Neighborhood profile: Brooklyn
April 8, 2014
Home to the Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn Park, True Brew Coffeehouse and plenty of recreational opportunities, Portland’s Brooklyn neighborhood hugs the east side of the Willamette River.
[caption id="attachment_14745" align="alignright" width="619"]
The Aladdin Theater first opened in the 1920s and now serves as a music venue for up to 620 people.[/caption]
Founded as a neighborhood in the 1860s, the area is comprised of many single-family homes, interspersed with industrial sites along the river and railyard. The area has a hometown neighborhood feel with great architecture, easy access to downtown and without the parking predicaments often found in more high-trafficed neighborhoods.
[caption id="attachment_14744" align="alignleft" width="349"]
The Bear Paw serves up good tunes, drinks and drinks.[/caption]
One of Portland’s most desirable neighborhoods, Brooklyn is home to:
Indoor soccer: Portland Futsal at 3401 SE 17th Ave. – the largest indoor soccer complex in Oregon, caters to leagues for youths, men, women and co-ed teams. The facility is for those who play the “Futsal” way – with a smaller, heavier ball and no walls to play off of.
Springwater on the Willamette: This scenic multi-use trail features wide, paved pathways to accommodate walkers, joggers and those on bikes or in wheelchairs or strollers. Springwater features at least 10 trail bridges over Johnson Creek.
24 Hour Fitness: The Portland McLoughlin Super Sport facility features cardio equipment, personal trainers, a basketball court, cycling, lap pool and hot tub, saunas, stream rooms and strength machines.
Edelweiss Sausage Co. and Delicatessen: An authentic European market, this family-owned-and-operated Old World Bavarian market carries rare sweet treats from Germany and other European countries and offers handcrafted meats, specialty sausages, sandwiches and catering.
The Brooklyn House Restaurant: With a farm fresh menu, locally sourced ingredients and a nod to European fare, enjoy soups and salads, bread and cheese plates, pasta dishes and hearty steaks, braised lamb, chicken and veal.
The many nods to German heritage dates back to more than a century ago.
Giddeon Tibbets acquired the land in the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 and built a family home and grist mill a year later. Tibbets named the area “Brookland” because of its river, creeks and lakes on his property.
[caption id="attachment_14747" align="alignright" width="403"]
The Johan and Dora Poulsen House was built in 1892 in the Brooklyn neighborhood overlooking the Willamette River.[/caption]
In 1868 Tibbets subdivided the land and allowed the Oregon Central Railroad to cross the property. This subdivision brought a large number of residents to the neighborhood, which became known as “Brooklyn.” The increased population led to the construction of a town square at the corner of Powell Blvd. and Milwaukie Ave.
[caption id="attachment_14746" align="alignleft" width="187"]
The houses in this neighborhood have a lot of character.[/caption]
In the 1890s, Brooklyn was home to many Roman Catholic German-Americans. Many German street and landmark names were changed during World War I, Brooklyn still bears traces of this period today with several older German-American businesses and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the architecturally stunning1891 Johan Poulsen House.
Changes: In the 1920s, the neighborhood changed drastically as a part of a city-wide construction effort. The town square was destroyed when the Ross Island Bridge was constructed. At the same time, many of the streams and ponds in the neighborhood were filled in. The construction of McLoughlin Boulevard (Oregon Route 99E) severed the neighborhood's connection to the Willamette waterfront. The construction of an overpass on 17th avenue also divided the neighborhood in two.
By the 1960s, the neighborhood had acquired the reputation as being poverty-stricken. It was during this time that past Portland mayor Tom Potter began his police career in Portland, as a beat officer in the neighborhood. According to Potter, he acquired many of the basic tenets of his philosophy of community policing while as a young officer in the neighborhood. Potter became involved in the Brooklyn Action Corps (BAC), a community organization that was founded during this time to combat the poverty, crime, and drugs that were afflicting the neighborhood.
Rejuvenation: By the 1980s, the neighborhood had undergone a nearly complete turnaround. Today it is regarded as among southeast Portland's most desirable residential neighborhoods. The new Eastbank Esplanade – a pedestrian and bike path along the east shore of the Willamette River – allows the neighborhood to regain its connection to the river. Renaissance Homes has built several homes in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
[caption id="attachment_14748" align="alignright" width="423"]
True Brew Coffeehouse was recently remodeled and features plenty of seating opportunities with a convenient location just across from Brooklyn Park.[/caption]
Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building for the Portland market.Visit our Design Studio to personalize your next home.
[caption id="attachment_14749" align="alignright" width="435"]
The Brooklyn neighborhood hugs the East side of the Willamette River in Portland.[/caption]
Sources: Wikipedia.org, PortlandOregon.gov
PortlandCreativeRealtors.com
The Aladdin Theater first opened in the 1920s and now serves as a music venue for up to 620 people.[/caption]
Founded as a neighborhood in the 1860s, the area is comprised of many single-family homes, interspersed with industrial sites along the river and railyard. The area has a hometown neighborhood feel with great architecture, easy access to downtown and without the parking predicaments often found in more high-trafficed neighborhoods.
[caption id="attachment_14744" align="alignleft" width="349"] The Bear Paw serves up good tunes, drinks and drinks.[/caption]
One of Portland’s most desirable neighborhoods, Brooklyn is home to:
Indoor soccer: Portland Futsal at 3401 SE 17th Ave. – the largest indoor soccer complex in Oregon, caters to leagues for youths, men, women and co-ed teams. The facility is for those who play the “Futsal” way – with a smaller, heavier ball and no walls to play off of.
Springwater on the Willamette: This scenic multi-use trail features wide, paved pathways to accommodate walkers, joggers and those on bikes or in wheelchairs or strollers. Springwater features at least 10 trail bridges over Johnson Creek.
24 Hour Fitness: The Portland McLoughlin Super Sport facility features cardio equipment, personal trainers, a basketball court, cycling, lap pool and hot tub, saunas, stream rooms and strength machines.
Edelweiss Sausage Co. and Delicatessen: An authentic European market, this family-owned-and-operated Old World Bavarian market carries rare sweet treats from Germany and other European countries and offers handcrafted meats, specialty sausages, sandwiches and catering.
The Brooklyn House Restaurant: With a farm fresh menu, locally sourced ingredients and a nod to European fare, enjoy soups and salads, bread and cheese plates, pasta dishes and hearty steaks, braised lamb, chicken and veal.
The many nods to German heritage dates back to more than a century ago.
Giddeon Tibbets acquired the land in the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 and built a family home and grist mill a year later. Tibbets named the area “Brookland” because of its river, creeks and lakes on his property.
[caption id="attachment_14747" align="alignright" width="403"] The Johan and Dora Poulsen House was built in 1892 in the Brooklyn neighborhood overlooking the Willamette River.[/caption]
In 1868 Tibbets subdivided the land and allowed the Oregon Central Railroad to cross the property. This subdivision brought a large number of residents to the neighborhood, which became known as “Brooklyn.” The increased population led to the construction of a town square at the corner of Powell Blvd. and Milwaukie Ave.
[caption id="attachment_14746" align="alignleft" width="187"] The houses in this neighborhood have a lot of character.[/caption]
In the 1890s, Brooklyn was home to many Roman Catholic German-Americans. Many German street and landmark names were changed during World War I, Brooklyn still bears traces of this period today with several older German-American businesses and the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the architecturally stunning1891 Johan Poulsen House.
Changes: In the 1920s, the neighborhood changed drastically as a part of a city-wide construction effort. The town square was destroyed when the Ross Island Bridge was constructed. At the same time, many of the streams and ponds in the neighborhood were filled in. The construction of McLoughlin Boulevard (Oregon Route 99E) severed the neighborhood's connection to the Willamette waterfront. The construction of an overpass on 17th avenue also divided the neighborhood in two.
By the 1960s, the neighborhood had acquired the reputation as being poverty-stricken. It was during this time that past Portland mayor Tom Potter began his police career in Portland, as a beat officer in the neighborhood. According to Potter, he acquired many of the basic tenets of his philosophy of community policing while as a young officer in the neighborhood. Potter became involved in the Brooklyn Action Corps (BAC), a community organization that was founded during this time to combat the poverty, crime, and drugs that were afflicting the neighborhood.
Rejuvenation: By the 1980s, the neighborhood had undergone a nearly complete turnaround. Today it is regarded as among southeast Portland's most desirable residential neighborhoods. The new Eastbank Esplanade – a pedestrian and bike path along the east shore of the Willamette River – allows the neighborhood to regain its connection to the river. Renaissance Homes has built several homes in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
[caption id="attachment_14748" align="alignright" width="423"] True Brew Coffeehouse was recently remodeled and features plenty of seating opportunities with a convenient location just across from Brooklyn Park.[/caption]
Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building for the Portland market.Visit our Design Studio to personalize your next home.
[caption id="attachment_14749" align="alignright" width="435"] The Brooklyn neighborhood hugs the East side of the Willamette River in Portland.[/caption]
Sources: Wikipedia.org, PortlandOregon.gov
PortlandCreativeRealtors.com