Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
15
STARK-BELMONT: HEART OF THE
SOUTHEAST
BOUNDARIES:
SE 60th Ave., SE Stark St., SE Belmont St., SE 20th Ave.
DISTANCE:
5 miles
DIFFICULTY:
Easy (moderate if you include Mt. Tabor)
PARKING:
Free street parking
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
TriMet Bus 15 runs along SE Belmont St. to/from downtown
Where do ordinary, average Portlanders hang out? Well, there's really no such thing
as a typical Portlander, despite what a certain TV sketch-comedy series might have
you believe, but this walk takes in a couple of the residential neighborhoods that have
a very Southeast Portland feel: moderate-size bungalows, nicely maintained yards
with the occasional urban veggie farm or chicken coop, quiet tree-lined streets, chil-
laxed bars and restaurants where you can show up in jeans and not be looked at side-
ways. The houses are more modest as the street numbers get smaller (not counting
one particularly ostentatious home we'll pause to gawk at). This is a nice walk to do
in late afternoon or early evening, when it's not quite dark but the street life on Bel-
mont is starting to pick up.
Start your walk at the corner of SE Belmont St. and 60th Ave., home of
the Cheese Bar, a deli and specialty-cheese shop with an impressive beer
and wine list. Up the hill is Mt. Tabor Park—if you have plenty of time,
you might consider a picnic before you set out. Mt. Tabor, aside from be-
ing a wonderful place for a short hike, a picnic, walking your dog, train-
ing for cyclocross, or just lounging with a paperback, also happens to be
an extinct volcano, part of the Boring Lava Field. (We're not
judging—that's what it's called.) The park includes about 190 acres atop
the cinder cone, covered with leafy trees, ferns, reservoirs, and a network
of trails (paved and unpaved), plus a well-maintained playground area.
The many sets of stairs leading up to its top are popular with runners
and masochists. The park is also the location of the annual Portland
Adult Soapbox Derby (see
Back Story
)
. Fun fact: the hill is named after
a Mt. Tabor in Israel. Near the relatively flat top is a statue of Harvey
Scott, who edited
The Oregonian
newspaper for several years starting in
1865. The statue was created by Danish-American sculptor Gutzon Bor-
