Ladds Addition Neighborhood is a really cool little area just west of the Hawthorne District- bordered on the north by SE Hawthorne, the south, Division- the east is SE 20th and the west is Se 12th Ave.
Ladds Addition Neighborhood is really in the Hosford-Abernathy neighborhood- but I decided it needed a place of it’s own! It has a main center circle planted with all kinds of bushes, flowers and other plants- the streets angle out from that circle to form a windmill kind of shape- Each arm has a smaller circle filled with rose bushes. Many of the streets are lined with big beautiful Elm trees- which adds to the beauty. The Ladds Addition Neighborhood is extremely expensive and high demand. There are some beautiful homes in there- everything is kept up nicely. There are also some really small homes that need lots of work- and are quite expensive! Most of the houses were built between 1905 and the 1920’s.
There are plans for a streetcar to come down along SE 12th ave out to Milwaukie! So that will tie it into the central city area a lot better!
You can see Hosford Abernathy Neighborhood to learn more about the whole area that Ladds Addition is in. Ladds Addition is part of the historic walking tour and there are 177 historic designations in this 8 by 10 block area!
Parks in Ladds Addition Neighborhood
Early drawing of Ladds Addition Streets
Ladd Circle Park & Rose Gardens Ladds Addition isn’t really a neighborhood, but an area within another neighborhood, so unique, that it is famous all over the country! When people come to Portland, they always ask about Ladds Addition. It is a very unique set of blocks, laid out in a diagonal pattern with a Central circular rose garden and 4 rose gardens that angle off from the center. It is really pretty, people love to walk the streets and smell the roses!
:adds neighborhood was platted by William Ladd way back in 1891, and he named all the streets after trees, except for Ladd Avenue, which was named after him, and Elliot, which was named after his wife. Ladds Addition is on the National Register of historic homes, and is one of Portland’s most exclusive neighborhoods. You almost feel like you are in another world, away from the bustle and noise of the city, in a magical land of angled streets that all lead to circular rose gardens. People walk and bike all through it, and usually only local cars venture in.
Another unique part of this area is that if you go out to the north, you will be on SE Hawthorne, if you go to the south, you will be on Division. Both those streets are major business areas with restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. So although you are protected in this little magical neighborhood, you are also close enough to walk lots of places!
History of Ladds Addition Neighborhood
The history is kind of interesting. It was owned by William Ladd- who had a 126 acre farm- which he divided up in 1891- and decided to make the layout unique. He had the central park area- which is the huge main circle, and then added the other diamond shaped rose garden circles around it. He named the streets after different trees that were planted in the neighborhood, White Birch, Lindens, Normway Maples and Elm Trees. In 1909 Portland Parks had the idea of planting roses, and putting in irrigation lines. They also named the 
diamond shaped parks: Maple, Mulberry and Cypress. These rose gardens are used as Portland’s test gardens, and showcase some of the award winning hybrid roses.
The design for the Ladds Addition Neighborhood was a very good idea, because anyone who knows anything about Portland has heard of Ladds Addition! It is really in the Hosford-Abernathy neighborhood- but I decided it needed a place of it’s own! And it’s future looks bright. There are plans for a streetcar to come down along SE 12th ave out to Milwaukie! So that will tie it into the central city area a lot better!
Other Important Links
You can find all kinds of maps on Portlandmaps.com even exactly what happened where, if you just put in an address in Portland. There are lots of other things you can learn there- like census information, maps, school info, parks, environmental issues, permits on houses, nuisance complaints and taxes.
