about Piedmont...

Piedmont

Piedmont. Despite the changes this neighborhood has seen since it was an undeveloped piece of land in the now-defunct city of Albina, it still carries itself with the grace and planned elegance of its turn-of-the-20th-century heyday.

Just over 600 acres, the Piedmont neighborhood is contained within the boundaries set by Columbia Boulevard to the north, Ainsworth to the south, MLK Jr. Boulevard to the east and Interstate 5 to the west. It is home to more than 6,500 people, living in over 2,500 homes. A five minute car ride, or 20 minutes on the Max gets residents to downtown. Businesses are notably few and far between, but that was by design.

Piedmont was to become one of Portland's first planned communities when it was bought by The Investment Company in 1888 for $24,000. The Portland and Vancouver Railway Company helped make the spot more desirable by extending their service to Piedmont's border, as it made its way between the Columbia River crossing and downtown Portland. Intended to appeal to the upper middle class, Piedmont was touted to be strictly residential, no commercial or industrial buildings would be allowed. The homes, whose sale prices would range between $2,500 and $3,000, had to be built at least 25' from the street and 15' from the side lot line. Fifteen foot alleys backed the streets, and would house all of the unsightly lines of utilities. Horse and horseless carriages would only be permitted on streets where at least two thirds of the owners gave consent. Edward Quackenbush, president of The Investment Company and member of the Portland Anti-Saloon League added his own regulation—no manufacturing or selling of booze. Read more...

news and events in Piedmont...

Portland Landlords Reflect on Criticisms Levied Against Them, As a Whole
A Landlord Can Be Your Greatest Ally

This is the second article in a series (read the first article) about how landlords and their present and potential commercial tenants can work together to create vibrant, livable neighborhoods. As a topic, the relationships between landlords and their tenants is a dicey one, because neither lessor nor lessee seem interested in speaking about it publicly. If there’s any grumbling, it's often whispered to friends, family or more...

Craft of Business: Hiring Your First Employee
8 Tips On Doing Your Due Diligence Before Hiring Your First Employee

This is the final installment in a series about the steps small business owners need to take before hiring their first employee. If you’ve already taken a hard look at your business and determined the right time to hire your first employee as well as figured thevalue your time, you’ve done the heavy lifting. "For a sole proprietor or someone who has a boutique, there's really not a lot invested in bringing in that more...

Branding Is More Than a Logo
Neighborhood Branding: Determining What To Change and How

This is the second article in a series about neighborhood branding. In the first article we explored outsiders’ perceptions of your neighborhood and began to think about how we can change misperceptions. We will now continue to dig deeper into the process of changing the perception of your neighborhood. Potentially dubbed the "Independent Republic of St. Johns" or the "Best Little Town in Portland," the St. more...

Space is Limited. Call Today!

Event date: May 1, 2012 May 31, 2012

Event location: The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

Free Spay/Neuter Clinics for Feral and Stray Cats in May

The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO) will host free spay/neuter clinics for feral and stray cats in the four-county area—Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark—throughout the entire month of May. Space is limited so call today! Why May? In the spring months, cats begin to breed and are more likely to produce kittens. Cats can reproduce as early as five months old, but can be safely spayed and neutered at two more...

in the media...

Position title: Neighborhood Event & Office Assistant

Portland Commissioner Nick Fish, who oversees housing, told political candidates in an email this morning that the city will review ownership and tax issues with the Headwaters Apartments.