Belmont

Located a few blocks north of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Belmont Street stretches from the Eastbank Esplanade to Mount Tabor Park, and boasts its own mix of vintage and indie shops, coffee shops, bars and food carts. Read on for our favorite things to do and see in Belmont.

Where to Eat and Drink on Belmont

Coffee

Never Coffee pours delightful coffee drinks that highlight all of the flavors, like their Holy Grail with Bee Local honey and Jacobsen sea salt and tellicherry pepper. With their unique roasts and innovative drinks, makes this coffee shop a must-try for any adventurous lover of coffee.

Fueling up at Portland coffee-staple, Stumptown, at their corner coffee shop that’s great for a quick cup before wondering the shops of Belmont.

If you power up better with coffee, conversation and live music, TaborSpace is a great spot to get your battery charged. A community coffee house located in Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church, this warm gathering spot is lit with stained glass windows and infused with the smell of Nuvrei pastries and locally brewed coffee. The site of weekly live music, art classes, workshops and more, it’s a welcoming place for all people, regardless of faith. If tea is more your speed, Tao of Tea makes a fantastic chai.

Bevs and Brews

Nestled in among the shops, The Bite on Belmont, a food court of carts, with favorites like Hindsight Beer Cart serving pints (and wine, too), and Dinger’s Deli a vegan sandwich cart.

For the love of beer, Horse Brass Pub has you covered with lists of drafts and bottles from around the world. Serving authentic eats like scotch eggs, steak and kidney pies, this English-style pub is a great spot for catching up with friends.

Good Eats

For a quick, healthy meal good for the whole family, try Laughing Planet. At the Belmont Street location, similar to their restaurants scattered around town, find toy dinosaurs on every table and have some fun while you eat.

Chef Katy Millard of Coquine draws on her experience at five Michelin-starred French restaurants to craft spectacular seasonal plates, such as Black Futsu squash or brioche shrimp toast. With the in-house sommelier, Ksendak Podbielski, you’ll be able to pair your meal with the perfect bottle of wine.

Nowhere is that more evident than Nostrana, a romantic Italian restaurant that packs them in every day but Sunday for flavorful wood-fired pizzas, rich pasta dishes and expertly mixed cocktails. James Beard Award nominee Cathy Whims’ timeless recipes — like Dungeness crab bruschetta and pancetta-wrapped goat — highlight the finest regional ingredients from local farms.

What to Do on Belmont

In what was once the center of the City of East Portland, Belmont holds a lot of history, from the Historic Belmont Firehouse that currently serves as a museum to some of Portland’s oldest parks, like Colonel Summers Park on Southeast Belmont and Southeast 20th Street, that was created in 1921. Today is has a community garden, softball field, volleyball and tennis court, a splash pad and a restored brick picnic pavilion. Walk a few blocks north to Laurelhurst Park, acquired in 1909 from the land of early settler and former Portland mayor, William S. Ladd, and explore the paved, tree-lined trails, several ponds and the native flora.

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Credit: Ashley Anderson

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Credit: Margaret Fenton, Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery

Want to hear an amazing tale? Some of Portland’s best stories can be found at Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery, just north of Belmont. One of Portland’s oldest cemeteries, Lone Fir invites visitors to connect with the past through a quiet stroll or on a monthly guided tour that highlights some of the graveyard’s famous residents, like one of the city founders, Asa Lovejoy.

For history that’s still above ground, video rental store Movie Madness doubles as a museum of sorts (besides the fact that it’s a living, working rental shop). Devoted to rare and obscure films, they also have original costumes on display from movies such as The Godfather II, The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music.

And if you want to escape to a time when video games only cost a nickel, Avalon Theatre has you covered. Their two small screens show classics and second-run movies, while their arcade buzzes with skeeball and whack-a-mole games (as well as some newfangled digital fare, to boot).

Credit: Jamie Francis

Shopping

Belmont storefronts are filled with vintage stores, used books, and trinkets. Still straddling the worlds of old and new, Belmont is home to many shops that have been in the community for decades. Serving the pagan community for many moons, Moonshadow is a spiritual shop for books, crystals, and deepening your practice in the ancient arts. In true Portland fashion, you can also find small, independent bookstores filling their shelves with local authors and zines and books that are off-the-beaten-path. Belmont is no exception; try Belmont Books.

Find your way over to SE Stark Street to Glasshaus Gardens, a boutique shops that goes beyond houseplants with gorgeous pottery and plant care accessories by hosting earth-inspired artworks, from crystal skulls, to canvas bags to stained glass.

If you’re in the market for restored vintage leather goods, then stop into Mix Tape, and check out their fabulously curated vintage and restyled selections. Naked City Clothing will spruce up your wardrobe, offering retro-inspired fashion, accessories and wacky novelties at this funky shop.

Events For All Ages

One of Portland’s quintessential Christmas traditions is a trip — on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage — down Peacock Lane. For the last two weeks of December, the houses on this street just off of Belmont are decked out in true holiday spirit with thousands of little sparkling lights.

And every September, the Belmont District Street Fair attracts roughly 10,000 people with live music, food and local vendors celebrating the vibrant neighborhood.