proximity of Portland, without being directly in the city.

Brentwood Park

Neighborhood We Love: Brentwood-Darlington

“The best thing Brentwood-Darlington has going for it is the strong community vibe … Neighbors support one another like I have never seen before, and I have lived in seven different states,” says neighbor Will Mohring.

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