First Addition lives up to its name

Neighborhood is named one of the top 10 neighborhoods in U.S.

By Sam Bennett

The Lake Oswego Review, Oct 4, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Sam Bennett / The Lake Oswego Review

Homes such as this on Ninth Street are typical of a new breed in First Addition – designed to meet the demands of buyers who want more space.

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Although the First Addition neighborhood in Lake Oswego changed as the housing market heated up in the last several years, the neighborhood still maintains its charm.

Lisa Shaw-Ryan, chair of First Addition Neighborhood Association, said new houses have added to the eclectic mix of homes that has always defined the neighborhood.

“I see a lot of variety — of old and new,” said Shaw-Ryan, who lives in First Addition. “It’s a phenomenal neighborhood.”

That viewpoint apparently is shared by the American Planning Association, which last week announced that First Addition has been named one of the top 10 neighborhoods in America.

The association selected First Addition because of its “dedication to community values and priorities, recognition of the neighborhood’s past and a commitment to plan and create a high quality of life in the future,” according to Jane Heisler, director of public affairs for the city of Lake Oswego.

APA Executive Director Paul Farmer said the neighborhood combines walkability, housing variety and access to transit, all of which are “the building blocks that make FAN a functional and desirable place.”

The neighborhood was first platted in 1888 to house workers of the Oregon Iron and Steel Co. First Addition includes a grocery store, adult community center, elementary school, library and park, fire station, post office, mixed-use retail and multiple and single-family dwellings.

“What makes it so desirable is its relationship to downtown,” said Shaw-Ryan. “People want to live in an area where the amenities are grouped together.”

In recent years, First Addition has seen an influx of different styles of architecture and larger homes.

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