Ladd Circle

Ladd Circle is a perfect example of private ingenuity helping local community as a whole. While it was considered “radical” at the time since it went against the city's grid plan, its value as a local landmark cannot be overstated. Ladd Circle is a beautiful escape. It was made for lazy summer days as a place where you can relax and enjoy nature.

If you glance at a map of Portland, in the inner southeast you will easily spot Ladd Circle. The park almost resembles a target with streets radiating from its center.

At the center of Ladd’s Addition neighborhood is Ladd Circle. It is a beautiful nexus to the neighborhood, featuring not only lovely plants and flowers, but also a large grassy area perfect for kicking back and reading or enjoying a picnic with family or friends.

Ladd Circle encompasses over 1.5 acres and looks like a large roundabout with a street curving around its edges. Inside, there are four rose gardens sporting over 60 varieties of roses. There are also many different little nooks to enjoy your day. On summer days, there will be quite a few people, but the landscape of the park allows it to seem both bustling and reserved all at once. 

Ladd Circle and the surrounding neighborhood are named after William Sargent Ladd, a former mayor and businessman. He turned his farm into today’s Ladd Circle and Ladd’s Addition neighborhood. Ladd’s Addition was being inspired by Pierre L'Enfant's famous original plan for Washington, D.C., based in part on a similar diagonal street design surrounded by a central park.

For better or worse, Portland is a fairly gridded city. Throughout Portland, named streets run east to west with numbered avenues running north to south. In fact, many of the streets such as Burnside, Yamhill and Couch can be followed throughout the city. One of the few exceptions is Ladd’s Addition, which in the center is Ladd Circle Park.

HelloMetro Tip: The surrounding Ladd’s Addition neighborhood features a number of beautiful Portland homes. When visiting Ladd Circle, take a stroll through the neighborhood to view some of the more enchanting local home designs.

- by William Crane, Portland Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

William Crane

William Crane is an accomplished print and online journalist (http://www.william-crane.com) His work covers a variety of topics including features, local community news, sports, music, and political/social issues. Graduating from Seattle University with a B.A. in Journalism, William's writing has appeared in a variety of different publications including the Stranger, Capitol Hill Times, the Skanner, Backfire Magazine, and the Internationalist.