Pearl District

Live it. Love it. Find it in the Pearl

Once known as the Industrial Triangle-filled with railroad yards and timeworn turn-of-the-century warehouses-the Pearl District today is an award-winning, internationally recognized leader in urban renewal, culture and "LEED" certified buildings. As one of the most desired neighborhoods in the country to call your home, work space, or playground, the Pearl is clear validation that high-quality, inner-city communities can revive from the ashes of urban decay. Often considered the "gold standard" of live, work and play mixed-use space, the Pearl District is proof that inner-city living at its finest can rise from the ashes of urban decay.

About the Pearl

The urban legend of the Pearl District's name is as extraordinary as the neighborhood itself. One story suggests that an oyster-canning factory once sat amidst the aging warehouses, another proposes that Chinese seafarers hid pearls beneath cobble-stoned Twelfth Street. Regardless of which fable you've heard, there is an intimation of both beauty and ugliness in the name- which conjures an image of the elegant gem nestled in a drab, rough shell, waiting to be discovered.

History of the Pearl District

Ever squinted your eyes and tried to imagine something that's only in your head? That's how it was for those of us who looked over the rail yards and abandoned warehouses of inner northwest Portland some 20 years ago. Rundown and dilapidated, it was a sight that even the best of us squinters had trouble overcoming.

And yet, slowly, a largely forgotten part of Portland's past became an urban icon of living unlike anything the country had ever seen: A unique blend of verve and vibrancy, with more than a passing nod to Portland's uncommon brand of originality.

Today, the Pearl District has earned a worldwide reputation for urban renaissance. Diverse, architecturally significant, residential communities thrive here. Galleries rub shoulders with restaurants, shops open to parks, and no one has to squint anymore to see the magic that's taken hold.

The Pearl is the story of a vision come to life. That story has a beginning, and middle, but to those who have been a part of the transformation - there is no ending. Future plans will assure this "pearl" of a place becomes even more: more sustainable, more livable, more inviting, and more groundbreaking.

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