Ladd’s Circle & Squares

The only non-​food/​drink stop on Dana’s Food Tour PDX.
And what a stop it was.
It was a photo-​taking frenzy, for the roses were outstanding in late May 2015. Pink ones and purple ones. Red ones and white ones. Roses that were multi-​colored. Roses that caused Hungry Friend and Hungry Me to stop and smell the roses. And to sit down by them. And to pet them.
Parking was easy, and access by bike or bus or foot would also be a breeze. I don’t believe it’s covered at all, so come by while the water is not falling from the sky.
Remember, it’s the two small diamonds/​squares that are full of flowers. And the giant circle in the middle is grassy, not flower-​y.

In the city that is always rated the best of anywhere this is the neighborhood that is the best in the city. Quiet, low traffic, close to the city center, walking distance to dozens of great eats, shopping, stores, entertainment, transportation. Great schools, wonderful people, beautiful trees, and a wide variety of homes. If you are very lucky you may even be able to live here. Good luck!

This is one of those places that, to me, makes Portland unique. An entire neighborhood centered around this strange five-​piece park with a largeish circle at its center, surrounded by four squarish diamond rose parks at the four corners of the compass. The streets shoot off at 45 degree angles from the surrounding streets, forming all the parts of the park. Giant trees line every road in Ladd’s Addition, creating a truly beautiful place to explore. People come and go from these parks easily, either by bike, by foot, or by car. It’s a great place to just relax at and people watch. Maybe grab a cup of coffee from nearby Palio just across from the circle. All in all, it’s a nice park in an even nicer neighborhood.

When I was a younger lass, I got into a fair amount of shenanigans here in Ladd’s Addition, especially hiding out in the rose bushes of this funny little park, one of the city’s numerous rose gardens. People: take caution. It is very thorny.
Who is this Ladd, anyway? Good olé Bill Ladd landed on the West Coast from New England in 1851, when shit was real cray here in Portland. He made some good money as a merchant, was elected Mayor a mere three years later, and settled into town. When he was an old dude, he split up a bunch of his land, including what is now Ladd’s Addition, the first development in town to stray from the common grid pattern that was in place. If you’ve ever gotten turned around in there, you know it’s tricky.
Portland Parks and Rec acquired the care in 1981 and today, there are over 60 varieties of heritage roses in the Ladd’s area.
Mr. Ladd, I am sorry about the things I did in your park before. Also, you’re welcome.

I recently moved to Portland and have the joy of living a block away from this lovely little park. It is kept very clean. So far, I have yet to see any transient people sleeping in or around the park, given it seems to be a pretty nice part of town. Great for reading on a blanket in the sunshine or smelling roses. Nearby, there is a dessert and coffee house, too!

It is a Really cool place to bike through, like something out of Alice in Wonderland.
SE Ladd is my route through Ladd’s Circle and Squares, (the main bike route for many bicyclists too). The trees create a beautiful archway over the streets, until it opens up to the center circle.
I find people usually have issues navigating traffic circles, but the traffic just flows nicely through this one in Ladd’s. It’s a big circle, wide enough drivers and cyclists can see each other coming; also well maintained with plants and flowers.
«Oh please, Alice in Wonderland, Really?!» but take a ride through it sometime, it does have a fairly tale feel to it. Calming and just sweet biking through too.

If you love older well cared for and well loved neighborhoods, the Ladd’s Addition is the place for you. My favorite circle is the Rose Garden… summer’s best, but there is charm year round. Plus factor… it’s only a short Portland block from Palio’s for Stumptown coffee, great pastries and specialty sandwiches, soups, and salads. The bus stop is at the door & bike rack slots too. Walking shoes are a must for stretching your legs, branching out from there and enjoying a visual smörgåsbord of neighborhoods.

If you’re from Portland, you probably know about the infamous Ladd’s Circle, a little circle of grass in the middle of a tree-​lined historical neighborhood set at angles instead of straight lines. It’s a calming, relaxing neighborhood. It has At the middle, there’s a little coffeeshop called Palio’s that is famous for its cake and quiet working environment (many medical students, law students, grad students study there).
It’s nice in the summer, especially (but what isn’t?) And some summer nights, when it gets dark out, you might hear the sound of 20 or 40 fiddlers out in the circle, playing Bluegrass tunes (and most of them are pretty good!).

I absolutely love Ladd’s Addition, including the 5 wonderful parks that it includes. The most notorious is Ladd’s Circle, which is a park that also serves as a traffic roundabout. Most people are scared to drive through Ladd’s because of it, but that is why it is so great (it slows traffic, there is enough space to have banjo bands play, and there is also a great view of the city).
There are also 4 rose gardens associated with the cardinal directions that have over «3,000 roses of sixty varieties that were popular in the early 20^th century» according to the Portland Parks and Recreation website.
Bonus: a city sponsored bike path runs through Ladd’s, so there are always lots of bikers and people strolling through the elm lined streets.