Which North Portland neighborhoods and topics does St. Johns Review cover?

Updated

St. Johns Review is a community news site that describes itself as "Serving North Portland Since 1904." Its coverage area is spelled out in the site's own header: Arbor Lodge, Bridgeton, Cathedral Park, East Columbia, Hayden Island, Kenton, Linnton, Overlook, Piedmont, Portsmouth, St. Johns, and the University of Portland. If you live in or follow any of those neighborhoods, the site is aimed at you. If you're looking for citywide, statewide, or national news, this isn't that kind of publication.

Neighborhoods named on the site

The masthead lists twelve communities, all on Portland's north side:

  • Arbor Lodge
  • Bridgeton
  • Cathedral Park
  • East Columbia
  • Hayden Island
  • Kenton
  • Linnton
  • Overlook
  • Piedmont
  • Portsmouth
  • St. Johns
  • University of Portland

The list appears as part of the site's identity rather than as a directory, so treat it as the publication's stated beat. A story about, say, the Columbia Park Pool sits squarely inside that beat because the pool serves the St. Johns and Portsmouth area.

Topic sections you'll find

The site organizes posts under a mix of civic, safety, school, and culture categories. The sections visible in the archive include:

Section What it tends to hold
Community & Civic Life Neighborhood associations, civic bulletins, local decision-making
Neighborhood Associations Meeting notices and updates from area associations such as Overlook
Investigations In-depth pieces on development, public money, and local institutions
Parks & Recreation Pool and aquatic center coverage, park funding questions
Schools (K–12 & Higher Ed) Graduations, scholarships, school interviews
Public Safety Safety advisories, weather emergencies, homelessness
Homelessness Coverage overlapping with public safety and civic life
Arts & Culture Books, readings, lectures, presentations
Community Events Street closures, Play Streets, cultural celebrations

Posts are often tagged with several of these at once, so a single story may appear under Community & Civic Life and Parks & Recreation together.

What the coverage actually looks like

The archive shows the site's range better than the category list does. Recent and older headlines include:

  • Local institutions and facilities — "North Portland Aquatic Center: Why is it NOT coming to St. Johns" and "The Columbia Park Pool: WHERE IS OUR SUPPORT?" both frame public recreation as a civic accountability question.
  • Development and small business — "Destroying St. Johns Small Business Massive Development — Out of State Investors — Demanding Millions and Taking Over Streets" is an investigations-style piece about outside investment pressure on local commerce.
  • Education and youth — graduation notices for local students at George Fox University and the University of Minnesota Crookston, plus "Portland Gala Aims to Expand Access for Neurodivergent Students."
  • People profiles — an interview with Jamarr Lawson, Roosevelt High School's basketball coach and Portland Interscholastic League Coach of the Year.
  • Public safety and weather — cold-weather advisories urging neighbors to check on vulnerable residents.
  • Community life — coverage of Portland's Play Streets program and cultural celebrations that close streets for neighborhood events.

The pattern: hyperlocal accountability stories, school and youth achievements, and practical civic information, rather than breaking regional news.

How to decide if it's relevant to you

Use the neighborhood list as the first filter. If your address, school, or association falls within those twelve communities, the site's stories about pools, development, safety, and schools will likely intersect with your daily life. If you're outside North Portland, the investigations and school pieces may still be readable, but the civic coverage won't map onto your neighborhood.

A second filter is topic. The site leans toward civic process — neighborhood associations, public facilities, development fights — more than lifestyle or events listings, though it does carry arts and community event posts. Readers who want meeting notices and accountability reporting will find more here than readers looking for restaurant reviews or a general events calendar.

The site also offers a subscription page at /subscribe/; the archive doesn't state terms, so check that page directly if you want to know what subscribing involves.