Guide to the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

Beaumont-Wilshire is an older, established neighborhood. It has a mixture of residential and commercial properties. The Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is in actuality two separate neighborhoods separated by NE Fremont Street, with Beaumont to the south and Wilshire to the north. The two neighborhoods agreed to form the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association to recognize their common interests, including their common commercial center of Beaumont Village.

"Beaumont Village, located on NE Fremont Street, from NE 33rd Avenue to NE 50th Avenue, is the main commercial district in the neighborhood, but the neighborhood also lies within walking distance of the Hollywood District, a major commercial and shopping area to the south. Urban Spoon lists 18 eating places on NE Fremont between NE 41st and NE 52nd Avenues.

One of the advantages of living in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood is the variety of home styles that are available. South of Fremont, most of the homes were built in the early 1900s and you will find Tudors, Craftsman, bungalows, etc. Once you cross Fremont heading north, you'll find early 1900s classic styles along with a few homes that were built after 1950.

One of our favorite stores is the 5,000 square foot Beaumont Market at 4130 NE Fremont Street. In addition to the grocery items, there is an amazing amount of other stuff. Look up as it goes all the way from the floor to the ceiling, including some things hanging from the ceiling. You can always find a last minute gift item somewhere in Beaumont. They carry a good quantity of wine as well as the Harris Ranch meats. And fresh produce.

The original Beaumont neighborhood was platted in 1910. It was original part of the Rose City Park subdivision which was platted in 1907. The original Rose City Park subdivision was part of a land claim of Joseph Backenstos, which was assigned to his widow by President Andrew Johnson in 1866. Early maps, around 1890, refer to this area as the Crook Tract. The south slope of Alameda Ridge, originally known as "Beaumont Hill" or "Gravel Hill", trends northwest-southeast through the southern part of the neighborhood. The ridge provides spectacular views of northeast Portland and the downtown skyline, and boasts some of the most expensive homes in Portland. Reportedly, concrete sidewalks and curbs were poured south of NE Fremont in 1911, and the streets were paved within the following few years.

The Wilshire neighborhood was initially platted in 1921 around the area of NE 33rd and N.E. Skidmore. In 1928 the area between NE Fremont and Prescott, and from NE 42nd to 52nd was annexed into the city of Portland, and part of this annex later became the eastern part of the Wilshire neighborhood.

You will want to read the flyer above (just click on it) put out by the Columbia Trust Company in 1910 promoting Beaumont The language of the ads is very flowery as the first paragraph reads, "Beaumont is a veritable natural observatory. It is the residential observatory of the City of Portland." The last paragraph of the ads invites you and your friends to see Beaumont in "one of our automobiles."

Beaumont is the subdivision created in 1910. It means "beautiful mountain" in French. The neighborhood is slightly elevated and the developers wanted to call attention to that desirable feature. The Wilshire subdivision was platted in 1921 around the area of NE 33rd and NE Skidmore.

Bungalow, English, and Tudors south of NE Fremont. Some post WWII (ranch style, etc.) north of Fremont.

The Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association Web site is full of information and photos. It a must visit and by all means, read their newsletters and look at the annual picnic photos. You may also want to visit the Beaumont-Hollywood blog.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only. View Beaumont currently for sale by clicking here. View Wilshire homes currently for sale by clicking here.

Wilshire Park is located on the neighborhood northeast border. The 14.40 acre park includes a picnic area, restroom, dog off-leash area, horseshoe pit, paths, playground, soccer field, softball field, volleyball court, and wading pool or splash pad.

The Matt Dishman Community Center is located at 77 NE Knott Street (about 1.5 miles from Alameda's east border) and includes a basketball court, fitness room, gymnasium, party room, a a indoor swimming pool, and weight room.

You can walk anywhere in the neighborhood and enjoy the trees, homes, and shops along NE Fremont Street. Laura Foster's Portland City Walks book is available from Timber Press here in Portland. The book has a 5.8 mile walk which takes you on NE Fremont Street along the Rose City Cemetery.

Walk Score ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live. Below is a Walk Score for an address in the center of the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood.

Map of the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood

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More About Beaumont-Wilshire

Neighborhood Association Web Site Beaumont-Wilshire.
Location From downtown cross over the Willamette River on the Broadway Bridge and head north on NE Broadway. Take a left on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Turn right on NE Fremont Street - when you arrive at NE 33rd Avenue look right or left and you're in Beaumont-Wilshire.
Topography Hilly on the Alameda ridge on the south edge of the neighborhood. Mature trees and wooded parks.
Sidewalks and Streets The street pattern is a grid in the north part and some winding streets on the south edge of the neighborhood along the Alameda Ridge. The neighborhood has sidewalks for walking.
2005 Livability Study 95.3% of Beaumont-Wilshire residents rated their neighborhood "good" or "very good." See Livability Study.
²Drive Time to Downtown 12-13 minutes by car.
Public Transportation TriMet has three bus routes in Beaumont-Wilshire. The Northeast schedule and routes can be found at TriMet Web site. No MAX light rail or streetcars in Beaumont-Wilshire.
³2000 Demographics Population: 5,122 people. Area (acres): 462. Average population density: 11 persons per acre. Number of households: 2,168. Home owners: 88%. Renters: 12%. Diversity: 11.5% non-Caucasian.
⁴Crime Stats for 2008 Seven violent crimes, 25 residential burglaries, and 15 auto thefts. Total crimes per 1,000 residents was 24.
⁵Shopping and Services Number of food markets: 1. Number of health club: 1. Number of coffee shops: 1. The Beaumont Market on Northeast 41st Avenue and NE Fremont Street is a favorite of locals. Just a couple of blocks further east is the Beaumont "Do It Best Hardware." Click here to access a shopping guide/map of Beaumont.
Eating Out Numerous choices along NE Fremont which is right in the middle of the neighborhood. Walking to a dining spot is possible for many residents.
Who Lives in Beaumont-Wilshire A cross section of people depending upon which side of the "tracks" you live on. The "tracks" is NE Fremont.
Autos in the Neighborhood American cars north of Fremont and value-packed vehicles south.
Schools Elementary schools: Alameda Elementary and Sabin Elementary. Middle school: Beaumont. High school: Grant High School.
School Report Card Grades Elementary schools: A/C. Middle school: C. High school: B. Click here for report card details.

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¹Real Estate Values Data on real estate values provided by Graphical Data, Homequest, and RMLS™.²Drive Time to Downtown Estimated commuting time obtained from Yahoo Maps and Google Maps. Drive time was calculated from a central intersection in each neighborhood to Pioneer Courthouse Square during the morning peak commute time.³Demographics Data Numbers were obtained from Census 2000 and www.portlandmaps.com.⁴Shopping and Services Numbers were determined from local directory listings and county/municipal library systems.
⁵Real Estate Values Data on real estate values provided by Graphical Data, Homequest, and RMLS™.