An All-Purpose Guide to the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood in Portland

North East Portland’s Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Is a Charmer

The Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood of North East Portland has long been considered one of the true gems of Portland’s eastside. The neighborhood includes the popular Beaumont Village shopping and restaurant district, Beaumont Middle School, and the Alameda Ridge, with its views of downtown Portland and the Cascade mountain range. Beaumont-Wilshire is bordered by the Grant Park, Cully, Rose City Park, Concordia, and Alameda neighborhoods.

The Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is one of Portland’s older, more-established areas, and features both a strong sense of history and a strong sense of community.

Originally two neighborhoods divided by east-west running North East Fremont Street, with Beaumont on the south side of Fremont and Wilshire on the north side, Beaumont-Wilshire is now a unified community with Fremont Street serving as its primary thoroughfare, and a unified neighborhood association working toward the neighborhood’s common interests.

Beaumont-Wilshire: The History of the Neighborhood(s)

The Beaumont neighborhood was laid out in the first decade of the twentieth century, when it was originally meant to be a part of the neighboring Rose City Park subdivision. It was also once part of a land claim assigned to early Portland resident Joseph Backenstos’ widow by President Andrew Johnson in the years following the U.S. Civil War. The streets were laid out and paved over the course of a few years between 1911 and 1915.

Prior to the development of the area, Beaumont was referred to as the Crook Tract by early settlers. The name “Beaumont,” which translates from the French as “beautiful hill,” was selected to describe the Alameda ridge that serves as the neighborhood’s chief geographical feature.

Today, the ridge contains some of Portland’s most expensive properties, boasting views of the Willamette River, downtown Portland, and the nearby volcanoes of the Cascade mountain range.

By contrast, the Wilshire neighborhood was not laid out until the early 1920s. The neighborhood was designed to surround the intersection of NE 33rd Avenue and NE Skidmore Street, an area that boasts a lively commercial district of its own to this day.

In 1928, the original Wilshire community, as well as an adjoining area to the east, was annexed by the city of Portland. This adjoining area was incorporated into the neighborhood shortly thereafter.

Some Great Places in the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood

Beaumont Village

Beaumont Village, the area of NE Fremont Street from 33rd Avenue in the West to NE 50th Avenue in the east, is the primary commercial district for the neighborhood. This section of Fremont Street is home to several great restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops, bars, and other area businesses.

Blackbird Wine and Atomic Cheese Bar

A wine shop that specializes in great bottles (many for fifteen dollars or less and from the world’s best producing regions), with an event space and a cheese shop on the premises, Blackbird Wine and Atomic Cheese is one of those great neighborhood joints that gives Portland a reputation for quirkiness and a sincere dedication to the finer things in life.

Jim and Patty’s Coffee

Jim and Patty, the folks behind Portland’s early coffee renaissance, as well as the founders and original owners of the Coffee People chain of espresso cafes throughout the city, are back in the coffee shop game with this location on NE Fremont and a couple of others throughout the city. And if you’ve been in town long enough to know, then yes – they still make sour cream coffee cake, and it’s just like you remember: amazing.

Schools in the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood

The Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is home to only one school, Beaumont Middle School at the corner of Northeast Fremont and Northeast Forty-First. The neighborhood is served by Alameda Elementary School, located a bit west of the neighborhood on Fremont Street, and by Grant High School in the neighboring Grant Park neighborhood. All three schools are operated by Portland Public Schools.  

Walkability Scores and Real Estate Styles in Beaumont-Wilshire

With its abundance of neighborhood shops, cafes, and breweries, as well as nearby access to groceries and many other amenities Beaumont-Wilshire has a relatively high walk score of 79. The neighborhood is older by Portland standards and well established, with architectural styles ranging from Craftsman bungalow to ranch, Cape Cod, cottage, and other familiar early 20th century and mid-century styles.

Getting Around Beaumont-Wilshire in PDX

Portland area mass transit service Trimet operates several bus lines that intersect the neighborhood at various points, running north to south, and the Fremont line that follows Fremont Street, the main east-west street of the neighborhood. Beaumont-Wilshire is located centrally within the Northeast quadrant of Portland and enjoys easy freeway access to Interstates Eighty-Four and 205, as well as quick, easy access to the Portland International Airport.

Agents Weigh in on Beaumont-Wilshire Hotspots They Love

Rachel Freed: Blackbird Wine Shop & Cheese Bar and Amenity Shoes!

Susan Zazzetti: Amenity shoes on NE 42nd & Fremont!

Liz Getty: Adorn - I have followed this shop owner and her impeccable style choices since they were across from the Wonder Ballroom off Russell! Food-wise (though may not be Wilshire) - I gotta' push for a little Pollo Norte, located off 42nd. I love me some roasted chicken - only second to fried!