Hawthorne
The Hawthorne District is a neighborhood in Southeast Portland, Oregon known for its sleepy bohemian vibe, its abundance of cafés and shops and its liberal young residents. Hawthorne is situated between SE Stark Street and SE Division Street north-to-south and roughly from SE 28th to SE 52nd east-to-west. While the home and property values have gone up significantly over the last five years, it is still relatively affordable to rent and live in the Hawthorne neighborhood. At the heart of the Hawthorne District is Hawthorne Street itself, which is a shopping, culture and nightlife destination for both locals and tourists.
Hawthorne Food
The restaurants in the Hawthorne District, typically quite affordable, are maybe as eclectic as the area’s denizens themselves. For fresh interpretations of Thai food, like roasted lemongrass game hen or pappaya salad, visit Pok Pok (3226 SE Division), voted restaurant of the year in 2007 by The Oregonian. If you are seeking the true English pub experience, you will find a home at the Horse Brass Pub (4534 SE Belmont). This smoky, cavernous pub features craft beers from around the world, a fine selection of single-malt scotch and a good old fashioned artery-hardening menu of scotch eggs, bangers, pasties, and Ploughman’s halibut and chips. A relatively undiscovered Hawthorne gem is the Clinton Corner Café (2633 SE 21st). With a small, Northwest-inspired, vegetarian-friendly menu and creative seasonal specials, Clinton Corner is a safe haven from the uber-hip side of this Portland neighborhood. The eatery garnering perhaps the most buzz in the Hawthorne District right now is Apizza Scholls (4741 SE Hawthorne). Spoken of by local pizza connoisseurs with an almost mythical reverence, and with a recent visit by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain to boast, Apizza Schools is taking pizza craft (and pizza snobbery) to a new level. If after all this, a sweet tooth is plaguing you, come taste the artisan desserts of Pix Pattisserie (3402 SE Division or 3731 SE Hawthorne), where you can enjoy decadent treats like their famous “Amélie,” a glazed chocolate mousse with caramelized hazelnuts, praline crisp, vanilla crème brûlée, and Cointreau génoise.
Hawthorne Fun
There is much to do for fun in the Hawthorne District, from live music clubs, parks, theaters, bowling alleys and bars to a full-fledged all-ages arcade emporium. One of the neighborhood’s signature attractions is the historic Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne St.), where you can have an extremely cheap date (movie, beer and a slice of pizza for under $12). One of Portland’s most popular and best run small music venues, the Goodfoot Lounge (2845 SE Stark St.), is located in the Hawthorne neighborhood. The Goodfoot offers local and national acts, a good open mic as well as dance/dj nights. The Avalon Theater (3451 SE Belmont St.) is a budget theater and arcade that can be enjoyed by all ages. For a more subversive and gritty movie-going experience, check out the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St.), where they specialize in independent/revival films, and are perhaps best known for their long-standing midnight run of Rocky Horror Picture Show (almost 30 years now!).
Hawthorne Shopping
There are many shops in the Hawthorne District. Some favorites are Imelda’s and Louie’s Shoes (3426 SE Hawthorne St.) and Red Light Clothing Exchange (3590 SE Hawthorne St.), a virtual Disneyland of vintage clothing and accessories.
Hawthorne Real Estate
Hawthorne neighborhood real estate has been popular and steadily on the rise for a long time. Due to its location, culture, unique architecture and wonderful schools, the Hawthorne neighborhood is a highly sought after Portland zip code. With funky shops and restaurants, nicely-restored Victorian homes and a strong sense of community, Hawthorne often draws comparisons to San Francisco’s famed Haight/Ashbury neighborhood. In April 2008, the average home price in the Hawthorne neighborhood was $401,058.
Hawthorne Schools
The Hawthorne neighborhood is home to a number of K-12 schools: Abernathy Elementary School, Glencoe Elementary School, Hosford Middle School, Mt. Tabor Middle School, Cleveland High School and Franklin High School.
Hawthorne History
Hawthorne Boulevard, now Hawthorne street, was named after Dr. J.C. Hawthorne, co-founder of Oregon’s first mental hospital. In fact, the road was originally called Asylum Avenue. In 1883, when the Oregon State Hospital moved to Salem (made famous when it was used in the filming of the Academy Award-winning movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), the street was renamed in honor of Dr. Hawthorne.
Hawthorne on Portland Octopus
Hawthorne Photo Gallery
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