Portrait Of A 'Hood: Boise-Eliot

This week I took a walk in the North/Northeast Portland neighborhood known as Boise-Eliot with one of the area’s residents, Heather, who showed me some of her favorite haunts, including her favorite cafe and a few homes she has always admired. Just around the corner from Irving Park, Boise-Eliot is close to the action of NE Broadway, North Williams and North Vancouver, and just east of Interstate 5. Once part of the city of Albina, Boise-Eliot remains one of Portland’s most diverse neighborhoods, retaining its historic character with a lot of classic older homes as well as modern condos.

Here’s Heather’s take on Boise-Eliot:

“Dishman Community Center is my favorite place to hang out, because all members of the community are represented there; it’s a really positive place. 

My neighborhood is shifting. We are not far from Legacy Hospital, MLK Boulevard, and North Williams. it’s very residential, with a good mix of lovely old craftsman homes with a lot of character, some of which have been nicely remodeled. I love to stroll around and check out the old homes and imagine what they look like when they were being built.”

Just as she said this, we found ourselves walking beside a reminder of this neighborhood’s architectural diversity–a modern condominium for sale (check out this link to photos) right across from the Knott Street Grocery. We ended our walk with a coffee next door at TwentySix Cafe, Heather’s favorite.