"South Park Blocks: Full of Attractions, Art" Top 5 Page for this destination Portland Off The Beaten Path Tip by glabah

The South Park Blocks run from SW 9th & Salmon south all the way to Jackson Street, and even crossing I-405 there is a park-like feature to the freeway overpass. There is quite a bit of variety here in these 12 blocks, as at the south end of the park-like freeway overpass the park enters a somewhat wealthy area of the low end of Portland Heights, passes through Portland State University and its student housing, the ritzy Portland art museum, the well-known Oregon Historical Society, and ends at a working class section of downtown Portland.

I will mention the other attractions in other tips, but the park blocks themselves are an attraction of sorts. There are a number of artworks here, incluidng monuments to dead Presidents and other art. The statue at the far north end of the park is now officially called the "Shemanski Fountain" but a common nickname for it is still "Rebecca at the Well", which is one of Portland's least known art works and was the subject of a careful restoration work several years ago.

The female statue in the first photo is further south, near Portland State University.

There are several small restaurants just off the edge of the park blocks, so if you are in the area, and it is too nice a day to eat indoors, consider visiting this area, select a park bench, and eat outdoors here. While you are here, take a look at some of the interesting art work, and buildings and attractions that surround this section of the city.