
Mount Tabor and South Tabor are part of Portland’s southeastern section of town. Homebuyers are attracted to the proximity to Mount Tabor Park, good public transportation, and still short drive to amenities and downtown. Early Portland settlers and founders of one of Portland’s oldest religious communities named Mt. Tabor. The mountain and park became Mount Tabor after Mount Tabor Methodist; the church community founded in 1853 is still active in the neighborhood today. Most of the early Portland residents around Mount Tabor were farmers. These landowners and families made their fortunes selling produce to prospectors who came west to California seeking gold during the 1800s. Mount Tabor’s first school was founded in 1852. Present day roads here trace the boundaries of the original farms and household properties. Urbanization began in the 1880s with the completion of the Morrison Bridge; it linked Portland’s wealthy, urban west side with its more rural east side. A train and other bridges were built at the end of the 19
th century. Mount Tabor officially became part of the growing city of Portland in 1905. 200-acre
Mount Tabor Park is a popular destination for many throughout our region. Portland is one of only two metro areas nationwide with an extinct volcano. The Mt. Tabor volcano was discovered in 1912, long after the area had already been settled. Three reservoirs within the park hold Portland’s drinking water. Their Art Deco touches and beautiful design enabled the reservoirs to be listed on the national Register of Historic Places in 2004. The city is currently deciding when and how to cover them though; concerns about water purity and filtering have arisen in the past few years. Today, bicyclists enjoy the park’s paths and families visit for an afternoon picnic or just to play on the playground. Mount Tabor Park’s expansive off-leash dog park enchants dogs and owners alike with its tall trees and shady walking paths. When visiting, don’t miss the bronze statue an early Oregonian newspaper editor sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, the talented sculptor of Mt. Rushmore. Because of its popularity, the park can sometimes seem crowded in summer despite its size.

Mount Tabor’s neighborhood boundaries are Burnside on the north, SE 76
th Ave in the east, SE Division along the south, and SE 49
th and SE 50
th in the west. The median home price is around $400,000 and the area has seen a 50% increase in prices over the past five years. The streets are generally quiet away from busy thoroughfares Burnside and Division. Homebuyers find a wide range of late 19
th century and early 20
th century homes including English styles, Old Portlands, Arts & Crafts, and bungalows. About 70% of the homes here are owned versus rented. The vocal and involved homeowners association works to preserve the historic neighborhood feel as well as rally the community behind cleanup efforts and fundraising for improvements. Restaurants, shops, and services within the Mount Tabor neighborhood are found on Burnside St and Division St. Caldera Public House – one of the only restaurants actually in the neighborhood boundaries – wins raves from Mt. Tabor locals for their good food, friendly service, and excellent outdoor seating area. Mount Tabor residents often drive just a few streets over to Hawthorne Boulevard for grocery shopping or eating out. Portland grocer New Seasons is projected to open a new store here soon. And Fred Meyer’s large Hawthorne location recently underwent a massive renovation. The dozens of restaurants, shops, and services of Hawthorne are an easy walk, bike ride, or car trip away. The benefit though is that Mount Tabor denizens don’t have to live with the noise of living within such a busy section of town.
Warner Pacific College is a four-year, Christian university located on Division, technically within the Mount Tabor neighborhood. It’s a small school serving about 1,000 undergraduate students; many students live in on-campus residence halls.

Nearby South Tabor is an exclusively residential area bounded by Division Street in the north, SE 82
nd Ave in the east, SE Powell on the south, and SE 52
nd along the west. Home types are similar to those found in Mount Tabor; ranches, cottages, and bungalows are prevalent. Homes on the western side of the community tend to fetch more than those closer to SE 82
nd. The median home price still is under $300,000 – a still reasonable amount for many first time homebuyers desiring an urban neighborhood. South Tabor has experienced about 60% price growth in the last five years. It’s growing in popularity the homes here are close to amenities and Mt. Tabor Park – without the steeper price tag of being a few streets closer to the park.
Clinton Park resides within South Tabor’s boundaries. The park is named after famed Portland minister, Clinton Kelly. Locals enjoy the recreation fields, picnic area, playground and paved paths.The schools that Mount Tabor and South Tabor children attend are generally rated from strong to satisfactory. Multnomah County Library doesn’t have a location within the Mount Tabor area. The closest is the
Holgate Branch in the nearby Foster-Powell neighborhood, just a few miles away. This location opened in 1971 and was renovated in 2000. It offers special collections in Russian, Vietnamese, and Chinese. TriMet runs bus service along SE Division, SE Powell, and Burnside. Mount Tabor residents also utilize buses that run on Hawthorne and Belmont. Since this part of Portland is pretty flat, bicyclists frequently ride side streets to downtown or other parts of Portland. Driving downtown by car takes about 15 minutes, depending on traffic.