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Strolling through Northeast Portland’s Fernhill Park is enjoyable year-round.

Credit: Ashley Anderson

42nd Avenue

Urban farms and foodie charm define this Northeast Portland strip, once home to one of the earliest dairies in East Portland.

Updated Oct. 28, 2023 2 min read 42nd Avenue

Tiara Darnell

Tiara Darnell is a creative strategist, writer, and video and audio producer based in Buffalo, New York, and Portland. Read More

Since 2013, long-time residents of Northeast Portland have witnessed a dramatic revitalization of the Northeast 42nd Avenue corridor, bringing with it new and culturally diverse businesses and restaurants.

Today, this eclectic strip — surrounded by a patchwork of residential enclaves and small farms — is one of the most charming areas of Northeast Portland for eating, dancing, recreation and immersing yourself in the local community.

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Eat on 42nd Avenue

Home to woman-owned wholesale dessert company Rawdacious, bright, minimalist café Tiny Moreso is the go-to spot for wholesome vegan and gluten-free grub on Northeast 42nd Avenue. Specials rotate, but veggie-packed sandwiches, voluminous salads, fresh fruit smoothies and a variety of sweet treats (like homemade peanut-butter-chocolate-rice-crispy-treats) leave more than enough to choose from. Don’t leave without trying one of Rawdacious’ signature nut-based, dairy-free cheesecakes.

Owned and operated by two lifelong friends, Black-owned 42nd Ave Fish and Chips serves all the pleasure of a Friday night fish fry seven days a week. Specializing in flavorful, cornmeal-crusted basa (a white, flaky and tasty Asian fish), catfish, tilapia, cod and halibut, this fish and chips depot ensures that your fish of choice is fresh and cooked to order. (And no need to stash emergency hot sauce in your bag; they’ve got you covered.)

Food Carts

Portland is one of the world’s great street food cities — explore international flavors and unique new food concepts (without the wait of a sit-down restaurant) at Portland’s many food cart pods.

More Tasty Treats

Family-owned Santo Domingo Taqueria serves up homey Mexican staples like crisp tortas, more than a dozen taco options and heaping bowls of menudo on weekends.

The Spare Room Lounge is a bar within a former bowling alley … and looks like it. Soul, funk, country and various other live music events recur on their calendar, as do karaoke and bingo nights. Pick your vibe, grab a drink and kick back at this quintessential Portland dive bar.

Northeast Portland

For shows, sports and big events, Northeast Portland is hard to beat. It’s also home to many popular neighborhoods, where you’ll find excellent eateries and culture galore.

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Things to Do on 42nd Avenue

You can’t miss the façade of Caribbean Spice. Adorned in bright red, yellow and green, this colorful marketplace offers a wide array of Afro-Caribbean ingredients — perhaps even some you’ve never seen before. (Don’t be intimidated; it’s a great place to taste something new.) The shop also offers authentic jerk, adobo spice blends and even flour for making fufu.

Makers

Portland is a hub for artists, entrepreneurs and creators alike, with community studios, warehouses and makerspaces that let you DIY your way around town.

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Things to See on 42nd Avenue

See farm-to-table dining in action at the Side Yard Farm, a women-led urban farm and kitchen offering multi-course suppers, free workshops, bike-in movie nights and more (check out their events schedule for details).

Before it was beautified, the land now known as Fernhill Park was once a dumping ground for stripped-out stolen cars. Today, it’s an essential part of Portland’s urban nature and recreation scene, with dedicated spaces for baseball, volleyball, soccer and tennis, in addition to paved walking paths, picnic tables and a playground.

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