Josh Writes a Blog

Category: every park in portland

  • Parks & Rec 5k/EPIP: Gabriel

    SW 45th Avenue and Vermont Street
    Neighborhood: Multnomah
    Portland Parks & Rec Page

    Distance: 5k
    Time: 35:49
    Pace: 11:19/mi

    Upon arriving at Gabriel Park in the morning of the final Portland Parks & Rec 5k of the year, I immediately realized something: this was going to be a hilly course.

    And it was! A total elevation gain of 384ft according to Garmin. This was the most difficult of the four P&R courses I’ve run, but it also happened to be the most beautiful. The start sloped downhill for about 3/4ths of a mile before cutting right into the forest. Seriously, it felt like I went from civilization into a wooded area. Turns out the entire center section of Gabriel Park is split by what I believe one could call a copse of trees. We ran through it fairly quickly but on the loop back (aka the uphill part) again we ran into the forest. It was lovely. I really appreciated the juxtaposition of the park with its sports centers and playgrounds and the peaceful serene trail in the woods.

    Ultimately, I was shooting for a 33 minute 5k today but the hills got me good. I’ll settle for my time though, considering I’m still running on tired legs as I train for the Portland (Half) Marathon.

    As far as a park goes, boy this one has everything. It’s got baseball diamonds, it’s got basketball courts, it’s got tennis courts, it’s got a friggen skatepark and volleyball it’s got two very interesting and fun looking playgrounds. It’s got a dog park. It’s got a community garden and an apple orchard. And cutting through it all is the aforementioned copse. Of the four parks I’ve ran this series, I think this one is the best. Which makes sense because it’s in the rich part of town. I can see why they saved this one for last.

    Aesthetics: Gorgeous. Just gorgeous all around. Lots of levels and trees. 10/10

    Function: Probably the most functional park I’ve ever seen. Sports AND little wooded trails AND a community garden? It’s got everything! 10/10

    Sketchiness: The only sketchy thing I saw was an older lady fainted or something just before the run started and the EMTs came to check up on her. This place is pristine. 10/10

  • Parks & Rec 5k/EPIP: Westmoreland

    SE McLoughlin Blvd and Bybee Blvd
    Neighborhood: Sellwood-Moreland
    Portland Parks & Rec Page

    Distance: 5k
    Time: 34:48
    Pace: 11:08/mi

    North is left!

    Sadly, I missed the July P&R 5k due to the stomach flu. That was in Columbia Park, which is in the smaller Portsmouth neighborhood adjacent to St. Johns, making it the most northern of the 5 5k races Parks & Rec put together. Westmoreland, meanwhile, despite being more west land, is actually in most southwestern part of southeast Portland, right across the street from Eastmoreland, a neighborhood that is, of course, east of Westmoreland and is about 20% golf course.

    These are both named after Julius C. Moreland, a lawyer and then judge in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A realty company of which he was an executive wanted to make four neighborhoods in his name, for–you guessed it–the four compass points. But I guess only West- and Eastmoreland made it to final print.

    Imagine if I had four neighborhoods like that. Northbelville, Southbelville, Eastbelville, and Westbelville. How annoying!

    Westmoreland Park is one of the best parks in Portland, no doubt about it. It’s huge, has about half a dozen baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, a lawn bowling green, and the somewhat iconic duck pond, called Hall Pond, which was originally built as a fly-casting pond (and is still used for that purpose). Crystal Springs Creek, which runs nearby through the park as well, apparently has salmon in it during the appropriate seasons. According to the P&R page, the pond is supposed to be removed at some point and returned to a wetland, which I think is a great idea. Apparently the pond gets hot in the summer which isn’t good for the salmon or the ducks.

    The 5k itself was fine; I ran slower this morning due to the heat and wanting to take it easy after the Garlic Fest 5k yesterday, but still managed an 11:08/mi pace, which is faster than I had anticipated. My heart rate was higher than I would’ve liked, but I was in the zone, baby. Plus it was roughly 10-15 degrees warmer than my usual summer run temperatures so I’m not sure my heart rate would’ve lowered enough to be worth slowing down.

    One thing that was kind of funny is that near the start of the run was a very comically narrow bridge that we all piled up at because you could only run it single file. But then we got to run around the duck pond twice (which needed more shade for sure) and ran on lots of wood chips. I kind of hate running on wood chips, but they were good for my knees, I guess.

    I’m also pretty sure there is a running group for, like, ex-convicts or something that participates in these 5ks, which is very cool. They were being filmed this time, probably PR for their program. The whole event is very much worth the $5 price.

    Aesthetics: Big huge gorgeous park. The only drawback is that it’s right next to a busy boulevard and MAX light rail. Thankfully the way the park is set up you don’t see the street and cars and all that too much. 7/10

    Function: If you want to Do A Thing, this is the park for you. Baseball, softball, basketball, just most anything with balls, plus tennis and fly-casting for some weird reason. Lots to do here with your family and friends. 10/10

    Sketchiness: Not too bad. There were a couple of homeless people parked near an apartment complex, but nothing felt like anyone was in danger. To be fair, this was a public event, so I might have a skewed vision. 7/10

    The last 5k run is in Gabriel Park, the only run on the west side because East Side is the Best Side. See you then.

  • Parks & Rec 5k/EPIP: Lents

    SE 92nd Avenue and Holgate Blvd
    Neighborhood: Lents
    Portland Parks & Rec Page

    This was the second of five 5k runs Portland Parks & Recreation puts on (here’s the first), and the first that crosses I-205 into East Portland. This is the farthest east run, which makes sense if you remember that the city of Portland doesn’t give a shit about anything east of 102nd.

    Lents is important to Portland, though, as it is the home of the Portland Pickles, our local baseball team. Minor league? Probably not, I have no idea. I know nothing about baseball. I know it’s the only sport I can think of where they count how many times you fuck up.

    The park is huge and has a ton of stuff to do. This 5k was primarily a trail run, with a few bits on the sidewalk and paved paths. I’d say it was 75% trail, which was a nice change from my typical road runs.

    I ran pretty good, considering I had run parkrun yesterday morning (and achieved my fastest 5k time of the year thus far). My feet keep going numb while I’m running and I’m not entirely sure why other than just your typical overuse injury, but this time it made me a little more nervous because it’s hard to tell where you’re stepping when your feet are going numb, and trail is uneven terrain … you get the point.

    I think my 5k time was around 36:08 but Garmin has 3.16 miles at 36:33. It was a fun run so none of this really matters, other than I’m pleased with my time considering I ran fast yesterday. The atmosphere was cool and everyone was having a good time. Lots of kids running around too, which is fun. They do a little kid race before the 5k and it’s always great to watch these little teeny kids ambling toward the finish line, completely unaware of what the hell is going on.

    Anyway, the park itself. Huge, tons to do. Sports sports sports. You’ve got three baseball fields (though I guess one is strictly for the Pickles), a turf soccer field, a grass soccer field, tennis courts, basketball courts … plenty of Sports Zones. The southern side also has a neat playground, a dog park, and a “nature patch,” which I believe Fernhill Park had as well. There are also a lot of neat houses in this part of town, the kind that remind you of a time before HOAs ruined creativity. Just a big, cool, dynamic park.

    Aesthetics: Gorgeous, a lot of open air. Maybe a bit too busy with sports stuff. 8/10

    Function: Function out the wazoo. Sports, big fields, go see the Pickles and take your dog to the dog park. Plenty to do. 10/10

    Sketchiness: I didn’t notice anything sketchy while I was there, but considering how close it is to 82nd st (a notoriously sketchy street), I wouldn’t be surprised if stuff went down there. That said, I bet the Pickles have some kind of security to keep that at bay. Felt fine otherwise. 9/10

    Next month is Columbia Park, in North Portland!

  • Parks & Rec 5k/EPIP: Fernhill

    NE 37th Avenue and Ainsworth Street
    Neighborhood: Concordia
    Portland Parks & Rec Page

    Ladies & gentlemen & everyone in between, we’ve got a rare crossover episode, a mashup of Every Park in Portland and a running recap! (Sort of.)

    In researching new potential 5k races to sign up for recently, I discovered that Portland Parks & Recreation hosts five 5k races over the spring and summer, from May until September. They only cost $5 per event and you can buy a t-shirt for the season for only $8. So, for the cost of less than one 5k event, you can run five and get a t-shirt! Sign me up! (I did. I signed up for all of them.)

    The first of these five events took place in Fernhill Park, way up in Northeast Portland, a couple of blocks north of the Kennedy School McMenamins. (Which is famous for being a school that was turned into a restaurant/hotel campus that also has lounging pools because why not.) I ended up walking this 5k because of tendonitis in my achilles that I absolutely did not want to aggravate. Hence, no time listed. But even if it was timed, I probably wouldn’t list it for reasons I’ll get to in a second.

    It was a fun little event, extremely casual and family friendly. They had a timing clock (no chips or anything though), but the clock itself wasn’t working, so you had to rely on your watch, or on the host guy who hyped everyone up and was very exuberant about it, which I appreciated. He also called out your time when you crossed the finish line, which was nice! They gave out ribbons instead of medals, a first for my running career.

    After and during the race there were a couple of booths, one for raffles and one for general Parks & Rec info. Foot Traffic was surprisingly there as well, though I never got close enough to that booth to figure out if they were giving stuff away. Apparently there were bananas for finishers but by the time I finished, there were no bananas. I’m find with this, we all know I hate Post-Race Bananas.

    The park itself is gorgeous. Huge and picturesque, with a track, two baseball diamonds (baseball and softball), a tennis court, soccer field horseshoe pit, and huge open fields for running your dogs around. There’s even a little Nature Patch garden among the park itself, a lovely addition. There’s even a splash pad for splashing around! I don’t think that section in the south of the map is part of the park, and it looked like they might be building something there. There were Portland Community College buildings being built across the street, so who knows.

    The whole neighborhood reeks of “There is a Catholic high school nearby,” which is so say: wealthy. But unlike other wealthy parts of Portland, this place felt a lot more “within our means” wealthy, if that makes sense. Narrower streets than Irvington, a little more salt of the earth-y rather than trust fund/stock trader-y, if you get my drift. Apparently the park used to be an old stripping parts spot for car thieves back in the day.

    Aesthetics: Beautiful, open, very nice. 10/10

    Function: Sports haven. Track! I wish Buckman Field’s track was like this track. Plus you can run your dog around and get a decent run around the park itself. I’m really not sure what else you would want. 10/10

    Sketchiness: There were a couple of tent homes or maybe storage at the fringes of the park, but I didn’t see any sketchy behavior at all and this just doesn’t seem like the spot to engage in that kind of behavior. It’s close to Killingsworth, which can feel a little sketchy in parts, but honestly, I’d be surprised if stuff went down in this park. 10/10

    (Also, I’m changing my Sketchiness rating so that lower sketchiness results in a higher score.)

    Lovely park and lovely little 5k race! Check it out if you get the chance.

  • EPIP: Sewallcrest Park

    SE 31st Avenue and Market Street
    Neighborhood: Richmond
    Website

    A nice little dog park in a nice little part of town. Comes with a community garden, a playground for the kids, and a large flat off-leash area to let your dog run around in. The area is also a baseball diamond but I suspect people probably play kickball there more than baseball, considering the prices of some of these houses. It is surrounded by a lovely neighborhood that I would personally love to live in. If anyone wants to give me around $750-850,000 dollars to help me move in, that would be great.

    Aesthetics: It’s fairly basic, but the surrounding neighborhood is nice, so that helps. 7/10

    Function: If you have a dog, 10/10. If you don’t have a dog, it’s standard fare. 5/10

    Sketchiness: I cannot imagine anything sketchy happening in this park. Too surrounded by residential homes full of people with money. 1/10

  • EPIP: Oregon Park

    NE 30th Avenue and Oregon Street
    Neighborhood: Kerns
    Website

    I didn’t even know this park existed until I drove by it one day on my way to getting a slow leak in one of my tires patched at a Les Schwab nearby. It’s a nice little residential park, a perfect place to bring the kids and let them tire themselves out. It has some amenities like a basketball court and a playground, and the tall trees all around are a welcome reminder that this entire area used to be forest. A good place to get away from the urban life for a moment and enjoy nature.

    Aesthetics: The trees add a point onto what would otherwise be an average looking park. (You’ll see what I mean when we get into east Portland parks.) 5/10

    Function: It’s got stuff to do and play on! 5/10

    Sketchiness: I honestly don’t know how sketchy this place is since I’ve barely ever been here. It doesn’t looks sketchy at all but when I arrived there was a man resting on top of a picnic table, so …? 4/10

  • EPIP: Lone Fir Cemetery

    SE 26th Avenue & SE Washington Street
    Neighborhood: Buckman
    Website

    Lone Fir isn’t run by Portland Parks & Rec, but I’m adding it because it’s one of my favorite places to wander through. The cemetery was officially incorporated in 1866, though people were buried in the area a couple decades before then, including the very first person to be buried in the area, Emmor Stephens, in 1846, back when the area was just farmland.

    Emmor Stephens’ gravestone. Look at that left slanting italics!

    I’ve walked through this cemetery so many times. When I walked through a couple of days ago, there was a funeral happening, and my first thought was “It’ll be nice to meet them [the dead person] after the funeral is over.” That’s how often I go to this cemetery. (I also noticed that they are doing work on the memorial garden/thing for the Chinese immigrants and asylum patients who were unceremoniously buried in the southwest corner of the cemetery, which is great.)

    Beautiful place to stroll through and remind yourself that you’ve only got a set amount of time on this Earth.

    Aesthetics: I think it’s beautiful. Cemeteries might not be your cup of tea, but I still think the area in general is lovely. 9/10

    Function: It’s a place to put dead people. Let’s be honest, burial doesn’t really make a lot of sense in modern times, so I’m giving this a low score, but then adding some points for walkability. 4/10

    Sketchiness: The sketch factor of this cemetery is generally low, but I’ve definitely seen some weirdos wandering around. Nothing like drug deals or criminal activity, but, you know, people who like to hang around in cemeteries. 3/10

  • EPIP: South Waterfront Park

    S River Dr. and S Montgomery St.
    Neighborhood: South Portland
    Website

    This is a little park nestled near the river, in what is a kind of rich portion of the city. I hesitate to call it “chic.” I’m not sure what to call this section of Portland, to be honest. Ritzy? It’s like a small residential spot for people who have money, you know what I mean? I think there are condos here for people who have a condo as an extra home away from home. That kind of vibe.

    The park itself is fine, though nothing much to look at. It honestly feels like a place rich people would build to take their dogs to pee. That plus older Asian people sitting on the benches are the only things I see when I pass by this park. Women in brilliantly white pants walking tiny dogs, and old Asian men and women sitting on the benches. That’s the vibe of this park.

    Aesthetics: Eh. It’s alright. 4/10

    Function: Eh. 2/10

    Sketchiness: A homeless person daren’t tread these brick pathways, lest a furious Karen call the security guards on them. 1/10

  • EPIP: Tom McCall Waterfront Park

    Naito Parkway between SW Harrison Street and NW Glisan Street
    Neighborhoods: Oldtown-Chinatown, Downtown, South Portland
    Website

    I absolutely chose the worst time of year to visit this park. Obviously, the best time is when the cherry trees blossom. What can you do.

    Tom McCall was the governor and Secretary of State of Oregon back in the 60s and 70s. Waterfront Park is a staple to people working in downtown Portland. It is a place where you can escape the rat race and walk for your mental health. It’s a long strip along the Willamette and it’s often used for hosting big events in the spring and summer, much to the chagrin of the grass there. Also, I’m just now noticing how much the Morrison Bridge on and off ramps make it look like a cock and balls.

    This park is one of those places that everyone congregates to, including Canada geese. It’s nice, because the lowliest bum and the top paid lawyer both walk this path often. The great leveler, in a way.

    Aesthetics: Honestly, it varies. Like I said, the cherry blossoms are lovely and the park looks good when it’s not hosting an event. After events, the ground is muddy and gross. 6/10

    Function: This space has been “macro” function. No basketball hoops, but you can host biiiiig events here. The South Waterfront Park hosts a huge jazz festival, for instance, and the Shamrock Run is hosted here as well. 9/10

    Sketchiness: Parts of the park, especially in notoriously sketchy Oldtown-Chinatown, are not great to walk through. I’ve never felt completely unsafe at this park but I’ve definitely walked by people having mental health crises to varying degrees, a couple of whom were violent. It’s really more of a “downtown part of a city” than anything else though. Don’t let it stop you from taking a walk here! 5/10

  • EPIP: Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade

    SE Water Avenue and Hawthorne Blvd
    Neighborhoods: Buckman, Hosford-Abernethy, Kerns
    Website

    Across the river from downtown lies the Eastbank Esplanade, named the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade after the city’s 49th mayor. Vera was mayor for over a decade, from 93 to 05. Not a bad tenure.

    The esplanade runs about 1.5 miles from OMSI to the Steel Bridge. It is the epitome of the definition of esplanade: “a long, open, level area, typically beside the sea, along which people may walk for pleasure.” Part of the esplanade is right on the river, which is cool. Plus, you can use it as part of a long loop around to the west side of the river (and the Tom McCall Esplanade, which I will review later). In my above picture is a fence where people put locks because people love symbolism.

    Aesthetics: Of the two esplanades, I think the general view from this one is worse. Both are near roads, but the Eastbank is near a freeway, which is loud and obnoxious. Also, there is a ton of graffiti on the walls, which are an eyesore. Looking westward at the city is nice though. 5/10

    Function: It is a place to walk, or run, or cycle. Not much else! 5/10

    Sketchiness: The Eastbank is up there on the sketch level, mainly from the deluge of tents and RVs that are parked nearby. There used to be a single-room portable shelter thing set up for the homeless, but it was moved somewhere that I guess was out of sight of President Biden or whomever else decided to move them. Certainly isn’t the sketchiest part of town but you can certainly run into some nefarious looking types occasionally. 6/10