The Cully Neighborhood

Cully, located in NE Portland, is one of the city's largest neighborhoods, known for its strong sense of community, active involvement, and neighborhood pride. It's considered one of the most racially and ethnically diverse Census tracts in Oregon and offers a unique mix of a rural vibe while still being close to the heart of Portland. Cully is Northeast Portland’s largest neighborhood by land area and population; it is over 3 square miles, and its population as of the 2010 US Census is 13,322. Cully includes the most racially/ethnically diverse Census tract in Oregon by some measures.  The majority of the neighborhood is zoned for single-family dwellings; only two areas, along the western boundary at N.E. 42nd Ave. and the central artery, Cully Blvd., are zoned for commercial activity. The northern edge of the neighborhood, between N.E. Portland Highway and Columbia Blvd., is an industrial area. Cully’s unique combination of rural features, sparse commercial development, and relatively low household incomes have made it relatively deficient in the commercial and recreational opportunities that characterize the rapidly developing inner neighborhoods of Portland. Portland’s inner neighborhoods are, in general, highly rich in amenities such as parkland, open space, bike lanes and neighborhood services. Cully, by contrast, suffers from poor walkability, scarce access to transit, relative lack of open space, and an abundance of brownfields – contaminated, post-industrial land. 

The neighborhood, as well as NE Cully Blvd. that runs diagonally through it, is named after English stonemason Thomas Cully (1810–1891), an early settler. Cully borders Sunderland, Concordia, and Beaumont-Wilshire on the west, Portland International Airport on the north, Sumner on the east, and Rose City Park and Roseway on the south.

Neighborhood parks include Sacajawea Park (1985), Rigler Community Garden (2004), Kʰunamokwst Park (2015), and Whitaker Ponds Nature Park (1998). Nevertheless, Cully has the smallest amount of parkland per capita, and largest population living more than one-half mile from a park, of any Portland neighborhood. The Thomas Cully Park Community Garden celebrated its grand opening on October 18, 2012.Rose City Cemetery, founded in 1906, occupies the southwest corner of the neighborhood. Within its grounds is the Japanese Cemetery, which is maintained independently by the Japanese Ancestral Society of Portland.

Portland Neighborhood Guide - CULLY

Portland.Gov/Cully

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