“It is all here,” says Peggy Anderson of the Nob Hill Business Association, when asked about what sets Nob Hill apart from other Portland neighborhoods.
Nob Hill is the bustling, diverse pocket between Burnside, 27th Avenue, Wilson, and Interstate 405. It is home to libraries, a number of schools, parks, religious institutions, a major hospital, and even an emergency room for pets, as well as countless cafes and boutiques. The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of the old and the new– traditional Craftsman style houses are shuffled in with sleek, modern apartment buildings. New businesses, like Aria Portland Dry Gin, are budding next to mainstays that have stood in the same location for decades. The result is a dense, destination neighborhood, but with affordable retail rents and manageable parking.
Northwest 23rd (or trendy third) was named One of America’s Best Shopping Streets in 2012, by US World Report. “You do have Williams-Sonoma,” Peggy says, “but most of them [the businesses] have five or fewer employees, and are locally owned, and I think that’s what makes us unique.”
Child’s Play, the Nob Hill toy store that guarantees smiles and a constantly changing selection of the best toys, has been delighting families with kids for over 35 years. Adults might be more drawn to an evening at Cinema 21, the famous, single-screen movie theater that has its own unique brand and reputation, uniting movie lovers through consistently high-quality films. The New Renaissance bookstore, which Peggy describes as a much smaller Powell’s, offers everything from coloring books to meditation classes. Dazzle, a fashionable, locally owned boutique is sure to live up to its name, with artfully curated clothing and sparkling jewelry. There is something for everyone, whether you are a permanent resident, or just visiting for the day.
The same is true for real estate in Nob Hill. The area offers such a wide variety of homes– from the Old Portland style houses, with their welcoming porches and beautiful woodwork, nestled throughout the Alphabet district, to the classic red brick apartments, as well as plexes, townhouses, and condos– ensuring there is something for practically any buyer’s budget. New condos and apartment buildings are continuously under construction, providing additional opportunities.
“My quip is,” Peggy says, “that I went to a lot of business association meetings all over Portland, but I really liked going to the Nob Hill one.”