🏳️‍🌈 Muddy Paws, Hidden Schools, and Why Zillow Doesn’t Love You Back: Richmond Edition

Hi Neighbors,

It’s your favorite neighborhood expert (and the person you call when you want to know if those weird marks on your floor are from your kids or just the house "settling"). Today we are talking about our very own Richmond neighborhood in SE Portland.

Some people think Richmond is just the busy shops on Division or Hawthorne, but it’s actually a great mix of neighbors. You’ll see people who have lived here for well over 40 years gardening next to young families. It’s got a steady, soulful vibe that isn't "loud"—it’s just alive.

Here is the scoop on what’s happening in our neck of the woods:

1. The Park (And a Public Apology)

If you live in Richmond, you know Sewellcrest Park. My 2-year-old dog, Violet, basically thinks she owns the place. She is also a "jumper." To the patient neighbor who suffered through Violet’s dirty paws landing on her recently: I am so sorry. I owe you a dry cleaning bill or a drink.

Also, a shout-out to the kind gentleman at Sewellcrest who tried to encourage Violet not to drink from the brown puddles. Thank you for your service, but she’s a lost cause.

Beyond the puddles, my kids absolutely love the Sewellcrest playground. If we want a longer trek, we love walking all the way east on Lincoln. It is the perfect walk to really see the neighborhood and all the different houses before you hit the Mt. Tabor dog park. It’s a muddy mess right now, so bring a towel for your car unless you want it to smell like "wet dog" for a month.

2. Hidden Gems & Forest Adventures

I always like to point out the cool stuff tucked away on our side streets. There is a fantastic private school called Portland Forest School that shares a campus with St. David of Wales Church. They are super unique because the kids actually travel to different forests every single day. By spending so much time immersed in the outdoors, these kids are learning to respect nature and our climate firsthand—it’s a total hidden gem for families who want that deep connection to the Earth.

3. Richmond Eats & Local Arts

We all know we are spoiled for choice when it comes to dining out. When we need to refuel, Atlas Pizza has a killer $10 lunch special, and we always love the cart pods at Hinterland—it’s such a great community staple. We also recently had a special celebration at Cibo on Division—their pizza and pasta are amazing. My daughter said their lemonade was stellar, no kidding. I'm also manifesting some major success this year because I cannot wait to check out the very fancy Ava Gene’s and make celebrations like that a regular part of my life!

When we aren't eating or finding the biggest puddles to splash in, my kids love going to Collage. It’s our local art store and basically heaven for my 8-year-old and 3-year-old. It’s the best spot to grab supplies and keep them busy for at least twenty minutes. I've also heard great things about The Drawing Studio on Division; I have been told their classes are great..I was never a good drawer or painter, but maybe something to explore. 

Did you know February 2 is National Tater Tot Day?! McMenamins Bagdad Theater is participating, and so are we. My kids and I will be there from around 5PM, eating our weight in tots. Come say hi—I’ll be the one trying to keep ketchup off my shirt.

4. Community Wins & Local Favorites

I recently found a major local "score"—the owner, Lee, of Star Salon on Division is currently the only cutter there, and she does a fantastic job. I saw her to tidy up for the holidays and got a great cut for only $24. Highly recommend!

Also, a quick tip for fellow dog owners: Ace Hardware on Division is incredibly dog-friendly. We stopped by on Sunday and they were so sweet to Violet, even giving her treats while we shopped.

Finally, for the film lovers: PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater is highlighting the work of Cheryl Dunye this month. As a former documentary filmmaker myself, she is someone I deeply respect. It’s so cool to see her work being celebrated right here in the neighborhood.

The "Expert" Real Talk: Where Your Dollars Go

I’m going to get a little serious for a second. In looking back over 2025, I recently realized I gave the majority of my income to Zillow just for "leads." That’s money leaving our community and going to a giant tech company just so they can "grab" any random agent for you.

Now more than ever, it matters where we spend our money. As a queer POC single parent, I live here and I work here. After a very difficult personal journey to keep my family together, being present with my kids in this community is everything to me. When you hire me, that money stays in our neighborhood and supports a local family, not a corporate office in another state. So, skip the "Big Tech" middleman and give me a call or text at (503) 664-6866 or drop an email to pdxbrokerbeth@gmail.com. 

I’m the person who can tell you exactly which local cafés have the most forgiving seating for a messy toddler, and which backstreets are safe enough for a kid to finally learn to ride a bike without a car in sight. I’m not just an agent; I’m your neighbor.

Stay kind,

Beth Nelsen, Your Richmond Neighbor