Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
16
MONTAVILLA: A STARK STORY
BOUNDARIES:
NE Hassalo St., 82nd Ave., SE Stark St., 75th Ave., NE Glisan St., NE
68th Ave.
DISTANCE:
3 miles
DIFFICULTY:
Easy
PARKING:
Free street parking
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
TriMet Bus 15 (SE Stark St. and 80th Ave., SE Washington St. and
76th Ave.)
This up-and-coming little neighborhood, whose name is short for “Mt. Tabor Villa,”
has come a long way in recent years. Not too long ago it was at best neglected, at
worst avoided, or even considered a little dodgy. As recently as 2008, neighborhood
complaints about prostitution problems in the neighborhood—primarily along 82nd
Avenue—led the city to form a volunteer advisory committee of concerned citizens to
look into eliminating the problem. Prostitution hasn't gone away, but things generally
have been improving for Montavilla, at least in the neighborhood's main commercial
core, along Stark Street from 76th Avenue to 82nd Avenue or so. The farmers' market
here is a big draw for locals as well as folks in other neighborhoods, as are several of
the bars and restaurants that have opened up along here, not to mention the movie
theater. Local residents have been lobbying for the past couple of years to establish a
co-op grocery store in the area, not just for shopping but as an informal neighborhood
community center where people could gather and meet each other; a volunteer organ-
ization called the Montavilla Food Co-Op is working toward raising funds and gather-
ing info to make the community-owned grocery store idea a reality here. Meanwhile,
the whole area is just minutes from the top of Mt. Tabor, an ideal playground and one
of the city's best parks.
Start the walk at the site of the Montavilla Farmers Market, at the
corner of SE 76th Ave. and Stark St. (note that it's only open Sundays, 10
a.m.-2 p.m., June-October, plus a handful of dates throughout the
winter months). Head west on SE Stark St. to 75th Ave. and turn right.
Follow 75th for several blocks until you reach Glisan St., where you'll
turn left. This little stretch of Glisan has a few appealing places to stop
for refueling, including the old-school diner-lounge combo that is the
Candlelight (recommended mostly for drinks and supercheap dive-bar
breakfasts, FYI). But most of the businesses along here are strictly utilit-
