SE Hawthorne Boulevard is the Portland street people mean when they say "the east side." It runs in a nearly straight line toward Mount Tabor, and along the way it collects thrift stores, tarot readers, bookshops, a food cart pod, and a movie theater where you can eat dinner in your seat. This Hawthorne walking tour is built for people who like their sightseeing sideways: oddball shops, a neighborhood that was planned on a diagonal grid, and a street with a stranger past than its current coffee-shop reputation suggests.
The route starts at the food carts at SE 12th, takes a short detour south into Ladd's Addition, then follows Hawthorne east, with Mount Tabor as your landmark, to the Powell's branch and the Bagdad Theater at SE 37th. Mosey built the route so the stops come in a natural order: a snack at the start, a quiet park midway, books for the afternoon lull, and a full meal at the end. This self-guided Hawthorne tour is easy walking on sidewalks the whole way, and the first three Mosey tours are free.
Expect to spend about two and a half hours if you browse. Hawthorne rewards slow walking, and several of its best shops do not open until late morning, so do not plan this as a dawn walk.
The Route: From Cartopia to the Bagdad Tower
"Hawthorne Boulevard takes its name from Dr. J.C. Hawthorne, a physician who helped found the Oregon Hospital for the Insane in the early 1860s on the east side of the Willamette. The road leading to it was originally known as Asylum Avenue, and it was renamed after Hawthorne once the hospital moved to Salem in the 1880s. Cartopia opened here in 2009 as one of the early food cart pods built around a shared covered seating area, and it helped turn Portland's carts from lunch-hour curiosities into a full late-night scene."
Carts here rotate and open at different hours, so check which ones are serving before committing. Treat this as a snack stop, since you have a full meal at the end. Skip the temptation to eat a big portion now; a small order is enough, and you can eat standing at the covered tables if it is raining.
"Ladd's Addition was platted in 1891 by William S. Ladd, a banker and former Portland mayor, on farmland he owned east of the river. Its streets run on diagonals radiating from a central circle rather than the standard grid, a layout often compared to the plan of Washington, D.C. Four rose gardens sit at the diagonal corners of the circle, and the neighborhood is listed as a National Register historic district with American elms and early 20th-century bungalows lining the streets."
Walk in from the north and follow the diagonals toward SE Ladd Avenue and SE Harrison Street. The roses are not in bloom in November, so this stop is about the street pattern and the leaf color, not the flowers. You can easily lose your sense of direction here because the angles are confusing, so check your map before you head back up to Hawthorne.
"From the middle of the Hawthorne commercial strip you can look east down the boulevard toward Mount Tabor, an extinct volcanic cinder cone that is part of the Boring Lava Field. The butte is unusual as a volcano that sits inside a major American city, and its park holds open reservoirs, the first of which date to the 1890s. Hawthorne's growth as a shopping street followed the electric streetcar lines that carried residents out from downtown after the Hawthorne Bridge connected the east side to the center of the city."
Stand at the corner and look east, then notice how many storefronts are in converted houses and small 1910s and 1920s commercial buildings. This is the best stretch for browsing thrift and vintage shops, though many open late morning, so earlier than 11 a.m. can feel dead. Skip chain storefronts you can find anywhere and duck into the independent ones.
"Powell's Books began in Portland in 1971, when Michael Powell opened a used bookstore, and it grew into the largest independent new-and-used bookseller in the United States, anchored by its flagship on West Burnside. The Hawthorne branch at 3723 SE Hawthorne is a smaller neighborhood outpost that carries the same mix of new and used titles on the same shelf. Selling new and used copies side by side is the practice that made Powell's distinctive."
This is the right place to wait out a rain shower. The Hawthorne store is much easier to navigate than the flagship, so you can browse in half an hour without getting lost. Do not expect the full flagship selection, and skip the souvenir tote bags unless you actually want one.
"The Bagdad opened in 1927 as a neighborhood movie house, with a Moorish-style design and a tall tower that still anchors the 3700 block of Hawthorne. After years as a conventional cinema, it was taken over by McMenamins in the early 1990s and turned into a pub with a movie screen, where patrons eat and drink in the auditorium. McMenamins is a Portland-area company that has made a habit of reviving old theaters, schools, and halls rather than demolishing them."
Order at the counter, then take your food into the theater or into the pub area. The house-brewed beers are the signature; Hammerhead is the one the company is best known for. Movie tickets are generally low-priced second-run shows, and there is no need to book ahead, but check the schedule so you know whether a showing lines up with your dinner. Dinner rush on weekends can be loud and crowded.
Planning Your Hawthorne Walk: Hours, Rain, and What to Skip
Best time to walk: Your date falls just after daylight saving time ends, so expect sunset around 4:45 to 5 p.m. in early November. Portland rain at this time of year is usually a steady drizzle rather than a downpour. Start by early afternoon so you reach the Bagdad at dusk, and carry a compact umbrella or a hooded shell. Leaves on the sidewalks near Ladd's Addition can be slick when wet.
Shoes: Flat sidewalks the whole way, with a few curb cuts and some uneven pavement under street trees. Water-resistant walking shoes or light boots are ideal. You will do a lot of stop-and-go browsing, so comfortable soles matter more than grip.
The narration: At each stop, Mosey surfaces the documented context: who named the street, who platted the district, when the building opened, and what has changed since.
Walk Portland's Hawthorne with Mosey
Mosey plans a walk like this one on your iPhone, starting wherever you choose.
- Set a distance or a time and pick what you're into
- Real stops in a walking order that makes sense on foot
- The story behind each stop, read aloud as you arrive
- A meal stop that fits the route
Free to download. iPhone, iOS 17 or later.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk the Hawthorne neighborhood in Portland?
Plan on about two and a half hours for this route. The walking itself is about 2 miles, but browsing at Powell's, stopping in Ladd's Addition, and eating at the Bagdad add most of the time. Without detours, a brisk walk along Hawthorne from SE 12th to SE 37th takes roughly 40 minutes.
Is Hawthorne Boulevard walkable?
Yes, Hawthorne is one of Portland's most walkable east-side streets. The sidewalks are continuous and mostly flat from SE 12th to SE 39th, with shops, cafes, and bars on both sides. Crossings are frequent, though traffic on the boulevard can be heavy at rush hour.
What is the best time of day to walk Hawthorne?
Start around early afternoon. Many Hawthorne shops open between 10 and 11 a.m., and the food carts and pubs are busiest from late afternoon on. In November, sunset comes around 4:45 p.m., so an afternoon start lets you finish at the Bagdad as the lights come on.
How do I get to Hawthorne without a car?
TriMet Bus 14 runs along SE Hawthorne, so you can ride it from downtown and get off near SE 12th. You can also walk or bike across the Hawthorne Bridge from downtown. Street parking is limited near the commercial blocks, so transit is easier.
Is Hawthorne safe to walk at night?
Hawthorne is generally comfortable to walk in the evening, especially around SE 12th and the SE 37th block near the Bagdad, where there are lit storefronts and plenty of people. As in any Portland neighborhood, stay on the main boulevard after dark and avoid cutting through empty side streets late.
Can I do the Hawthorne walking tour in the rain?
Yes, and Hawthorne is a good rainy-day walk because most of the stops have indoor space. Powell's, the Bagdad, and the covered tables at Cartopia give you places to wait out a shower. Bring a hooded jacket, since Portland rain in November is usually a light, steady drizzle.
More East Side Walks After Hawthorne
If Hawthorne leaves you wanting more east-side food and quirk, SE Division Street is the next step, with a dense run of restaurants and cafes a few streets south. Mount Tabor Park is the obvious walk at the east end of Hawthorne, and you can build a longer route around its reservoirs and summit. Alberta Arts on the northeast side offers a different version of the same independent-shop feel. Mosey can build a tour for any of them, and the first three are free.