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.

The Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood has a variety of home styles. 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.

A favorite store for the neighborhood shoppers 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.

History of Beaumont-Wilshire

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."

Origin of the Names: Beaumont and Wilshire

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.

Beaumont-Wilshire Home Styles

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

Neighborhood Web Site and Blog

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.

¹Beaumont-Wilshire Home Prices

• Number of Homes Sold in Beaumont-Wilshire—►  93 homes were sold in 2011 and 10% were distressed sales. In 2010 there were 97 and distressed properties sales were 7%.
• Average Price for Homes Sold in Beaumont-Wilshire—►  $394,091 in 2011.
• Median Price for Homes Sold in Beaumont-Wilshire—►  $356,556 in 2011, $365,000 in 2010, $366,000 in 2009, $405,000 in 2008, and $399,750 in 2007.
• 1-Year Median Sales Price Change in Beaumont-Wilshire—►  2011 the sales price change was -2%. 2010 the sales price change was -1%.
• 5-Year Median Sales Price Change in Beaumont-Wilshire—►  2007-2011 the sales price change was -10%. 2006-2010 the sales price change was -4%.
• Portland Metro Area Median Home Price—►  $221,000 in 2011, $239,900 in 2010, $247,000 in 2009, $278,000 in 2008, and $290,000 in 2007.
• Portland Metro Area Average Home Price—►  $263,300 in 2011, $282,100 in 2010, $289,900 in 2009, $330,300 in 2008, and $342,000 in 2007.

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

Parks in the Neighborhood

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.

Beaumont-Wilshire has 14 acres of park land and open spaces according to Metro and the Portland Department of Parks and Recreation.

Walking in Beaumont-Wilshire

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 helps you find a walkable place to live. Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. The Beaumont-Willshire neighborhood ranks 36 out of 89 Portland neighborhoods. Below is a Walk Score for an address in the center of the neighborhood.

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.
• 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. 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.
• ³Census 2010 Demographics  Population: 5,346 people. Area size in acres: 470. Average population density: 11 persons per acre. Number of households: 2,319. Average size of household: 2.31 persons. Median household income: $70,267.  Families with children: 25.6%. Home owners: 85%. Renters: 15%. Diversity: 11.7% non-Caucasian. More census data for Beaumont-Wilshire at Portland Online.
• ⁴Crime Stats  Six violent crimes and crimes per 1,000 people was 26 in 2011. Three violent crimes in 2010 and total crimes per 1,000 residents was 18. For the latest crime statistics for the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood, click here.
• 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. Visit Willamette Weeks' Restaurant Guide by Neighborhood for a list of eating places in Beaumont-Wilshire.
• 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. The median age of a resident is 42.4 according to Census 2010..
• Autos in the Neighborhood  American cars north of Fremont and value-packed vehicles south.
• ⁶Biking  Quality is fair. Beaumont-Wilshire has six miles of bike lanes.
• Schools  Elementary: Alameda PK-5 and Sabin PK-8. Middle: Beaumont 6-8 and Sabin PK-8. High school: Grant High School.
• ⁷School Report Card Grades  Elementary schools: O/S. Middle school: O. High school: I. Click here for report card details.

Map of the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood

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Fly to the Beaumont-Wilshire-Neighborhood via Google Earth

Coordinates
45° 33′ 11.52″ N
122° 37′ 11.84″ 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 2010 and www.portlandmaps.com.

⁴Crime Statistics  Numbers on crime 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.