Portland Neighborhoods: South Waterfront

Portland has 95 officially-recognized neighborhoods that span the city. Each neighborhood has a volunteer-based neighborhood association that serves as a liaison between neighborhood residents and city government. The cool part about this system is that it allows each neighborhood to have a distinct personality and a community feeling, even when you’re in the middle of a larger city.

Meet the South Waterfront, one of our city’s newest neighborhoods.

The Daily Cafe, 3555 SW Bond Ave., Portland OR 97239

Seasonal, organic offerings make this a great lunch or morning coffee spot. It’s not just a South Waterfront haunt — this is a Portland favorite, with a location in NW Portland and another in SE Portland. This branch is located in the always-busy OHSU Center for Health & Healing building, near the bottom of the Portland Aerial Tram, and it’s a great spot to grab a healthy bite (or a cookie!)

Portland Aerial Tram, 3303 SW Bond Ave., Portland OR 97239

This newer item in the Portland city skyline provides easy transportation from OHSU’s main hospital buildings on the Marquam hill to their newer buildings in the heart of the South Waterfront. It’s a fun, short ride and anyone can take the tram for a little excursion or as part of the 4T Trail.

South Waterfront Farmers’ Market, Elizabeth Caruthers Park, 3508 SW Moody Ave, Portland, OR 97239

It wouldn’t be a Portland neighborhood without a weekly farmer’s market, and this neighborhood is no exception. This one runs May through October on Thursdays from 1-6 p.m. This market features treats, veggies and music along the river. It offers easy to access via streetcar from other areas in the city, and many of the farm vendors offer an easy pickup for their CSA (community-supported agriculture) programs.

Because of the totally new nature of this neighborhood, there aren’t any schools located in the neighborhood proper (although there are a couple of daycare centers from the children of OHSU employees nearby). Most South Waterfront residents who have children will be sending them to Capitol Hill or Rieke Elementary schools, in nearby neighborhoods.

There are an abundance of health services available in this neighborhood because of the close proximity of OHSU‘s hospitals and clinics.

March Wellness, 3303 SW Bond Ave., Portland OR 97239

March Wellness is a full-service health club operated by OHSU and located in the Center for Health & Healing building. Monthly memberships and daily passes are available.

 

A truly unique neighborhood, almost all of the homes here are condominiums and apartments. Before these high-rise buildings were built over the past ten years, this area was nothing but vacant land. These properties offer river views, accessibility to the city by bike and public transportation, and a quiet environment in an up-and-coming neighborhood.