When you love on the city and have a passion for gardening it can be tough to find a place to do…read moreit. The South Waterfront has fixed that issue by offering raised planter boxes filled with organic soil for rent. The rent is due annually. Included in your rental fee is the water, tools and the hauling away of the debris. People plant everything. There are flowers large and small and every kind of vegetable you can think of. Tomatoes especially seem to grow really well because the boxes get a lot of sun. The sunflowers are super happy as well. The other gardeners seem very nice and social, it's a great way to meet other people that live in the area as well. So if you have a hankering to grow something and live in close proximity....check it out!

I can't believe nobody has reviewed this! That being said, I have come here for years and am just…read morenow getting to it. This park is behind the elementary school and they are separate entities even though they appear to share the open spaces. The school has covered basketball courts and playground for smaller kids. The park has a fenced community garden, picnic tables, large field, soccer goals, baseball field, a walking track and some bleachers. There are several entrances in and out, rough neighborhood, you might see a "gang" of guys pretty regularly but they are usually hiding out from their moms or wives and don't bother others. Somebody had taken it upon themselves to thumbtack their poetry onto the trees around the track and they nicknamed it "poetry park", so you can take a quick look as you speed walk into the sunset. My favorite part of the park is the well developed trees, they have so much character and I tend to focus on them a lot when I am hanging out here.

After deliberating for a few years about getting a spot in the community garden, my sister and I…read morefinally pulled the trigger. And we are so glad we did. The lots are large. There is water at every corner of the lot. And the annual fee is very reasonable. In addition, they have all the mechanical tools you need to prepare and maintain your lot for a small rental charge. You do need to schedule the rental though. And you need to help out at one or more monthly work parties to fulfill an annual work hour requirement but it's no more work than what you would do in your own lot. Like with many a great thing, there is a wait list. But it's worth it, believe me. Not only do you have a great sense of community here, but you can see what others are doing with their spots to get your creativity working. And everyone we've met has been so nice. It's been a wonderful experience. Be warned though, on the weekends you may encounter Remote Control airplanes and helicopters overhead as well as the neighboring athletic fields being used for anything from softball to soccer to frisbee leagues. Work in your garden, bring a chair, an umbrella and a cooler and spend the afternoon talking with your plants. It's guaranteed to de stress your life...oh and having organically grown produce is an added bonus.

Too many reason this community garden sucks. Grass growing through everything and impossible to…read morekeep up with even after mulching for days, and they don't allow installing raised beds which would significantly buffer that, they say because of slugs when I'm actually grass is significantly harder to deal with than slugs. It's called sluggo, works like magic and I didn't have slugs at all. The garden policy here is 4 hrs of work in addition to the $30 fee we are already paying for the plot, which is ridiculous. If you don't work 4 hours during the season they charge you an additional $40. They don't pay attention to people's overgrown stuff that grows into others gardens and don't maintain overgrown paths well, and don't really enforce it when it's a nuisance, aka giant bananas or blackberries or grape vine just growing into your space. It's stupid. And your stuck with whatever comes in that was left from before, aka raspberry and grape vines I was unable to get rid of from the previous gardener of my plot that over grew onto my stuff but now I'm supposed to take care of it because it's on my fence line? Makes no sense if I didn't put them there. Should be the managers job to either remove them or take care of them if they're leaving them there. The manager here isn't really managing anything, they just try to get the gardeners to manage it all, so what am I paying for if I have to now mow/weedwack my paths to use the space properly. And if they do weedwack the paths around your plot they might wack your stakes and bird netting because they're not paying attention. Just one thing after another here. Too many dogs allowed in here and just allowed to bark or whine incessantly bothering gardeners for hours with no consideration for others even after emailing "mgmt" that it's happening. Just tough titty I guess, when they could just easily say no dogs allowed which is how it should be if all they do is sit there and bark. Most people come here to garden in peace. Then you have noise from both drones flying around at the park and race cars at the track. Then there's the water issues during peak summer when it's not working and sometimes shut off for days..its just like what's next?! all in all there's 100 other better gardens to rent that don't have as many issues and aren't as costly. It's not managed well at all.

Since Clarendon middle school closed down in 2006, this site sat unused and sadly neglected. Then,…read morean enterprising group from the 'hood, The Portsmouth Neighborhood Association applied and received an Interstate Urban Renewal Community Livability grant and since last year has been busy transforming the site to a community garden project prevalent in so many urban communities these days. Biggups to the PNA for their ambition and stick-to-it-iveness! One wonders what, if anything this portends for the immediately adjacent Clarendon Park (now it's called Northgate Park. I guess old man Clarendon has fallen completely out of favor). We sure played many a pick-up football game and walked the dogs, played frisbee, and fraternized w/the fairer gender many a time in that park, among other sundry activities. Hopefully this park is safely preserved in "livable" perpetuity as well..

I regularly lean against the fencing and stare with extreme focus at what folks have in their…read moregardens here. I feel like a kids with my faces pressed against the glass of a locked candy store. The 33 organic garden plots are well kept, but I am on the waiting list and every time I see an unattended plant wilt, I am filled with hope that I will get that plot! They have a picnic table inside the garden that is for gardeners only, it calls to me! You can add your name to list, just follow the link, it is very affordable, about $20 per year.

Of you're looking for a nice place for a picnic with an impressive view of the Willamete River this…read moreis the place for you. There a nice walking trail, picnic tables and plenty of green space. If shade is your things there is that as well. Occasionally, you see some members of our houseless community coming through but know permanent dwelling happening that I could see. Anywhoo check it out.

A lovely quiet river walk off of the highway. Some nice shaded benches to sit on and watch the…read moregeese and ducks on the Willamette. A good spot for a picnic or a cup of coffee. Some bikes whizzing by - so keep your wits about ya!

Cute clean hidden neighborhood park equipped with playground for the kiddos, picnic bench area and…read morecommunity garden. I grabbed a Marionberry shake from Burgerville and sat in the shade and enjoyed the silent break.

Great place for family events. Clean are and awesome kids play area. Had a birthday party and did a…read morecatering event.