Sullivan’s Gulch

Northeast Portland, about 2.21 miles from downtown, in Multnomah County.

Researched and written by Ryan Rose · Updated October 29, 2026

Among the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I compared on this site, Sullivan's Gulch has one of the oldest housing stocks, with a median year built of 1909, older than 95% of them. My records also put sidewalk coverage at 87.1% (estimated), higher than 95%, and average block length at 266 ft, shorter than 85%. Holladay Park sits inside the neighborhood. Lots are small, averaging 4,874 sq ft, which I'd flag for anyone weighing yard space.

Illustration of a mix of detached houses, duplexes and small apartment buildings in the American Basic and Arts and Crafts styles.
Illustration
Downtown Sullivan's Gulch 2 mi N ↑
I marked Sullivan’s Gulch on a map of Portland drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
212 acres
Homes
2,611 Counted in the 2020 Census, apartments and condos included
Median year built
1909 Older than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Average lot size
4,874 sq ft Smaller than 80% of Portland neighborhoods
Tree canopy
24.2%
Streets steeper than 8%
1.3% of street length Elevation 92–173 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
9.2% of residential lots
New homes permitted
3 Fewer than 80% of Portland neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of homes: 9.1% single-family houses, 11.2% in 2–4 unit buildings, 79.7% in apartment, condo and other multi-home properties

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Architecture

American Basic
32% of surveyed homes
Arts and Crafts
13% of surveyed homes

I took these styles from the 31 homes recorded in the City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory (1984). It surveyed significant buildings, not every home.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
181
Average block length
266 ft Shorter than 85% of Portland neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
87.1% (my estimate) Higher than 95% of Portland neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
106 More than 60% of Portland neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
8

I compared each figure with the 86 other Portland neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Parks and recreation

Holladay Park

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • Benson Polytechnic High School 9–12 Portland SD 1J
  • Beverly Cleary School K–8 Portland SD 1J
  • Alliance High School 9–12 Portland SD 1J
  • Grant High School 9–12 Portland SD 1J
  • VILLAGE FREE SCHOOL
  • Irvington Elementary School K–5 Portland SD 1J
  • CHESTERTON ACADEMY BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI
  • da Vinci Middle School 6–8 Portland SD 1J
  • Laurelhurst Elementary School K–8 Portland SD 1J

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
6
Cafes
2
Bars and pubs
6
Grocery
2
Pharmacies
2

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Iconic Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood
  • Costello's Travel Caffé Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood
  • Spielman Bagels Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • SteepleJack Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Sandwich · Inside the neighborhood
  • Starbucks Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
  • Koji Osakaya Japanese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Xocalo PDX Mexican · Inside the neighborhood
  • Thai Pod Thai · 0.1 mi away
  • Twisted Croissant Coffee · 0.1 mi away

I pulled these from OpenStreetMap: the nearest named restaurants and cafes, starting inside the neighborhood and measured from its edge. Places marked Patio have outdoor seating, from my research for Outdoor Seating Near Me, my other site; the photos come from that research too.

Housing context

Median home value
$864,700
Median gross rent
$1,743
Owner-occupied
37.2%
Renter-occupied
62.8%

I pulled these from the census tract that covers this neighborhood, so they describe the tract, not the neighborhood itself. I report housing and housing cost only.

Bordering neighborhoods