Markham

Markham occupies a quiet strip of Southwest Portland between the commercial activity of Multnomah Village and Barbur Blvd to the north and the deeper residential forest of Arnold Creek to the south. Its boundaries touch Multnomah and South Burlingame on the north, Marshall Park on the east, Arnold Creek on the south, and West Portland Park on the west — making it one of the most nature-flanked neighborhoods in the SWNI coalition.

The Maricara Natural Area anchors the neighborhood's southern edge — a protected mixed evergreen-deciduous forest with wetlands, native plants, older second-growth trees, and a stream. Marigold HydroPark provides additional green infrastructure. The combination of these preserved natural areas with the neighborhood's low-density residential fabric gives Markham a sense of remove from urban intensity that belies its location within Portland city limits.

Markham has historically been one of Portland's quieter neighborhood associations — coordinating through Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. without the high-profile development controversies that have animated some of its neighbors. Residents value the neighborhood for its access to both the Barbur Blvd commercial corridor and the network of natural areas that begin literally at some back fences.