A walk through Northwest Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood features a soundtrack of pounding sledge hammers as new apartment buildings keep coming.
Even though it’s an old section of the city, Slabtown feels new these days. When a New Seasons grocery store opened here in 2015, it kicked off a whole new era. Hundreds of people moved in, for plenty of good reasons. In between the Pearl District and the Alphabet District, the neighborhood has plenty for those living there or stopping by: breweries, coffeeshops, and restaurants a plenty.
Its name, however, is a throwback to the 1870s, when a lumber mill, on Northwest Northrup, cut trees into slabs.
Get to Know Slabtown
Posted on October 19, 2022 | Updated on September 30, 2025
Rachel Monahan
A new walkway among the recently built apartments in Slabtown. (Rachel Monahan/City Cast Portland)
see more:food,things to do
Share article
Stay connected to City Cast Portland and get ready to join the local conversation.
Neighborhood Guides
Neighborhood GuidesFebruary 3
Your Guide to Oregon City
To Portland, Oregon City may be just a small suburb. (If you don’t even really know where it is, take 99 south past the Goodwill Bins and...
Neighborhood GuidesJanuary 21
Get To Know South Burlingame
Portland's South Burlingame neighborhood is small, but mighty. From lively cemeteries to neighborhood gems, here's everything you need to...
Neighborhood GuidesDecember 8, 2025
Your Guide to an East Portland Neighborhood You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Maybe you’ve never heard of the East Portland neighborhood Russell. But now you have: It’s an affordable, safe, and largely residential n...
Neighborhood GuidesNovember 10, 2025
The Neighborhood Hotspots in Family-Friendly West- and Eastmoreland
The charm of the Eastmoreland and Westmoreland neighborhoods is how great they are for the families that live there. Willamette Week’s ar...
Neighborhood GuidesOctober 20, 2025
Your Guide to Hood River's Fruit Loop
Out near Hood River there’s a cluster of orchards and wineries along a 35-mile stretch of country roads. The area now goes by the attenti...
Neighborhood GuidesSeptember 10, 2025
The Portland Neighborhood for Living in the Woods
Arnold Creek is a Portland neighborhood that you may never have heard of — maybe because it’s just barely inside city limits in Southwest...
Neighborhood GuidesAugust 14, 2025
Sunnyside Has Nickel Arcade Games and Peacock Lane
Sunnyside is a classic inner eastside neighborhood, with tree-lined streets. It’s walkable and bikeable. There’s Southeast Hawthorne for...
Neighborhood GuidesJuly 21, 2025
Finding Old Portland in Foster-Powell's Back Alleys
Foster-Powell has the charms of Old Portland, with a maze of alleys where neighbors hang out. “I like the alleys; I think they're special...
The latest in Portland
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 17
Side Quest: Porch Power
There’s something magical about gathering on the front steps and jamming with friends. If you’re looking for a way to meet new people or...
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 17
Your guide to St. Johns
Despite being located on the city's periphery, St. Johns is a neighborhood built on connection; to the past — its iconic green-arched bri...
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 10
Side Quest: Inner Peace
The Vedanta Society of Portland, founded 100 years ago, is based in Mt. Tabor, but the group also oversees the Vedanta Retreat — 289 acre...
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 10
Your Guide to Mt. Tabor
For a neighborhood built on and around an extinct volcano, Mt. Tabor is remarkably peaceful. You won’t catch a whiff of fire and brimston...
Portland's BestApril 30
Your Guide to May 2026 in Portland
From Mother's Day brunches to 503 Day celebrations to the Primary Election, there's going on in Portland this month.
Food & DrinkApril 7
Where To Find the Best Deals for Portland Groceries
For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person medi...
Portland's BestApril 1
Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland
Out on the Oregon Coast, April means it’s time to celebrate the puffin’s seasonal return to Cannon Beach, which will host an annual Puffi...
Portland's BestMarch 16
Where to Find Downtown Portland's Best Hotel Bars
With the opening of Damian Lillard's shiny new bar at the Benson Hotel, I've been thinking a lot about our city's hotel bar scene. For me...
