Guide to the Alameda Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

Alameda is a neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon centered around the cross-streets of NE Fremont and 33rd Avenue. It's a neighborhood where you will find tree-lined streets, older architecturally significant and view homes, neighborhood shops, coffee places, and high level of community involvement.

The Alameda Brewhouse is a favorite of the locals − try the Black Bear Stout Turkey Pot Pie served with vegetables and mushrooms slow simmered in their stout ale. You can also enjoy a hardy breakfast at the Alameda Cafe. Their menu includes waffles, bacon and eggs, and quiche.

The Alameda Elementary (photo above) is located at 2732 NE Freemont Street and was built in the early 1920s.

On a high plateau above the city, the Alameda neighborhood sits on the 1859 land claim of William C. Bowering and his wife, Isabelle. The area became known as Gravelly Hill Road for a gravel pit at NE 33rd and Fremont. In 1909, the Alameda Land Company laid out the exclusive Alameda Park subdivision that was then added to the City of Portland.

The Alameda History Web site is full of information about the neighborhood. The site is run by old house researcher and Alameda neighborhood historian Doug Decker who is available to research your home, or to provide you with ideas and resources for you to do the research yourself. Doug is a contributing writer for the Alameda Newsletter and is always on the lookout for the next history story. Here's an excerpt from the Web site about the Broadway streetcar:

The name comes from the Spanish word "alamo," meaning a poplar or cottonwood tree. "Alameda" means, precisely, a public walk or promenade lined with poplar trees, and, by extension, a street lined with trees. Like the English word for a "parkway."

English Tudor, Queen Anne, and bungalows. Traveling north of Fremont, you will leave the symmetric grid-blocks and begin ascending in elevation and the streets start running at angles and some are circular. This hilly area is called the Alameda Ridge. Some of the homes on the ridge have commanding views of the West Hills, the Willamette River, and downtown.

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

The neighborhood does not have a park within in borders. Here are two parks on Alameda's borders:

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.

Alameda does not have any park land and open spaces according to Metro and the Portland Department of Parks and Recreation.

Walk Score ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live. Alameda is the #26 most walkable neighborhood in Portland. This neighborhood is 'Somewhat Walkable' with an average Walk Score of 69. Below is a Walk Score for an address in the center of the Alameda neighborhood.

More About Alameda

Neighborhood Association Web Site Click here to access the Alameda neighborhood Web site.
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 pass NE 21st Avenue look right or left and you're in Alameda.
Topography Hilly on the Alameda ridge. Mature trees and wooded parks.
Sidewalks and Streets The street pattern is a pleasing combination of grid and winding streets on the Alameda Ridge. The neighborhood has sidewalks for walking.
Livability Study 97.6% of Alameda 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 Alameda. No MAX light rail or streetcar lines in Alameda. Transit Score provides a 0-100 rating indicating how well an address is served by public transportation. Ratings range from "Rider's Paradises" to areas with limited or no nearby public transportation.
³2000 Demographics Population: 4,012 people. Area (acres): 314. Average population density: 12 persons per acre. Number of households: 1,615. Median household income is $86,667. Home owners: 93%. Renters 7%. Diversity: 7.8% non-Caucasian.
⁴Crime Stats for 2010 Four violent crimes. Total crimes per 1,000 residents was 26. For the latest crime statistics for the Alameda neighborhood, click here.
⁵Shopping and Services Alameda does not have any commercial establishments within its neighborhood. NE Fremont Street has lots of coffee shops and eating places but just a few between 21st and 37th, the neighborhood's east/west boundaries. Alameda's residents living on the south edge of the neighborhood have to walk 7-8 blocks to NE Broadway where numerous retail establishments are located.
Eating Out Head for NE Fremont Street either in the family auto or on foot and you will discover an array of different foods.
Public Library The closest branch library of the Multnomah County Library system is the Albina at 3605 N.E. 15th Avenue.
Who Lives in Alameda Well-established people who own their homes! The 2000 census revealed that over 75% of the households had incomes of $60,000 or more. The median age of an Alameda resident is 45.
Autos in the Neighborhood Subarus are common. Volvos are the luxury car of choice in Alameda. If you have a Toyota Camry, you'll fit right in.
⁶Biking Quality is fair. Alameda has three miles of bike lanes.
Schools Elementary: Alameda Elementary. Middle: Beaumont 6-8. High school: Grant High School.
⁷School Report Card Grades Elementary school: O/S. Middle schools: O. High school: S. Click here for report card details.

Map of the Alameda Neighborhood

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Visit the Alameda Neighborhood via Google Earth

Coordinates
45° 33′ 18.43″ N,
122° 37′ 50.35″ W

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¹Real Estate Values Data on real estate values provided by RMLS^tm. Distressed properties refer to the percentage of total homes sold that were short sales and bank-owned properties.

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 2010 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 violent crime, as well as burglary, larceny, 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 Schools ratings from the Oregon Department of Education 2009-2010 performance assessment. "O" = Outstanding; "S" = Satisfactory; "I" = In Need of Improvement; NR = Not Rated.