Northwest 21st Avenue is home to many of Portland’s dining destinations, from the McMenamin’s Blue Moon Restaurant and Pub to the Laughing Planet Café. It is near enough to Northwest 23rd Avenue that shopping in the area runs year round and often in full swing. There are also more residential spaces on 21st than 23rd, making it a great area e for Portlanders who enjoy living in a busy area.
The limited street parking along 21st between West Burnside Street and Northwest Pettygrove Street making driving and living on this busy avenue a challenge. Most residents in the historic apartments buildings here get around instead by walking or, as is very popular along this avenue, cycling. TriMet Bus Line 17 runs north and south along 21st, and the Portland Streetcar crosses over 21st at Northwest Lovejoy Street; there are additional bus lines that serve Northwest Portland crossing over 21st frequently at multiple west/east streets.
There are two large grocery stores nearby—Trader Joe’s at 21st and Glisan, and a Fred Meyer’s at Burnside and Northwest 20th Place—and a veritable smorgasbord of restaurants, bars and boutiques to keep residents along 21st busy. Cinema 21 is located between Northwest Hoyt Street and Northwest Irving Street, and this independent theater reflects the eclectic character of Northwest Portland with its showings of non-mainstream films.
PGE Park, the home stadium for the Portland Timbers soccer team, is nearby as well. It is currently being renovated to add seats for the next Timbers season, when the team joins Major League Soccer and gives Portland a second major-league squad alongside the Trail Blazers. Couch Park is located one block east of 21st between Glisan and Hoyt, and it features a city block’s worth of grass field and a playground.
Overall, Northwest 21st Avenue is a bustling hub of dining and shopping pedestrians mingling with cyclists just moments from park areas and from Downtown. The cost of living in the area is less than that of living in the Pearl District, and rent tends to increase as the buildings get closer to Burnside. Be sure to check this neighborhood out and catch the feeling of being in a true-blue, nature-meets-urban-life area of Portland!
Agency Info: