Sellwood-Moreland in Southeast is the quintessential, walkable, self-contained Portland neighborhood. (It’s also known as Sellwood-Westmoreland.) With grocery, hardware, book and toy stores, a pediatrician’s office, restaurants and bakeries galore, one of Portland’s most popular nature playgrounds, and even an amusement park all in the neighborhood, you’ll hardly ever have to leave. It’s no wonder the neighborhood is extremely popular with families and homes for sale are in high demand.
Play Here
No matter the season, kids love the nature playground at Westmoreland Park, which is equally famous for the Canada geese that call the park home. In the summer (when it’s not a pandemic), Portland Parks and Recreation’s Sellwood Pool and the 95-year-old Oaks Amusement Park draw families in droves. (And when pools were closed because of COVID-19, the Willamette River access from Sellwood Riverfront Park proved a great place to cool off on hot days.) And the retro Moreland Theater is open with limited-capacity screenings. While Sellwood is home to many antiques stores, several family-oriented shops also line Southeast 13th and Milwaukie avenues, including The Bull and the Bee, Wallace Books and Oodles 4 Kids toy store. (And the Columbia Sportswear outlet store is a great place to snag raging deals on kids’ rain gear.)
Eat Here
Sellwood-Moreland residents have a huge range of family-friendly restaurant choices along the main thoroughfares. Here are just a few favorites. The ribs and brisket are not to be missed at Reverend’s BBQ. And kiddos dig the bbq-chip-topped mac ‘n’ cheese, too. OG breakfast eatery Fat Albert’s turns out fluffy pancakes and huge omelets with hash browns. Your kids will love the tiny burgers and sandwiches at PDX Sliders. (Don’t worry they’ve got full-size versions for hungry grown-ups, too.)
Sellwood-Moreland resident Ali Wilkinson loves the neighborhood’s combination of a small-town feel and its proximity to urban amenities. “We know our neighbors, and can send our kids out to bike ride with their friends (just like the ’80s!), but can get to downtown in 15 minutes in traffic,” says Wilkinson, who has three school-aged children. “It’s also very walkable. No matter where you are, you can get to a grocery store, library or hardware store within a mile. Our elementary school [Llewellyn] is solid and filled with totally dedicated and fabulous teachers, although I wish class sizes were smaller.” Wilkinson’s family also looks forward to the annual Monster March the weekend before Halloween. “Kids (and grown-ups) dress up and march from Llewellyn Elementary School around downtown Westmoreland while neighbors and businesses throw candy,” she says. Wilkinson also acknowledges the neighborhood’s downsides: It lacks diversity and its popularity is making it increasingly expensive to buy or rent in the area.
Live Here
$650,000
Median home price
$1,730
Average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment
Sources: Redfin, Zillow and Zumper
Get Around
To read about more fun neighborhoods like this one, check out the rest of our Neighborhood Guide.
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