Yesterday I had fun exploring the area near Glendoveer Golf Course in NE Portland. We were hunting for Mid Century Moderns. Mid Century Modern (“MCM”) architecture is experiencing a kind of renaissance in popularity right now. I think it’s the clean lines and a bit of nostalgia. It also may be because they’re sometimes a rare sight in Portland, at least in large bunches.
Hunting by Bike for the Mid Century Modern
The Hunt: My friend, Eric Wheeler – the fantastic Architectural Historian – and I headed out by bike to look for an enclave of Mid Century Moderns Eric had heard were hiding in an area near Glendoveer Golf Course. We chose to explore by bike because it was so much fun to have the flexibility cycling gives you while on a hunt. We could easily take detours from our main route if we picked up a scent of MCM’s on a street. Fortunately, I had Eric along to make sure we had found what we were looking for.
Catching the Scent: After taking a quick tour through Cherry Blossom, we took our expedition out to the areas east of the golf course. We found a few MCMs scattered throughout that area. Some of these MCM’s were true catches – real gems from the era and true eye candy. But we were hunting for a more homogeneous gathering of the style. So, we mounted our bikes and headed a bit north. We stumbled across a few more specimens in the area just north of the golf course. That’s where we found what looked like a new breed of the MCM that Eric dubbed the “Story Ranch,” pictured above. This house, according to Eric, is a creative twist of the 1950’s Ranch with elements of the Story Book style.
The Catch
Discovered: Still not satisfied with our hunt for the MCM cluster, we headed over to this little area called Regency Park, nestled in the northwest corner of the golf course. Oh boy – did we find our MCM’s. This neighborhood is a tiny pocket of homes reminiscent of Reedwood, with several homes backing up to the golf course. What a find! We saw some Atomics, Roman Brick, and classic MCM styles, all nicely blended together.
Love Portland: Yesterday’s adventure is a perfect example of why I love Portland so much. Portland has so many little hidden gems and pockets of neighborhoods that you don’t expect. Neighborhoods with their own personality and style. If you just slow down and look around, you’re bound to discover something you love.
What’s your favorite neighborhood to explore?
Lisa Ratzlaff is a web designer who loves telling the amazing stories of interesting people and businesses in Portland, Oregon. Her web design business is Share Your Story Media, where she builds powerful websites for small service-based businesses that help them succeed online.
