Editor’s Note: Welcome to Portland Monthly’s new “Property Watch” column, where we’ll take regular looks at interesting homes on the market in Portland’s super-competitive real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). This week: A cozy two-bedroom condo in the heart of  humming N. Mississippi Avenue. Have a property you’d like to suggest for this feature? Get in touch at [email protected].

The stretch of Mississippi Avenue between N Fremont and N Shaver can feel like it has everything that Portland has to offer: Breweries, music, cool bars, pop-up art galleries, steadfast coffee shops, and restaurants of all kinds, from local chains and food cart pods to more boutique fare. There’s the Rebuilding Center, should you get a hankering to DIY a lamp from salvaged house parts, and just down the street, Sunlan Lighting, for when you need the bulb to light your creation–and whose window displays have been part of Portland lore since 1989. All of which makes the Mississippi Avenue Lofts, a 32-unit LEED Gold condominium built in 2009 and located south of Shaver, the perfect jumping off point for exploring.

There, a cozy two-bedroom condo has great loft vibes, thanks to select industrial accents like exposed concrete walls, subtle ceiling conduit, and a metal stair railing. Tigerwood at the ceiling defines the kitchen and living room zones in the open plan, with all the views geared towards an expansive floor-to-ceiling window and a balcony that overlooks the rooftops of nearby houses. There’s even a nice corner nook for a potential work-from-home set-up.

The bedrooms are upstairs, making the 1,165-square-footprint live larger than expected. One bedroom has a picture window with weather-permitting views of Mount Hood and a wood-lined ceiling. The other boasts a window framing the metal stairs outside,  like a postcard for city living (and privacy blinds, of course). Either will be quiet, as the building’s concrete and steel construction, and double-glazed windows do wonders for eliminating sound.

There are no long, gloomy hallways here, as all of the units surround an open-air courtyard with towering bamboo plants reaching for the sky. It’s a place with a lot of credentials: from the aforementioned LEED Gold status, to its designation as a “walker’s and biker’s paradise” with scores of 93 and 98, respectively.

Be sure to start the explorations across the street at Prost, a neighborhood pub pouring authentic German biers—yes, that’s beer with an -i—housed in a once-abandoned 1894 building. Beside it is a bustling food cart pod that just happens to be one of our favorite summer patios in the city.

Listing Fast Facts:

Address: 4216 N Mississippi Ave #212

Size: 1,165 square feet, 2 bed/1.5 bath

List Date: 4/6/2021

Price: $565,000, with $636/month HOA fees

Listing Agent: Patrick Clark and Eric Hagstette, Inhabit Real Estate

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. She is based in Portland, Oregon. Contact Dalton here.