Eliot
is located on the East side of the Willamette River. It is bordered by the
Boise, King, Irvington and Lloyd neighborhoods, and the Willamette River.
Eliot
is in a fantastic location for both commuting, as well as getting to many
other great Portland neighborhoods. Major freeway ramps located near Eliot
include I-84 and I-5. Portlands Tri Met runs bus schedules, and the MAX
light rail train is less than a mile away from Eliots southernmost
boundary, at Lloyd Center Mall. Drive West over the Broadway bridge to get
downtown or to the Pearl District in mere minutes, or head Northeast to
Alberta or Beaumont-Wilshire, Northwest to the Boise and Historic Mississippi
Avenue neighborhoods, or Southeast to get to the Belmont and Hawthorne
neighborhoods.
As you can see on the map, Eliot is full of popular dining establishments, as well as two
coffee shops, music venues, parks, and the Matt Dishman community center with
in-door swimming pool, and plenty of bus stops for public
transportation. This is a great close-in Portland community with access
to everything you need. The bike corridors along Williams and Vancouver
contribute to easy bike commutes.
Description
Eliot is a diverse community that is
struggling to hold on to its history while fending off too much
commercial urban redevelopment. Many of the residents of Eliot have
lived here a long time, contributing to the sense of neighborhood
pride and history of the area. There is a mix of residential and
commercial property in Eliot, and the residential areas are generally
attractive, quiet and livable, while the commercial areas are being
actively redeveloped, bringing an influx of interest and energy that
has both positive and negative aspects for the community. The
residents are proud and protective of their special neighborhood and
will actively fight any undesirable influx of commercial business that
isn't viewed as a benefit to the neighborhood (witnessed recently when
McDonald's tried unsuccessfully to move into the area). Given Eliot's
excellent location to downtown, it will be interesting to see how the
area grows and develops in the future. Some speculate the East side of
the river holds even more potential than the former warehouse area now
known as The Pearl District, because there is more affordable single-family
residential housing available.
Homes
Eliot is located close-in on the East side of
the Willamette across the river from the Pearl District. Eliot is an urban
neighborhood with cultural diversity. Home styles in this area consist of
older Victorian cottages and other older East Portland styles that have
historic charm and character you just can't find in the newer 'burbs. While
some streets are still rough around the edges, there are many charming homes
tucked into the Eliot neighborhood. Here you
will still find the early 1900s sidewalks imprinted with the names of the
original craftsmen, with metal curb rings for tethering horses along the
streets. There are also recent infill houses and condos being built in
the area, so you can actually find a newer home if that is your
preference. Eliot is very conveniently located for an easy commute, and
it's popularity is growing as people rediscover North/Northeast Portland, and
especially as the TriMet light rail expansion will bring the streetcar to the
edge of Eliot.
If you are interested in buying or selling a home in this Portland neighborhood, visit our Portland Real Estate Page for more information, or visit our Portland Real Estate Map to search the RMLS for neighborhood homes for sale.
Commute Times
About 7 minutes to Downtown by car, 11 minutes by bus/train, 13
minutes by bike (depending on traffic and time of day).
Eliot is becoming something of a destination for good eats in
Portland. From Russell Street Barbeque, Queen of Sheba Ethiopian, and the new Afrique restaurant, there is plenty to choose
from.
Toro Bravo
The amazing Toro Bravo
restaurant is located right next door to Wonder Ballroom. This is still
my favorite restaurant in Portland and that's saying something, because
Portland is a food lover's paradise of great places to eat. Toro Bravo has been featured in both Willamette Week and Portland Monthly as one of Portland's top
restaurants. Toro Bravo features Spanish tapas (small plates) which is
one of the reasons I love the place so much--I've always been a person who
wants to try one of everything on the menu, and now I get to do just that.
Every single dish that I have tried is divine and I can't even recommend just
a few dishes, because so far I love them all! Although still relatively
young, Toro Bravo is very popular, and even on a weeknight you might
have to wait for a table outside or at the bar (note, the Wonder Cafe bar is
right next door, and the Secret Society Ballroom bar is upstairs, so if Toro
Bravo is standing room only, go have a cocktail and relax while waiting for
your dinner at Toro Bravo).
One of the Eliot neighborhood's
favorite coffee house is Gold
Rush Coffee Bar (2601 NE M L King Blvd) on the corner of Russell and MLK.
They serve divine Illy brand coffee, and yes, they have Wi-Fi!
Also check out Tiny's Cafe on 2031 NE MLK. You can
get your delicious Stumptown coffee in a fun
and eclectic hangout. If you get the coffee cup with an alien imprinted on it,
your drink is free! Tiny's has Wi-Fi and a nice large seating area.
The locals know that for a
great breakfast, you should try Bridges
Cafe on MLK.
I love to go to the Eliot
e-Mat Cafe which is a combination of laundromat, and internet cafe. I
always get an enormous sub, and the prices are great.
Echo
is an upscale restaurant known for their great happy hours and late night
dining.
The Russell
Street Bar-B-Que is always packed. They serve up tasty BBQ ribs
and other delicious meals.
For some more exotic
Ethiopian Cuisine, try the popular Queen
of Sheba.
Popular bars in the area
include "Portland's Best Dive Bar", Billy
Ray's on MLK--this brick-red bar is identifiable only by the neon
"R" and "Tavern" signs out front.
McMenamin's
White Eagle Saloon is reputedly haunted with ghosts from the old brothel
they used in run back in Portland's early days. Also nearby in the old Albina
area is the Widmer brewery, Gasthaus,
for German fare and your favorite local brewskies.
For an excellent cocktail
along with a Nuevo Latino meal in an elegant setting, try Mint.
Or, if you're just in the mood for excellent cocktails, either indoors or on
the private patio, try Mint's sister bar "820". The
"Bella" cocktail, mixed with blackberry puree, is divine...
Wonder
Ballroom - This beautiful old historic Hibernian lodge has been revamped
into an events hall, with a cafe. The Wonder Cafe and bar is cozy, friendly,
and they serve the best french fries in town!
News from the Eliot Neighborhood Website (RSS Feed)
Moving to Portland?
Want to make new Portland friends or ask questions about your Portland
neighborhood?
NOTE:You may need the "Adobe Acrobat Reader" software installed on your computer to read some map files. The Adobe Reader is available free from
Adobe. If you cannot view the maps,
download and install Adobe Acrobat reader, then try again.
