Neighborhood Spotlight: Montavilla
In the 1890s, Montavilla was named Mount Tabor Village, and was a stopping point for travelers going from Hood River into Portland.
The name "Montavilla" originated from the abbreviations used on the streetcar destination signs when streetcars served the area starting in 1892. The name was first abbreviated as "Mt. Ta. Villa", then later as "Monta.Villa". Residents soon adopted the latter name for the neighborhood, written as Montavilla. Streetcar service to Montavilla ended in 1948.
Today, the neighborhood is quickly growing. 82nd Avenue cuts through the heart of it with a vibrant array of Asian markets, hidden noodle shops and proximity to a wide variety of authentic restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the world.
This is a wonderful neighborhood of older Portland homes and old growth trees lining many of the streets.
Photo credit: Townshends Teahouse
Get to Know Montavilla on Stark Street
Though the business of 82nd avenue can seem overwhelming, the cool action of Montavilla happens in the smaller nooks like Stark Street. Coffee shops, watering holes and family friendly businesses are all tucked into this small stretch of Stark Street on the bottom slope of Mt. Tabor.
There are food trucks, ice cream trucks, restaurants, and sundries stores all within this walkable stretch.
Events in Montavilla
The Montavilla Street Fair happens every July. The fun festival features an array of vendors, local businesses and live music. It’s fun for the entire family, and also a great way to meet the neighbors.
Montavilla also has a vibrant farmers market on Sundays with a long season that extends from May through February. The market was founded by a group of Montavilla residents and visionaries who wanted to bring fresh food options to the neighborhood. That spirit of community is a central tenet of the growing community.
Montavilla is for Outdoors Lovers!
If you love the outdoors, Montavilla is an excellent neighborhood to call home. It’s easy to hop on I-84 for a drive out to the many hiking trails in the Gorge. There are also great biking routes to get you into the natural landscape of our region directly from Montavilla.
Gateway Green is on the edge of Montavilla, a treasured pocket of land between the I-84 and I-205 interchange near Gateway Transit Center. This bike park has been thoughtfully developed over time thanks to a partnership between the Northwest Trail Alliance and several other entities. The park is known for beginner-level off-road bike riding features, such as a pump track, singletrack course and dirt jumps. This new park acquisition is still in it’s phases of infancy. It may not look like it, but there are 25 acres on this parcel of land - only a fraction of which has been developed so far.
There is Plenty of Retail in Montavilla!
Unless you need to commute elsewhere for work, there’s no need to leave Montavilla! You could stay here for days. The neighborhood spans all the way from I-84 to Division, and from the east side of Mt. Tabor to I-205. There is a wealth of restaurants, shops, entertainment, grocery stores, dry cleaners and more directly in the neighborhood.
Exploring 82nd Avenue alone could take weeks!
The retail is relatively consolidated into these zones, and the residential areas tend to be rather quiet. It’s an older neighborhood with an older neighborhood vibe, but plenty of vibrancy creeping in.
With the interchanges of I-84 and I-205 nearby plus safe bike routes and robust transit options, it’s easy to get from Montavilla to anywhere else in the city relatively hassle free.
SIDE NOTE:
How do you pronounce Montavilla?
Based on the origin of the name (see first section), it’s Mon-tah-VILL-ah. You may here people say Mon-ta-VEE-ah, but there is not historic basis for pronouncing the double L as it would be spoken in Spanish.