Hillside and Kings Heights Neighborhood

Kings Heights Neighborhood is between Burnside to the south, Cornell to the north, NW Westover Road to the east and Macleay Park to the west. It sits right above the city of Portland on a steep hill of the Tualatin Mountains- with Forest Park to the west, Arlington Heights to the south and the NW Shopping district to the east. Kings Heights Neighborhood literally steps from NW 23rd and Nob Hill. It is just a steep walk. You take Westover up and it winds through historic, turn of the century, stately homes. As you go farther up the hill you run into more modern styles all with breathtaking views of the city and mountains. Some are on stilts and some have small yards but most are on steep slopes. The Kings Heights Neighborhood is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Portland because of the proximity to NW 23rd, the sweeping views and very large homes.

Forest Park is immediately to the West and is a 5000 acre Forest Park offering a haven for active families and happy pets. It goes for 8 miles out along the hill that overlooks the Willamette River and it’s main trail, the Wildwood, is over 30 miles long! There is all kinds of wildlife, including the little pigmy owl that they have been showing on PBS! It is a spectacular forest in the city! You feel like you are way out, up in the mountains.  Then Washington Park is on the other side, which has so many really cool unique features. You can read more about both parks below in Park section. This is one of the things that makes this neighborhood so special. You are in the city and can even walk to downtown, you have amazing views, you are almost in a huge forest, and you are walking or biking distance to an unbelievable urban park!  The Kings Heights neighborhood really has the best of what Portland has to offer!

There are hidden steps, stairs and trails that can help you get downtown, and it doesn’t seem very hard. Coming up, though, is another story!  There is good public transportation to help you back up. Because you are right above NW 23rd area, if you do go down the hill, you will have your pick of restaurants, cafes, pubs and uniqe, trendy, local shops.  There is lots to do right below you, you just have to have the stimina to get there!

Hillside Community Center has classrooms, gymnasium, tennis courts, soccer field, outside play area, kitchen, and office. It was originally the Catlin Gabel School- when they moved, the premises were up for sale. And the way it came into being says a lot for the community feel that this neighborhood has. In order to buy it, the neighborhood had to raise over $100,000. They had almost raised enough- but they were just short by $25000. Twelve of the families took out 2nd mortgages on their homes so they could purchase this property! It was turned over to the Portland Parks Commission in 1974! How many neighborhoods would do something like that- when houses were selling for $20,000-$40,000!

The Pittock Mansion is in Kings Heights Neighborhood. It’s style is French Renaissance and it was originally built as a private home for The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Gorgianna. It is a 22 room estate situated on 46 acres that is now owned by the City of Portland Parks Department. There are trails you can take down through the woods that are really pretty! You can also tour the mansion- and see how people lived back then. The architecture is beautiful- with lots of gorgeous woodwork and antiques. It has sweeping views from both the grounds and some of the house, of the city and River!

Washington Park is absolutely my favorite park in the city. It has a wonderful zoo, an Arboretum, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Children’s Museum, Forestry Center, crisscrossed by trails, and hooked into the rest of the city by the MAX. This is just on the other side of Burnside.

Schools are some of the best in the city, and one of the reason people want to move to this neighborhood.

• Hillside Neighborhood Association
• Chapman Elementary School
• West Sylvan Middle School
• Lincoln High School