Destination Sellwood Moreland
Portland’s Hidden Gem of a Neighborhood
Nestled in the Southernmost border of Portland along the banks of the Willamette River you’ll discover a bucolic neighborhood, coveted by families, couples and individuals looking for a chill vibe without the intensity of a big city.
Here is an insider’s guide to the neighborhood, curated by local entrepreneur Kim Campbell. Packed with parks, eateries, craft brews and cappuccinos our 2 mile commercial corridor giving our neighborhood a Walk Score of 93!
Moving Around
Options For the Carefree Car Free to Get to Sellwood
Rent a car. Free street parking is easily found within one block from our property.
Take an Uber/Lyft. Expect about a 20-25 minute ride from door to door. This is probably the easiest if you are not planning to rent a car.
Try public transportation. From the airport (during operating hours) you might expect it to be about a 75 minute travel route.
Take the Max Red Line to the Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave stop and walk 308 ft to the NE 11th & Holladay stop and take the 70 Bus to SE Umatilla & 16th and walk 2 blocks to our property for $2.50.
Get Around the Neighborhood
Portland is truly a bike friendly town so take advantage of this easy way to experience the city. Sellwood is situated on the Springwater Corridor which takes you along the Willamette River into downtown Portland or east towards Gresham with over 40 miles of paved pedestrian/bike lanes.
Rent-by-the minute a bike from Biketown app and pick one up by looking at the map to see where the closest one is. We are one neighborhood outside the app’s boundary so you have to go to the next neighborhood over (Brooklyn) but we have a local shop that rents bikes about (Green Oasis) about 4 blocks away.
Peckish? Pick Your Pleasure
Groceries
New Seasons (3 blocks away) Stocked with ‘good’ groceries, deli, butcher shop, salad bar, florist, gifts, local produce, and bakery.
QFC (0.9 mile) This is our traditional neighborhood grocery store.
Bakeries
Grand Central Bakery (4 blocks) Divine bread, pastries and sammies for tasty breakfasts and lunches. Also grab and go frozen chicken pot pies and cookie dough. Closes at 3pm.
Twisted Patisserie (0.7 mile) With croissant dough as a base you’ll find incredibly scrumptious new fangled pastries.
Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels (2 blocks) Freshly made bagels with a variety of smears and toppings.
Coco Donuts (1.7 miles) Nice variety and we’ll grab a lavender raised donut anytime. Closed Mondays. Open til 2pm daily.
Takeaway Favs
Pinto Thai (6 blocks) Delicious Thai food that’s usually ready in 10 minutes. Closed Mondays.
The Meddling Lime (1 mile) Creative and inspired Mexican. Try the Crispy Rice Bowl with Braised Beef and a friend egg. Yum. Closed Sundays.
Bellagios Pizza (3 blocks) Fastest way to get a great tasting pizza is to order over the phone and walk to pick it up. Open til 9pm but Friday and Saturday 10pm.
Thirsty Much?
Coffee / Tea Shops
Blue Kangaroo (6 blocks away) Locally roasted beans. Try the Cafe Cubano.
Tea Chai Te (4 blocks away) Fresh brewed loose tea and bubble tea served up in a red caboose.
Breakfast
Harney St Cafe (4 blocks away) Serving up bennies, waffles, and mimosas daily from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm. Enjoy a covered patio on warmer days. Lunch fare starts at 11 am.
Bertie Lou’s Cafe (2 blocks away) Classic cafe-style breakfasts in an adorably quaint vintage spot. Open from 8 am - 2 pm Thursday - Sunday only.
Bars
Kay’s Bar (07 mile) Our favorite local dive bar. They’ve got a great happy hour with drafts, craft cocktails and a $6 burger.
The Bible Club (1 mile) A prohibition era themed speakeasy with very special, bespoke cocktails that might include smoke and other fancy preparations. Open 4pm til midnight.
The Portland Bottle Shop (5 blocks) This is a proper bottle shop for wine, beer and cider. Pick a bottle of wine off the shelf and order some grub to go along with it. They have a delish selection of sandwiches, salads and tapas with indoor and outdoor seating.
The Record Pub (1 mile) Browse LPs while listening to tunes and sipping on your favorite NW brew or cider. Open 11 am - 9pm Tues - Sunday.
Foodies Discover Fab Finds in Sellwood
Casual Eateries
Jade Bistro (6 blocks) Thai / Vietnamese counter service restaurant with bakery. Excellent banh mi, curries, soups and stir fries. They’ve even got a burger infused with lemongrass and truffle fries. This is another great spot for dining in or calling your order in and picking up.
Reverends BBQ (0.5 mile) Smoked meats, fried chicken, mac and cheese and a full bar. You will definitely need a satisfied nap after a meal here. Sometimes we order their meats by the pound with sides and bring it home for an easy dinner.
Bastion PDX (1.1 miles) Gourmet healthy eats in a casual counter service spot with outdoor patio that is plant-focused with seasonal offerings. Always Gluten-Free. Soy-Free. Refined Sugar-Free and very very tasty.
Pizzicato (0.8 mile) A small local chain of pizzerias serving up thin crust pizzas with creative toppings. Excellent salad options and their veggie appetizers are some of the best in Portland. Try the roasted artichokes and you’ll see what we mean. Available for delivery.
Holler (0.7 mile) This spot ticks off a lot of boxes for a family. From a sports bar, arcade to casual chicken/burger shop with a instagrammable treat shop for dessert next door.
Zenbu (6 blocks) Japanese plates, sushi and sashimi, paired with Japanese whiskey in a gorgeous bamboo courtyard setting in the dry weather. If you see Brussels sprouts on the menu…order them. Closed Mondays. Dinner service only starting at 4:30 - 10pm.
Fancier Dining
Acena (8 blocks) Tasty Italian with housemade pasta. Try the grilled octopus or the lobster, corn, marscapone ravioli. Triple yum.
Ginos (3 blocks) This popular Italian trattoria has a loyal fan base. Great for family style suppers. Try Grandma Jean’s meat sauce packed with ribs, beef and pepperoni over pasta. Open 4-9pm daily for dinner.
Relish Gusto (0.8 mile) Another option for Italian (we may be the Little Italy of Portland). We love their outdoor patio in the warm weather and they’ve got a great little happy hour window from 4:30 - 5:30 pm.
Top Shelf Shopping
Gift Shops
Plural Collective (3 blocks) This unique female-maker run shop is choc full of gifts for others or for yourself. From candles, plants, clothes to jewelry, know that the woman helping you is a maker with unique products in the shop. You can even pickup a cozy pair of cotton women’s undies from Kim’s brand Dare Heart there. Closed Mondays.
Sellwood Union (3 blocks) This thrift store is a big hit with the Z gen. Filled with a curated collection from the 80s and 90s it is bigger than it looks and a fun spot to browse around in.
Tasi Jewelry & Gifts (5 blocks) Handmade jewelry, mugs, bags, candles by local makers make this another great spot for picking up a little somethin’ for yourself.
Columbia Sports Outlet Store (3 blocks) Pick up some great deals on sport and skiwear at one of Portland’s alternate sportswear brands for the outdoor set.
Antiquing
Stars Antique Mall (0.7 mile) This fun spot has two HUGE shops across the street from one another filled with micro businesses (or curated stalls). Step back in time and listen to people reminisce over their discoveries from the next aisle over.
Old Portland Hardware & Architectural (1 block) Another gigantic space filled with the coolest of cool. From furniture to doorknobs it’s a super fun place to poke around and see what you’ll find.
Great Outdoor Escapes
Sellwood Riverfront Park
Nestled at the base of the Sellwood Bridge is a family-friendly park that includes a beach and a dock for launching your SUP or swimming. There is a big grassy area for doggies and there are always plenty of people around. This park is just south of Oaks Amusement Park. (0.8 mile away)
Westmoreland Park
Head Northwest and along Johnson Creek and you will discover a crown jewel of our parks. Updated in the last decade with a gorgeous natural playground and protected areas along Johnson Creek for waterfowl. There is a bike, walking path and a suspended walkway over the creek for a cool experience. Multiple baseball and soccer fields are often filled with teams and clubs practicing. In the center of the park is a manmade casting pond that ducks love and people enjoy practicing casting on. (0.7 mile away)
Oaks Bottom Nature Preserve
Also close to Oaks Park is a terrific nature walk with a seasonal lake and wetlands. On this walk you may spy a huge building with a mural of a great blue heron on it. More than 185 bird species have been found here and if you are lucky you may spy a bald eagle. There are several points you can get onto the Springwater Corridor from here or just follow the dirt trail all the way to the asphalt path and turn around, it’s a lovely way to stretch your legs along the edge of the lake. (1 mile away)
Fun Diversions
Catch a flick at the Moreland Theater
Opened in 1926 featuring silent films and vaudeville acts the Moreland Theater has operated as a movie theater for almost a century. Thankfully they upgraded to more comfortable seats a few years back. Tickets are $10 or $8 for matinees and you can get tickets at the door or purchase online.
Oaks Amusement Park
This is some serious old-timey fun. Originally opened in 1905 and is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country. With rides for the littles and rides for the adventurous, a midway filled with games, picnic areas along and carnival offerings like soft serve and hot dogs.
On a rainy day head over their year-round roller skating rink with a floating floor (meant to salvage the floor in case of float: will float). Open seasonally in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Open from noon - 7pm, 8pm or 9pm depending on the day of the week.
Hype up the feisty fighting fems of the Rose City Rollers at a roller derby match in the hanger next to Oaks Park.
Sweet Walks... Shortish & Longish
NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR
2.4 miles // 48 minutes
Discover what I consider the perfect mix of shops, homes and outdoor spaces and get a real taste of the Sellwood Moreland neighborhood. Head northeast and walk to Westmoreland Park. Stroll through the sports fields, past the pond, next to the natural playground, along the walkway that perches over Johnson Creek waterfowl preserve until you reach Bybee Blvd. Head east on Bybee about 9 blocks (here you’ll find lots o’ shops and yummy food options) at the end of Bybee Blvd there is a soft turn to the left and it becomes 13th Avenue. Take a break on a bench overlooking Oaks Park and the Oaks Bottom Nature Reserve. Then continue south down 13th Ave and poke around some amazing gift shops, antique stores, coffee spots, food carts and restaurants which line 13th Avenue after about six residential blocks.
HISTORIC HOME TOUR
2.1 miles // 41 minutes
Discover one of my favorite quiet city walks which takes you into the heart of a treasure trove of cool architecture. Start off heading west towards 13th and turn left heading south then continuing south on 13th Avenue until you see a blue train car parked in a pocket park. You are now at the entrance of a tucked away, hidden neighborhood of luxurious historical homes called Garthwick.
With only two entrances to this neighborhood you have to either know about it or accidentally stumble upon it. It’s a favorite of walkers, bikers and joggers because there is very little traffic and so much to look at. Saunter these streets and admire the half timbering, arched windows, grand doors and luscious landscaping. Make it a longer walk by turning down side streets eventually finding your way back to the nondescript entrance you first walked through. Walk back through the neighborhood on a different route and you’ll see the roots of a working class neighborhood filled with small bungalows that are trending towards modernity as houses begin to be remodeled and replaced.
RIVERFRONT WALK
1.7 miles // 34 minutes
Looking for a shorter stroll that pays off by taking you to a wonderful destination? Head west towards SE 15th and cross at the light. Walk in one block north and turn left to head west again on Spokane St. This is a street that is earmarked for bicycle traffic so it’s less travelled by cars. Continue walking until you reach the river. Google maps forces you through a parking lot but if you go to the end of Spokane there is a walkaway that takes you into the Sellwood Riverfront Park.
Here you can admire our gorgeous Sellwood Bridge, watch dogs frolic in the grass, walk along the beach of the river or have a picnic riverside.