The busy streets of the Humboldt neighborhood have a lively urban feeling. The neighborhood is diverse, with fourplexes and large apartment complexes near tree-shaded streets of single-family homes. Humboldt was once part of the city of Albina, which was annexed by Portland in 1891. It was considered a working-class neighborhood then and a center of heavy industry, with small homes and apartments on narrow lots.
Humboldt is currently an up-and-coming neighborhood that relies on local businesses rather than chains. The Cascade Campus of the Portland Community College in the neighborhood offers GED classes and job-focused education, as well as lower-division classes for those who plan to transfer to four-year colleges.
Neighborhood children can attend Humboldt School, which has a children’s Learning Garden and active parent involvement, or Beach School, with a successful Spanish immersion program and an active parent group as well. Both these schools take children from kindergarten to eighth grade. The local high schools are Jefferson and Roosevelt, each of which offers a spectrum of programs from special education to Advanced Placement classes. The Portland area also holds many parochial and independent private schools, including nearby Holy Redeemer School.
The Humboldt neighborhood is bounded on the north by North Ainsworth Street and the edge of Peninsula Park, which held Portland’s first municipal rose garden. On the east, the boundary is Northeast Rodney Avenue. To the south, it is North Skidmore Street. The western boundary is North Missouri Avenue. Trendy Mississippi Avenue and Killingsworth Street are two of the neighborhood’s social and business centers. The zip code for the neighborhood is 97211.
Humboldt is a lively neighborhood full of community spirit. It’s a vital and interesting place to call home.