The Montavilla neighborhood (short speak for the Mt. Tabor Villa Addition) is located between the Banfield Expressway and SE Division Street, west of Highway 205 and east of NE 68th and SE 76th Avenues. Yes, you pronounce the L’s, as in, “My villa in Tuscany is a beautiful summer escape.” Don’t fall for the erroneous “vee-ya” pronunciation.
The heart of Montavilla is its commercial strip along SE Stark Street, which has a quintessential “Main Street, USA” vibe. It is located around what was historically known as “Mile Post 5” due to its location five miles from Portland’s city center. There is a high density of shops along about 6 blocks, and you have everything from coffee to cocktails, fine dining to pizza, a discount movie theater, and numerous personal services all within easy walking distance of one another. The commercial strip extends beyond these six blocks, however. All of the local shops are worth exploring. In addition to SE Start Street, I believe that NE Glisan Street is definitely worth keeping an eye on for future restaurant and entertainment development.
One of the biggest draws to the Montavilla neighborhood is their very own Montavilla Farmers Market. The market started up in 2007, and it has grown each year since its inception. It is a hub of neighborhood activity, and a huge draw to the neighborhood as Sunday markets are not common. The market runs regularly on Sundays from May to October, 10:00 – 2:00, and there are sporadic markets scheduled during some winter Sundays for shorter periods of time.
Information from walkscore.com
- Montavilla Walk Score: 79
- Montavilla Bike Score: 80
- Montavilla Transit Score: 59
Local Parks & Rec
- Montavilla Community Center
- Montavilla Outdoor Pool (seasonal access)
- Mt. Tabor Park
- Vestal Community Garden
- Berrydale Park and Community Garden
Schools
It is important always to verify school information personally with Portland Public Schools. Contact the PPS at 503-916-2000. They have a searchable webpage, but verifying the information personally is your best option because redistricting happens.
Portland Community College has built a Southeast campus at SE Division and SE 80th.
Neighborhood Food and Drink
- Bipartisan Café – serving Water Avenue coffee, bagel sandwiches, pie to die for, and other café favorites. Free WiFi!
- Redwood – Terrific, hearty brunch spot on the weekends. Dinner served all week. It’s a tossup most Sundays between the Chilaquiles and the waffles.
- The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar – A staple on the Eater PDX Essential 38 Restaurants, people swear by their brunch on the weekends.
- The Observatory – A neighborhood favorite since it opened in December 2008, this is the quintessential neighborhood spot for grabbing drinks and a cheese plate, or dinner on those nights you just don’t want to cook.
- Over and Out – This bar is attached to the back of The Observatory, sharing the same kitchen and staff. They carry an abbreviated Observatory menu with all the same great cocktails, plus a few things you can only get here in the bar. Plus they have pool, pinball, and usually some sort of sports on the television.
- Vintage Cocktail Lounge – Classic cocktails served perfectly here at Vintage. A great place to pre-func a movie at the Academy Theater.
- East Glisan Pizza Lounge – This one is not on the Start Street drag. You have to travel a touch north, but it is worth every step to get there. From their pint-sized dark and stormy to their perfectly crisp pizza crust with well balanced ingredients, this pizza place is my absolute favorite in Montavilla.
- Roscoes – Beer. Beer. More Beer. 20 taps. Some nitro. Some cider. Another neighborhood favorite.
So as you can see, there is so much happening in this small business stretch. There is more than I can do justice listing. Take and afternoon and an evening and get to know the great places in Montavilla. It’s all you will need to know that buying a home in Montavilla would lead to many terrific neighborhood adventures.
Neighborhood Entertainment
- Academy Theater – Originally opened in 1948, then closed in the 1970’s. The theater fell into disrepair until it was renovated in 2006. They offer double features on Mondays, and two-fers on Tuesdays. It’s great neighborhood entertainment just steps from your Montavilla home!
- Montavilla Station – Live music. Karaoke. Pool. Strong drinks. Great neighborhood spot!
- Pottery Fun – Why not paint pottery? Great for children’s birthday parties or catching up sessions with friends.
Personal Services
- Nurture Life Coaching – A prenominal woman who can help you realize your potential and transform your life.
- Yoga Refuge – When you need to de-stress and center your mind. They even offer child care during your workout.
- Mt. Tabor Cross Fit – When yoga isn’t enough for your de-stressing regimen, you can step it up a notch and box jump til you can’t box jump no more.
Antiquing
There are a number of antique shops that have popped up in Montavilla in recent years. Antiquing is not just for the Sellwood neighborhood anymore!
- Monticello Antique Marketplace – Over 100 vendors within this large space. Lots of furniture, salvage garden supplies, and odds and ends galore. It is heaven for antique browsers.
- Ambrosia Boutique – Vintage clothing, jewelry, housewares and furniture.
- West Coast Antiques – A family business since 1972, they specialize in valuing estates, and they offer free house call services.
Home Improvement
- Mr. Plywood – A great neighborhood hardware store that offers much of what you need to build a deck or fence, repair or match home mouldings, install shelving, and more. One of the most valuable neighborhood resources is the business card board located within Mr. Plywood. Contractors, handymen, painters, plumbers, electricians and the like can all be found on their business card wall here.
- Milwaukie Lumber – Another terrific local resource for plywood, decking, fencing, siding, hardware and more.
Neighborhood Resources