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Guide to Sellwood-Moreland Neighborhood
LocationThe Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood is located in Southeast Portland. It is bordered by the Willamette River, Brooklyn, and Eastmoreland neighborhoods. Sellwood-Moreland Neighborhood Map VibeThe Sellwood and Moreland neighborhood evokes a wonderful neighborhood feeling, with a strong sense of community, and a nostalgic "back in the good old days" feeling, enhanced by the large selection of antique shops and independent locally owned businesses that have been in the neighborhood for generations. This area is family friendly, walkable, and livable with a strong sense of community pride. The Moreland neighborhood of Portland is divided into Eastmoreland and Westmoreland. Splitting hairs? Not according to the neighbors. Ask them, and they’ll say that Eastmoreland is the kind of place where other people mow your lawn. In Westmoreland, they do their own. Yard work aside, it’s certainly evident that the activity of the area – the hustle, bustle, and commerce – belongs entirely to Westmoreland. In the size reserved for just one of those well manicured lawns surrounding an Eastmoreland mansion, four businesses could fit in Westmoreland. Each has their charm. But as the seat of the neighborhood’s retail trade, Westmoreland’s landscape is far more conducive to a verbal tour. We'll cover Westmoreland on this neighborhood page as part of the "Sellwood-Moreland" neighborhood, since that is how it is classified by the City of Portland. Homes
Sellwood and Moreland neighborhoods feature older East Portland homes that have been well maintained and updated. You'll find architectural styles including Victorians, cottages, and many gorgeous Craftsman bungalows. The streets are quiet, and lined with mature trees. This is a great family neighborhood where people hang out at the coffee shops on the weekend, and you'll see couples pushing strollers and walking their dogs. The community features many locally owned shops and restaurants, and Sellwood is known for its array of antique shops. If you are looking for information on buying or selling a home in Sellwood-Moreland, including mortgage rates, loan calculators, home appraisers, school report cards, and crime reports, please see the Portland Real Estate page.
Sellwood-Moreland Information
Crystal
Springs Rhododendron Garden Sellwood
Neighborhood Association Website Southeast
Uplift Neighborhood Program Historic
Preservation League of Oregon Portland
Public School Boundaries (enter your
address to verify correct schools) Sellwood-Moreland Schools: Elementary school: Llewellyn
Elementary School Portland International Airport Portland Classifieds on Craigslist.com Tri Met - Interactive Maps and Schedules for Bus, Max and Streetcar
Sellwood DiningSome of Portland's finest eateries are found in this quaint community. For Italian food and a great wine selection, there is no beating Assagio. For yummy baked goods, choose from two favorite locals, Grand Central Bakery or Marsee Baking. Check out Caprial's Bistro for tasty gourmet food prepared by a favorite famous chef. The Ugly Mug Coffeehouse at 8017 SE 13th is locally owned, has a great vibe, and awesome coffee. Kid friendly. Movie nights. Open late, and serves beer and wine.
Grand Central Bakery in Sellwood -- Delicious! If you haven't tried the wonderful goodies at Grand Central Bakery, stop by on your way downtown and grab something better than a doughnut. Located at 7987 SE 13th Street in Sellwood, it is just a two blocks north of Tacoma Street. The Sellwood location has been open since May 2004, and is one of my favorite places to have breakfast. It has the delicious breads, cinnamon rolls, jammers (a biscuit with the jam built in), coffee cake and croissants of their other locations. Hidden in back is a kid friendly room with a low table for the young and two regular tables for adults. Toys, books and a chalkboard are available for the children's entertainment while you sip on a latte and read the paper. Chalk isn't always available, so you might want to bring your own colored chalk, and if you are like me, leave some behind! Don't forget to grab a loaf of bread to take home. Try their olive, como or any of the other delicious varieties. You can get the loaf whole for a fancy dinner, or have them slice it for easy toasting and sandwich making. The employees at the bakery are friendly and wonderful, and while I don't know the official policy, you regularly see people with their favorite 'brand' of coffee eating the baked goods. Don't let that dissuade you from trying their coffee or espresso as it is all excellent. The bakery is open for lunch and has a variety of sandwiches. Combine lunch with a trip to the Sellwood-Moreland Library down a block and you have an excellent afternoon.
What’s For Dinner? – A la Carte Café Reads like a riddle. What
is a home cooked meal that is delivered? Answer:
the gourmet personal chef service known as What’s For Dinner?
Offering a range of menu selections each week for the last twelve years,
A la Carte Café lets you choose from delish sounding meals such as Short Rib
Cassoulet and Shrimp Creole and side dishes like
Sellwood AntiquesIt should be mentioned that, when you’re talking antiques in Sellwood and Moreland, you’re walking the talk since these stores consume literally blocks and blocks of the commercial space that makes up these two districts. So grab those Keens – we know that you got ‘em – and let’s go on a tour. The Annex
Farmhouse Antiques
In the antique business, the key appears to be in the buying. Buy smart, and the sale follows. After 40 years in the business, R. Spencer Antiques still loves to emphasize that buying is what they do. They buy out of home, and they’re always buying. There appears to be a focus on furniture in their “5,000 Square Feet of Treasures,” but they’re, “Buying Today…A-Z!”
The Raven Military antiques are the specialty here: guns, uniforms, hats, helmets. It’s a war zone in there. In business in the Sellwood area for over 20 years, owner Paul Vanderpool also buys, sells, and trades other antiques, but military is the strategy.
Sellwood Antique Collective
Recipe:
Mix well, and what do you get? Depth of diversity, Martha Stewart knocking at the door, and Hollywood prop vans tapping the mother lode.
Sellwood ShoppingWe all instinctively know what the expression, “take a load off,” means. We don’t have to wonder just exactly what part of the anatomy is being referenced here. We know that relief is coming, and it’s aimed directly for our feet. You remember those, right? They’re the two neglected and abused cornerstones of your anatomy that bear yeoman’s loads while being bound, twisted, stretched, and left hanging from atop impossible heights. Might as well be interrogated by Jack Bauer. That’s why when a product comes along that actually gives something back to our little gems to the south, I, for one, sit down and take notice. Ashiyu is an ancient Japanese custom of foot care that has been transported to the contemporary Northwest. Their slogan is, “Offering a world of relaxation at your feet.” Located in the heart of Portland’s Sellwood District, what that means is Ashiyu offers unique spas – as well as a rare spa experience – for feet. Designed and custom-built entirely in Portland, these spas come in two distinct models and a variety of attractive styles. The Footopia is a 40” resin basin that welcomes your feet with warm water and the caress of river rocks, with the option of two levels of massage. For those who want their massage a little more amped, the Onsen is a full-on foot Jacuzzi with eight jets and a dual speed pump. The spas are for sale but also for rent, and the showroom is available for events and is often host to the public for concerts, sake tastings, and even free Sunday Shiatsu mini-treatments while you soak.
If you read this book by its cover, you can’t help but get drawn inside. A bright red caboose – an actual caboose, full size – sits near the street and claims to have books. Hmm, actively seeking a downside here. This place is great! Four walls and some inventory do not a bookstore make. Nor do corporate architecture and a requisite coffee chain housed within for that matter. But what does work is coziness, a staff that makes you feel warm and welcome. That fireplace inside doesn’t hurt, and neither does the outdoor patio complete with comfy looking lawn chairs to read fountain side. And the caboose? What else could be more adorable – or welcoming? It’s a children’s book section with small rocking chairs, caboose seats for the kids to climb up to and read, and loveable, old stuffed toys like Curious George and Cat in the Hat that used to belong to the owner’s children. In business for over 30 years, Karin Anna’s beloved Looking Glass Bookstore sells a broad range of new books and specializes in international literature, politics, children’s books, environmental issues, and poetry.
Maldonado’s Furniture In keeping with the neighborhood, much of what you’ll find at Maldonado’s is old – in this case Old Mexico. But it’s all brand new and hand crafted from kiln-dried pine. Rough hewn edges and wrought iron accessories including corners and handles are just some of the distinctive touches to be found here at the only rustic furniture manufacturer in Portland.
Nature in the City When you step through the door at the other end of the corridor, you step into a comparative Eden where outdoor accessories abound in a “Cottage Garden” shopping experience. Owner Cheryl Knauss’ aim is to help her customers enjoy nature by bringing nature into and around the home. To that end, her stock is extensive and varied: casual home décor, rustic garden furniture, birdhouses, birdbaths, plants, wreaths, stepping stone molds, soaps, candles, lotions. I could go on, but much of what makes this store fantastic isn’t just the inventory. It’s the place itself, and that requires a nature’s respite.
Sellwood - Getting Your Groom On (a..k.a. Personal Services) Dirty Dog Dog Wash Consider your options here. You can clean the war zone that was once your bathroom after cleaning Waldo who has shed and shaken until the tiny room is unrecognizable, or you can freeze the poor thing into a trembling lawn ornament by hose spraying him outside. Or, you can enter the genteel atmosphere of Dirty Dog dog wash, pick a stainless steel basin resting at waist level – yours, not the dog’s – and scrub little Scooter down. Providing all natural shampoos and conditioners and even aprons, the ordeal that is bathing an animal that would rather roll around in cow pies and has a completely different take on olfactory emissions is now finally, and so nicely, eased. Owner Roxanne Thomas has also gone to the trouble to set up a play corner for future little dog owners while they wait as well as a retail space stocking goodies for your furry shadow from outdoor gear like doggie life vests and hiking packs to all natural treats and a wide variety of toys.
Westmoreland AntiquesStars Antique Malls Westmoreland’s main drag, Milwaukie Avenue, has rolled out the red carpet. Stars literally line the street. With over 300 dealers filling 30,000 square feet in three locations within a block, any discussion about their variety of stock is just plain redundant. Gayle Tweed, Darwin Otto, and Brent Heeb, three friends with a passion for collecting and decorating, opened their first location, Stars Antique Mall, in 1990. Directly across the street, Stars and Splendid Antiques Mall followed in ’94. And just a stone’s throw down the road, More Stars Antiques Mall joined the family in ’98. Despite these Hollywood proportions, the Stars stores are not overwhelming or impersonal. Their staff is extremely friendly. And the owners are typically onsite and approachable. Guess you know what hasn’t gone to their heads.
Westmoreland Dining Caprial’s Bistro Antiques aren’t the only stars in this part of town. Nationally famous, James Beard Award winning chef, Caprial Pence, has made her namesake restaurant a Westmoreland landmark since 1992. Always a pioneer, Caprial was doing the on-camera food thing before The Food Network was a cable channel and “Bam!” was a household exclamation. Together with husband and chef, John Pence, her latest series is a co-production with OPB called, “Caprial and John’s Kitchen: Cooking with Friends and Family.” While Caprial and John maintain a daily, hands-on presence at the bistro, their executive chef since 1993 has been Mark Dowers. Is he worth his stuff? Let’s just say, shall we, that, while some patrons might smack their gums or moan in the presence of fine cuisine, this particular diner, quite reflexively and outside her control, sets down her silverware and smacks the table. Caprial’s Bistro is the kind of restaurant so good it makes my knuckles sore.
Westmoreland ShoppingCoco and Toulouse Go Shopping Know what it’s like to have one of those mothers-in-law who’s a trip? Something tells me Natalie Newton does. She helps to operate the shop owned by her husband’s mother, Jo Ellen Newton where they stock - get this - whatever fun little item they happened to pick up on their annual buying tour of Paris. Go girlfriends! Each year some of this store’s lucky staff, including mother and daughter-in-law, hits the streets of Paris and then brings them back to us. What that looks like year to year is a changing inventory of girly, whimsical, Parisian items like candles, dishes, and much more with a bit of French countryside and local Portland thrown into the mélange. Every year, for an extra bit of all things French, Jo Ellen celebrates the store’s anniversary over the third weekend in July by throwing her French Flea Market complete with free champagne and rose petals strewn on their sidewalk – which happens to be behind the shops facing Bybee but worth the promenade.
Fuchsia Owner Anne Reis just wants you to do something nice for yourself. Stocking an eclectic inventory of jewelry, gifts, handbags, and home décor items, Anne offers “nice things for you” and “nice things for your home.” An inviting place, the showroom is drenched in warm fuchsia and feels nice as well. And it feels even better when you find out that this high-end shopping experience is wildly affordable. See, even though the primary emphasis here is jewelry and other stock includes such items as buckwheat and lavender stuffed silkscreen pillows, absolutely nothing in the store will set you back more than $100.00! And when you buy something at Fuchsia, there’s a good chance your hard earned greens are staying close too because Anne goes, “deep into local designers.” And why shouldn’t she? As one of the Westmoreland proprietors who lives in the neighborhood, Anne has made her business part of the Milwaukie landscape and greets each customer with the welcoming smile – and high quality, local deal – befitting a neighbor.
haggis mcbaggis Podiatrists beware! The next generation of little shoe wearers just might not need your assistance if haggis mcbaggis has anything to say about it. A children’s shoe boutique, haggis mcbaggis specializes in fashionable, foot-fit-and-healthy shoes. Also stocking kid apparel and accessories, this playful shop’s unique approach to display hangs the children’s garb on clotheslines and struts its shoes on racks that look like saguaros. Not to leave out the inner-child shoe buyer in many of us, haggis mcbaggis also supplies “fashion forward, comfortable women’s shoes” and gifts.
The Silver Lining High-end consignment at low prices. That’s what they do. But they also do friendly off the charts. Since 1983, Karen Ripplinger has been buying and selling top-of-the-line women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories in brands like White House Black Market, Coach, Ann Taylor, Hilfiger, and Chico. However, she and staff members like Lorrie Mickelson, who’s been with her the last 11 of those years, have been doing more than business. They’ve been having a blast! They see the business as based on relationships. Lorrie lives in Westmoreland, after all, and these are her neighbors. And like a neighbor – and best girlfriend – she really wants you to find that perfect dress to wear to the wedding or take on that special trip. They love the thrill of the hunt just like you do. But good luck finding a dark cloud.
Wallace Books Wallace is a small house with a big inventory, so big in fact that its children’s section is second only to Powell’s. Every square inch of this quaint space belonging to Julie Wallace is filled with books, even overhead lining the thresholds of the house’s various rooms. Featuring both new and used books, Wallace is “your neighborhood bookstore” and so welcomes you through their door seven days a week.
Westmoreland - Getting your Groom On (a.k.a. Personal Services)Carpe Diem Salon and Spa Seize the spa! This place is gorgeous! It’s easy to, “Rest, Reflect, and Renew,” as they offer when the place itself makes you feel great. When you walk into Carpe Diem, you step into an atmosphere of chandeliers, salon style furniture, pedicure baths set into the floor versus those one-piece rub-a-dub models elsewhere, shampoo sinks set into walls behind which the stylist washes your hair instead of reaching over, and private rooms where private matters such as massage and microdermabrasion get their due. To complete the full salon and spa experience, owner Hengameh Salem and her staff offer the whole array: hair styling, nails, waxing, a multitude of facial treatments, plus massage therapies that range from hot stone and aromatherapy to sports, deep tissue, and even pregnancy. Since the site has only been open since January, 2007, massage has an introductory price of $38.00 for 60 minutes. So carpe the deal!
More Fun in Sellwood-MorelandCatch a flick at a genuine old movie theatre (circa 1923), the Moreland Theatre.
Sip a cup of joe at any one of the local coffee houses while reading the local paper (published since 1906), The Bee Sellwood-Moreland Neighborhood - More InfoIf you have more information about Sellwood-Moreland and would like to contribute, or if you have photos to share, please contact us.
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