Creston-Kenilworth

A break in the January winter weather had me walking on a Wednesday with Jo Ellen in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood. The Kenilworth neighborhood was platted in 1889 and is named after Sir Walter Scott's novel Kenilworth, written in 1821, a romantic novel set in Elizabethan England. Many of the streets in the neighborhood take their names from this novel and other novels by Scott. Though a very small neighborhood, it boasts two parks, Creston and Kenilworth, next to Grout Elementary School, and a real jewel, the Community Music Center housed in a historic firehouse. Community Music Center, Inc. was founded as a non-profit association in February 1960 by a group of parents and interested citizens who played a vital role in the remodeling of a beautiful 1912 firehouse - the oldest in Portland and designated a Portland Historic Landmark - which became the permanent home of the in 1969. Affordable music lessons and recitals are offered through Portland Parks and Recreation to almost 1000 students a year! Walking up Gladstone we found The Gladstone Pub and Tony’s Antiques. Walking in Tony’s was a walk down memory lane with so many nostalgic toys and other items from my youth. On the corner of 42nd and SE Gladstone we saw the cozy Creston Café. The neighborhood boasts lots of charming older homes.

Sabin Neighborhood

On Saturday, January 24, liz, Sarah and I went to the Sabin neighborhood. A smaller neighborhood we started on NE 10th and walked many of the numbered streets up to NE 23rd. Along the way as you can see in the pictures we saw a lot of interesting things. Sabin School had its own school garden. Up on theridge near Prescott is the Sabin Hydro Park. Around the corner from this we found one of the highlights of the walk. Sabin Green Cohousing is an incredible group of four structures on a 75 x 100 ft. city lot. It was colorful and inviting. We were able to talk to one of the residents who told us the residents get together once a week for a group dinner. Walking down the hill back towards Fremont we caught spectacular views of downtown Portland. We stopped in at Whole Foods where liz got a 3 minute chair massage. From there it was on to Poppy and Ivy's on Fremont where they were having their 2 year birthday party-St. Cupcakes and mimosas. Life doesn't get much better than this!!! Next door we checked out the great fashions at Sofia's. Another great walk