On my way to Gresham ..... (Portland, Fairview: apartment complex, homes, neighborhood)

[PNWdreamin]

Are there safer and nicer neighborhoods in Gresham? Sure. But if you don't already know the city of Gresham well enough to know roughly where the lower/higher crime areas are, I'm not sure why you'd be visiting Gresham anyway (friends/family, sure). It's not like it's a tourism destination

The Grotto of Course! If you haven't been, you are missing out

[PNWdreamin]

Correction- I guess the Grotto is not Actually in Gresham...oops! Well be sure to visit the Grotto regardless!

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Maybe he got caught up in a poker game.

Actually , Yes I did.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by PNWdreamin

The Grotto of Course! If you haven't been, you are missing out

The Grotto isn't Gresham though, and that is part of the problem. People are not aware of where Gresham really is. Gresham's most western border is 162nd and then about Stark runs east to SE 172nd. They annexed a small industrial area about 15 years ago near the Columbia River between NE 185th and Fairview Lake. Other then that, everything is East Portland.

This includes areas like Rockwood which aren't great, only because they're suffering from Urban Blight and have been abandoned by the city. Parts of 181st aren't great, but only because they're stacked with Apartments, many of which are Section 8 housing. There isn't money (or a desire,) to fix up those areas. But you get one or two blocks off the main through fares and you'll find nice sleepy suburbs with few problems.

The other problem is that most of Gresham (and East Portland) is typical 70's Suburbs. Huge housing tracts with no small downtown core areas like Montavilla has that attract and keep business in the area because most of the area was built at the height of automobiles. A lot of problems could be fixed by rezoning, or, and I can't believe I'm going to type this, a freeway through the area along Stark, Burnside or Glisan would help immensely in attracting growth. I believe this is one of the instances where it would do more good then harm.

There is a lot of potential in the area between the Stark/Burnside Crossover and 181st for growth. Most of those buildings like the old car dealerships and the old Fred Meyers could be torn down and replaced with small strip malls. Invest some money into a few small businesses, perhaps make a food cart court with a brew pub as an anchor location and let things go from there. Clear the way to raze some of those tract homes and build newer apartment complexes. There is a MAX stop there already so there is a lot of potential for growth.

[PNWdreamin]

Thanks Hamellr for the info. Yes, I caught my mistake right after I posted it. I went to the Grotto and explored some of the surrounding area back in October. I'm not sure why I thought it was Gresham all this time! I guess I've never been to Gresham then.

I have to say that due to CD, I have always had a "not so pretty" picture of Gresham in my head. Then I recently watched an episode of House Hunters where a couple bought a house in Gresham, and the neighborhood they were in was gorgeous! They showed bits and pieces of Gresham that all looked nice, including a cute downtown area. I was shocked that this was the Gresham everyone had been saying was a "not so great" area. Of course, I know they edited the show to make Gresham look as good as possible. But it looks like there are some really nice areas at least?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by hamellr

It's the revitalized downtown part of Gresham. Between Division and Powell and Eastman Parkway and Cleaveland. I kick myself for not buying a house there about two decades ago. It had a great price and a small lot, but it's value has almost tripled since then.

I just thought that area was called downtown Gresham, is there a new downtown in Gresham or something?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by hamellr

The Grotto isn't Gresham though, and that is part of the problem. People are not aware of where Gresham really is. Gresham's most western border is 162nd and then about Stark runs east to SE 172nd. They annexed a small industrial area about 15 years ago near the Columbia River between NE 185th and Fairview Lake. Other then that, everything is East Portland.

This includes areas like Rockwood which aren't great, only because they're suffering from Urban Blight and have been abandoned by the city. Parts of 181st aren't great, but only because they're stacked with Apartments, many of which are Section 8 housing. There isn't money (or a desire,) to fix up those areas. But you get one or two blocks off the main through fares and you'll find nice sleepy suburbs with few problems.

The other problem is that most of Gresham (and East Portland) is typical 70's Suburbs. Huge housing tracts with no small downtown core areas like Montavilla has that attract and keep business in the area because most of the area was built at the height of automobiles. A lot of problems could be fixed by rezoning, or, and I can't believe I'm going to type this, a freeway through the area along Stark, Burnside or Glisan would help immensely in attracting growth. I believe this is one of the instances where it would do more good then harm.

There is a lot of potential in the area between the Stark/Burnside Crossover and 181st for growth. Most of those buildings like the old car dealerships and the old Fred Meyers could be torn down and replaced with small strip malls. Invest some money into a few small businesses, perhaps make a food cart court with a brew pub as an anchor location and let things go from there. Clear the way to raze some of those tract homes and build newer apartment complexes. There is a MAX stop there already so there is a lot of potential for growth.

I think any form of freeway expansion should include light rail as being a part of it, but I don't think there is any good route through Gresham these days with how much that area has built up without cutting through developed neighborhoods.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

West side .... Samo, samo. East side Looking good. Downtown Old Town. Decay disguised as yupie stores, antique malls and coffee shops.

That's all we get?
After all that build-up?

This thread could have been one of the great ones.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

I just thought that area was called downtown Gresham, is there a new downtown in Gresham or something?

North of Division there is a strip mall and a huge number of multi-story office buildings on the old mill land. Some of those are city departments and some people have started considering that the "new downtown," and have began calling downtown Gresham "old town."

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

I think any form of freeway expansion should include light rail as being a part of it, but I don't think there is any good route through Gresham these days with how much that area has built up without cutting through developed neighborhoods.

I totally agree with that, but I do think that area could be revitalized significantly with the addition of more transportation routes. Even a street car would help immensely.