Neighborhood Focus--Buckman

Last weekend I was out wandering, as I am keen to do on a beautiful Portland morning, and I found my self looking around Buckman. And, my first thought was, "Buckman? I could live here!"

Buckman is located primarily between the Belmont/Hawthorne area and the Willamette River. Being on the outskirts of those hip neighborhoods, it has a more funky flair. There are beautiful old Portland homes with wicked character that looked lived in a comforting way. The owner's personality shines through and you can almost imagine who lives in each house just from the cars and flags and toys you can see at each home.

It is no surprise that such an expressive and unique neighborhood is also home to one of Portland's arts magnet schools, Buckman Arts Focus Elementary. That is even more fitting since the neighborhood is named after early school board member Cyrus Buckman, an orchardist from the late 1800s.

There is a lot to do in the immediate neighborhood, too, without even venturing into nearby Hawthorne or Belmont. The popular Doug Fir Lounge offers hip drinks and cool music, there is rockabilly at Duff's Garage, and bowling and fine food at Grand Central. And who wouldn't want to live walking distance from Voodoo Doughnuts?

Get involved with the Buckman community by checking in with the neighborhood association, or maybe hang out at one of the many local parks, like Buckman Field or Col. Summers Park.

And, if you love Buckman as much as many of its residents do, you never have to leave. Literally. You can eventually, umm, move your residence into the Lone Fir Cemetery.

If you want to find out more about Buckman or explore the streets with me sometime, get in touch.

Neighborhood Focus--Sullivan's Gulch

For my first Neighborhood Focus, I will start with my own--Sullivan's Gulch.

One of the things I like most about Sullivan's Gulch is the look on people's faces when I tell them I live in Sullivan's Gulch. The look says that they have no idea what I am talking about. I could say that I live between Irvington and Hollywood, but it is more fun to say I live in Sullivan's Gulch. Makes it sound like I live in the Wild West.

In fact, Sullivan's Gulch was a part of Portland's Wild West in a way. It is named for Timothy Sullivan, one of the founders of Portland. He staked his claim in the 1850's right about where Highway 84 crosses NE 28th Avenue. Little did Timothy know that his camp would one day be home to a big Fred Meyer!

But Sullivan's Gulch has much more than a Fred Meyer store, of course. The main corridor is Broadway and that little stretch is home to many great little places, like Pets on Broadway, the Manhattan Cafe, Thatch Tiki Bar, and even a new store for jugglers! Another plus about the neighborhood is its close proximity to both the Hollywood and Lloyd Center MAX stations--so getting downtown is free, fast and easy.

The homes around Sullivan's Gulch are gorgeous. There is a wide variety of arts and crafts bungalows, most of them surrounded by great landscaping and gardens. It is a nice mix of smaller affordable starter homes and grander estates.

Even if I didn't live there, Sullivan's Gulch would definitely be one of my favorite walking neighborhoods. Come check it out.