Guide to the Hollywood Neighborhood in Portland, Oregon

The Hollywood neighborhood is a mix of commercial and residential space and provides shopping for many of the surrounding neighborhoods such as Grant Park and Laurelhurst, as well as to riders of the MAX Light Rail System. Hollywood also figures in Beverly Cleary’s Klickitat Street series of books, a fact memorialized in a display at the neighborhood library. Details on a Beverly Cleary walking tour are available at the library.

Hollywood is conveniently located along major streets for easy commuting (NE Broadway and Sandy, plus a ramp to I-84). You can catch the flavor of the area by driving diagonally from southwest to northwest on NE Sandy Boulevard starting at NE 37th Avenue and you will exit the neighborhood on NE 47th Avenue.

The neighborhood has two markets (Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) along with a branch of the Multnomah County Library. With neighborhood shops, restaurants, a theater, and stores all within walking distance of most homes in the neighborhood.

Here are the Census 2000 numbers: 115 acres, just over 1,000 residents, 758 households, and 85% of Hollywood’s residents are renters.

Assuming that most of the renters live in apartment buildings, this means that the neighborhood has about 115 housing units that are owner-occupied. In a typical year, only 10-15 homes are sold in the neighborhood.

The Hollywood Neighborhood Association (HNA) Web site is where you can get to know more about the neighborhood and read the HNS newsletter online.

To see how the neighborhood fits in with the rest of the area, download a map of Northeast Portland.

History of Hollywood

The Hollywood District was originally part of the Rose City Park subdivision which was platted in 1907. The original Rose City Park subdivision was part of the Donation Land Claim of Joseph Backenstos. The land was later assigned to his widow by President Andrew Johnson in 1866. 1890s-era maps refer to the area as the Crook Tract.

Schools in the Hollywood Neighborhood

Find your school attendance area or a school site and view the boundary area using School Locator. Read how to use the interactive map by clicking on the “Information” icon (circle with an “i” in the center).

• Schools in the Neighborhood  A list of public and private schools in the Hollywood neighborhood.
• Public Schools in the Neighborhood  Elementary and Middle: Beverly Cleary K-8. High school: Grant High School. 
• School Report Cards  Report Cards for schools and districts in Oregon. Select “Portland SD 1J” to view individual schools within the Portland Public School District. 

How the Neighborhood Got Its Name

Originally called Hollyrood, after the Scottish Holyrood, it was renamed for its historic 1920s-era Hollywood Theater. Built in 1926 at the end of the silent-film era—sound was not successfully introduced until 1927—the Hollywood seated 1,500 viewers in a “palace of luxury, comfort, and entertainment unsurpassed by any theater on the Coast,” according to an opening-day advertisement. While early theaters had been adapted from retail storefronts by unfurling a screen and setting up rows of chairs, the movie “palaces” that emerged in the 1920s were designed for the purpose, and they frequently used architecture to grab attention.

The Hollywood was designed by the architectural firm of Bennes & Herzog of Portland. The style has been described as “Byzantine,” but is better characterized as Spanish Colonial Revival. It was constructed of poured concrete, but the entrance was topped by an elaborate tower of polychrome (colored) terra cotta with arched niches flanked by turned pillars. The two-story street side of the theater was capped by roof tiles that carried out the Spanish Colonial theme. Most theaters of this size were located in downtown areas, but the Hollywood was sited in a neighborhood shopping district that was well served by both streetcar and automobile.

Hollywood Home Styles

Grant Park features classic style homes to Craftsman, Cottage, Cape Cod, and Bungalows. There are a number of condos in Hollywood, some new and others that have been converted from apartment buildings.

Portland Monthly Magazine Guide to Neighborhoods

In their April issue every year, the Portland Monthly Magazine features the past year home prices along with other information about Portland neighborhoods and suburban communities. To read the magazine’s latest stories and numbers visit the Real Estate section. 

The numbers on the website and the printed magazine are divided into four sections (real estate, people, crime, and lifestyle) on each of the Portland 90 plus neighborhoods as well as about 25 suburban communities. The website offers over 50 items of information about each Portland neighborhood and suburban community.  

The magazine added a feature on their website for homes sold in 2014 and it’s also available for homes sold in 2015 — an interactive map where you can click on a neighborhood and a pop-up displays five items (1-year median price change, 5-year median price change, median gross rent, walkability score and percent of newcomer) for a Portland neighborhood as well as a suburban community. Note the detailed numbers for each of the four sections for homes sold in 2015 are displayed below the map.   

To visit the magazine’s website latest stories and numbers visit their Real Estate section — click on “Neighborhoods” to view the numbers for the Portland neighborhoods and click on “Suburbs” for the numbers on communities in the metro area. Note the detailed numbers for each of the four sections for homes sold in 2014 and 2015 are displayed below the map. To access the Portland neighborhoods and metro communities demographic data and home prices by year: 

• 2013 Demographics and Home Prices
• 2014 Demographics and Home Prices
• 2015 Demographics and Home Prices

Hollywood Demographics  Below are some facts about the neighborhood gleaned from the magazine’s website. A few numbers can tell much about the character of a neighborhood.

• Average year homes built in the neighborhood:  1939
• Percent of residents below poverty level:  15.5%
• Percent of  neighborhood land area that is in parks:  0%
• Percent of residents that live within 1/2 mile of a park:  85%
• Percent of residents that commute by bike or walking:  14.9%

¹Hollywood Home Prices:  2007-2015

• Number of Homes Sold in Hollywood—►  21 homes sold in 2015 and 4.8% were distressed sales. 16 homes sold in 2014 and 6% were distressed sales. 49 homes sold in 2013 and 5% were distressed sales. 12 homes were sold in 2011 and 17% were distressed sales. Four homes sold in 2010 and there were zero distressed properties sales.Median price for homes sold in Hollywood—►  $456,500 in 2015, $406,200 in 2014, $435,000 in 2013, $269,550 in 2011, $397,500 in 2010, $375,800 in 2009, and $425,000 in 2008.
• Average Cost per Square Foot—►  $206 in 2015, $198 in 2014.
• 1-Year Median Sales Price Change in Hollywood—►  12.4% in 2015. 2014 the sales price change was -7%. In 2013 the sales price change was 11%.  2011 the sales price change was -25%. 2010 the change was 7%.
• 5-Year Median Sales Price Change in Hollywood—►   69.4% sales price change for the years 2011-2015. 2010 to 2014 the sales price change was -2%. 2007 to 2011 the sales price change was -32%. 2006 to 2010 the change was 10%.
• Portland Metro Area Median Home Price—►  $308,000 in 2015, $285,500 in 2014, $265000 in 2013, $235,000 in 2012, $221,000 in 2011, $239,900 in 2010, $247,000 in 2009, $278,000 in 2008, and $290,000 in 2007.
• Portland Metro Area Average Home Price—►  $354,500 in 2015, $333,000 in 2014, $310,600 in 2013, $275,000 in 2012, $263,300 in 2011, $282,100 in 2010, $289,900 in 2009, $330,300 in 2008, and $342,000 in 2007.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only.

Find a Home in the Hollywood Neighborhood

• View Homes for Sale in the Hollywood Neighborhood — View on all devices except Apple^® mobile devices. To view homes for sale in the Hollywood neighborhood on Apple^® mobile devices key in “Hollywood” in the “Location” field and click on the “Search Now” icon.
• Displays Homes for Sale in the Hollywood Neighborhood — View on all devices. Photos of home displayed along with detailed description of the property.  The Hollywood neighborhood has a small number of housing units so you may not see any homes for sale.
• Search for Homes — Search on all devices. Map-based on devices configured with Adobe Flash and Javascript and text-based on any device.

Homes for Sale in Hollywood

Parks and Community Centers in the Neighborhood

Missing is a park, but it is just a few blocks to the 20-acre Grant Park. Grant Park is located at NE 33rd Avenue and US Grant Place and it has close to 20 acres. It has a baseball field, basketball court, soccer field, softball field, tennis court, restroom, dog off-leash area, picnic site, picnic tables, wading pool, and playground. The park also has an outdoor pool, a 25-yard shallow pool with a kid slide and 25-yard deep pool, heated to 84 degrees. The water depths of the pool range from 2-8 feet.

The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden at Grant Park celebrates author Beverly Cleary’s colorful characters. the writer grew up in this neighborhood, and Grant Park is where her stories take place. Statues of Henry Higgins with his dog, Ribsy, and Ramona in her raingear stand around a central fountain. Lee Hunt, a local artist, designed the garden’s child-friendly bronze sculptures.

The Northeast Community Center (NECC) in Hollywood, is now four years old and still gathering steam. Started by a group of volunteers who formed a nonprofit, the NECC took over the building that originally served as the Northeast YMCA for 80 years. The big yellow building just west of Starbucks was extensively renovated by volunteers and donors who wanted to save the facility and maintain its longtime heritage of service to the community. That heritage is now being expanded.

At 42nd and Halsey, a 24-Hour Fitness center was built in 2005 at the site of Copeland Lumber. The club has a lap pool and a full-size basketball court.

Hollywood does not have any park land and open spaces according to Metro and the Portland Department of Parks and Recreation.

Walking in Hollywood

Walking in Hollywood means more than taking an evening stroll in the neighborhood. It means that you can walk to the library, restaurants, and to the Hollywood theater for a movie.

In the City of Portland Livability study, 94% of Grant Park residents rated their neighborhood “good” or “very good” on these two items: (1) Walking distance to bus stop and (2) Access to shopping and other services.

Here are two walks in the Grant Park neighborhood:

• Hollywood  This is a short walk through the Hollywood neighborhood. It offers enough places to stop, shop, and eat that it can take all day. Centered on Sandy Boulevard, the route explores buildings from this popular, close-in neighborhood’s early days to its newest additions. Click Hollywood for the guide.
• Beverly Cleary Walking Tour  Details including a map on the Beverly Cleary walking tour are available at the Hollywood library. The tour begins at the Hollywood Neighborhood Library, 4040 N.E. Tillamook Street, and continues through nearby neighborhoods, exploring the places where the events in her books “really happened.”

Walk Score helps you find a walkable place to live. Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. Portland is the 14th most walkable city in the U.S. with a Walk Score of 63, a Transit Score of 50 and a Bike Score of 72. There are over 3,000 restaurants and coffee shops in Portland. People in Portland can walk to an average of five restaurants and coffee shops in five minutes.

The Walk Score for the Hollywood neighborhood is 91, the Transit Score is 68, and the Bike Score is 98.

More About Hollywood

Learn more about the Hollywood neighborhood  by visiting Portland Maps. It will provide you with a list of businesses, demographic data, crime stats, parks, schools, aerial photos, maps, elevation, etc. All you need is a property address within the Hollywood neighborhood — use ”NE Sandy and NE 40th” or an address of your choice.

• Neighborhood Association Website  Hollywood. The Hollywood Boosters is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to bring together all merchants, business and professional people of the Hollywood District.
• Location  From downtown cross over the Willamette River on the Burnside Bridge and then turn onto NE Sandy. When you come to NE 37th Avenue (I-84), you’re in Hollywood. Or you can take Interstate 84 (Banfield Express) and exit NE 39th.
• Boundaries of the Hollywood Neighborhood  East – NE 47th Avenue. South – Interstate 84. North – NE Thompson Street. West – NE 37th Avenue.
• Map of Boundaries   Hollywood.
• Sidewalks and Streets  The street pattern is a grid with sidewalks for walking.
• ²Drive Time to Downtown  10-12 minutes.
• Public Transportation  Hollywood has seven public transit routes — three MAX light rail and four bus routes. The schedule and routes can be found at TriMet Website. The MAX light rail stop is at NE 42nd Avenue where three different lines stop. Transit Score provides a 0-100 rating indicating how well an address is served by public transportation. Ratings range from “Rider’s Paradises” to areas with limited or no nearby public transportation.
• Commuting  13.6% of the neighborhood residents used public transportation, 9.4% by bike, and 5.5% walk.
• ³2010 Census Demographics  Population: 1,578. Area size in acres: 142. Average population density: 11 person per acre. Number of households: 1,028. Average household size: 1.54 persons. Median household income: $36,923. Families with children: 16.5%. Homeowners: 24.4%. Renters: 75.6%. Diversity: 14.5% non-Caucasian. More census data about Hollywood at Portland Online and City Data.
• ⁴Crime Stats  There were 239 property crimes  (assault, arson, burglary, larceny, robbery, theft from auto, vehicle theft) in 2014. There were 19 violent crimes (aggravated assault, homicide, robbery, rape) committed in 2014. There were 133 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2014. For the latest crime statistics and historical data for the Hollywood neighborhood, visit the Portland Police Bureau website.
• ⁵Shopping and Services  Number of supermarkets: 2. Number of health clubs 2. Number of coffee shops: 3. There are over 75 commercial establishments within one mile of the center of the neighborhood. This means that Hollywood offers at variety of shopping opportunities.
• Farmers Market  The Hollywood Farmers Market is held at Northeast Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues. Time: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays, May-November. The winter market is held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays. 
• Eating Out  Another reason is live in the Hollywood District is that you can dine at Sweet Basil Thai, the Blind Onion Pizza Pub, or many others. Visit Willamette Weeks’ Restaurant Guide by Neighborhood for a list of eating places in Hollywood.
• Public Library  The closest branch library of the Multnomah County Library system is the Hollywood at 4040 N.E. Tillamook Street.
• Who Lives in Hollywood  The median age is 41.6 according to Census 2010. Over half of the households are occupied by one person. The neighborhood is getting younger as in 2000 the neighborhood had 27.6% of the population 65 years or older and in 2010 the number dropped to 15.5%.
• Autos in the Neighborhood  You’ll see a variety of autos as the neighborhood since it attracts many visitors to its markets and shops.
• ⁶Biking  Quality is high. Hollywood has two miles of bike lanes.

Map of the Hollywood Neighborhood

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¹Real Estate Values  Data on real estate values provided by RMLS^tm. Distressed properties refer to the percentage of total homes sold that were short sales and bank-owned properties. The One Year Median Sale Price Percent Change is based on a comparison of the rolling average sale price for the last 12 months with the 12 months before — this is an example for 2014:  (1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014) with 12 months before (1/1/2013 – 12/31/2015). The Five Year Median Sales Price Percent Change is calculated in the same way using a five-year time span.
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 2010 and www.portlandmaps.com.
⁴Crime Statistics  Numbers on crime were obtained from the Portland Police Bureau.  The Uniform Crime Reports documents crimes in three categories: Part I, Part II-A, and Part II-B. Part I crimes are classified as either violent or property crimes. Aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, and robbery are classified as violent while arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes. Part II-A crimes are drugs, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, prostitution, sex offenses, simple assault, stolen property, vandalism, and weapons. Crimes per 1,000 figures are based on reported incidents of violent crime as well as larceny, burglary, and vehicle theft.  To view the latest crime statistics and historical data for the Portland neighborhoods, visit the Portland Police Bureau website.
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.