Portland Neighborhoods: Laurelhurst

Frontpage/Areas Map Pictures of Laurelhurst Portland Scenic Photos Portland Neighborhoods Mapper

Pros:

Really nice, elite neighborhood, excellent reputation, not the usual grid
Beautiful homes
Large Laurelhurst Park is terrific.

Cons:

Expensive as you would expect
Not directly adjacent to downtown
No retail if you are looking for a true "mixed-use" neighborhood; the "cafe street life" is in other neighborhoods

This kind of a very old suburb (not any longer!), one of Portland's original planned neighborhoods. Like Ladd's Addition , it has streets that are not quite on a grid, but Laurelhurst is a bit larger than Ladd's and just feels like a nicer part of Portland than a separate world like Ladd's does. But like Ladd's, the area is considered one of Portland's more exclusive areas, with some nice, expensive homes.

Laurelhurst, unlike adjacent Portland neighborhoods, is not "mixed use" (hence the suburb part) - it is completely residential. It also has on its southern border the beautiful Laurelhurst Park, which has a man-made lake (dirty - ducks love it and the lake is too shallow). The busy 39th Avenue runs right through Laurelhurst and includes Portland's only real "circle" intersection at 39th and Glisan - a bit of a pain for drivers but if you've ever lived in New Jersey, you'll feel right at home.

Don't look for apartments directly in Laurelhurst - it's all single family homes (perhaps a few duplexes). You may will find apartments advertised as being in "Laurelhurst" that will actually be nearby - probably OK if you want to be near the park, for example.

Pictures are all copyrighted by Andrew Hall and may not be used or copied without permission.

Portland Neighborhoods Guide: Laurelhurst