Homestead

Homestead is one of Portland's most institutionally dense neighborhoods — and one of its most forested. The two qualities coexist on Marquam Hill (colloquially known as "Pill Hill"), where Oregon Health & Science University's main campus (3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd), the Portland VA Medical Center, and Shriners Hospital for Children occupy the hilltop, while hundreds of acres of undeveloped forest and parks cascade down the slopes toward downtown and Terwilliger Blvd.

OHSU, Oregon's only academic health center and research university, is both the neighborhood's largest employer and its most visible landmark. The aerial tram connecting OHSU to the South Waterfront district below is a city landmark in its own right. Marquam Nature Park, a 187-acre natural area, wraps around the south and west sides of the medical campus with 5 miles of hiking trails connecting Homestead to the broader West Hills trail network. The Terwilliger Parkway — a historic scenic boulevard with a dedicated walking and cycling path — forms the neighborhood's eastern edge.

Homestead's residential areas, scattered between and around the medical institutions, skew toward apartments and condominiums rather than single-family homes. Terwilliger Plaza (a continuing care retirement community) is a notable residential anchor. The Homestead Neighborhood Association coordinates through homesteadna.org and works closely with OHSU on issues of transportation, parking, and community interface on Marquam Hill.