Old Town/Chinatown

Northwest Portland, about 0.82 miles from downtown, in Multnomah County.

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

I liked the 169 transit stops within a quarter mile of Old Town/Chinatown, a figure I kept coming back to as I went through the records. Sidewalk coverage is an estimated 85%, and the average block runs 248 ft. Ankeny Plaza and Lan Su Chinese Garden sit inside the boundaries, and I also counted 27 restaurants and 12 cafes. Tree canopy is 13%, which I'd note plainly.

Illustration of a street in Old Town/Chinatown, Portland — Illustration

I marked Old Town/Chinatown on a map of Portland, OR drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

Architecture

By my mapping, part of the Skidmore / Old Town Historic District lies within this neighborhood.
By my mapping, part of the New Chinatown / Japantown Historic District lies within this neighborhood.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile: 359
Average block length: 248 ft
Sidewalk coverage: 85% (my estimate)
Transit stops within ¼ mile: 169
Everyday categories within ½ mile: 7

Parks and recreation

Ankeny Plaza, Lan Su Chinese Garden

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants: 27
Cafes: 12
Bars and pubs: 16
Grocery: 0
Pharmacies: 0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

Golden Horse Seafood Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
Yun Shui Teahouse 雲水茶樓 Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
Republic Cafe Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
Monte Rossa Caffe Coffee · Inside the neighborhood Patio
Red Robe Tea House & Cafe Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
Old Town Pizza Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
Pints Everyday Cafe Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
Charlie's Deli & Delivery Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood
Angelina's Greek · Inside the neighborhood
Alexis Restaurant Greek · Inside the neighborhood

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 gross rent: $1,121
Owner-occupied: 9.3%
Renter-occupied: 90.7%

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.