Portland can feel like a city of thoroughfares rather than blocks. Portland’s Hawthorne District is built around one street — Hawthorne Boulevard. The core of the Alberta Arts District is Alberta Street.
And the trendy neighborhoods of Boise-Eliot and Nob Hill are often referred to as their best-known avenues: North Mississippi and Northwest 23rd, respectively. The appeal of Northwest 23rd Avenue is obvious. It’s on the west side, within walking distance of iconic Portland landmarks like Powell’s City of Books , Pioneer Square and Oldtown.
Despite its proximity to Portland’s downtown, it resembles the cute main street of a nice, quiet neighborhood. It’s lined with trees, boutiques, cute coffeeshops and an abundance of nice restaurants, many of which are housed in elegant old houses. While Northwest 23rd’s charm is undeniable, some of us crave the complete inverse of swanky boutiques among single family homes.
Luckily, you will find the perfect counter, and a street equally worth visiting, if you walk just 10 blocks east. Completed in 1906, the Gadsby Building on Northwest 13th Avenue is one of many historic buildings on the Portland street. The industrial, brick buildings along Northwest 13th Avenue are relics of the street’s manufacturing history.
Twenty of these former warehouses are on the National Register of Historic Places. The street can seem sunken between the brick buildings because building entrances stand a good 6 feet above street level, built for .