Many of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods sprouted + grew around the development of the city’s streetcar system in the early 20th century. One such “streetcar suburb” is Ladd’s Addition, nestled in Southeast Portland — and not much has changed there in over 130 years.
An aerial view of Ladd’s Addition, sometime before 1919. | Photo via City of Portland
🌹 How it started
Banker + former Portland Mayor William S. Ladd acquired the land that would become Ladd’s Addition in 1878 between what is now Southeast Hawthorne and Division streets and Southeast 12th and 20th avenues. He and his wife Caroline platted the land in 1891, dividing it into 32 blocks containing 716 lots. Inspired by Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, DC, William designed the unique street layout against his surveyor’s advice, creating two major diagonal thoroughfares and five park spaces that he dedicated to the City of Portland.
William didn’t live to see the first houses built on his former farmland, which began in the northern blocks around 1905 near the old Hawthorne streetcar line. Development started really taking off a few years later as streets were paved, sidewalks were built, trees were planted + builders financed new houses. The city’s love affair with roses was blooming around that same time, so it transformed the neighborhood’s park spaces into rose gardens.
Ladd’s Circle Park and Rose Gardens at the center of Ladd’s Addition. | Photo by PDXtoday
🌏 Cultural significance
In 1913, architect Joseph Jacobberger built St. Philip Neri Church to serve the city’s growing population of Italian Americans. When anti-Asian sentiment took root in the western United States in the 1930s, members of the Portland Realty Board informally designated Ladd’s Addition as a neighborhood for Asian American families.
Ladd’s Addition required new houses be worth at least $2,500 in the early days. | Photo by PDXtoday
🌳 Designations
1977 — Ladd’s Addition is designated as one of the city’s two Historic Conservation Districts
1988 — Ladd’s Addition is added to the National Register of Historic Places
2011 — The Cultural Landscape Foundation of Washington, DC, recognizes Ladd’s Addition residents for their 15-year battle to protect neighborhood elm trees
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Pride Party | Thurs., June 23 | 6-11 p.m. | Kindness Farm, 7101 SE 127th Ave. | $15 suggested donation | Celebrate + help foster community at this nonprofit farm that grows food for those in need.
Secret Roller Disco | Thurs., June 23 | 7-9 p.m. | Irvington Elementary School, 1320 NE Brazee St. | Free | Bring your own set of skates + get down with groovy music. 🛼
“The Cherry Orchard” | Thurs., June 23-Sat., July 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Reed College Center for the Performing Arts, Diver Studio Theatre, 3017 SE Woodstock Blvd. | Free+ | This re-telling of Chekhov’s play shows how people confront catastrophic change. 🎭
Friday
Audubon Birding Day: Sauvie Island in Early Summer | Fri., June 24 | 8 a.m.-2 p.m. | Oak Island parking lot | $65+ | This peninsula is home to unique habitats where birders can spot the Bullock’s oriole, yellow warbler, red-eyed vireo + more. 🐦
Opacity of Performance: Takahiro Yamamoto | Now-Sun., June 26 | 12-5 p.m. | Portland Art Museum | Free+ | A rotating cast of performers investigates questions of visibility and objectification through the lens of dance. 🎟️
Brewers Burger Brawl | Fri., June 24 | 5-8 p.m. | StormBreaker Brewing, 832 N. Beech St. | $40 | Five breweries go head-to-head for the best burger and beer pairing at this street party cookout. 🍔
Saturday
The Psychedelic Symposium | Sat., June 25-Sun., June 26 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St. | $50+ | This educational event hosted by the Portland Psychedelic Society showcases art, local vendors, workshops + talks covering topics like neuroscience and ethics in psychedelic therapy. 🍄
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
With high temperatures on the horizon, officials are reminding Portlanders how to safely ride out a heatwave. “The best strategy is to stay hydrated, slow down, seek shade, and really pay attention to your body for those early warning signs of heat stroke,” said Oregon Health & Science University associate professor Dr. Sean Robinson. ☀️ (KOIN)
Dive on in. Portland Parks and Recreation opened its seven outdoor pools yesterday and plans to keep them open through Aug. 28, despite staffing shortages in the department. Families can also cool off at the interactive fountains + splash pads scattered around the city.
Sunrise + Sunset
Rise: 5:22 a.m.
Set: 9:03 p.m.
Community
Portland Fire & Rescue announced this week that fireworks have been banned in the city due to annual fires, injuries, deaths + drought conditions that persist in the region, despite a wet spring. PF&R encouraged Portlanders to watch the Fourth of July fireworks show at the Waterfront Blues Festival instead. 🧨
Are you part of a nonprofit, public agency, school or business district association leading cleanup efforts in a local, underserved community? If so, your organization might qualify for up to $5,000 from Metro’s Regional Refresh Fund, a new low-barrier sponsorship that funds community-led cleanup activities in the Metro region.
Cause
Union Gospel Mission broke ground yesterday on a new 52,000-sqft facility at 18555 NW Rock Creek Blvd. The $17.8 million project, slated to open in 2023, will serve women + children by providing a safe haven from domestic violence, support for addiction and trauma recovery, educational resources, and more. (KOIN)
Biz
The Portland area may soon get its 10th Trader Joe’s store. The grocery store chain is reportedly considering opening a location at 16200 SW Pacific Hwy.inTigard — the site of a former Albertsons, which closed in 2015. 🛒 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Trending
Portland is awash in uniquely beautiful living spaces, and not just for human residents. Portland Monthly states that“pet spaces are the new nurseries” as the trend to transform parts of homes into cat and bird sanctuaries takes off. Have you built a unique catio or aviary? We’d love to see it. 🦜 (Portland Monthly)
Number
168,000. That’s how many households in the Portland metro area have been priced out of the real estate marketsince December, according to state economist Josh Lehner. Mortgage interest rates have doubled during that time + home values continue to climb, while inventory sits at record lows. 🏠 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
History
Lincoln High School’s student newspaper, The Cardinal Times, collaborated with the Portland Tribune on a series called “The Last Days of Lincoln” to remember the school’s past, from emotional goodbyes to student activism. The old school will be torn down this summer + rebuilt on the same Southwest Portland property. 🏫 (Portland Tribune)
Sports
Jerami Grant is coming home. A Wednesday afternoon Woj bomb revealed that the Detroit Pistons are trading the forward to Portland (where he was born in 1994) to play out the final year of his current contract for the Trail Blazers. The deal hinges on a 2025 first-round pick. 🏀 (Blazers Edge)
If you’re looking for analysis on how this year’s NBA Draft will play out for the Trail Blazers, check out this hilarious Twitter thread from beat reporter Casey Holdahl. To predict Rip City’s chances, he pulls the evidence out of a hat, or at least how each prospect is holding the various teams’ caps. 🧢
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We’re all looking for ways to adjust to the climbing temperatures this week, so we can’t really blame this deer for letting itself into the Moda Center’s ice rink for a good ol’ fashioned Slip ‘N Slide cool-down.
Or maybe this is the result of an out-of-control game of Truth or Deer?Whatever the case, the deer quickly learned that cloven hooves don’t do so well on slippery surfaces and undoubtedly instantly regretted its decision. Hind-sight is 20/20.
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Editor’s pick: If you live just over the Columbia River in Vancouver — or don’t mind a short drive — the Waterfront Park Concert Series is a fun way to spend an evening. From July 8-Aug. 12, you can catch a free show with incredible views. I’m planning on seeing LaRhonda Steele + getting some dinner at the new AC Lounge.
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