Mount Tabor Neighborhood Guide

The Mount Tabor neighborhood is located in Southeast Portland. It is bordered by the Sunnyside, North Tabor, Montavilla, South Tabor and Richmond neighborhoods. Also, it’s close to the Hawthorne District, so if you’re looking for a wide array of shops, restaurants, and places to visit, be sure to check that area out as well.

mt tabor neighborhood map portland
Click the image for a fully searchable Mt. Tabor neighborhood map including all homes for sale.

Features of the Mount Tabor Neighborhood

This is a lovely area of Portland with many nice older homes tucked into quiet neighborhood streets. Climb the hill up Mount Tabor and you’ll have some stunning views with beautiful scenery and the Portland skyline off in the distance. Mount Tabor Park is one of the largest in Southeast Portland, and it takes up a significant chunk of the neighborhood. It’s complete with everything you could want, including a community garden, dog park, picnic area, and plenty of hiking trails. You can also play tennis or basketball at the courts on site, and a playground ensures that the little ones have fun too. Mount Tabor Park is also home to one of Portland’s reservoirs, so residents can be sure that their water is fresh from the source.

There are some great local businesses that give Mt Tabor a lot of color and character.  A few standouts are The Albina Press coffee shop, The Sapphire Hotel, and Por Que No?!. You can find plenty of other hole-in-the-wall locations around Mount Tabor, including Jamrock, a Jamaican restaurant, and several other local taco shops and stands. Hidden gems abound if you know where to look.

This neighborhood also has plenty of places of worship, including Western Seminary. The seminary was founded in 1927 but moved into their current five-acre plot in 1944. Western Seminary is one of several high-profile religious organizations in Portland and the premier destination for those looking for theological education.

Mount Tabor Businesses of Note

Although Mount Tabor isn’t as ritzy or spunky as other neighborhoods in Southeast Portland, it has more than enough charm on its own. Most of the neighborhood is residential, but some hotspots for food and nightlife include Stark Street and Division on its southern border. Mount Tabor is a relatively tight-knit community, so most of these businesses have been around for a while and have a loyal following. Plus, if you want to feel good about where you shop, many of these places give back regularly as well. Here are the highlights we’ve discovered.

Portland Nursery

It’s no secret that Portlanders love their greenery. While it’s easy to find parks and other outdoor spaces to enjoy nature, one can take it home by visiting the Portland Nursery. Rows upon rows of plants and flowers are on full display, along with garden decor and tools for ensuring your greens make it to next year.

To make this place even more remarkable, it’s been around for over 100 years. The Portland Wholesale Nursery opened in 1907, back when horses were the preferred method of transportation. You wouldn’t necessarily think that gardening and planting at home was a booming business, but you’d be wrong. Portland Nursery was one of the first on the West Coast, thanks to founder Albert Brownell. According to legend, Brownell shipped plants and flowers across the country on railcars packed with ice. These days, it’s much easier to transport them, and you can enjoy a much more diverse selection than was available in the early days.

Whether you’re looking to spruce up your yard with some vibrant flowers or you’re trying to start a home garden, the best place to begin is at Portland Nursery.

Portland Nursery – 5050 SE Stark Ave

Coquine

While you may be tempted to grow fruits and veggies at home, trying to put them in a delicious dish requires extra skills and attention to detail. Fortunately, you don’t have to take a Masterclass to eat fresh gourmet food. Instead, you can hop on down to Coquine. As with many new restaurants in Portland, Coquine subscribes to the “eat locally” mantra. The restaurant gets food deliveries from area farms and butchers so that you can feel confident knowing where your meal originated.

As far as flavor, Coquine is simply delightful. Browsing through the menu, you can’t help but feel your mouth watering. Dishes like poached Oregon Albacore, fresh Jimmy Red Corn cornbread, hand-rolled Moroccan couscous, and braised lamb shank will keep you coming back for more. Plus, there’s a bakery on-site, so feel free to buy a dozen warm cookies to finish your meal.

A word of warning, however, Coquine books dinners in advance, so if you don’t have a reservation, be prepared to wait a while on busy nights. Fortunately, you can book a spot online pretty easily so that you don’t have to watch as everyone else enjoys their food first.

Coquine – 6839 SE Belmont St

Cheese Bar

Bars in Portland run the gamut from dives to hipster dives to ritzy-chic establishments. However, if you want something really unique, we highly recommend Cheese Bar. You won’t find an extensive cocktail list here – instead, you’ll discover a broad assortment of cheeses from everywhere around the world. Many of the options are sourced locally, but you can get a tour of the globe by selecting international delights as well. The selection rotates throughout the year, so be sure to check in regularly to see what’s new.

Although this isn’t a traditional bar, you can still get drunk. Cheese bar offers a variety of wines, beers, and ciders for your enjoyment, and the staff will help you select a beverage to compliment your cheese. Sit down and order a charcuterie plate and a couple of glasses – now you’re living the high life, Portland-style.

Cheese Bar – 6031 SE Belmont St

Taborspace

Living in Mount Tabor means that you’re more connected to your community than in other neighborhoods. Case in point is Taborspace, a charitable collective that hosts events daily and monthly for all Portland-area residents. What makes Taborspace even more unique is that it operates out of a 100-year old church. The Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest in the city. So, when sharing a meal or a cup of coffee, the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in Portland.

Speaking of coffee, the Taborspace coffeehouse sits within the bell tower, so much of the lighting comes from stained-glass windows. Many of the baristas are volunteers as well, meaning that the prices are more than accommodating. Also, if you’re ever interested in becoming a barista yourself, Taborspace hosts an intensive training program. Best of all, the food and coffee offered are all high-quality and rival any of the best coffeehouses in Portland.

The rest of the church and surrounding buildings are used regularly for public and private events. Taborspace is at once a community center, a charitable organization, and a great place to sip coffee and watch the world go by.

Taborspace – 5441 SE Belmont St

Tabor Bread

We’ve already shown you the best place in Mount Tabor for cheese, but you’ll also need some excellent bread to go with it. Tabor Bread is one of the best bakeries in Portland, and it’s all a result of quality ingredients, patience, and attention to detail. If you want to get the experience of seeing how bread is made in the old tradition, stop on by. The bakers use an antique-style oven and each loaf is crafted with love and care. Also, if you’re trying to get some incredible pictures for social media, Tabor Bread’s offerings are seemingly created for the ‘gram.

Be sure to come in early when the bread is fresh. The place offers a rotating list of specials, but its mainstays include red-wheat boule, Einkhorn, river bread, and olive rosemary loaves. They use locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, and you can get the bread in a sandwich if you can’t wait to dig in. Tabor Bread also offers coffee and tea so that you can sit back, relax, and savor the smells from the oven.

Tabor Bread – 5051 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Smaaken Waffles

Although Portland is well-known for its diverse and thriving nightlife, the fact is that breakfast lovers will also enjoy much that the city has to offer. While Taborspace and Tabor Bread are perfect for coffee and baked goods, Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches is ideal for when you want more of a meal. According to the owners, Smaaken is Dutch for “tasty,” and we have to agree.

If you haven’t thought to use waffles as sandwich bread, you’re missing out. Smaaken offers a wide selection of both sweet and savory dishes, meaning that everyone can find something they like. You can even choose vegan and/or gluten-free waffles if necessary (it is Portland, after all). Some highlights from the menu include the Tabor sandwich with egg, veggie sausage, and maple butter and the Belmont, which has turkey, goat cheese, cucumber, and mint jelly. Each waffle is both crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, ensuring that your sandwich won’t fall apart and won’t be too tough to chew. A dutch delight.

Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches – 5029 SE Division St

Mount Tabor Parks

Mount Tabor Park

Mount Tabor Dog Park

Mount Tabor Community Garden

Mount Tabor Community Resources

Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association

Friends of Mount Tabor Park

Mount Tabor Schools:

Glencoe Elementary School

Mt Tabor Middle School

Franklin High School

Mount Tabor Neighborhood Vibe

This area feels community-conscious, eco-friendly, and very family-friendly. Dog walkers, babies in strollers and cyclists are a constant on the streets of Mt Tabor.

Stats

Zip Code 97215

Local Crime Stats

Census Data

Mount Tabor Real Estate

Mount Tabor homes are old-style Portland homes such as Foursquares, Old Portland, Tudor, Colonial, Bungalow and more.  If you’re interested in Mt.  Tabor real estate or homes for sale in Mount Tabor Portland OR, visit the  Mount Tabor real estate page.

Click here to search all Mount Tabor Neighborhood homes for sale.

To learn about the Portland real estate market, we recommend this local Portland-based, top 100 real estate blog in the world.

If you are interested in buying a home in Portland, we recommend meeting up with these top 1% Portland buyer’s agents, or if you are considering selling a home we recommend these top 1% Portland seller’s agents. Visit our Portland Real Estate Page for more information.

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