Sellwood

Portland is full of charming, walkable neighborhoods. One of my favorites is the southeast neighborhood of Sellwood.

I'm always in search of vibrant restaurant and shopping districts, and Sellwood fits the bill along bustling 13th Avenue.

There's an eclectic range of eateries along 13th Avenue in Sellwood, like some of the best BBQ in Portland at Reverend's BBQ, and delicious Vietnamese food at Jade Bistro.

For a truly unique experience, I dine at Gino's Italian restaurant inside an old silent movie theater. Another prominent landmark in Sellwood is the red caboose, serving bubble tea and traditional teas from the Portal Tea Company.

Sellwood also has its share of stunning parks.  Sellwood Park is perched on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River, with a stunning grove of douglas fir trees. A short walk down to Sellwood Riverfront Park reveals a sandy beach popular in summer. Continue north of here to Oaks Amusement Park, a vintage amusement park opened in 1905.

Where is Sellwood?

Sellwood is in SE Portland and is an easy 15 minute drive from downtown Portland across the Sellwood Bridge.

10 best things to do in Sellwood

1. Restaurants along SE 13^th Ave.

I'm always surprised that Sellwood's 13th Avenue doesn't have the popularity of Mississippi Avenue or Alberta Arts District. It has such a charming, tree-lined street, full of restaurants, antique shops and quirky stores. My recommendation is to walk the 10 blocks along 13th Avenue, bookended by Malden and Harney Streets.

My first stop along 13th Avenue is the Portland Bottle Shop (pictured above), where I indulge in a smash burger or turkey BLT.  There's also shared plates like fries and soft pretzels. They sell wine by the glass, and there are 8 types of beer on tap.

Here's some of my other restaurant recommendations along 13th in Sellwood:

• Reverend’s BBQ has some of Portland's best BBQ. Indulge in fried chicken, St Louis cut pork ribs, and sliced beef brisket.
• Jade Bistro has delicious Vietnamese food like chicken mango and fresh salad rolls. Dine on a lush patio or inside in the minimalist interior.
• Gino’s Italian restaurant is inside an old silent movie theater. Pass through the copper metal door to a restaurant with a warm ambiance, and hundred year old oak bar.

I also walked to the corner of 13th and Lexington to check out the food carts in Sellwood.

2. Shops along SE 13^th Ave.

I learned that Sellwood is one of Portland's most popular neighborhoods for antique hunters. Search for cool art, vintage furniture, costume jewelry, homewares, clothing and knick-knacks. I enjoy the thrill of finding something completely unique! My top recommendation for quality finds is The Collective in Sellwood.

My favorite antique shops along 13th are:

• Elemental Arts
• R.Spencer Antiques
• The Collective in Sellwood
• Antique Boutique

This is the popular Antique Boutique on 13th.

I love the eclectic range of stores along 13th Avenue in Sellwood. These include:

• Dig Vinyl Record Store is a used vinyl record store, where you can buy, sell and consign. There's a strong focus on jazz and soul.
• Raven’s Wing Magical Co-op sells books on witchcraft, voodoo, and astrology. Find crystals and gems, tarot and oracle decks, incense, candles and house made sprays. Book a reading!
• Cloud Cap Games is a unique concept, offfering board game trade-ins and game rentals. All your favorite games are here, like jigwsaws, card games and more.
• Sellwood Flower Company is a pretty store with the most tasteful flower arrangements.
• Columbia Factory Store is the place to find an incredible deal on Columbia goods.

3. Drink tea inside the red caboose in Sellwood

One of my favorite landmarks in Sellwood, is the red caboose on 13th, home to the Portal Tea Company.  On a cooler day I'll step inside and enjoy a piping, hot cup of tea from over 100 award winning varieties.  It's so cosy inside, and there's even a fireplace surrounded by comfy chairs. I also love to browse their amazing selection of mugs and teapots.

On a summer day, it's hard for me to resist a cup of refreshing bubble tea, out on the patio. 

4. Oaks Amusement Park

I'm not a fan of busy theme parks, but there's something special about the Oaks Amusement Park on the east bank of Sellwood's Willamette River. Firstly, it has a nice setting on the river, but there's also a vintage feel to it.  This isn't surprising because it opened in 1905, and is one of the oldest operating parks in the country.  Apart from the thrilling rides, there's also the age old favorites like bumper cars, mini-golf and roller skating.

I've decided that the scariest ride at the Oaks Amusement Park, is the Atmosfear Pendulum. It swings side to side 100-feet into the air, then completes a complete loop.

For something more tame I ride the free Oaks Park Train.

Love these old school amusements like this shooting gallery.

I've taken a few laps around this Go Kart racetrack at the Oaks Amusement Park in Sellwood.

Little kids also have their own special rides.

5. Sellwood Park

I remember my first visit to Sellwood Park on a perfect summer's day.  I parked on 7th Avenue, then followed a path through an ethereal grove of majestic douglas fir trees on a blufftop. These giant, light dappled trees took my breath away. I then peered down from the blufftop to the glistening waters of the Willamette River below.

The 13-acre Sellwood Park is probably my favorite Portland park. It has a seasonal swimming pool, and basketball and tennis courts at the southern end.  There's also loads of open space for baseball and soccer, once the location of the City View Race Track in the 1800s. Portlanders came here to gamble on horse races, and watch cricket and baseball. By 1909 it was a city park.

This is one of the two playgrounds at Sellwood Park.

This stunning grove of trees is the ideal place to enjoy lunch. Just find one of the many picnic tables here.

6. Sellwood Pool

Sellwood Pool is Portland's oldest pool, and is located on the southeast corner of Sellwood Park. I discovered that it's been open since 1910, replacing a floating pool on the Willamette River.

The oval shaped Sellwood Pool is open seasonally.  I love the zero entry feature, but it also reaches depths of 7-feet. For extra fun, there's also a tube slide and spray fountains.

This picturesque setting is completed by the vintage bathhouse (1929).

This is the entrance to the bathhouse, where I purchased tickets for the pool.

7. Sellwood Riverfront Park

I noticed that Portlanders are always in search of the ideal summertime beach on the Willamette River. Probably the best option is at the Sellwood Riverfront Park. One of the big drawcards is the beautiful views across the river to downtown Portland. A note of caution is that there are no lifeguards, so everyone is swimming at their own risk.

I could also see the Sellwood Bridge from the park, and non stop boat activity on the river.

Dog lovers unite, because there's a large off-leash dog park at the Sellwood Riverfront Park.

I took a walk along the riverfront trail, and estimated that it was roughly 0.5 miles long. It passed a dock and picnic tables in an open lawned area, before entering the wetlands at the northern end. From here it loops around.

8. Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge trail

The Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Sellwood has over 168-acres of marshes, wetlands and meadows.

9. Oaks Pioneer Church

The charming Oaks Pioneer Church is surrounded by lush gardens, and quaint stone paths. I snuck a look inside, to discover a striking interior with chandeliers, a vintage organ and stain glass windows. It's an incredibly popular place for weddings, hosting 300 weddings a year, with seating for up to 75 guests.

It's fascinating to learn that the church hasn't always been here. It was moved 3 times, twice within the Milwaukie township south of Sellwood. It finally arrived in Sellwood in 1961 when it was shipping up the Willamette River by barge.

10. Portland Puppet Museum

Portland is full of quirky museums, like the Portland Puppet Museum in Sellwood. Stop by for live puppet shows, and an array of puppets from all corners of the world. Upstairs there's a gift shop that sells puppet making kits for kids. Check hours.