Guide to the Arlington Heights Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

Arlington Heights, one of Portland's most scenic neighborhoods, is near city center, giving residents easy access to the spectacular Portland International Rose Test Gardens and all of Washington Park (Hoyt Arboretum, Japanese Garden, Oregon Zoo). Just a 5-minute drive from downtown, Arlington Heights is a veritable museum of architectural styles. Ranging from Victorian cottage to the latest contemporary dwellings, these homes are graced by lovely gardens and spectacular views. This is an old neighborhood with 60 percent of the homes built before 1939.

Arlington Heights is a small area (103 acres) with about 700 residents. Many of the streets offer a convenient access to the ten miles of trails in the 183 acre Hoyt Arboretum. Walk to the Japanese Gardens as well as to the Oregon Zoo. Arlington Heights residents can walk to work (all downhill) and take the bus home. Some even ride their bike to work. If you're up for it, you can hike down to one of the many restaurants on Northwest 21st and 23rd Avenue and enjoy an evening meal. You just have to remember the uphill walk home.

Arlington Heights is situated on the Tualatin mountain range. It was once part of a conifer forest, mainly composed of Western hemlock. The presence of broad-leafed deciduous trees, not to mention roads and houses, is evidence that the area has been disturbed within the last hundred years. The landscape is hilly, dissected, and fairly steep, yet not quite steep enough to be regarded as a mountain.

What was true of the hill on which Portland Heights is now located, as described by pioneer John Talbot's daughter in a 1914 The Oregonian interview, almost certainly was true of Arlington Heights just to the north. When Portland became a city in 1851, the hill was "forest land, with cougar and panther waiting to drop down out of the dark firs." By 1890, due to the "great wind of 1880 and the labors of Chinese logging gangs," it was no longer a forest. Arlington Heights was logged of its conifers in the late 1890s and into the early 1900s.

Jane Hofmann, a resident of Arlington Heights for many years, wrote the history of the neighborhood in the late 70s. Click here to download the document.

The derivation of the name Arlington Heights is not known for certain but we can speculate. Arlington had previously been applied to an 1889 plat of a tract that's now the site of the Westgate Office Complex at Sylvan. In 1905, that Arlington Heights was renamed Concord Heights. The Arlington Club's present building in Goose Hollow was completed in 1910. In 1910, Dorr Keasey and his wife, Evalyn, purchased a large tract of land in present day Arlington Heights and they may have wished to avail themselves of the prestige that Arlington conveyed. A third possibility is that Keasey wanted to honor his wife's Virginia family roots where a community by the name of Arlington is located just across the Potomac River from Washington DC .

The community was originally called Melina Heights. In about 1888 the King Real Estate Association platted an area from SW Tichner Drive to the tennis courts by the Rose Garden and from SW Wright Avenue to SW Champlain Drive. They named it Melinda Heights as Amos King's wife was named Melina. Amos was the founder of the King Real Estate Association.

Washington Park's two reservoirs and its gatehouse were built in the late 1800s as major facilities of the water system that first provided Portland drinking water from the Bull Run Watershed. The structures were designated as a historic district in 2004. Mount Tabor Park also has reservoirs to supply the eastside neighborhoods with water and Reservoirs 1, 5 and 6 are in a separate historic district. The Washington Park 95 acre historic district has five buildings, four structures, and the two reservoirs which are known as Reservoir 3 and 4. The style of the structures is Romanesque.

Approaching the neighborhood by foot or from a motor vehicle from the east (SW Park Place), Reservoir 3 can be seen from the road or paths. The reservoir makes a striking impression as seen in the photo. There are stairs leading down to the reservoir and walkers are allowed to hike around the reservoir which is about a quarter-mile in length. A wrought iron fence was installed in 2008 which adds to the beauty of the reservoir.

All of the Portland reservoirs are open. After 9-11, the federal government wanted all open water sources to be covered or buried. Portland city officials went along with the proposal but the citizens of Portland mobilized and fought the idea − they wanted to keep the reservoirs open. Today the reservoirs still remain open and undergo a constant, 24/7 surveillance by armed guards. But the struggle goes on as the city and federal government are convinced that open reservoirs are unsafe.

You will find Cottage, English, Tudors, and a few ranch homes that were built in the 50s and 60s. Stilt homes have been built on steep hills in the last 20-30 years. The neighborhood has a number of homes on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the list as of 2009:

From 1911-1919, only nineteen houses were built in the neighborhood. During the post-war boom years, 1920-1929, one hundred houses were built. The Depression caused a big drop in construction: only twenty-three houses were built from 1930-1939. Even today, new homes are being constructed on hillsides that in years past would have been too steep to build on but modern technology allows for construction.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only. To view Arlington Heights homes currently for sale click here.

Located just minutes west of downtown, Washington Park (130 acres) is one of the most used parks in Portland. The city purchased the original 40.78 acres in 1871 from Amos N. King for $32,624. Many people questioned the purchase given that the population of Portland at the time was only 8,000 and the site was thick with brush and timber, and cougars roamed the hills. The site was inaccessible until years later when logging and the installation of a cable car made the park accessible. Early in the 1900s, sentiment began to change and Portland's forefathers were heralded for their long-range vision.

A bronze statue of Sacajawea holding her son Jean-Baptiste is located near the east entrance to the park. In commemoration of the heroic Shoshone Indian woman who helped lead the Lewis and Clark explorers through the mountains of the west, the statue was unveiled on July 7, 1905 at the Lewis and Clark Centennial. Among those present at the event were Susan B. Anthony, Abigail Scott Duniway, and Eva Emery Dye. Hidden among the trees, the Coming of the White Man statue was completed in 1904. The bronze statue, sculpted by Hermon A. MacNeil and cast by Bureau Brothers Foundry in Los Angeles, features two Native Americans standing on a block of rough-hewn native stone. Facing eastward, they look down upon the route that ox teams trudged bringing settlers to this part of the country.

Entering the park's east entrance via SW Park Place/SW Lewis Clark Way are these two attractions:

These are found all within a few blocks of each other and located at the far west side of Washington Park:

Hoyt Arboretum lies on the west side of the Arlington Heights neighborhood. The 232 acre wooded site possesses the largest group of distinct species of any arboretum in the U.S. Its plant collection contains 10,000 individual trees and shrubs, representing nearly 1,000 different species from around the world. The arboretum is a favorite place for hikers and runners with its 10 miles of trails. The Wildwood Trail is part of the 40-Mile Loop and passes through Hoyt Arboretum. The Wildwood leads into Forest Park on the north side and into the Council Crest Trail by the Oregon Zoo. Go to Forest Park Conservancy for Forest Park trail information.

The park also includes an archery range, soccer field, amphitheatre, tennis courts, picnic sites, and restrooms. During the summer months, TriMet, the regional public transportation organization, operates a shuttle bus that circles through the park. Click here to view a map of the park.

On children's bikes that have been customized − banana seats, swooping handle bars, mini-wheels − "Zoo Bombers" whoosh down SW Fairview Boulevard from the zoo and into the Arlington Heights neighborhood. After passing through the neighborhood, they enter the Goose Hollow neighborhood where they catch a ride on the MAX Light Rail line back to the zoo and repeat their performance. It's downhill all the way from the zoo to the Goose Hollow MAX stop - a drop of about 500 feet or so in a two mile run.

The bombers' make their appearance every Sunday evening and continue their rides well into the night. Arlington Heights residents are divided about the disturbance along with the entertainment that the bombers create but all are in agreement that the noise (whooping and hollowing) the bombers make are upsetting. Especially those that live on SW Fairview Boulevard.

Hoyt Arboretum with 10 miles of walking trails is in the middle of the neighborhood and most residents can be on the trails within 1-3 blocks of their homes. Walkers also find many exciting opportunities to get off the concrete and blacktop and pursue walking on more natural and yielding surfaces, such as sand, grass, gravel, snow, and mud. The Wildwood Trail in Hoyt Arboretum (also in Forest Park) boasts some of the finest mud around for a few months of the year before turning to hard-packed dirt, making for some amazing and ever-changing walking terrain. Click here for a trail map. Other neighborhood walks include:

Walk Score ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live. Below is a Walk Score for an address in the center of the Arlington Heights neighborhood.

During August the Portland Parks Department presents a series of concerts in the amphitheatre at the International Rose Garden. Many of the Arlington Heights residents pack up a picnic dinner and head for the concert. The program runs the gamut from Brazilian, jazz, cowboy, and classical. You'll see kids dancing (many with their older sibling or parents) in front of the performers under the warm August Portland skies. Below is a video of one of the performances, the Portland Festival Orchestra.

Map of the Arlington Heights Neighborhood

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More About Arlington Heights

Neighborhood Association Web Site The neighborhood does not have a Web site but they have a Yahoo Discussion Group. Join the group by sending an email to Yahoo Discussion Group.
Location of Neighborhood West of downtown - it takes about 5-6 minutes to cross I-405 and be downtown. A five minute drive to be in the Northwest shopping area.
²Drive Time to Downtown 8-9 minutes.
Topography Moderate to steep hills and winding streets. Mature trees and woods.
Street and Sidewalks All the side streets are narrow and many cars park partially on the sidewalks. Most of the streets have sidewalks although the walks are narrow on the side streets.
Livability Study 96.4% of Arlington Heights residents rated their neighborhood "good" or "very good." See Livability Study.
Public Transportation Bus route 63 connects downtown with Washington Park and Arlington Heights. No MAX light rail or streetcar lines in Arlington Heights. Residents living on the west side of the neighborhood can walk over to the MAX light rail stop at the Oregon Zoo and catch a ride to work. You have to walk as Metro (regional government in charge of the Zoo and MAX) does not allow commuters to park in the Zoo lots.
³Demographics Population: 691. Area in acres: 103. Average population density: 6 persons per acre (includes vacant spaces). Number of households: 278. Home owners: 95%. Renters: 5%. Diversity: 7.3% non-Caucasian.
⁴Crime Stats 2009: No violent crimes. Total crimes per 1,000 residents was 38. For the latest crime statistics for the Arlington Heights neighborhood, click here.
Sex Offenders Click here for the State of Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System. After agreeing to the "Conditions of Use Statement" you will be redirected to a "Enter Search Criteria" page. Insert a zip code in the "Zip" field and click on the "Query" button. Arlington Heights zip code: 97205.
⁵Shopping and Services The only retail establishments are the Rose Garden gift shop, Hoyt Arboretum gift shop, and the Japanese Garden gift shop. If residents want to shop, it means getting into your car and driving a few minutes to the Northwest District or downtown. Or you can do what 80 plus-year-old Arlington Heights resident Annie does. She walks down to Trader Joe's or Fred Meyer, does her shopping and takes the number 63 bus back home.
Eating Out Its means getting into the family car and driving a few minutes to the Northwest District or downtown. If you're a walker, you can make it down to the Northwest District (10-12 restaurants) but it will take much longer to walk back as an elevation gain of 300 - 500 feet.
Public Library You have to go downtown to the Multnomah County Central Library or to the Northwest District branch located at 2300 NW Thurman Street. Both are a 8-9 minute drive.
Who Lives in Arlington Heights Married couples in their 30s and upward, couples with teen-age children, about 20 percent of the households have children under 18.
Cars in the Neighborhood View homes will have an luxury sedan such as a Audi, BMW, Mercedes, or Volvo. The second car is an SUV. Pickups are rare except for the local Chevy dealer as he has his choice for the "Vehicle of the Day" and one occasion he will take a pickup off the lot and drives it home. I counted nine Toyota hybrids driving through the neighborhood one day.
⁶Biking Quality Low.
Schools Elementary school: Ainsworth. Middle school: East-West Sylvan. High school: Lincoln High School.
⁷School Report Card Grades Elementary school: O. Middle school: O. High school: O. Click here for report card details.

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¹Real Estate Values Data on real estate values provided by RMLS^tm. Distressed properties include short sales and bank-owned properties for the period July 2009 through December 2009.

²Drive Time to Downtown Estimated commuting time obtained from Yahoo Maps and Google Maps. Drive time was calculated from a central intersection in each neighborhood to Pioneer Courthouse Square during the morning peak commute time.

³Demographics Data Numbers were obtained from Census 2000 and www.portlandmaps.com.

⁴Crime Statistics Numbers on crime represent total crimes for 2009 and were obtained from Portland Police Bureau. Violent crimes are defined as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Crimes per 1,000 are based on reported incidents of murder, rape, larceny, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, robbery, and motor vehicle theft.

⁵Shopping and Services Numbers were determined from local directory listings and county/municipal library systems.

⁶Biking Quality Rating based on the 2007 Cycle Zone Analysis conducted by the City of Portland Office of Transportation. The six-tier ratings have been reduced to three levels: High, Fair, and Low.

⁷School Report Card Grades "O" = Outstanding; "S" = Satisfactory; "I" = In Need of Improvement.