Big parks bracket the neighborhood: Cathedral Park under the bridge, the tall forest of Pier Park, and Kelley Point where the rivers meet. It suits people who want a small main street with real nature close by, and a calendar of neighborhood traditions like the Halloween walk and pet parade and the holiday tree lighting on the plaza.
Updated November 2026
Where to eat and drink
Signal Station Pizza
Pizza, calzones and subs come out of a 1939 Signal Oil gas station, a Moderne-style building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Signal Station Pizza moved in in 2006.
Havalina
Craft cocktails and live music nearly every night, from bluegrass sets to an open mic, keep this lounge busy. Food comes from Betos Taqueria and other kitchen partners, and all ages are welcome until 9 p.m.
The Fixin’ To
The Fixin’ To calls itself a respectable dive bar, and the arcade games make it North Portland’s only all-ages barcade. Kids can come in until 6 p.m.
StormBreaker Brewing
The brewery’s second pub (the first is on N Mississippi) pours its own beer alongside cider, cocktails and NA options, with burgers, wings and fish and chips. Heated patios and fire pits make it a cold-weather option too.
Wonderwood Springs
Portland artist Mike Bennett built this fantasy-themed cafe next to a nine-hole indoor mini golf course decorated with his work. Order a coffee or a soft-serve cone (vanilla, chocolate or vegan oat vanilla) before you tee off.
Shops worth a wander
Blue Moon Camera and Machine
Shelves of vintage film cameras run from subminiature to large format, with lenses, darkroom gear and typewriters mixed in. The in-house lab develops C-41, black-and-white and E-6 film, and the shop takes gear on consignment.
RöM Shoes
Shoes for women and men share the floor with rain gear, sweaters, outerwear, bags and jewelry at this Lombard shop.
Leisure Public House
Part pub, part plant shop: pick out a houseplant, succulent or cactus, then stay for a hot pressed sandwich or a weekend brunch Bloody Mary.
Things to do
Cathedral Park
About 22 acres spread beneath the St. Johns Bridge and its cathedral-like arches, with a boat ramp and dock, an outdoor stage, an off-leash dog area and paths along the Willamette.
Pier Park
Eighty-five acres of tall trees hold a disc golf course, an 11,000-square-foot skate park, shaded trails, a community garden and an outdoor pool that opens in summer.
Kelley Point Park
At the point where the Willamette, the Columbia and the Columbia Slough meet, more than 90 acres of black cottonwood forest open onto river views and a link to the 40-Mile Loop trail. Stay out of the water, though: conditions are unpredictable and swimming isn’t allowed.
Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
Metro’s 2,000 acres of wetland a short drive east are home to beavers, river otters, bald eagles and western painted turtles, and the paved Interlakes Trail has three lookouts. Kayaks and canoes are allowed from December through May.
St. Johns Twin Cinemas
First-run movies on two screens, with beer, wine and pizza on the menu.
Community
St. Johns Neighborhood Association
The all-volunteer association holds general meetings on the second Monday evening of each month and board meetings on the last Wednesday, and everyone is welcome. It also rallies neighbors for SOLVE cleanups and volunteer days at Pier Park and Baltimore Woods.
Friends of Baltimore Woods
Neighbors are restoring a wooded corridor above the Willamette in the shadow of the St. Johns Bridge, and working to buy the 7.5-acre York’s Overlook parcel to link it with Pier Park. Volunteers plant natives with SOLVE, help run the annual plant sale, or lend skills like grant writing and sign making.
St. Johns Boosters Business Association
The neighborhood’s business association has backed St. Johns for close to a century and puts on Saturdays in the Square, the Halloween walk and pet parade and the holiday tree lighting. Volunteers help set up, greet visitors and run activities.
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