NW Portland is comprised of several neighborhoods: Old Town/Chinatown, The Pearl District, Nob Hill (NW 21st & 23rd Avenues) and Uptown. Nob Hill and Uptown are the most established of the NW neighborhoods, with local, regional and national retailers. Northwest Portland is bound by Burnside, to the south NW Vaughn to the north, Willamette River to the east and NW 23rd to the west.
The Pearl District is another strong, more recently established, neighborhood with a strong mix of residential (approximately 6,000 living units) a strong retail mix and some office. Old Town/Chinatown continues to go through a resurgence and has become a destination for local retailers and creatives who cannot afford rents in NW Portland’s other, more established, neighborhoods.
The Northwest area is by far Portland’s densest neighborhood, best characterized by a combination of turn of the century housing and high-rise condominiums. Large employers such as Good Samaritan Hospital and Consolidate Freight keep the Northwest area active during the daylight hours as the combination of boutiques, restaurants and retailers help drive the nighttime activity.