Discover Portland's Kenton Neighborhood
Walkable to Restaurants, Shops, and More
North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood is beautiful and historic with a creative flair. Filled with unique restaurants, bars, and cafes, this walkable neighborhood has its own quaint downtown area. Bordered by the Arbor Lodge, St. Johns, and Piedmont neighborhoods, Kenton is well-connected to greater Portland thanks to the Max light rail, bike lanes, and close access to major roadways.
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Kenton Neighborhood Real Estate
Homes in the Kenton Neighborhood range from charming Victorian cottages to Craftsman to East Portland styles that have plenty of historic character. And don’t forget about the new urban-style lofts for those who want something a little more modern. This neighborhood gives you the best of urban living, cultural diversity, and small-town community.
Car-Dependent
It’s no surprise that home prices have gone sky-high over the past several years. This neighborhood is in demand and the real estate prices show it! Apartments and rental homes are pricier in this area when compared to other parts of Portland.
KENTON NEIGHBORHOOD
Date Night: Eat & Drink
Kenton might be small but there’s plenty to eat (and drink!). Grab a quick bite, a craft beer, or a delicious meal at a friendly pub.
Swift and Union: Bright, airy gastropub offering refined, seasonal New American plates, craft beer and house cocktails.
Service Options: Dine-in · Takeout
Address: 8103 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-206-4281 | Website | Menu
Po’Shines Café de la Soul: Church-operated, nonprofit Cajun & BBQ restaurant dishing up down-to-earth soul food like catfish.
Service Options: Dine-in · Takeout · No Delivery
Address: 8139 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-978-9000 | Website | Menu
Posies Bakery & Café: Made-to-order cakes, sandwiches & locally roasted coffee in a charming space with a kid’s playroom.
Service Options: Dine-In · Curbside Pickup · No Delivery
Address: 8208 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-289-1319 | Website | Menu
Derby: Serving up food, essentials, and locally made goods with kindness in the Kenton neighborhood.
Service Options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
Address: 8220 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-719-7976 | Website | Menu
Casa Maya Taqueria & Cantina: Authentic Mexican food with a Mayan twist in the heart of Portland, Oregon.
Service Options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
Address: 8233 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
971-279-2965 | Website | Menu
Presso Coffee Bar: Roasting coffee beans every week; every origin is personally picked to match the profile of a delicious espresso and their handcrafted drinks. Also serving up delicious sandwiches, different toasts, granola bowls, and more.
Service Options: Dine-In · Curbside Pickup · No-Contact Delivery
Address: 2020 N McClellan St, Portland, OR 97217
503-953-0768 | Website | Menu
Kenton Station – Pub: Pool, sports TV, happy hours & American eats offered in a tavern space in the historic Kenton Hotel.
Service Options: Dine-In · Takeout · No-Contact Delivery
Address: 8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-286-9242 | Website | Menu
Kenton Club: Nostalgic, wood-paneled circa-1947 bar and performance space offers live music, karaoke, and card games.
Service Options: Dine-In · No Delivery
Address: 2025 N Kilpatrick St, Portland, OR 97217
503-285-3718 | Website | Menu
Mock Crest Tavern: Long-standing, old-school pub offers regular live blues and an American menu with breakfast specials.
Service Options: Dine-in · Takeout · Delivery
Address: 3435 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217
503-283-5014 | Website | Menu
Fino Bistro Bar and Pizzeria: Casual spot with a spacious dining room offers classic Italian dishes including pasta and pizza.
Service Options: Dine-In · Curbside Pickup · Delivery
This walkable neighborhood has a lot in a small area! Residents value the quaint downtown on North Denver Avenue with its restaurants, shops, and renovated public library.
Schools
Peninsula Elementary School: 8125 N Emerald Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-916-6275 | Website
Ockley Green Middle School: 6031 N Montana Ave, Portland, OR 97217
503-916-5660 | Website
De La Salle North Catholic High School: 300 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97218
503-285-9385 | Website
Jefferson High School: 5210 N Kerby Ave. Portland, OR 97217
503-916-5180 | Website
Neighborhood Events
The lively Kenton Farmers Market offers fantastic local, fresh food, vendors, and live music, all with the neighborhood’s fun, creative flair.
Since 2019, the Kenton Street Fair (Check Back for 2024’s Date!) has celebrated the neighborhood with music stages, food and drink options, and many unique business vendors.
Summer Free For All: Kenton was approved for the Summer Free for All event! The concert, food, and activities will be happening on Saturday, August 5th at 6 pm in Kenton Park. Iron Prophecy will be the featured band. The Kenton Neighborhood Association (KNA) is fundraising to host this event and they need your help! If you live in the Kenton neighborhood, keep your eye out for an email in the next month with donation instructions to KNA’s GoFundMe for this and future community events. They are also looking for volunteers to help with the day of coordination.
Vanport Mosaic Festival: Attend this free series of in-person, virtual, and self-paced memory activism opportunities around the former City of Vanport and the 3,676 Japanese Americans detained in 1942 at the Pacific International Livestock Exposition Center, now known as the Portland Expo Center. 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the flood that destroyed Vanport, now a part of the Kenton neighborhood. It was once Oregon’s second-largest city, and the largest WWII federal housing project in the United States. The Vanport Mosaic Festival commemorates Oregon’s Katrina-like disaster with exhibits, art performances, documentary screenings, oral history recordings, tours of the historic Vanport area, and community engagement activities. These events will occur May 18th – May 29th; learn more here.
Kenton Garage Sale: Mark your calendars! The Kenton Neighborhood Community Garage & Yard Sale is returning Sunday, July 16th. To get your sale on the map go here and fill out the form by June 25th.
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KENTON NEIGHBORHOOD
Shopping & Businesses
Find antiques, salvaged treasures, gifts, and more!
The Homebrew Exchange: Hobby shop selling supplies for making beer, wine, soda, meat and cheese, plus books, classes and gifts.
Kenton Antiques & Collectibles: Large, eclectic vintage shop dealing in furniture, jewelry, housewares and old-timey curiosities.
Salvage Works: Your store for architectural salvage, vintage building materials, custom, hand-made furniture, and assorted what-nots.
Address: 2030 N Willis Blvd Portland, OR 97217
Triple Crown Food Market: Your neighborhood bodega (small, owner-operated convenience store).
Walgreens: Drugstore chain with health & beauty aids, prescriptions and photo services, plus mini-mart basics.
Address: 2829 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217
Parks & Green Spaces
Kenton Park is a renovated park with great accessibility features. Almost 12 acres, it includes a playground, splash pad, paved paths, sports fields, and restrooms.
- Trenton Park – Basketball court, picnic tables and playground
- Heron Lakes Golf Club – 340 acres of pristine grounds. This is one of the only 36-hole courses in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s been around for over 60 years.
- Arbor Lodge Park – Dog off-leash area, horseshoe pit, paved paths, picnic tables, playground, soccer field, softball field, and lighted tennis courts.
- Farragut Park – Basketball courts, soccer field, paved paths, and playground
KENTON NEIGHBORHOOD
Things to Do & See in Kenton
Kenton is close to the action! There’s plenty to see and do, whether events at the Portland International Raceway and the Expo Center, historic tours, or parks. Don’t forget to check out the famous Paul Bunyan statue!
Portland Metropolitan Expo Center – The Portland Expo Center, officially the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.
Address: 2060 N Marine Dr, Portland, OR 97217
Historic Vanport – Every year the Vanport Mosaic offers narrated bus and self-guided walking tours of the original Vanport site.
Delta Park – Owens Sports Complex: Laid-back park offers a state-of-the-art sports facility along with ample trails and green space.
Address: 10737 N Union Ct, Portland, OR 97217
Portland International Raceway: Portland International Raceway is a motorsport facility in Portland, Oregon. It is part of the Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It lies west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5.
Victorian Belle Mansion: Victorian Belle Mansion is a rare historic 1885 estate with meticulously tended gardens, delectable cuisine, and attentive staff. Every element of the Victorian Belle is unsurpassed as it exudes the beauty and magic of another time and place.
Their goal is to offer you a flawless event on your big day, and joyous memories for a lifetime.
One of Portland’s most enchanting wedding and event venues, the Victorian Belle is located just 10 minutes from downtown Portland and 20 minutes from the Portland International airport.
Historic Kenton Firehouse: The Historic Kenton Firehouse is a community-building asset in North Portland that offers rental space for private parties, weddings, and other events. It also hosts public community events and meetings as well as the North Portland Tool Library and the offices of North Portland Neighborhood Services.
This historical landmark has served as a community center since 1977.
Paul Bunyan Statue: Paul Bunyan Statue is a 31-foot-tall concrete and metal sculpture of mythical logger Paul Bunyan in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.
Address: SW corner of N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Multnomah County Library – Kenton: The Kenton Library is a branch of the Multnomah County Library, in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Preceded by reading rooms in North Portland and later by the Lombard Branch Library, the Kenton Library opened in 2010 in a storefront on North Denver Avenue.
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Nearby Neighborhoods
Alameda
Alameda is a beautiful neighborhood with quiet, tree-lined streets and some gorgeous homes, many on larger lots. Homes on Alameda ridge have a stunning view of Portland and the West hills.
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Concordia
Northeast Portland’s Concordia neighborhood has beautiful, historic homes with plenty of original character. Close to bustling Alberta Street, Concordia has fantastic dining and shopping options. It’s a great choice for those who value living in a walkable neighborhood.
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Mississippi
Trendy North Mississippi Avenue is in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood. Bordered by the Overlook, Humboldt, King, and Eliot neighborhoods, North Mississippi is centrally located for convenient commuting to Vancouver or downtown Portland.
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Woodlawn
This cozy community in Northeast Portland is home to gorgeous homes and tree-lined streets. It’s close to major highways so it’s easy to access Vancouver and inner Portland. With restaurants, parks, and a seasonal farmers market, Woodlawn is a beautiful neighborhood to call home.
Visit NeighborhoodHistory of the Neighborhood
Kenton, originally a farming community, was a company town developed by the Swift Meat Packing Company in the early 1900s. The area grew quickly thanks to the presence of numerous rail lines and the shipping made possible by the Columbia River. Major manufacturing companies, such as the Portland Union Stockyards, began operating out of the area and Kenton soon became the primary livestock market in the region.
As the area grew, small houses were built for workers and larger houses for executives went up around Denver Ave. Streetcars transported the workers to the packing plants. A large hotel opened on Denver and later, a beautiful theater. Factories continued opening during the first part of the 20th century and shipyards were widespread during World War II.
During the 1950s, Kenton fell on hard times. North Interstate Avenue, which runs through the neighborhood, had been Portland’s primary north-south road. But when I-5 was built, it diverted traffic and commerce away from Kenton.
After years of decline, the North Portland Urban Renewal plan, which included the MAX light rail, revitalized the area. Today, Kenton provides ample opportunities for business in a strong and creative community. It’s not hard to see why Kenton is one of Portland’s up-and-coming neighborhoods!