North Park Blocks, Urban park in downtown Portland, Oregon.
North Park Blocks is a series of urban green spaces in downtown Portland, Oregon, arranged as a chain of consecutive city blocks running north to south. Paved pathways connect each section, which alternates between open grassy areas and tall, mature trees that create a loose canopy overhead.
Captain John H. Couch deeded the five blocks to the city in 1865, and they were officially platted for a municipal park in 1869. A 1904 ordinance set aside one block for women and children, and in 1906 another block was added for a children's playground divided into boys' and small children's and girls' areas. Use declined, especially after the 1924 zoning code did not preserve nearby residential uses.
The two bronze elephants, Da Tung and Xi'an Bao Bao, are full-size reproductions of Shang dynasty statues, donated in 2002 by Chinese foundry owner Huo Baozhu and placed where children can touch them. The park also hosts the annual Art in the Pearl festival, and the sculpture Memory 99 by Lee Kelly stands in front of the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
All sections are open to the public and easy to walk through on foot, since the park runs in a straight line and each block connects to the next via a street crossing. Visiting on a weekday morning tends to mean fewer people and a slower pace.
An art college runs its campus in a renovated building right along the edge of the park, which means students often use the green spaces between classes to sketch, read, or work on projects. This makes certain blocks feel noticeably different from the rest of the strip.
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