The Pearl, a northwest Portland gem, used to be an area of old warehouses and lots filled with weeds and litter. It was not a place people would want to live or even visit. Today, the Pearl District is Portland's art district and a coveted residential location, an award-winning leader in urban renewal.
While many other cities were paving over or bulldozing places that were no longer profitable, Portland was creating the model for downtown neighborhoods throughout North America. During the last twenty years, this community adjacent to downtown Portland has been transformed. What had been an industrial warehouse district has become a vibrant place to shop, eat, work, and live. Many of the warehouse buildings that give the Pearl its architectural identity have been creatively restored. New developments have been designed to be faithful to the district's industrial roots. The result is one of the most dynamic and appealing neighborhoods in the nation. It is an example that proves there can still be life in a previously neglected part of town. In 2007, CNN named it one of the best places in America to retire.
The Pearl is hip and trendy- from the small specialty shops, pricey art galleries, international-style restaurants and major retailers, to the high-end condos, lofts and townhomes. But Pearl is not just a place filled with big, pricey condominiums. There are new and older buildings containing lower-income apartments. It is home to national stores such as REI and Whole Foods but there are plenty of little storefronts containing small businesses and eateries. Running though the Pearl District are sleek, European-styled streetcars that stop every couple of blocks, every 10 minutes or so. That this strong, rich, diverse district did not exist 20 years ago is a testament to the sustained and coordinated commitment by both the public, the city and enlightened developers.
To transform the area from an underused warehouse district, the city provided infrastructure- some $150 million worth- notably the streetcar line and parks. It rapidly transformed from industrial/commercial into a residential/commercial area as old warehouses were converted and chic new residential properties, condos/lofts and townhouses were built. The neighborhood has been the hottest real estate market in Portland until the national recession hit that left the city with a glut of unsold condos. Despite the halt in new construction, there are plans for hundreds of additional residential units as the neighborhood expands to the north towards the Fremont Bridge.
One force behind the Pearl's success is the Portland Design Commission, which oversees a set of guidelines intended to give the area a consistent architectural identity. There are a variety of buildings but there is a sense of context. The buildings work together and have a cohesive personality. Competition among developers pushed them to create buildings that are architecturally more interesting than the norm. But what makes the district unique is its downtown setting and the adaptive reuse of the existing structures.
The pedestrian-friendly nature of the streets and neighborhood are a big draw. One of the attractive features of the neighborhood are the open spaces. The Pearl's parks are a neighborhood amenity and community gathering spots. Developers love them also as residences fronting the parks command a premium.
The Pearl is maturing too. Up through the 1990's the area still had railroad tracks that serviced the many warehouses and manufacturers in the neighborhood. They have now been paved over for streets removing some of the neighborhood's industrial flair.
Rediscovered neighborhoods have taken advantage of their rich history, adaptively reusing their stock of historic properties and inserting a new urbanity, to become regional destinations. Several Buffalo neighborhoods- the Larkin District, First Ward, and Cobblestone to name a few- have the bones to become great neighborhoods. All is needed is the vision to hold onto the structures worth keeping and a hefty dose of job and population growth.
Can anyone say Larkin District?
I always pictured Larkin as an Urban office park with mixed with office space and light industrial.
This place sounds more like allentown and the elmwood village.
There is sure a lot of density in those portland pictures... One of these days I gotta get out there and see it for myself!