Portland Neighborhood Tour - Mississippi

[Sekkle]

Previous Portland Neighborhood Tours…
Sellwood/Westmoreland (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141691)\\\Hosford-Abernethy (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=142667)\\\Irvington (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=143158)
Goose Hollow (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=143930)\\\Buckman (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=145475)\\\Multnomah Village (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=146173)\\\St. Johns (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=146597)

The Mississippi District is located in North Portland and is part of the Boise neighborhood. This thread actually covers the whole Boise neighborhood, but I think most locals would know the area as Mississippi (after Mississippi Avenue), hence the title of the thread.

The neighborhood is one of a few in Portland that is predominantly African-American. According to Portland Maps (http://www.portlandmaps.com/detail.cfm?action=Census&x=7645960.063&y=694380.59), in the year 2000, whites made up 35% of the population, while blacks were 42%. However, this stat may have changed somewhat since 2000, as the neighborhood, especially within a block or two of Mississippi Ave., has undergone steady gentrification in recent years. Actually, most of the people I saw walking within a block of Mississippi Ave were white, while most that I saw in the rest of the Boise neighborhood were black.

Condos are being built along Mississippi Ave., but the majority of the rest of the neighborhood is made up of single-family homes and duplexes, many of which are very nice looking Victorians, craftsman, etc.

Vancouver and Williams on the eastern side of the neighborhood make up a couplet of one-way streets with many empty lots and under-utilized land between them, although the neighborhoods both east and west of these streets are pretty well built out.

The Yellow Line of Portland’s MAX light rail is a few blocks west of I-5. There is a stop called Mississippi/Albina, but it isn’t within the boundaries of the Boise neighborhood (I-5 is the western border), so I don’t have any pics from over there (I’m following the boundaries given by the city of Portland’s neighborhood associations, for any locals who are unaware).

Here’s a map. Downtown is outlined in red, Mississippi/Boise is in green.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/boisemap2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4690-cr.jpg

I guess I’ll start with Mississippi Avenue. It’s mostly retail now, but there is a condo building under construction.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4654-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4653-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4655-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4481-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4480-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4479-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4652-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4651-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4478-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4469-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4470-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4471-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4475-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4474-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4647-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4472-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4641-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4643-sh2.jpg

Condos going up
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4687-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4688-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4685-sh.jpg

Thanks, Kroney, for the idea! :cheers:
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4674-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4682-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4490-sh.jpg

The Rebuilding Center (http://www.rebuildingcenter.org/) is a warehouse owned by a non-profit organization that reuses old furniture, building materials, etc. The warehouse is an enormous presence on this block of Mississippi Ave.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4660-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4659-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4661-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4486-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4489-sh2.jpg

Houses in the rest of the Boise neighborhood...
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4464-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4466-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4467-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4468-sh.jpg

Isn’t a tower crane kind of overkill for a three-story house? ;)
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4465-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4482-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4483-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4494-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4493-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4492-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4495-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4496-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4639-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4638-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4632-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4696-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4636-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4624-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4625-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4640-sh2.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4691-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4692-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4693-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4695-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4697-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4698-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4699-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4662-sh.jpg

A nice fixer-upper… it’s for sale!!!
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4700-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4701-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4702-sh.jpg

Vancouver/Williams couplet
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4615-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4644-sh.jpg

Painted walls along Williams
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4619-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4620-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4616-sh.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4631-sh2.jpg

That’s it.

[POLA]

Portland's neighborhoods are always so helter skelter- I love it!

[Okstate]

Fantastic as usual. Just booked my plane tickets (May 5-8) Can't wait.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Fricking gorgeous neighborhood! :tup:

[sabotai]

are there any portland hoods that arent awesome?????? Great tour!

[OhioGuy]

So many cute little Portland neighborhoods.

[flar]

Neat city

[Shasta]

Seriously, the citizens of Portland are going to kill you if you keep showing the rest of the world how nice the city truly is!

When looking at these pictures, I am filled with regret that I chose to go East to college rather than to Portland. Lewis+Clark and Reed both accepted me!

[Sekkle]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.
are there any portland hoods that arent awesome??????
Yes, there are. Some of the outlying areas, even within city limits are pretty suburban. But there are more than enough cool neighborhoods to keep me busy. :tup:

[Kroney]

Cool. You made it to Amnesia!

Here's my photo from July '06:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2075/2314102086_ce645c7bb7.jpg

Less than 5 months to go until the Oregon Brewers Festival... I can't wait.

Thanks for the tour.

[Sekkle]

^ Yeah, I was at the Brewer's Festival last summer. I moved here on the weekend when it was going on (not on purpose or anything ;))

[holladay]

Great tour, ForAteOh! You showed the neighborhood well.

[James Bond Agent 007]

Hmmm, doesn't look like Mississippi. ;)

[Brentsters]

wow you and realm really got Portland locked down. I'm looking at Portland State for grad school and these photo tours are definitely making a case for it.

[dkealoha]

I think Mississippi is somewhat unknown compared to other areas of town (until recently). I grew up around Portland my whole life and didn't know about Mississippi until I was in college!

My boyfriend and I frequent Mississippi Pizza quite a bit. I've heard a lot of the other restaurants on that street are good as well!

[Abner]

You can't even tell how rundown Mississippi used to be, maybe three years ago. In fact you pretty much can't tell that it's a mostly black neighborhood, or used to be, because it changed so fast. Albina and Killingsworth (north of the neighborhood as your borders go, but really not outside it) at least used to be just about the most dangerous intersection in Portland. The city made extremely deliberate efforts to change the face of Mississippi.

[jodelli]

You can't even tell how rundown Mississippi used to be, maybe three years ago. In fact you pretty much can't tell that it's a mostly black neighborhood, or used to be, because it changed so fast. Albina and Killingsworth (north of the neighborhood as your borders go, but really not outside it) at least used to be just about the most dangerous intersection in Portland. The city made extremely deliberate efforts to change the face of Mississippi.

Nice coverage. The neighborhood doesn't look that bad, especially with the still intact older buildings.

I've never been to Portland, just seen part of the Oregon coast. But while in Vancouver some years ago, the one in BC, some of us newly arrived were warned about the East Hastings neighborhood. Of course I walked through it, and it wasn't a burned out wasteland either. I guess west coast standards are higher.

jodelli

[Abner]

Yeah, the standards are definitely different. I found the fear of North Portland pretty amusing.

[downtownpdx]

Such a cute neighborhood, thanks for the exposure! I've only been there once, what a shame, and loved it. Now I wanna check it out again.

[Dougall5505]

do you remember what address this building is at?
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj223/Brizzle78/Portland/Mississippi/IMG_4631-sh2.jpg

[Sekkle]

^ Don't know the address, but it is on the SE corner of Williams & Beech.

[Top Of The Park]

How cool is this thread? Very!

[Pavlov's Dog]

Nice coverage. The neighborhood doesn't look that bad, especially with the still intact older buildings.

I've never been to Portland, just seen part of the Oregon coast. But while in Vancouver some years ago, the one in BC, some of us newly arrived were warned about the East Hastings neighborhood. Of course I walked through it, and it wasn't a burned out wasteland either. I guess west coast standards are higher.

jodelliI few years ago I had relatives from New Jersey visiting and after being thoroughly impressed asked to see the worst parts of town. After having lived on the East coast I can assure you the "ghetto" in Portland looks like a really nice neighborhood compared with what I've seen in Newark, Philly, Baltimore or DC. To be fair, Oakland, LA and some of the Californian Central Valley cities have some tough neighborhoods so the whole West Coast isn't safe and sound. Seattle's like Portland though, mostly safe with no big concentrations of poverty or hopelessness (if you exclude bums).