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Many of the inner-Southeast Portland neighborhoods feel like neo-hippie counterculture areas, and the Hawthorne District is probably the most well-known of all the areas in SE. Hawthorne still retains its counter-culture feel but has become increasingly gentrified in the last few years. Neighbors did organize successfully a few years ago to prevent a McDonalds from taking the place of an abandoned fast food building; it has now been replaced with a set of condos and first-floor retail shops.

The district is centered, not surprisingly, on Hawthorne Boulevard, a busy 2-way street that runs from the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge to about 58th Avenue. Although there are pockets of action (interesting restaurants and businesses) all along the street, the most condensed area is probably between 30th and 39th Avenue, where the McMenamins' Bagdad Theatre Pub sits across the street from a branch of Powell's Books.

Hawthorne is more laid-back for sure than, say, NW Portland - not as many BMWs, more bikes, but it has become much more gentrified than some of the NE neighborhoods. Off the Boulevard there are many beautiful homes in the Richmond and Sunnyside neighborhoods, in the classic grid style with tall trees along the sidewalks. Ladd's Addition is technically right along Hawthorne but feels like a different world.

Hawthorne is better for owning a bike than a car; it is a few miles from the freeways. Fortunately the area is served by several good bus lines. It is a bit removed from downtown.