Walkable Woodstock Neighborhood, Portland
Woodstock neighborhood has quite an enjoyable and quirky history.
It’s actually one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods and it was named after Walter Scott’s 1826 novel, Woodstock. Up until the 1850s, the area was wilderness until the plucky Kelly family of Kentucky decided to move west tempted by free land. The Kelly family occupied and farmed the land for many decades and by 1889, the Woodstock area was sold, platted for residential development and given its name. James Havely, one of the key players in creating the Woodstock neighborhood, built one of its most historic houses, a Queen Anne residence located at 5450 SE 40th Avenue. He also was largely responsible for bringing water and electrical service to the area as well as a trolley in 1891. The area continued to develop and evolve which is widely seen in the evolution in house styles that can be found in the neighborhood from Victorians, bungalows, cottages, ranch-style homes, and now, newer construction.
Geographically speaking, Woodstock, located in inner southeast Portland, is bounded on the north by Southeast Holgate Boulevard, east by Southeast 45th and Southeast 60th Streets, south by Johnson Creek, and west by Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard (formerly Southeast 39th Avenue). Nearby neighborhoods include Reed, Eastmoreland, Creston-Kenilworth, Mt. Scott- Arletta, Brentwood-Darlington and Ardenwald- Johnson Creek.
The Woodstock VIBE
Woodstock neighborhood has a vibrant local culture with a high walkability and bike-ability rating and many amenities that give it its own home town vibe. Unlike other residential southeast neighborhoods, Woodstock has retained a nature-heavy feel — a likely draw for families and pet owners! After you’ve enjoyed a leisurely brunch at Toast, spend your Saturday exploring nature in the area with a trip to Woodstock Park. Woodstock Park is a sprawling green space near the center of the neighborhood; there are horseshoe pits, a playground, an off-leash dog area, soccer and softball fields, and a tennis court. This park is a natural gathering area for neighborhood association events and all sorts of community activities.
The WNA (Woodstock Neighborhood Association) is an active group of humans who regularly continue to improve the area by planting trees, organizing community events and advocating for crosswalks and medians to make it a safer place to live and walk.
SE Woodstock Boulevard, the main commercial corridor in the neighborhood, has seen a bit of a renaissance with many new businesses opening in recent years. Whether you are after fresh bread, fish and chips, a local bar or vintage shops, Woodstock has you covered hosting New Seasons Grocery, Grand Central Bakery, Otto’s (serving the local area quality German sausages since 1929!), Red Fox Vintage, the Portland Fish Market and Lutz Tavern to name a few. In addition, Woodstock is home to a regular local Farmer’s Market (happens every Sunday from 10am to 2pm, from June through October, in the Key Bank parking lot (4600 SE Woodstock Blvd.), a community center, a library, two elementary schools (Woodstock Elementary and Meriwether Lewis Elementary Schools) and many other wonderful and local parks and neighborhoods at it’s doorstep.
It’s pretty obvious why people continually choose to live here and why it was once one of Portland’s best kept secrets for so long.
ABOUT FRANCISCO SALGADO
An expert at finding solutions in the home buying and selling process, Portland real estate broker Francisco Salgado enjoys shopping and dining all up and down Woodstock Blvd. Contact Francisco so he can help you find the perfect neighborhood to call home, call/text 503-951-8548.
Woodstock At A Glance:
Population: 8,584
Average Age: 38
Households with kids: 31.4%
Median home value: $494,541
Median household income: $78,549
Neighborhood feel: sparse suburban
Owned: 74.6%
Bike to work: 3.4%
Elementary schools: 2
Parks: 14 acres