Neighborhood Notes

Family Living in the Pearl
by Timothy Bradlee, PDNA Board Member

Can a family with small children live in the Pearl?

Sure. Although that answer sometimes meets with skepticism when actually given outside of an urban setting. I live in the Pearl District with my wife and 2 young children. We recently went out into the suburbs and looked at a house, when the realtor asked, “where do you currently live?” I answered knowing the reaction I’d probably get. This is why when asked to write an article I decided to write about why young families are starting to move to the Pearl and how, I think, this lost demographic will continue to grow in our neighborhood as time passes.

It all starts with that neighborhood “feel”. True, the Pearl doesn’t feel like most suburbs. It’s an urban setting so you can’t expect the cul-de-sac setting where the kids are riding their bikes and shooting baskets. But, there are benefits to every way of life. What you can expect is a cohesive neighborhood that cares about it’s future and it’s past as well as each other. Wonderful parks in which you and/or your kids can play. Easy and efficient mass transit options with the streetcar and MAX so if you want to get downtown to the library or even out to a suburb for a playdate, you don’t have to drive. Great resources: shops, restaurants, play areas as well as a planned Community Center and possibly even an elementary school.

OK, that all sounds great but if you’re reading this and have always fantasized about living in the Pearl with your family you’re probably thinking that you’ve hear this all before. The real question is, how does a typical day go and can you envision yourself doing that? Here are two scenarios: first, a typical week-day and a typical week-end…

It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. My wife, son (3 months) and 2 _ year old daughter get up and go down to Sip ‘N Kranz (which happens to be located in our building) for bagels, hot chocolate and coffee. This place has an enclosed play area with a glass wall for the kids, in which my older one likes to hang-out while Mom can relax with the baby but still keep an eye on her. Their first playdate is with a bunch of the other Moms in the Pearl at 11am at Tanner Springs Park where the kids can run in the grass, play down by the water and just be 2 year olds. Because everything is so close, they all meander over to Via Delizia for some gelato and then up to one of the Mom’s condos where the fun continues for the kids and for the Moms. Afterwards, it’s a walk across the street to get home to take a nap. Later, they all get out to do some errands. They pick up the dry-cleaning 2 blocks away, they deposit a check at the Umpqua Bank across the street and then do a little browsing at a kids boutique called Posh which is also close. My wife loves to cook so she loads the kids into the stroller (on warmer days) or into the streetcar on colder days, it stops 1 block from our building. They’re at WholeFoods 10 minutes later (there’s also a new Safeway going in at 12th and Lovejoy) to shop for some food for dinnertime. This is a typical day. Notice, not once did I mention the car, or driving for 20 minutes to get to that errand they had to run. Some things are more expensive in the city but there is usually trade-off. So, your condo might be more expensive but your heating, cooling, gas and landscaping costs might be lower.

It’s 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning. My daughter and I get up and are out the door early to go to OMSI (10 min drive) for an hour of Daddy time as she calls it. While my wife and young son sleep in. If it were Spring or Summer we might go to the Portland Zoo instead (which is also 10 min away). We pick-up lunch on the way home and eat as a family. After naps, we pack-up the kids and either go to one of the parks near us (both 1 block away) for a picnic / playtime or to Sydney’s (1800 NW 16th Avenue) for amazing coffee, sandwiches and snacks - they have a very open area in which the kids can read, watch a video, play with toys while the parents can enjoy their food and talk while keeping an eye out or join in with the kids. Then, we go up to Washington Park to see the rose gardens or for an outside play or event at the amphitheater or we’ll just stroll around the Pearl and take the streetcar downtown to the mall or library. The point is, there are so many great options, it’s easy to get around and there are more and more establishments aimed at serving not only adults but now kids too.

Things I didn’t mention - Jamison Park in the Spring/Summer with the water that goes on and off while we get pizza from HotLips across the street or sushi from Sinju or Hiroshi (also both across the street) and sit on the grass. Or, first Thursdays when 13th Ave basically becomes an eclectic carnival of street vendors, art and wine is showcased all over and most Pearl businesses keep their doors open till late and host all of the people coming into the Pearl. Or, walking across the Broadway Bridge to a Blazers game or a concert at the Rose Garden or Memorial Collusium. Or, free concerts in the park during the summer months that draw people from all over. Our guests usually make comments like, “what a bright and vibrant community – or- you guys are so lucky to live here.” The cultural diversity that my children just take for granted or the first class Montessori school within walking distance are a few of the reasons we have chosen to stay after we started having kids.

Sure, there are some things that are missing…but the trade-offs work for our family. It’s an efficient lifestyle that promotes the experiential things in life like travel, art and appreciation for a wide array of people’s differences. It also infers a minimized lifestyle as far as material things. So, come on down and visit the Pearl and bring your kids, it’s a great place for visiting and now you know you can also live here with your family too!