From fancy brunch spots and bars to an eclectic bonanza of locally owned shops, this area is a gold mine for wanderers with a hunger for Portland culture writ large. It’s a booming area, massive new condo projects popping up like dandelions, where only a decade ago you may have found empty lots and storefronts. It’s also a place where disputes over bike lanes can take on the tone of family feuds. Much of the unsettled feeling of the area comes from its bitter legacy of displacement. Historically one of Portland’s few black neighborhoods, it was gutted by decades of so-called urban renewal and construction, with gentrification eventually pushing many of Albina’s long-time residents out of the area all together. So, yeah, it’s complicated. Enjoy this area, but don’t forget your history.

Where am I? The general boundaries covered in this guide are North Mississippi from North Fargo to North Skidmore, and the North Williams and North Vancouver couplet between Northeast Russell and Northeast Skidmore. In other words, North Mississippi between Liberty Glass and Prost and North Williams from Wonder Ballroom to Vendetta. (That’s why you won’t find Sweedeedee and Mississippi Records in this area guide!)