6.3 out of 10

Madison South

Ranked 15th best neighborhood in Portland
45.5433517661342 -122.574389605651
Great for
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Clean & Green
  • Internet Access
  • Cost of Living
  • Pest Free
Not great for
  • Nightlife
  • Childcare
  • Medical Facilities
  • Shopping Options
  • Lack of Traffic
Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
2yrs+

"Nestled against Rocky Butte."

Pros
  • Exellect location for Commercial expansion
  • Logistically ideal for pedestrian traffic if 82nd Street would be utilized
  • Best place currently for an Ideal neighborhood because of it's expandabillity, location, and sustainability
  • MAX station
  • Unusual natural areas
  • Rocky Butte
Cons
  • Lacks constituent representation
  • Needs city appropreations to make 82nd Street viable
  • Vacate Highway 213 to just a City Street
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Schools 3/5
2yrs+

"Home to Rocky Butte and Affordable Housing"

Madison South (nothing South about it as it is located in NE Portland), offers Rocky Butte, one of the best places to enjoy a good hike, a pretty strenuous bike ride and amazing views of Portland. Lots of activity, including climbing can be found as well as plenty of green space to enjoy a picnic. Not my favorite park, (Washington Park always wins), but certainly a great place to go in this section of Portland. Madison South is also home to the Grotto, a botanical garden and Rose City Park. Certainly this is one of the more greener neighborhoods in Portland and provides a little something for everyone who likes to spend time outdoors. The neighborhoods are average and are priced more affordably.
Pros
  • Rocky Butte
Recommended for
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Big Open Parks and the Bible"

Madison South is a NE Portland neighborhood that is very close to Rocky Butte State Park. It is also bordered to the West by Glenhaven City Park. This makes this part of town a very green location with plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. The top of Rocky Butte is one of the prettiest vantage points in all of Portland. Not only can you see the Portland skyline, but also the mountains in the distance. This is also part of the Boring Lava group, which are cinder cones located in Oregon. This natural area is quite amazing and really the best part of this neighborhood. There are also two huge castle walls, which are good for climbing. You will also see various sporty folks biking through this park.

Next door to the park is the City Bible Church campus and Portland Bible College. If you aren't religious, you may feel that living so near these Christian places is a bit oppressive. However, if you do appreciate religion, you likely would consider this to be a plus for Madison South.

The homes in this area seem to be pretty nondescript and are available for fairly low rates. The streets tend to be more barren and less tree lined than what you will see in other Portland neighborhoods. Also you won't find too many interesting businesses and stores in Madison South. However, there are a variety of ethnic restaurants including Mexican and Vietnamese food.
Pros
  • Affordable houses
  • MAX station
  • Unusual natural areas
Cons
  • A little worn
  • Car dependent
Recommended for
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Average Suburban Neighborhood With Great Parks"

Unlike the name suggests, Madison South is actually in Northeast Portland. It's between I-84 (to the South) and I-205 (to the East) and Sandy Boulevard to the North and West.

There are some unusual natural areas here, including Rocky Butte, a volcanic area popular among climbers, and the Grotto, a beautiful botanical garden and shrine run by the Catholic church. Rose City Park is also here, so there are plenty of green spaces to be enjoyed by those who need to get away from the urban environment for a while.

The MAX light rail station at NE 82nd Ave makes it easy to commute downtown. However, most Madison South residents do own their car and rely on it daily; unlike more urban areas of Portland, it is not common to see people commuting by bus or bike. Other Madison South residents work at the Banfield Pet Hospital headquarters, which is here in the neighborhood.

The residential areas of Madison South are spread out and suburban. This is a pretty average, family-friendly community. Most of the homes were built in the 1940s and 1950s, with a fair number of newer houses too. It's a little more worn than comparable Portland neighborhoods, which means that homes are a bit more affordable, making it popular among first-time homebuyers.
Pros
  • Unusual natural areas
  • MAX station
  • Affordable houses
Cons
  • Car dependent
  • A little worn
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

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