Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
other hand, this is kind of a nice place in which to be lost. Ladd's Addi-
tion is Portland's oldest planned residential neighborhood; it has been a
designated historic district with the National Register of Historic Places
since 1988. It's roughly pinwheel-shaped, with four diamond-shaped
green spaces and a central park area that all hold rose test gardens, and
tree-lined residential streets in between, with homes built primarily
from 1905 to 1930. The neighborhood is named after William Ladd, a
merchant and mid-19th-century Portland mayor whose farm was here.
(See
Back Story: William S. Ladd
.
)
When you get to the first of the diamond-shaped green spaces, walk
around it on the right-hand side and continue straight along SE 16th
Ave. You'll soon reach Ladd's Circle, the main parklike hub. Turn right
here; pass SE Ladd Ave., and note Palio Dessert & Espresso House on
the right. One of the very few businesses within Ladd's Addition, Palio
is open until 11 p.m., unusual for a coffee shop in Portland; the back
room is lined with books, adding to the quiet, library-esque atmosphere
of the place. Turn right on SE Harrison St., then right again on SE
Cypress St.; then take two quick lefts to circumnavigate the rose-garden
patch. You'll end up on SE Locust Ave.; turn right here, walk two
blocks, then go left on SE Hazel St. Follow Hazel until it becomes the
Holly St.-16th Ave. Alley.
The alleys in Ladd's Addition were initially planned as back-door ser-
vice roads for the upper-crust homes envisioned here. (You'll walk right
behind one such home between SE Poplar St. and 16th Ave.; it has the
block to itself.) Today the alleys are considered public rights-of-way,
open to foot and vehicle traffic, but most are unmaintained.
Cross SE 16th Ave. and stay in the alley for another block; cross SE
Maple St. to continue on SE Palm St. Turn left at SE Ladd Ave. On your
left, in an unassuming bungalow, is the quirky Hat Museum (open by
appointment only, $15 admission). Inside the 1910 Craftsman-style
Ladd-Reingold House is a collection of not just hats but all sorts of
random-seeming miscellany. Be prepared for eccentricity (and mer-
maids).
Walk across Ladd's Circle and continue along elm-lined SE Ladd Ave.
When you reach the three-way intersection of Ladd Ave., SE 20th Ave.,
and SE Division St., turn left to walk up Division.
