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 Located
in southeast Portland, the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood borders the Willamette
River on the west, Southeast 29th Avenue on the east, Powell Boulevard on
the south and Hawthorne Boulevard on the north. The neighborhood is a diverse
combination of business, industry, and residential areas.
Entrance to the neighborhood from the west can be via the
Hawthorne bridge on the north boundary and the Ross Island bridge on the
south boundary. Coming into the neighborhood from the west, the first
few blocks are all industrial that slowly turns into a mix of residential,
including apartments, and industrial as you drive further east. Finally,
at SE 13th Avenue, you’re in a residential area with detached single-family
homes.
The Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood is comprised of several
small neighborhoods, not receiving its official name (HAND) until the 1970s,
as Portlanders began to create neighborhood associations. There is a tremendous
wealth of history to the HAND neighborhood, a history that can be traced
back to the area’s earliest settlements even prior to when it was part of
the separate, incorporated city of East Portland. Hosford-Abernethy has
undergone numerous changes since the mid-nineteenth century and continues
its evolution to this day.
The heart of the neighborhood is located at SE 26th
and SE Clinton which is a couple blocks south of SE Division. This
is where a retail area has gradually grown so that it now contains 15 or
so establishments to include restaurants, a food market, coffee shops, a
record shop, movie theatre, a video store, and a gallery along with others.
The businesses are spread over a 5-6 block area. All it needs is a
bookstore to make it an authentic Portland neighborhood.
A few years ago you would have been an “urban pioneer”
if you decided to buy a home in Hosford-Abernethy, but this neighborhood
has changed so much (for the better) that you can still catch the trend
and find an affordable home. It may require some TLC, but you will
have company as many of your neighbors will be doing the same thing.
One of the issues in the neighborhood is traffic.
The Portland Department of Transportation awarded a grant to study traffic
on Division Street, the primary route through the center of the neighborhood.
The goal of the grant is to plan for a pedestrian-oriented street and encourage
more local business establishments. As a result, the community has been
successful in bringing in a number of businesses. This means that the residents
can shop in the neighborhood. They want to attract community-minded
business owners, and it appears to be working. The neighborhood fought
a Starbucks but the coffee house managed to open up a store on SE Division.
It stayed open for a few months and the coffee chain eventually closed the
store for lack of sales.
In the 1960s, plans were developed for a proposed Mt. Hood
Freeway, which would have meant the destruction of numerous homes along
Hosford-Abernethy’s southern edge closest to Powell Boulevard. This plan
was shelved in 1974.
Val Ballestrem, a resident
of the community and former neighborhood association board member, has written
the history of the neighborhood which can be viewed online at the
Hosford-Abernethy
neighborhood Web site.
Ladd's Addition
 The
neighborhood map reveals an uncommon street pattern just south of SE Hawthorne
in an area known as Ladd’s Addition which is part of the Hosford-Abernethy
neighborhood. The streets are in an orderly geometric form – a rectangle
crossed by two diagonals, which divide the plat into four isosceles triangles.
These are further divided into smaller triangles, quadrilaterals, parallelograms,
and trapezoids. Also included were four diamond-shaped parks located
on the points of a compass. It looks like a British Flag from the air layered
against the grid pattern of the rest of the area. Each of
these "circles" contain one of Portland's test rose gardens, with the northern
garden's rose bushes being in a slightly different layout than the other
three.
William S. Ladd platted this subdivision in 1891 and he
named all but two of the streets after trees. He named one street
after himself (Ladd Avenue) and another after his wife, Elliot Avenue.
Two streets were later renamed because they were continuations of the grid
of streets surrounding the subdivision, and some others were changed because
of duplication in other parts of Portland.
The efforts to enhance the public spaces were one reason
the American Planning
Association honored Ladd's Addition, declared a city historic district
in 1977 and listing it on the
National Register of Historic
Places in 1988. Criteria for being named a great neighborhood include
architectural features, accessibility, functionality and community involvement.
The American Planning Association, a not-for-profit educational organization,
named Ladd's Addition one of the "Top 10 Great Neighborhoods" for 2009.
Origin of the Names Hosford and Abernethy
The neighborhood name came from two schools in the area:
Hosford Middle School and Abernethy Elementary School. Chauncey O.
Hosford was a one-time resident of Portland who owned 200 acres of land
on Mt. Tabor. George Abernethy, like Hosford a Methodist missionary, was
also Oregon's first provincial governor. Neither of these men lived or owned
property in the neighborhood that bears their names, but both were important
in the history of Oregon and Portland.
Home Styles
 Most
of the houses in Ladd’s Addition as well as the rest of the area were built
between 1905 and 1920. The neighborhood architectural styles can be
described as “assorted” and the quality of maintenance varies from “needs
work” to pleasantly preserved. Numerous apartment buildings
are located on the west side of the neighborhood. You will see
Bungalows, English Cottages, and Four-squares to name a few.
In the mid 90s, eastside builder Loren Waxman built four
craftsman townhomes on SE 26th and others have been built since. A
small condo development was built in the early 2000s at 21st and Clinton
and more condos are starting to appear. Alternatives to detached homes means
that a new type of resident is attracted to the neighborhood.
One of the more interesting buildings in the neighborhood
is the Mizpah Presbyterian Church located at 2456 SE Tamarack Avenue.
The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The church
is now a private residence. A photo of the building is above.
Ladd's Addition is a National Historic District and it
was designated as one in 1988. The district boundaries: SE Division, SE
Hawthorne, and SE 12th and SE 20th Streets. The district is 1,260
acres and 626 buildings. Home styles in the district include Bungalow/Craftsman
along with late 19th and 20th Century Revivals.
1Hosford-Abernethy Home Prices
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Number of homes sold in Hosford-Abernethy in 2009:
92. Distressed properties sales were 7%.
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Median price for homes sold in Hosford-Abernethy:
$363,900 in 2009; $389,900 in 2008; $346,000 in 2007.
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1-year median sales price change in 2009 from 2008
in Hosford-Abernethy: -7%.
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5-year median sales price change in Hosford-Abernethy:
7%.
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2009 metro area median home price: $247,000
(-11.2 sales price change from 2008).
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2008 metro area median home price: $278,000 (-4% sales
price change from 2007).
Please be aware that the above figures are subject to
error and are intended as guidelines only. To view Hosford-Abernethy
homes currently for sale click
here.
Parks and Gardens in Hosford-Abernethy
 The
neighborhood has one small park at SE Division and SE 27th Street called
Piccolo Park which has a playground for children.
Powell Park borders the neighborhood on the south side at SE 26th Avenue
and Powell Boulevard. The eight-acre park includes a baseball field,
basketball court, soccer field, restroom, paths, picnic site, playground,
and a wading pool.
Known as the
Ladd's Circles and Squares, the circle at SE 16th Avenue and Harrison
Street has a formal landscape with camellias, perennials, and a lawn area
in the central circle and numerous rose varieties in the four diamonds,
creating a stained glass effect. Today the gardens feature over 3,000 roses
of 60 varieties that were popular in the early 20th century. The roses are
cared for by Portland Parks & Recreation staff and a devoted team of volunteers,
the Friends
of Ladd's Addition Gardens.
Walking in Hosford-Abernethy
This 2.3-mile loop travels through historic inner Southeast
neighborhoods with plenty of places to eat and drink along the way. The
Ladd's Addition neighborhood has one of the most unusual street layouts
in the nation: a diagonal pattern surrounding rose gardens. Getting lost
on its elm-lined streets is a Portland tradition. Click
here to download
the guide.
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 Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood.
Map of the Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood
View Larger Map
More About Hosford-Abernethy
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Neighborhood Association Web Site
Hosford-Abernethy.
Visit the
Clinton Street Weblog and
Ladd's Addition Weblog to learn more about the Hosford-Abernethy
neighborhood. The Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood is on
Facebook.
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Neighborhood News
The Bee covers
southeast Portland. The
Southeast Examiner is a free weekly publication.
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Location From downtown cross
over the Willamette River on the Hawthorne Bridge. As you drive
east on SE Hawthorne Boulevard the neighborhood will be on your right
side.
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Topography Flat with mature
trees on properties.
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Sidewalks and Streets The
street pattern is grid - the west part of the neighborhood streets are
full of cars due to the many apartments. The neighborhood has
sidewalks for walking.
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2005 Livability Study 94%
of Hosford-Abernethy residents rated their neighborhood "good" or "very
good." See
Livability Study.
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2Drive
Time to Downtown About 15 minutes.
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Public Transportation This
neighborhood has over a dozen bus routes but they do not have a MAX
light rail line or a streetcar line. See schedules and routes at the
TriMet Web
site.
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3Demographics
Population: 6,932. Area: 831 acres. Average population density:
8 persons per acre. Number of households: 3,243. Percent
of home owners: 51. Percent of renters: 49. Diversity: 15.7% non-Caucasian.
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4Crime Stats 2009
23 violent crimes. Total crimes per 1,000 people was 51. For the
latest crime statistics for the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, click
here.
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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. Hosford-Abernethy code: 97202, 97214.
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5Shopping
and Services Number of supermarkets: 2. Number of health
clubs: 1. Number of coffee shops: 6.
New Seasons Market
has a store at 1954 SE Division Street and the
Peoples Coop
food market is located at 3029 SE 21st Avenue. The neighborhood
business community is located in a 5-6 block area of SE 26th and SE
Clinton. The area has gradually grown so that it now contains
15 plus stores to include restaurants, coffee shops, a record shop,
movie theatre, a video store, and a gallery along with others.
Drive along SE Division Street and you will notice a number of thriving
businesses. Every community needs a hardware store and Hosford-Abernethy
has one - Hankins True Value Hardware is located at 1720 SE Hawthorne
Boulevard. Click
here to access a shopping guide/map of the Division Street area.
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Farmers Market Hinson
Baptist Church parking lot, 1137 SE 20th Ave. 3:30-7:30 pm Thursdays,
May 7-September 24. See
portlandfarmersmarket.org.
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Eating Out The Savoy at
2500 SE Division is authentic Portland where dining room and bar features
art plucked from Goodwill - the vintage furniture and other salvage
items are almost as interesting as the food (American). Nuestra
Cocina (means "Our Kitchen') at 2135 SE Division is one of Portland's
hottest new restaurants serving food cooked in the central Mexico style.
Lauro Kitchen,
Willamette Week’s Restaurant of the Year for 2004, is located at 3377
SE Division Street. Technically, Lauro Kitchen is in the Richmond
neighborhood which begins on SE 29th Avenue.
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Public Library The neighborhood
does not have a public library but two libraries are about the same
distance from the center of the neighborhood. The
Belmont
Library at 1038 S.E. 39th Avenue or the
Woodstock
Library at 6008 S.E. 49th Avenue. The Woodstock Library building
was opened in 2000 and it has received numerous awards for its elegant
and functional design, including a national honor from the American
Institute of Architects and the American Library Association. This southeast
Portland library is the home of a wealth of original artwork, including
36 stainless-steel panels on the exterior of the building etched with
words depicting the history of books.
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Who Lives in Hosford-Abernethy
White collar married couples in Ladd's Addition because it takes two
incomes to afford a home in that area. Many singles live in the
apartments on the west side of the neighborhoods. In the rest
of the neighborhood, you will find many younger married couples starting
their family along with a few singles and baby boomers.
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Cars in the Neighborhood
Japanese cars and you'll see a few Volvos in Ladd's Addition.
And lots of bikers − many from Hosford-Abernethy
− stream into downtown via the Hawthorne
Bridge in the early morning on their way to work.
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6Biking
Quality High.
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Schools Elementary school:
Abernethy.
Middle school:
Hosford Middle
School. High school:
Cleveland High School.
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7School
Report Card Grades Elementary schools: O/S. Middle school:
S. High school: S. Click
here for report card details.
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1Real Estate Values
Data on real estate values provided by RMLStm.
Distressed properties include short sales and bank-owned properties for
the period July 2009 through December 2009.
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.
4Crime Statistics
Numbers on crime represent total crimes for 2009 and were obtained from
Portland Police Bureau. Violent crimes are defined as murder, rape,
robbery, and aggravated assault. Crimes per 1,000 are based on reported
incidents of murder, rape, larceny, aggravated assault, arson, burglary,
robbery, and motor vehicle theft.
5Shopping and Services Numbers
were determined from local directory listings and county/municipal library
systems.
6Biking Quality Rating
based on the 2007 Cycle Zone Analysis conducted by the City of Portland
Office of Transportation. The six-tier ratings have been reduced to three
levels: High, Fair, and Low.
7School Report Card Grades
"O" = Outstanding; "S" = Satisfactory; "I" = In Need of Improvement.
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