Foster-Powell Corridor

Foster-Powell — universally shortened to "FoPo" by locals — is one of SE Portland's most distinctive neighborhoods, defined by its unusual triangular shape: Powell Boulevard to the north, Foster Road to the south, and 82nd Avenue to the east. Foster Road is not a grid street but an old diagonal path, once a Native American trail linking the Willamette River to Johnson Creek, later a pioneer wagon route. That diagonal gives FoPo its character: every block feels slightly off-axis from the rest of Portland's rectilinear plan, and the neighborhood feels like it operates by its own logic.

Foster-Powell has the highest concentration of recent immigrants in SE Portland, home to large Russian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese communities alongside newer arrivals from Mexico, Central America, and East Africa. The neighborhood's crown jewel was the Portland Mercado at SE 72nd and Foster — a vibrant Latino public market with food trucks, a commissary kitchen, and more than 16 permanent businesses. The main building was severely damaged by fire in January 2024 and is being rebuilt, with a planned reopening in 2026. Other anchors include Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels at 6420 SE Foster Rd (a cult-favorite bagel shop), Foster Outdoor at 6927 SE Foster Rd (outdoor gear and consignment), and Essex Park (4 acres of greenspace with a splash pad). The Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association won the Spirit of Portland award in 2016 for its community organizing work.