Overview
NW 23rd Avenue — 'Trendy-Third' to people who've lived in Portland long enough — is still the most walkable retail street in residential Portland. Ken's Artisan Bakery on NW 21st opens at 7am and is one of the best reasons to live in this part of the city. St. Honoré Boulangerie on NW 23rd is the other one. Elephants Delicatessen, Escape from New York Pizza, the original Patagonia store — the commercial strip has had turnover over the years but the density of independently-owned businesses per block is still higher here than anywhere outside the Pearl. Thurman Street at the north end of 23rd leads directly into Forest Park.
The housing stock is what Portland built before cars became the organizing principle: Victorian houses from the 1880s–1910s, early 20th-century apartment buildings, and narrow lots with deep houses on a street grid that actually works on foot. Chapman Elementary feeds into West Sylvan Middle School and Lincoln High School — Lincoln runs the International Baccalaureate program, which is the school anchor for NW Portland. Most of the residential streets between NW Lovejoy and NW Thurman are quiet despite the commercial activity two blocks away.
The hills between Nob Hill and downtown are real. The route to the city center looks bikeable on a map until you're on it. The Burnside Bridge approach involves climbing NW 14th or dealing with the MAX corridor. Driving is easier but parking is metered or permitted on most streets near 23rd. The entry price for a Victorian with original woodwork is real: $850k is the median, and that buys a house that needs work on the upper streets or a well-maintained one further from the park trailhead.
Getting Around
15–20 min by car (parking at destination is the issue), 25–30 min by bike (hilly), 20 min on bus (Line 15 or 77)
Local Life
Restaurants
Coffee
Bars & Nightlife
Schools
Portland Public Schools
Parks & Green Space
Forest Park
Wallace Park
The Market
Prices shown are estimates based on recent sales. Contact David & Bri for current market data.
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What Clients Say
“We moved from Manhattan and Nob Hill was the only Portland neighborhood that didn't feel like a downgrade on walkability. Bri helped us close on a Victorian on NW 19th — it needed work, we knew that going in, but the bones were worth it.”
“The jumbo loan process was smoother than I expected. Bri had pre-approval in hand before we even started seriously looking — it's the only way to compete in this market.”
FAQ
4 questions
Is Nob Hill actually walkable, or is that overstated?
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NW 23rd and NW 21st are genuinely walkable — grocery, bakeries, restaurants, coffee, hardware, clothing, all within a 10-minute walk of most residential blocks. The walk score is earned. What people sometimes don't mention: the streets get steeper as you go north toward Thurman, and downtown is downhill going in but uphill coming home. It's walkable to the neighborhood; walking to downtown is a workout.
What do homes in Nob Hill cost?
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Median is around $850,000. The range is wide: smaller condos in older buildings from $500k, Victorians with original character on NW 18th–22nd from $750k–$1.2M, and full-renovation projects at the upper end. Parking is often missing or in a garage, which affects price. If you're buying for the IB program at Lincoln High, budget above $750k for a house.
Is Nob Hill good for families?
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Yes, particularly at the school level. Chapman Elementary is well-regarded, West Sylvan Middle School is one of PPS's stronger middle schools, and Lincoln High School runs the IB program — it's the school destination in NW Portland and one of PPS's best. The neighborhood is walkable for kids. The trade is price: you're paying a significant premium over comparable family neighborhoods in SE Portland.
How close is Forest Park?
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Thurman Street at the top of NW 23rd hits the Leif Erikson trailhead directly. From most Nob Hill blocks you're walking to the trailhead in 15–20 minutes. Wildwood Trail runs 30+ miles from there. It's one of the genuine amenities of this neighborhood and not something you can replicate elsewhere in the city at this price.