Little Italy (Portland, Dallas: real estate, hotel, house prices)

[rpontillo]

I visited Portland a few years back and I remember hearing that there was a project being developed on creating a little italy district in town. Does any one know if this is true? I think it was a great idea and awesome addition to the city..anyfeed back would be appreciated..thanks

[HonuMan]

I vaguely remember reading about that but haven't heard anything further. We do have some great Italian restaurants, though, and there is an Italian club and an annual Italian festival.

[emh]

Here's an old thread on the topic:

//www.city-data.com/forum/portl...-portland.html

I'm guessing the idea didn't pan out. The website for the project no longer exists:

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[Durian Beach]

In my 11 years in Portland I recall meeting only one Italian who in fact was only half Italian and from California. Portland did not seem to have any of that "Old World Catholic" stock so common in the rust belt. Where I grew up in suburban Chicago Everyone was either Irish, Italian, or Polish. I was quite surprised to discover the rest of the country wasn't like this although I found absolutely no hostility in Portland towards such. What Portland does have that I have never encountered elsewhere are very traditional orthodox christian Russians who grow Rasputin type beards and the women wear "Little House on the Prarie" outfits.

[tigerlily]

Originally Posted by Durian Beach

In my 11 years in Portland I recall meeting only one Italian who in fact was only half Italian and from California. Portland did not seem to have any of that "Old World Catholic" stock so common in the rust belt. Where I grew up in suburban Chicago Everyone was either Irish, Italian, or Polish. I was quite surprised to discover the rest of the country wasn't like this although I found absolutely no hostility in Portland towards such. What Portland does have that I have never encountered elsewhere are very traditional orthodox christian Russians who grow Rasputin type beards and the women wear "Little House on the Prarie" outfits.

I grew up in Cleveland and our neighborhood was mostly Irish, Italian and Jewish. Cleveland had a Little Italy, Chinatown and many Eastern European neighborhoods. When I lived in Dallas, they were talking about creating a Chinatown. My friends and I had a good laugh over that one. Would they force all the Chinese people to move to their designated area. Ethnic neighborhoods are not created by city planners, they evolve by themselves. I find a lot of people here are of Scandinavian descent. I agree about the orthodox Russians. My daughter in law is Russian and was surprised there were so many here. I'd like to find a place where I could get Sicilian food, especially pizza, and a good Bialy's. The best pizza and Chinese I ever had was in Chicago.

[Deezus]

South Portland--currently the Lair Hill neigborhood and the south end of downtown, used to have a number of Italian immigrants in the early part of the twentieth century(along with Jewish and Irish communities). Unfortunetely most of this neighborhood was destroyed and rebuilt in the 1960s as part of large scale urban renewal. But compared to even places in California there isn't a lot of Italian-American influence in Portland..


Oregon History Project

[Nell Plotts]

Oh how I miss that neighborhood - destroyed by 'community redevelopment' .. now the home of high rise housing units, office buildings and a hotel . My Mom would take me to an Italian cobbler's shop and we would all have a glass of wine while he repaired our high heels. NW 23rd used to be like that when it was 'down on the heels'.

[Minervah]

I'd like to find a place where I could get Sicilian food, especially pizza, and a good Bialy's. The best pizza and Chinese I ever had was in Chicago

Nell if you find one of these let me know. I still on occasion order a Lou Malnotti's pizza over the Internet. Yum!

[Durian Beach]

The only Italians you'll probably bump into in Portland are in the witness protection program. Good Pizza is hard to find, not much in the way of the multitude of family run neighborhood Italian Restaurants you find in Places like Des Plaines Illinois. Also absent are the many Greek run family restaurants at very reasonable prices like Jimmy's in Des Planes Illinois. That withstanding Portland does have very good culinary taste, it's just not "Old World" style. The Wine selection at the local Safeways and Fred Meyers is phenomenal. Portland suburbs tend to be more "chain" oriented though.

[LeftCoastee]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Nell if you find one of these let me know. I still on occasion order a Lou Malnotti's pizza over the Internet. Yum!

We always have at least one Malnattis pizza in the freezer. Its gotten us through West Coast pizza. Their frozen, partially baked pizzas are 95% as good as the ones you get in the restaurants. It's surprising really.