CRESTON-KENILWORTH · PORTLAND

Creston-Kenilworth

Southeast Uplift

34 spots to discover in this neighborhood 5,800 residents · 0.75 sq mi

“Bikes, brews, and two great parks in the heart of SE”

~9,046 residents · SE Uplift Neighborhood Coalition · TriMet bus 17 + 19 + 75. Bike-friendly Tillamook + Clinton greenways nearby.

  • Triangle hood
  • Bike-friendly
  • Up-and-coming
  • Walkable corridor
  • Eclectic eats

LIVE ACTIVITY

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Across 34 businesses
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  • Food 9
  • Health 7

NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

What Creston-Kenilworth Is Known For

“Bikes, brews, and two great parks in the heart of SE”

Foster corridor
Triangle loop
Local evening

“Bikes, brews, and two great parks in the heart of SE”

— Creston-Kenilworth, Portland

About

Creston-Kenilworth

Creston-Kenilworth is one of Southeast Portland's most welcoming and affordable neighborhoods, occupying a compact area between SE Powell Blvd and SE Holgate, roughly from SE 26th to SE 50th Avenue. The neighborhood takes its name from its two signature parks: Creston Park at SE Powell and 43rd, which features one of Portland's few outdoor public swimming pools, and Kenilworth Park at SE 32nd and Holgate, a community green with a playground and open lawn. Both parks anchor distinct subneighborhood identities that coexist under a single neighborhood association.

SE Foster Road forms the commercial heart of Creston-Kenilworth, a corridor that has experienced significant reinvestment since the mid-2010s. What was once a strip of auto shops and empty storefronts is now home to a diverse mix of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and small retail — all reflecting Portland's knack for transforming working-class commercial streets into walkable neighborhood hubs without fully displacing existing uses. Hopworks Urban Brewery on Powell Blvd, Portland's first certified organic craft brewery, serves as the neighborhood's most-recognized anchor.

The neighborhood has a bike score of 95 — one of the highest in the city — thanks to a network of neighborhood greenways and proximity to the Powell Blvd and Foster Road bike lanes. This bikeable fabric has attracted a younger demographic of renters and first-time buyers who value proximity to Division Street and the Woodstock commercial district without paying Division Street prices. The Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association is an active voice at SE Uplift, consistently advocating for traffic calming and affordable housing preservation.

Boundaries: Bounded by SE Powell Blvd to the north, SE Holgate Blvd to the south, SE 26th Ave to the west, and SE 50th Ave to the east. Adjacent to Brooklyn (north), Hosford-Abernethy (northwest), Woodstock (south), Reed (southwest), and Sellwood-Moreland (southwest).

The Vibe

What Creston-Kenilworth Feels Like

Quiet park-anchored residential pocket

Creston-Kenilworth is calm, green, and residential, with quiet streets organized around two well-loved parks. The feel is settled and family-oriented.

Close to several of Southeast's busiest commercial corridors yet insulated from their bustle, the neighborhood offers a comfortable middle ground of leafy blocks and easy access to shops and restaurants.

History

How Creston-Kenilworth Came To Be

Creston-Kenilworth is a residential neighborhood in inner Southeast Portland, named for two of its parks and the subdivisions that grew around them. The area filled in largely during the streetcar and early automobile eras of the early twentieth century, drawing families to its comfortable homes a short ride from the city center.

The neighborhood developed around its green spaces, with Creston Park and Kenilworth Park anchoring the residential blocks. The Powell Boulevard and Foster Road corridors define its edges and provide commercial activity, while the interior remains quiet and tree-lined.

Today Creston-Kenilworth is a settled, family-friendly neighborhood valued for its parks, its central location between the Hawthorne, Division, and Foster districts, and its relatively approachable housing for inner Southeast.

Character

What Defines Creston-Kenilworth

Two namesake parks

Creston Park and Kenilworth Park give the neighborhood ample green space, including a popular summer swimming pool.

Central inner-southeast location

The neighborhood sits within easy reach of the Hawthorne, Division, and Foster commercial districts.

34
Businesses
56%
Verified
3.6
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Services
Top Category

Landmarks

Notable Places in Creston-Kenilworth

Creston Park & Pool icon

Creston Park & Pool

SE Powell Blvd & SE 43rd Ave

Neighborhood park with one of Portland's few outdoor public swimming pools.

Kenilworth Park icon

Kenilworth Park

SE 32nd Ave & SE Holgate Blvd

Community park with playground, open lawn, and mature trees.

Hopworks Urban Brewery icon

Hopworks Urban Brewery

2944 SE Powell Blvd

Portland's first certified organic brewery; neighborhood gathering place since 2008.

Foster Road Corridor icon

Foster Road Corridor

SE Foster Rd between 29th–52nd Ave

Revitalized commercial strip with local restaurants, bars, and creative businesses.

Getting Around

Creston-Kenilworth

Schools

  • Creston School

    Portland Public Schools K-8 located in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood.

Outdoors

Parks & Greenspaces in Creston-Kenilworth

Creston Park

A neighborhood park featuring a popular outdoor swimming pool, playground, and open lawns.

Kenilworth Park

A leafy park with mature trees, walking paths, sports facilities, and an off-leash dog area.

Real Estate

Homes & Architecture in Creston-Kenilworth

Housing is mostly comfortable early-twentieth-century single-family homes on tidy lots, with prices more approachable than neighborhoods just to the north.

Craftsman bungalow Old Portland four-square English Tudor

Explore

Discovery Paths

Three ways to experience Creston-Kenilworth.

Foster corridor

  1. 1 Small cafes on SE Foster Rd
  2. 2 Eclectic eateries (Stella Taco, Pieper Cafe)
  3. 3 Bike-friendly side streets

Triangle loop

  1. 1 Foster Powell Park
  2. 2 Local restaurants
  3. 3 Mt. Scott / Holgate bike greenway

Local evening

  1. 1 Bar Carlo
  2. 2 Pieper Cafe
  3. 3 Stella Taco

Civic Infrastructure

The associations, meetings and shared resources that hold Creston-Kenilworth together.

Active associations

  • Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association (CKNA) neighborhood assn

    Creston-Kenilworth triangle: SE Powell Blvd (north) to SE Foster Rd (south) to SE 82nd Ave (east) — bounded by SE Holgate to the north on the SW corner

    Visit

Businesses in Creston-Kenilworth

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Businesses in Creston-Kenilworth

Showing 1–24 of 34 businesses in Creston-Kenilworth

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Photo of O'Neill Electric

O'Neill Electric

Services·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.6 (13)
GoodMap
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Photo of Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

Services·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.9 (651)
GoodMap
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Photo of John's Marketplace — Powell

John's Marketplace — Powell

Bars·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.7 (640)
FairMap
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Photo of Chipotle Mexican Grill (The Original)

Chipotle Mexican Grill (The Original)

Health·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.6 (10)
FairMap
Closed
Photo of Orangetheory Fitness SE Powell

Orangetheory Fitness SE Powell

Health·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.5 (61)
FairMap
Closed
Photo of Dane Motors

Dane Motors

Auto·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.3 (105)
FairMap
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Photo of Safeway — SE Powell

Safeway — SE Powell

Bakeries·Creston-Kenilworth· 3.8 (2,063)
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Photo of Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree

Civic
business· 3.7 (170)
GoodMap
My Fit Foods

My Fit Foods

Civic
business
GoodMap
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Photo of SymbiOp Garden Shop

SymbiOp Garden Shop

Retail·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.8 (149)
FairMap
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Photo of PDX Thai Dining

PDX Thai Dining

Restaurants·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.7 (246)
FairMap
Closed
Photo of Roots Dental — Powell

Roots Dental — Powell

Health·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.9 (214)
FairMap
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Photo of Hopworks Brewery

Hopworks Brewery

Bars·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.4 (1,246)
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Photo of Walgreens

Walgreens

Retail·Creston-Kenilworth· 2.7 (139)
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Photo of Red and Friends

Red and Friends

Retail·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.4 (24)
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Photo of Powell Veterinary Center

Powell Veterinary Center

Health·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.3 (182)
FairMap
Closed
Photo of Therapydia Powell Square

Therapydia Powell Square

Health·Creston-Kenilworth· 5.0 (82)
FairMap
Closed
Photo of Art Supply Center

Art Supply Center

Civic
Services·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.8 (630)
GoodMap
Closed
Photo of Fopo Tavern

Fopo Tavern

Civic
Bars·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.6 (248)
GoodMap
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Photo of Soul fuel pdx llc

Soul fuel pdx llc

Civic
Restaurants·Creston-Kenilworth· 5.0 (1)
GoodMap
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Photo of Hank Makes

Hank Makes

Civic
Services·Creston-Kenilworth· 5.0 (19)
GoodMap
Closed
Photo of Magpie Preschool House

Magpie Preschool House

Civic
Education·Creston-Kenilworth· 5.0 (1)
GoodMap
Closed
Photo of MEATSTUFF

MEATSTUFF

Civic
Services·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.5 (86)
GoodMap
Closed
Photo of Ron's Front End & Brake Services

Ron's Front End & Brake Services

Civic
Auto·Creston-Kenilworth· 4.9 (205)
GoodMap
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Sources

Portland.gov · Population (9,046) from Wikipedia (Census 2020).

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