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 If
you like diversity, funky, and art, you'll love Concordia. Park your car
and start walking along NE Alberta Street from NE 33rd Avenue heading west.
Stop and browse at some of the dozen or so art galleries along the way.
Note the complete absence of national chains and fast food outlets. When
you get thirsty and hungry, stop off for lunch at one of the eating establishments
along the street.
Now that you have seen Concordia, you will realized that
this was a neighborhood in transition and it has turned the corner. You
can find lots of historic homes (especially on the east side of the neighborhood
boundary) that need some TLC.
New Seasons Market
at Concordia has been recognized as a national business model for New
Seasons' approach to opening a business with the community's best interest
in mind. When Portland's Concordia neighborhood voiced their need for a
grocery store in 2000, New Seasons jumped at the chance, while other retailers
second-guessed the store's location. New Seasons Market established relationships
across cross-cultural barriers, attended neighborhood meetings and responded
to the neighborhood's priorities. It's a store that's clean, friendly, and
a pleasure to shop at. Try their Rocky natural chickens or the Oregon
Beef. But the best is their Pacific Coast fish, always fresh and wild (no
farm raised fish sold at New Seasons).
The Concordia News newspaper is a free, self-supporting,
volunteer, monthly publication of the Concordia Neighborhood Association.
It is without doubt one of best, if not the best, publication of any Portland
neighborhoods. If you considering purchasing a home in Concordia,
you will want a subscription. Contact The Concordia News at: P.O.
Box 11194, Portland, Oregon 97211 or Diane Born at
dvduck@comcast.net.
Sentinel for North Portland Community News Coverage
The
Portland Sentinel
does an excellent job of covering the news for the North Portland neighborhoods
as well as those Northeast Portland neighborhoods along the boundary between
the two areas such as Concordia, Eliot, King and Piedmont.
Alberta Street
Funky galleries, independently owned boutiques, coffee
shops, and restaurants and all located in one of Portland’s most culturally
diverse neighborhoods, with many African-American and Latino-owned businesses.
That's Alberta Street. Alberta Street has many renovated retail storefronts
that are mixed in with older businesses that have been there for years.
Just a few years ago, you would be viewing many boarded up windows but today
fresh paint and stylish logos are the trend.
Go virtual shopping on Alberta Street by downloading a
shopping guide/map − just click
here.
 Art
on Alberta is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote
Alberta's Street distinct culture and identity through public art, visual
art, and educational activities. They have sponsored a "Last Thursday" on
Alberta Street since 1997. The event is held every month, year round.
The galleries, studios, restaurants and other art venues on the street open
their doors for a celebratory evening of art. Generally the galleries are
open between 5 to 9:30 p.m. They publish a monthly Last Thursday walking
map, which identifies the art activities, sponsored by Art on Alberta members.
Download the current Art Map by clicking
here.
History of Concordia
In the late 90s, the Alberta Street community was engaged
in a planning process to make the street a better place to walk, ride a
bike and use transit, while maintaining automobile access and parking. The
plan was adopted by Portland's City Council in February 2000. Construction
begin in April 2002 and was completed in late summer 2003. The project is
building improvements between NE Martin Luther King Jr. and NE 33rd Avenue,
including curb extensions at transit stops and key crossings, school crossing
improvements, new ornamental street lighting and traffic signals, street
trees and public art..
How the Neighborhood Got Its Name
This neighborhood is the home of
Concordia University,
a Lutheran liberal arts school.
Concordia Home Styles
This neighborhood has many historic homes, especially on
the east side of the neighborhood which borders the Alameda neighborhood.
It also has a few ranch homes. Most of the homes are small (under 1600 square
feet) and on lots just under 5,000 to 7,000 square feet.
1Concordia Home Prices
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Number of homes sold in Concordia in 2010: 138.
Distressed properties sales were 12%.
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Median price for homes sold in Concordia: $286,533
in 2010; $285,000 in 2009; $299,900 in 2008; $340,300 in 2007.
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1-year median sales price change in 2010 from 2009
in Concordia: 0%.
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5-year median sales price change in Concordia:
-1%.
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Metro area median home prices: $239,900 in 2010;
$247,000 in 2009; $278,000 in 2008; $290,000 in 2007.
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Metro area average home prices: $282,100 in
2010; $289,900 in 2009; $330,300 in 2008; $342,000 in 2007.
Please be aware that the above figures are subject to
error and are intended as guidelines only. View Concordia homes
currently for sale by clicking
here.
Parks in the Neighborhood
 Fernhill
Park, located at NE 37th and Ainsworth, is a 24.15 acre park. The park
includes softball, baseball, football, and soccer fields, two tennis courts,
volleyball court, horseshoe pit, playground, wading pool, picnic tables,
and restrooms. There’s no better way to spend a summer evening than gathering
with friends and family in Fernhill Park for music, dancing and family fun.
The Fernhill Concert Series has been an unqualified success, offering high-quality
entertainment to the neighborhood with five free concerts.
Another park on the west border of Concordia is the 16.70
acre
Alberta Park (adjacent to Vernon Elementary School). Alberta Park includes
softball and football/soccer fields, basketball court (covered), two tennis
courts, playground, wading pool, picnic tables, trails, and restrooms.
Concordia has 29 acres of park land and open spaces according
to Metro and the Portland Department of Parks and Recreation.
Walking in Concordia
Alberta Street runs through the center of
the neighborhood and it is an excellent place to walk with it many art galleries
and retail storefronts. It also has a number of restaurants and coffee
shops. The small shops lining Alberta Street highlight handmade local designer
clothing, imported gifts, and the Alberta art galleries and shops showcase
some fine local work. You won't find a national chain on Alberta.
The Art on Alberta Web site has an Arts Walking
Tour which you can download and print by clicking
here.
Walk
Score ranks over 2,500 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to
help you find a walkable place to live. Concordia is the #19 most walkable
neighborhood in Portland. This neighborhood is 'Very Walkable' with an average
Walk Score of 75. Below is a Walk Score for an address in the center of
the Concordia neighborhood.
More About Concordia
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Neighborhood Association
Web Site Concordia
Neighborhood Association.
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Location
Head north in I-5. Take the Highway 30/Lombard Street exit and
head off to your right which is east. When you arrive at NE 22nd Avenue
look right and you're in Concordia.
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Topography
Flat with a traditional grid pattern of blocks. A good quantity of mature
trees but it could use more.
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Sidewalks and Streets
The street pattern is a grid with sidewalks for walking.
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Livability Study
90.8% of Concordia residents rated their neighborhood "good" or "very
good." See
Livability Study.
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Public Transportation Concordia
does not have access to MAX light rail or the streetcar line.
It does have numerous bus routes in the neighborhood. See
TriMet
for schedules.
Transit Score
provides a 0-100 rating indicating how well an address is served by
public transportation. Ratings range from "Rider's Paradises" to areas
with limited or no nearby public transportation.
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2Drive
Time to Downtown 15-16 minutes by car.
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Public Transportation
TriMet has four
bus routes in Concordia. No MAX light rail or streetcar line in
Concordia.
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32000
Demographics Population: 9,564 people. Area (acres): 849.
Average population density: 11 persons per acre. Number of households:
3,769. Median household income is $55,468. Home owners: 71%. Renters: 39%. Diversity: 40.5% non-Caucasian.
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4Crime
Stats for 2010 24 violent crimes. Total crimes per 1,000
residents was 31. For the latest crime statistics for the Concordia
neighborhood, click
here.
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5Shopping
and Services Number of supermarkets: 1. Number of health
clubs: 1. Number of coffee shops: 1.
At NE 33rd Avenue between NE Killingworth and NE Alberta, sits one of
the Portland area's better locally owned food markets,
Concordia
New Seasons Market. Just a few blocks west of the Concordia
border is a co-op food market located at 15th and NE Alberta.
Alberta Street shopping guide/map by clicking
here.
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Eating Out
NE Alberta Street has a number of interesting restaurants and coffee
shops and more are appearing every few months. The main attraction of
the Concordia neighborhood would have to be the Kennedy School (5835
NE 42nd Avenue), where local beer, a movie theater, hotel rooms, a restaurant,
a hot soaking pool and a music venue all come together under one large
McMenamin’s-owned roof. The building is actually an old elementary school
that has been renovated to fit the needs of the public. Another popular
spot is the Concordia Ale House (3276 NE Killingsworth Street), where
you can always find an impressive rotating list of tap microbrews.
Travel and Leisure Magazine in 2010 named
Random Order
Coffeehouse & Bakery's vanilla salted caramel apple pie as one of
the best in the nation. Visit
Yelp for a list of the neighborhood restaurants.
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Public Library
The closest branch library of the Multnomah County Library system is
the Hollywood at 4040 N.E. Tillamook
Street.
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Who Lives in Concordia
Blue collar, gray collar, and white collars are increasing.
Todd Haynes, filmmaker (2003 Oscar nominee for "Far from Heaven" purchased
a home in Concordia in 2000. The median age of residents is 37.
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Autos in the Neighborhood
Buicks, Olds, and pickups. Toyotas and Subarus are increasing.
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6Biking Quality
if fair. Concordia has 11 miles of bike lanes.
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Schools
Elementary and Middle:
Faubion PK-8 and
Vernon PK-8.
High school:
Jefferson High School and
Madison
High School.
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7School
Report Card Grades Elementary schools: O/S. Middle school:
S. High schools: S/I. Click
here for report card details.
Map of the Concordia Neighborhood
View Larger Map
Fly to the Concordia Neighborhood via Google Earth
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1Real Estate Values
Data on real estate values provided by RMLStm.
Distressed properties refer to the percentage of total homes sold that
were short sales and bank-owned properties.
2Drive Time to Downtown
Estimated commuting time obtained from Yahoo Maps and Google Maps.
Drive time was calculated from a central intersection in each neighborhood
to Pioneer Courthouse Square during the morning peak commute time.
3Demographics Data
Numbers were obtained
from Census 2000 and
www.portlandmaps.com.
4Crime Statistics
Numbers on crime represent total crimes for 2010 and were obtained from
Portland Police Bureau. Violent crimes are defined as murder, rape,
robbery, and aggravated assault. Crimes per 1,000 are based on reported
incidents of violent crime, as well as burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle
theft.
5Shopping and Services Numbers
were determined from local directory listings and county/municipal library
systems.
6Biking Quality rating
based on the 2007 Cycle Zone Analysis conducted by the City of Portland
Office of Transportation. The six-tier ratings have been reduced to three
levels: High, Fair, and Low.
7School Report Card Grades
Schools ratings from the Oregon Department of Education 2009-2010 performance
assessment. "O" = Outstanding; "S" = Satisfactory; "I" = In Need of
Improvement; NR = Not Rated.
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