REED · PORTLAND

Reed

Southeast Uplift

10 spots to discover in this neighborhood 0.32 sq mi

“Reed College, great IPAs, and the smallest hood in SE Portland”

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NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

What Reed Is Known For

“Reed College, great IPAs, and the smallest hood in SE Portland”

— Reed, Portland

About

Reed

Reed is the smallest neighborhood in Southeast Portland, bordered by Sellwood-Moreland, Brooklyn, Creston-Kenilworth, Woodstock, and Eastmoreland. Its character is almost entirely shaped by Reed College, whose 116-acre campus of Tudor Gothic buildings, a canyon-fed lake, and old-growth firs dominates the neighborhood's interior.

Reed College was founded in 1908 with a large bequest from Oregon pioneers Amanda and Simeon Reed, and its emphasis on academic rigor and intellectual culture shapes the surrounding neighborhood's vibe. On campus, Paradox Coffee Shop has operated in the quad for 40+ years as a student-run institution. The college's Crystal Springs Creek canyon is a natural landmark and part of the city's blue-green infrastructure.

Off campus, the western edge of Reed along SE 26th Ave hosts two notable businesses: Gigantic Brewing Company (5224 SE 26th Ave) — a much-loved IPA-focused craft brewery with a lively taproom, garage-door frontage, and outdoor seating — and Green Drop Garage, an eco-friendly auto repair shop. The corner of SE 26th and Steele supports a small cluster of food vendors. Reed's residents enjoy walkable access to the Woodstock Village commercial strip two blocks east and the Eastmoreland Golf Course to the south.

Boundaries: Bounded roughly by SE Bybee Blvd to the south, SE Woodstock Blvd to the north, SE 28th Ave / Reed College campus to the west, and SE 45th Ave to the east. Adjacent to Woodstock (north), Eastmoreland (south/west), Sellwood-Moreland (southwest), Creston-Kenilworth (east), and Brooklyn (northwest).

Neighborhood Association

The Vibe

What Reed Feels Like

Quiet, wooded college-town residential area

The Reed neighborhood is calm, green, and intellectually flavored, shaped by the presence of the college and its wooded campus. Tree-lined residential streets give way to the open lawns and the natural canyon at the heart of the campus, a favorite spot for walks.

The atmosphere is quiet and settled, with a mix of students, faculty, and families lending the area a thoughtful, community-minded feel, all within easy reach of the shops along Woodstock Boulevard.

History

How Reed Came To Be

The Reed neighborhood takes its name and identity from Reed College, the private liberal arts institution founded in 1908 and opened in 1911 on a campus of meadows and woods in Southeast Portland. The college was established through the estate of pioneer businessman Simeon Reed and his wife Amanda, and its arrival shaped the surrounding district that grew up around it.

The residential streets around the campus developed through the early and mid-twentieth century, offering homes for faculty, staff, and families drawn to the area's quiet, tree-lined character. The campus itself, with its Tudor Gothic buildings and the natural canyon running through it, became a defining green feature of the neighborhood.

Reed has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Southeast Portland's most pleasant and stable residential areas, benefiting from the college's leafy grounds, the nearby Eastmoreland and Woodstock districts, and easy access to the commercial streets of Woodstock and Reed College Place.

Character

What Defines Reed

Reed College campus

The neighborhood is anchored by the historic liberal arts college, whose Tudor Gothic buildings and wooded grounds define the area.

Reed Canyon

A restored natural canyon and spring-fed lake run through the campus, offering trails and a rare urban wildlife refuge.

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Landmarks

Notable Places in Reed

Reed College

3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland

Founded 1908; 116-acre Tudor Gothic campus with canyon, lake, and old-growth forest. One of the nation's most academically rigorous liberal arts colleges.

Gigantic Brewing Company

5224 SE 26th Ave, Portland

IPA-focused craft brewery taproom with garage-door frontage and outdoor seating — the neighborhood's anchor social venue.

Paradox Coffee Shop

Reed College campus, Portland

Student-run campus coffee shop with a 40+ year tradition on the Reed quad.

Green Drop Garage

SE 26th Ave, Portland

Eco-friendly auto repair shop on the western edge of the Reed neighborhood.

Crystal Springs Creek Canyon

Reed College campus, Portland

Natural canyon stream through Reed College, supporting wildlife and salmon restoration.

Getting Around

Reed

Schools

Reed College

A private liberal arts college whose campus gives the neighborhood its name.
Duniway Elementary School

Portland Public Schools elementary serving the Reed area.

Real Estate

Homes & Architecture in Reed

Homes are well-kept early and mid-twentieth-century houses on leafy streets, prized for proximity to the college and the adjacent Eastmoreland and Woodstock areas.

Craftsman English Tudor Colonial Revival Mid-century ranch