Praying for Portland Neighborhoods: Northeast Portland

 

Portland Convention Center

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

We could spend so much time on the Northeast quadrant of Portland. This district of Portland shares the N. Williams Avenue boundary with North Portland to the west; the Columbia River is on the north and E. Burnside Street to the south. Along the eastern edge there is a dog-leg border along NE 162 Avenue and NE 185^th Drive.

The top section of Northeast Portland is occupied by the Portland Airport. The neighborhoods in the middle of the quadrant are an interesting mixture of old, wealthy neighborhoods and blue-collar areas. Many of the older neighborhoods evolved from claims made during the Homestead Act, which was passed in 1862 or the even earlier Donation Land Act. The affluent areas include Irvington, Alameda, Grant Park, and Sullivan’s Gulch.

Northeast Portland

In 1891 the City of Portland lay along the west side of the Willamette River. On the east side was the town of East Portland and the town of Albina. In that year the eastside towns decided to merge with Portland. Albina was a very large area that reached to St. John’s. In these early years it was settled by German and Irish immigrants. During World War II African Americans came in large numbers to Portland to work in the shipyards. Many chose to stay after the war but encountered racism in where they were allowed to live and buy housing. Local realtors made certain areas of the city off limits to people of color, and the black population was forced into unfavorable loans in low-cost Albina. Other changes in the city, such as the building of I-5, relocated even more African Americans into Albina.  

During the 70’s and 80’s there were periods of unrest in this part of Portland, and it was known as a high-crime area with drugs, poverty, and gang activity during the crack epidemic of 1980 -1990.  One neighborhood in what was once Albina is the King neighborhood. In the 1990’s young, mostly white, people began buying into the neighborhood and fixing up property until now 60% of the population is white and the area has undergone what is called gentrification.

The neighborhood is on the edge of the Alberta Arts District with housing prices above average for Portland. The history of the Alberta Arts District is another one of change from a poverty area to a popular destination in Portland. Much of this is credited to one woman, Roslyn Hill, “the Queen of Alberta Street,” for her investment and development of the area. My children used to attend Last Thursday events in this part of town when they were in college. Last Thursday is an arts and culture event held on Alberta Street. 

The Lloyd Center is in NE Portland, built in 1960 by Ralph Lloyd, it was the largest of its kind in the world. I remember the skating rink was quite a draw.

Sullivan’s Gulch is another area with an interesting history. It is a real gulch, at one time filled with woods, a spring and waterfall. By 1894 the trees were gone, and the Union Pacific Railroad ran through the bottom. Now several highways and railroads run through it. During the Depression it was the site of a “Hooverville” or “Shanty town,” where the homeless lived in cobbled together living quarters until a fire destroyed it in 1941. Along one edge of Sullivan’s Gulch is one of the more affluent areas of Portland, the Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood.

While there have been improvements in some areas of NE Portland, and there are some fine old neighborhoods with 100-year-old mansions, it has also become a high-crime area. Currently parts of this area, especially along I-5 and west I-84, are known for theft, drug trafficking and violence. The area around the Lloyd’s center seems to be a hot spot for trouble.

How do we pray for Northeast Portland?

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

    Pray for the PDX airport and the Columbia River as entry points to the city of Portland.

    Pray for the areas that have historically seen poverty, gangs, and a high crime rate.

    Pray for the peacemakers of Northeast Portland including police, firemen, churches, and individuals.