something thing i have always loved about portland are all of the great neighborhoods that we have. portland neighborhoods remind me of the quartiers in paris. one of my most favorite neighborhoods is ladd's addition over in southeast. here is a map of the way the neighborhood is situated. the central point marked "lc" is the park in the center of the neighborhood. if you show up to this park on wednesday nights, you will happen upon a neighborhood jam session that receives quite an audience. the diamonds off the center are the four rose gardens. ladd's addition is bordered by hawthorne, 20th ave, division and 12th ave. let's go for a walk!
here is the center of the west garden. hey look, it's little lulu! we like to walk to this garden in the afternoon.
this is the church for the deaf. a few years back, the original structure was sadly a victim of arson but they rebuilt the church and this is the beautiful entry. the angels always remind me of the wim wenders film "wings of desire".
over in the center of the neighborhood by ladd park, is a great coffee shop called palio. in spite of being in a hard to find location, it's packed every night. they finally expanded into the space next door. the menu offers things like panini and quiche as well as vegan desserts that are good and don't taste like cardboard. 1996 se ladd 503.232.9412
i have always admired this duplex on ladd. it reminds me of places you would see in new mexico. except it has grass!
if you walk out of the neighborhood over to hawthorne, you will find some of the best restaurants in town. i absolutely love the bombay cricket club and go here almost every year for my birthday. they are known for their mango margaritas but i prefer the masala margarita. you can't go wrong with either one, however, as they both have enough kick to make you very happy. my favorite dish is the coconut curry chicken, i especially love it on a cold winter night. i always want to try something else but i love this one so much that i rarely do. they do take reservations and i recommend that you make one any time you want to go there as it is so tiny, it fills up fast.1925 se hawthorne 503.231.0740
across the street from the cricket club is a newer restaurant called sel gris. it offers some of the best french cuisine in town. lately is has been the target of anti foie gras protesters but that doesn't stop people. they have some of the best foie in town, especially the foie gras three ways. je l'aime le foie gras!it is a tiny matchbox of a restaurant so get there early. if possible sit at the bar so you can watch the chef do his thing. it's the best seat in the house.
1852 se hawthorne 503.517.7770
and just west down hawthorne is castagna and cafe castagna. i prefer the more casual of the two, the cafe. this has been a hawthorne establishment for many years now and seems to always be full. "castagna" is one of the first italian words i ever learned. it means chestnut and in "my own private idaho", the girl in italy taught it to river's character. the have great caesars, pizzas and hamburgers.1758 se hawthorne 503.231.9959
heading back into ladd's from hawthorne is this beautiful residence that has been under renovation for many years. i wish i would have taken a before shot. it's right across from the north garden.i hope you have enjoyed your walk through ladd's addition as much as lulu and i have. check it out the next time you're in southeast.
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