Guide to the Eastmoreland Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

Two comfortable Portland neighborhoods, near each other in southeast Portland, are Westmoreland (part of the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood) and Eastmoreland. If you like wide tree-lined streets (lots of elms), quiet neighbors, and a variety of house styles, move to Eastmoreland. Take a drive on SE Reed − it's a boulevard with a median − and soon you'll be looking at the "Houses for Sale in Eastmoreland" ads in the paper.

To get to Eastmoreland from downtown head east and cross over the Willamette River. Take a right on SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (aka Highway 99). Proceed for four miles and you'll see the Eastmoreland Golf Course. The neighborhood extends north to SE Woodstock Street and then SE Bybee, south to SE Crystal Springs Boulevard, east to SE 39th Avenue, and west to approximately SE 25th Avenue.

The Eastmoreland Golf Course is a public 18-hole course on 140 acres. Chandler Egan, a former national amateur golf champion and leading golf course architect, designed the course, and in 1917, Portland had its first public golf course. Golf Digest ranks it among the nation's top 75 public course.

Both Westmoreland and Eastmoreland, like the Ladd and Laurelhurst subdivisions, were part of the real estate holdings of the Ladd Estate Company. Ladd had lots to suit most pocketbooks. Over in the southwest part of the greater Portland area were Ladd properties that became part of Dunthorpe, an aristocratic suburb of manor houses and country estates. To the north of Westmoreland and Eastmoreland is another Ladd property, Brooklyn. The center of Brooklyn is the Southern Pacific's railroad yards. When it was first developed and for some years thereafter, Brooklyn was home for hundreds of European immigrants, many of whom worked in the railroad yards.

The only sour note in Eastmoreland's peaceful setting was the battle between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) and the Eastmoreland community. SP owned vacant land alongside its tracks between Eastmoreland and Westmoreland. The SP hoped to use those 15 acres to extend its Brooklyn yards. When that plan was proposed, in the early 1950s, Eastmoreland took the matter to court, claiming that such railroad expansion would cause damage to Eastmoreland property values, In 1956, a federal judge upheld the plaintiffs and enjoined the SP from expanding its yards.

Eastmoreland is the home of Reed College. Reed was founded in 1908, and its first classes were held in 1911. Reed is named for Oregon pioneers Simeon and Amanda Reed. Reed has a full schedule of lectures, concerts, and exhibits that many of the Eastmoreland residents attend.

Eastmoreland got its name from Julius Caesar Moreland, a successful real estate developer and also a prominent county judge. The neighborhood to the west of Eastmoreland is called Westmoreland (part of the Sellwood-Westmoreland neighborhood association.

Eastmoreland homes show a wide range of architectural styles popular in the 1920's and 1930's, including Tudor, Colonial, English Cottage, and stucco. Today the neighborhood is well established and stable. Of the 1,500 lots in the neighborhood, only a few remain empty.

You could put a manufactured home on a winding street in Eastmoreland with its 200 year-old trees and it would probably look good.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only. To view Eastmoreland homes currently for sale click here.

Eastmoreland has three parks. The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens (9.49 acres) are botanical gardens located on SE 28 Avenue between the Eastmoreland Golf Course and Reed College. It is affectionately known as the "Rhody Gardens." The development of a display and test garden was initiated in 1950 by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. Referred to as Shakespeare Island by Reed College students because of the Shakespearean plays that had been performed there, it was abandoned and overgrown with brush and blackberries. Through the efforts of chapter members and other volunteers, and with the support of Park Superintendent C.P. Keyser, the garden flourished. The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is is available for weddings, memorials, anniversaries, and other special events. Other parks:

Eastmoreland is the home of Reed College, a well-regarded liberal arts college founded in 1908. Reed College ranks in the top four of all U.S. colleges and universities for the percentage of graduates who earn Ph.D.s in all fields. It has produced 31 Rhodes scholars, second only to one other liberal arts college.

Reed is the only liberal arts college in the world with an operating nuclear reactor on its campus. Since the reactor only produces 250 kilowatts of heat (about 10 times as much as a home heating furnace), a meltdown or other serious event is not likely since the reactor doesn't produce enough heat to melt down.

This video will give you an idea of the trees on the Reed campus as well as the neighborhood.

Eastmoreland has a variety of walking tours to include a tour of historical homes, two tree walks, a garden walk, and a walk along the creek and bridges of the Springwater Corridor.

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 Eastmoreland neighborhood.

More About Eastmoreland

Neighborhood Association Web Site Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association.
Location From downtown cross over the Willamette River on the Burnside Bridge and take a right on SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (aka Highway 99). Proceed for four miles and when you see the Eastmoreland Golf Course (on your left) you're in Eastmoreland.
Topography Flat to very moderate rolling hills. Mature trees on most properties. Parks are wooded.
Sidewalks and Streets The street pattern is a pleasing combination of grid and winding. The neighborhood has sidewalks for walking.
2005 Livability Study 97.7% of Eastmoreland residents rated their neighborhood "good" or "very good." The data for Eastmoreland was combined with their next door neighborhood, Ardenwald. See Livability Study.
²Drive Time to Downtown 16-18 minutes.
Public Transportation There are four bus routes in the neighborhood - see bus schedule and routes at the TriMet Web site.
³Demographics Population: 5,017. Area: 729 acres. Population density (people per acre): 6. Households: 1,630. Homeowners: 86%. Renters: 14%. Diversity: 7.6% non-Caucasian.
⁴Crime Stats for 2008 Six violent crime, 15 residential burglaries, and 11 auto thefts. Total crimes per 1,000 people was 25.
Sex Offenders Click here for the State of Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System. After agreeing to the "Conditions of Use Statement" you will be redirected to a "Enter Search Criteria" page. Insert a zip code in the "Zip" field and click on the "Query" button. Eastmoreland zip code: 97202.
⁵Shopping and Services Eastmoreland has a small grocery market at 3616 SE Knapp Street called e.moreland Market & Kitchen. Along the east border of Eastmoreland, SE 39th Avenue has a number of stores like Trader Joe's and neighboring Sellwood-Moreland has a New Seasons Market and a QFC. Also a hardware store along with numerous other retail establishments are located in Sellwood-Moreland.
Eating Out No eating places (other than Reed College and the Eastmoreland Club Course) are located in Eastmoreland. But you are close to Sellwood-Moreland, and they have a variety of eating establishments.
Public Library The closest branch library of the Multnomah County Library system is the Sellwood-Moreland on SE 13th Avenue.
Who Lives in Eastmoreland Doctors, lawyers, merchants, and professors from Reed College. Residents make certain their children receive a good education - the average daily attendance at Duniway Elementary is over 95%. Dr. Warren Bland, the author of Retire in Style: 60 Outstanding Places Across the USA and Canada retired to Eastmoreland in the Spring of 2006.
Cars in the Neighborhood If they make it, you'll see it on the streets of Eastmoreland. You would think that a college neighborhood would have all sorts of vehicles driving the neighborhood streets. But Reed is different from most colleges with regards to cars. Most Reed students are too busy to drive.
Schools Elementary school: Duniway. Middle school: Sellwood Middle School. High school: Cleveland High School.
School Report Card Grades Elementary schools: A/C. Middle schools: B/C. High school: B. Click here for report card details.

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¹Drive 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.²Demographics Data Numbers were obtained from Census 2000 and www.portlandmaps.com.³Crime Statistics Numbers on crime represent total crimes for 2007 and were obtained from county sheriff departments and the Oregon State Police. Violent crimes are defined as murder, rape, and aggravated assault.
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™.