About The Boise-Eliot Neighborhood

The Boise neighborhood is sometimes referred to as "Boise-Eliot" is located on the east side of the Willamette River. It is bordered by the Overlook, Humboldt, King and Eliot neighborhoods in the increasingly hip and popular North Portland. Boise is in a great location for commuting to downtown Portland and is conveniently close to other major Portland neighborhoods such as Concordia (Alberta Arts) and Irvington.

Major freeway ramps located nearby include I-5 and I-84. Drive over the Fremont, Steel or Broadway bridges to get downtown or to the Pearl District, and Old Town/Chinatown in mere minutes. The "MAX" light rail located on Interstate is only minutes away on foot. Downtown by bicycle is about 25 minutes.

Portland's Boise-Eliot neighborhood is one of the most unique and most popular Portland neighborhoods. Most locals know Boise-Eliot by a few names: Williams Avenue and Mississippi Avenue. While technically part of the same neighborhood(s) proper, these two streets have truly developed their own unique personality and feel with respect to the independent businesses that line their streets.

Prepare yourself for a mixed brew of all things old and nouveau. Boise is truly the phoenix rising from the ashes. An unknown to most just a handful of years ago, the streets are now alive with local shops and foot traffic. Modest homes, kids on bikes and dog walkers abound in this funky and urban self-sustaining neighborhood. You’ll feel right at home as you get to know the many independently owned coffee houses, pubs, music venues, nurseries and zesty local restaurants each boasting an individual flair.

The Mississippi Ave neighborhood in Portland can probably best be described as young, urban and hip. The streets are busied with bike traffic, foot-traffic and buses cruising by every few minutes. This area is a hot-spot for the 20-30ish Portland crowd looking for easy access to downtown. Mississippi has just about everything the average urbanite could need: nearly a dozen great restaurants, great (some nationally famous) coffee shops, a recording studio and live music hall, several bars and pubs and a lot of retail and boutique shops, all independently owned. A few standouts on the street are Mississippi Studios, Lovely Hula Hands, The Crow Bar, Amnesia Brewing, Gravy, Equinox, Por Que No?!, The Fresh Pot, Lorenzo's, Pistils Nursery and Miss Delta. This is a thriving entrepreneurial district- you won't find a Starbucks here and locals will see to it that you don't.

Just a few minutes away, Williams Avenue offers even more independent retail and boutiques. Standouts are Lompoc's 5Q (Fifth Quarter), Pix Patisserie and Ristretto Roasters.

Portland Community College is a major presence in the Mississippi Ave area and many residents are also students or faculty. Additionally, head about five minutes north to Killingsworth Street for more really great local businesses to choose from such as Saraveza (a beer bottle shop), The Red E Cafe, E'njoni Ethiopian Cafe and CoffeeHouse-Five. Down the road on Interstate is a New Seasons Market which is a local area shopping staple and employer.

Overall, this is a great urban Portland neighborhood. Boise-Eliot is centrally located and totally self-sustaining. Rebirth, indie, hipsters, organic, welcoming, booming. Dog-friendly people and smiling faces. Bikes and scooters are more widely accepted than cars. The neighborhood prizes diversity, independence and entrepreneurialism. Locals know each other and support their local businesses. A mix of renters and owners, singletons and families. Everyone is busy doing something interesting.

(This post is excerpted from portlandneigborhood.com. Copyright 2005-2009 portlandneighborhood.com)