One of Portland neighbors' favorite warm summer and fall evening pastimes is biking to the bluff at Overlook Park in North Portland's Overlook neighborhood. The bluff rises above the North and Northwest Portland industrial zones that sit along the Willamette River and provides a great perch to watch the sun set over the west hills. KT Miller confirms that this is the quintessential summer activity she and her crew have ritualized. Most Portlanders celebrate a [hopefully] endless summer with goings-on well into the night—backyard movies, moonlight bike rides—and the Overlook Park bluff has become a popular spot for that same sort of celebration. “We ride our bikes at least a few nights a week to the bluff where we are instantly calmed by the scenery," explains Miller. "The slowing down of the day as it transitions to through dusk to the evening. It’s the perfect place to land before we regroup and head out for a night in the hood.”

The view [looking south] from Overlook Park

At the busy intersection of North Fremont Street and North Interstate Avenue, Overlook Park is actually a peaceful setting for walking the dog, playing softball or picnicking, too, with plenty of trees and other greenery, hills to slide down if you’re feeling playful, and a bark trail running course if you’re feeling pro. And, if you are feeling more energetic than this green zone allows, it’s great to walk, run or bike along picturesque North Willamette Boulevard where you’ll get more views of the river and Forest Park just across the way. Neighbor Stephanie Soden concurs with such simple pleasures: "It’s fitting we have Adidas North America as a neighbor since there is such great running to be had along Willamette Boulevard and the bluff in Overlook.”

Overlook Park

The blocks adjacent to Overlook Park [on the north side] are among my favorites. This sweet, hidden pocket is a visual treat replete with historic bungalows, vibrant gardens and parking strips packed with plants, flowers and veggies—Portland style! The fine tree canopy makes cruising to the park [when traveling south of North Mason and west of North Interstate] a cool and calm affair.

Some of the bungalows in Overlook. Photo: Amaren Colosi

Patton Square at North Interstate and Emerson offers another peaceful reprieve from a busy commute. There’s a playground and picnic tables, too. (Historical note of interest: North Interstate Avenue was originally North Patton Avenue before the bridge connecting it across the Columbia River was erected in the early part of the last century.)

Patton Square Park

Building Business and Community

Come May, Interstate Farmers Market at 3500 North Interstate (across the street from Kaiser, near Overlook Park) revs up on Wednesdays, from 3 to 7 p.m. (through September). One of many farmers markets in town, of course, this location makes it particularly easy to do fresh produce shopping on your way home from work, or on your way out to one of the newest businesses in Overlook's burgeoning business district.

Overlook Village Business District Association officially launched last July, not only adding to the robust line up of Portland’s 36+ business districts, but creating a connected business community with plenty of room for growth. According to Yetta Vorobik, owner of The Hop & Vine and president of Overlook Village BDA, the main purpose the fledgling organization was created is to raise awareness of the area as a place to live, shop and dine: "We wish to create a dining and shopping district that serves the inhabitants of the Overlook Neighborhood and beyond."

On August 1, the business association showcased the neighborhood and its diverse business community by sponsoring the neighborhood's first street fair—an event destined to become a Portland favorite. Throughout its first year, the Overlook Village BDA has documented a wide variety of fun events on its Facebook page.

Queens MAB

Atomic Pizza

The Naked Sheep Knit Shop

The business association's committment to the neighborhood extends far beyond economics. Last November, the new business association hosted a public forum on crime prevention, prompted by a rash of break-ins at some of the area’s prime locations. ONI Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Wells had this to say about the forum:

Yetta Vorobik, owner of The Hop and Vine and president of Overlook Village, contacted me early on to invite me and the City of Portland’s Crime Prevention Program to play a role with their association to ensure patrons, residents, and staff continued to work and live in a safe neighborhood. Although the Overlook area enjoys a relatively low crime rate, it is prone to continual graffiti, street drinking, and occasional drug dealing. Understanding the importance of providing patrons with a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment, Yetta was concerned about these habitual livability problems and I was happy to join their efforts.

[Read his entire event recap on Commissioner Fritz’s blog]

This proactive partnership has addressed crime and livability issues that have run rampant in North and Northeast Portland business districts this fall and winter. According to Wells:

Long term goals for this partnership include formalizing a Business Watch and establishing a graffiti team to quickly report and remove graffiti and also provide general trash pick up and also report other criminal activity they discover. Overlook Village is a wonderful example of how individual citizens and business owners can stand up against crime and roll up their sleeves to help the City prevent and respond to crime and livability issues.

Vorobik, along with many other businesses like The Naked Sheep Knit Shop and The Historic Overlook House, is committed to fostering open communication and awareness in order to deter crime, contribute positively to the neighborhood and attract patrons. November’s forum, the street fair and other efforts throughout the year are a terrific start on creating such solidarity.

Food and Drink Destinations Don’t Disappoint

Rumor has it there’s yet another food cart corral percolating in Portland, this time on North Killingsworth and Greeley. The space will include Saucers BBQ and Wicked Waffles—a nice complement to the Lucky Lab moving into the old Roux location. Keep your eyes on these delicious additions.

For now, however, you can be more than satisfied with the array of venue options for eatin’ and drinkin’ in Overlook. Vorobik’s bar and bottle shop at 1914 North Killingsworth Avenue has a “great back garden area and coolers full of good beer,” chirps a regular. A terrific place to host special events, The Hop & Vine also has a generous happy hour with comfort specials like tomato soup and grilled cheese, and peanut butter and Nutella panini served with vanilla ice cream (yum!). Both the vibe and the food will beckon you back for multiple visits. Also on North Killingsworth (at 2710), you’ll find Sagittarius, a fun venue that’s “cheap, clean and has a cool vibe,” and is linked to Stephen Malkmus claims one patron, though no one seems to know why or how. If you’re on a citywide mac n cheese tour, as many of us are, this is your place [read: creamy deliciousness with a hint of rosemary]. Down the road lies Beaterville Café—complete with vintage car themed décor—one of the neighborhood’s most loved breakfast joints. Be sure to check out Beaterville's new bar, too. The live music is sure to be a hit with neighbors.

Stephanie Soden likes Georges Tavern (seriously, there is no apostrophe in the sign. SIGH.) "which attracts a lively and diverse crowd for NFL Sundays with its decent breakfast, kick-ass Bloody Marys and jello shots.” It’s just the kind of sports-themed dive you want to visit (whether or not there are punctuation violations in its signage).

Some of the treats at Di Prima Dolci

Other favorite Overlook haunts include Di Prima Dolci, a family-owned and operated restaurant and bakery bringing old world charm to the neighborhood. Part of its overall mission (aside from making really awesome baked goods) is to “establish a thriving business that will inspire other independently and locally owned businesses to establish in this neighborhood.” The Di Prima clan is committed to its traditions spanning family, quality baking, cooking and supporting community. It’s a wonderful place to have a leisurely lunch or late afternoon coffee and sweet snack. Soden offers: “And with all the fans they have now, I'll never host another morning meeting without bringing baked delicacies from Di Prima Dolci for the attendees to enjoy."

Grandpa's Cafe & Deli. Photo: Amaren Colosi

Italian culture and cuisine isn’t the only European game in Overlook. (Think: Poland. You’ll find plenty of outlets.) First, there’s Grandpa's Cafe & Deli housed in the Polish Hall on North Interstate. Polish Hall is home to the Polish Library Building Association, a group committed to Polish culture and arts, with events planned each month. Check the schedule for more details. But it’s the Polish Festival each September that offers food, music, dance and fun for everyone. The people I know who do the festival circuit in town (and, as you know, there are plenty from which to choose), say that the Polish Festival is the hot pick. (Best food and beer = most fun.) I, however, am one who shuns most festival atmospheres, and thus prefer to retreat to the Krakow Cafe for my European fare. Blintzes, wine and veggie options call out, as does the live music, art and Winter Olympics inspired events to be found at the café over the coming weeks.

Berlin Style "Currywurst" at Krakow Cafe. Photo: Amaren Colosi

With both German and Italian ancestry pulling her in different culinary directions, Woodlawn resident Marie Martinez counts a trip to Pause Kitchen & Bar as her fave for comfort food and family-friendly scene:

I like it especially in the summer, when everyone just hangs on the patio with beer, a hearty snack and looks at the veggies and herbs growing in beds in the sun. The Cuban pork sandwich is a must. Winter’s not so bad, either, though, especially for cocktails with my friends before crossing the street for a show at the Interstate Firehouse.

After the Hunger

To burn off all that food and drink, there is a newly reopened gym (Edge Performance Fitness) at North Interstate and Ainsworth. Also, don’t forget the Interstate Lanes for groovy Cosmic Bowling sessions on a Friday night or even watching a Blazers game mid week. The best business name in town is (drum roll) Fat Cobra Video, right across the street from the bowling alley. If you must, so be it, but I’d rather (really!) spend time at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC). The IFCC is a hub for artistic talents of diverse persuasions—dance, performance, theatre, visual art—and, a popular venue, too, for some of PICA’s TBA festival performances. Housed in a 100 year-old firehouse, the nonprofit organization has a 99-seat theatre, art gallery and dance studio, and offers arts education and programs of all sorts. Its commitment is not only to diversity in the arts, but to supporting emerging and experienced artists, education through the arts, and “as a community center…committed to our roots in North and Northeast Portland.” Some of the best performances I’ve seen in town were showcased at this funky theatre space. The 2010 season is on, so be sure to check the schedule—you’re bound to be impressed by the quality work presented here.

The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center

The Alibi is hard to miss!

But What About the Neon?

If you’ve traveled down Interstate through Overlook, you’ve certainly seen this zone’s neon sign extravaganza. The Alibi, the ultimate tiki bar and karaoke haven, offers a classic nod to 50s kitsch, while The Palms Motor Hotel shines with early 60s brightness. There are plenty of other neon treasures on this mini strip akin to Route 66; in July 2008, the city officially recognized its inherent goodness and adopted the North Interstate Corridor Plan with support of an Interstate Avenue Historic Neon District. Because of this designation, special measures will be made to keep historic neon signs intact, or have them carefully removed to other locations along the corridor to make way for new development projects. When the Crown Motel was torn down, the Mid-Century Modern League (a nonprofit dedicated to preservation of all things mid-century and fabulous) rescued its neon sign. “Through an agreement with the housing developer and Ramsey Signs, the League will have one year to raise the $35,000-$40,000 necessary to restore and resurrect the sign at another site on Interstate Ave.” You know what to do: help save the crown!

The Palms and the Westerner light up North Interstate Avenue

Gerald Kubiak, neighbor and owner of City Steward, a firm dedicated to helping Portland homeowners become good stewards of the environment through smart, sound native landscape design, stormwater management, organic soil solutions, and support of like-minded local businesses, posits that "it’s exciting living amidst the intersection of old and new along Interstate in Overlook. The sense of history is there in the classic neon motel signs and traditional Polish food at Grandpa's Cafe, while the buzz of renewal is there with fresh eats on the Pause patio as the MAX Yellow Line rolls by." Indeed.

Plenty of alternatives to the car

Getting There

Yes, the MAX Yellow Line runs down North Interstate, and the street also has ample bike lanes for easily getting to your destination, be it a sunset picnic at Overlook Park, a pilsner at Krakow Café or shopping at the farmers market in the spring and summer months. I say spring is already in the air (pink trees are popping open all over town this week), so get on your wheels soon and cruise Overlook to see what you’ve been missing. With such vibrant activity going on in this tremendous nook of North Portland, Overlook is not to be (you knew it was coming) overlooked.

View the slideshow for more images of Overlook neighborhood, or visit our Flickr gallery:

Photos © 2010 Kenneth Aaron, Neighborhood Notes and Amaren Colosi