Neighborhoods

Neighborhood Spotlight on Lower Albina

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” That famous Faulkner line has always rung true in our city, but it’s especially true in Lower Albina, a historically black neighborhood in Northeast Portland where gentrification and urban renewal (aka “urban removal”) have displaced thousands of residents and transformed the community. In honor of Black […]

/ February 25, 2019

The Albina Vision is a 50-Year Plan—But It Starts Now

WHAT: The Albina Vision is a community-led effort to revitalize a district that was once the heart of Portland’s black community. The plan calls for building nine city blocks of affordable housing and community gathering space, and capping the I-5 freeway that displaced thousands of families in the 1960s — but the project is about […]

/ February 20, 2019

Meet Portland’s Most Beloved Used Book Store (Not Named Powell’s)

WHAT: Title Wave Used Bookstore is where library books go to retire. From children’s books to DVDs and travel guides, this hidden gem in Lower Albina has something for every reader. WHY IT MATTERS: The shop prices and resells library materials from 18 Multnomah County branches, so they can have a second life in the […]

/ February 20, 2019

The Church that Stood Strong

WHAT: Lower Albina has seen a lot of change over the last 50 years, but one constant through it all has been the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church, which will celebrate its 75th birthday next month. The church has withstood decades of gentrification and displacement, and its members today span multiple generations. WHY IT MATTERS: […]

/ February 14, 2019

Akâdi Brings West African Food to Portland

Spices from scratch, sauces from scratch, slow-cooked goat and whole-fried tilapia: Akâdi, which means “tasty” in Bambara (a Mali-originated language), is a restaurant in Portland’s Albina district that lives up to its name by serving homemade West African food from chef-owner Fatou Ouattara’s native Bouaké, Ivory Coast. Ouattara, who immigrated to the U.S. to attend […]

/ January 31, 2019

Spotlight on Portland’s Sunnyside Neighborhood

Sunnyside might be best known for its trendy bars and boutique shopping, but there’s a lot more to this Southeast Portland neighborhood than Belmont and Hawthorne.

/ January 14, 2019

Sunnyside: Bright lights, little slice of the city

Sunnyside would be nothing without the passionate people who live and work in the neighborhood. BBPDX recognizes that, which is why they have partnered with us to help tell the colorful and sometimes secretive stories of Sunnyside.  

/ January 9, 2019