Our Town: Rosewood

"It's something to do"

Casey Briones walked to Walgreen's at SE 162nd and Glisan to pick up a prescription for a toothache. "It's bad," she says. "But I need to find some kind of free program to fix it."

She's lived in the neighborhood for two years. "I moved here thinking I wasn't going to like it," says Briones. "But the inside of my home I've made really nice, so I don't really notice the crap going on outside."

She doesn't usually buy lottery tickets, she says, but decided to try her luck today. She wins four dollars — enough to cover the price of the ticket — and decides to buy one more. "It gives me something to do."

Amanda Peacher / OPB

"We can go anywhere" 

The Maqdas family landed in Portland after immigrating from Iraq. "We had a bad history," says 25-year-old Rita Maqdas. "We survived two car bombs, two terrorist attacks." Rita and her 23-year-old sister work cleaning houses and are going to school to learn English. They are grateful to be here, and they like their small apartment in Rosewood. "The best thing is that the Max close to our home. We can go anywhere."

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Like much of East Portland, the Rosewood neighborhood lacks sidewalks along some stretches of main thoroughfares.

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"It pays the phonebill."

27-year-old Sky Young picks up litter and cleans the sidewalk in front of her apartment complex everyday. She doesn't earn much doing this, but it's enough to pay the phone bill. "I pick up litter - I don't mind.  I wish people wouldn't throw trash on the ground, but if it weren't for littering, I wouldn't have a job," says Young.

Young has lived in an apartment with her parents in the Rosewood neighborhood for 11 years. "The last four years here, it's gotten worse," she says. "I hear a lot of [gun] shots. It's not safe."

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A Daily Treat

Everyday, a beat up van shows up at the apartment complex at  SE 162nd and Burnside selling ice cream and popsicles. Silvia Chavez (not pictured) says she usually lets her four daughters buy a treat. The Chavez family has lived in the apartment for fourteen years. 

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A group of young men fresh off the train at the Max stop at Burnside and 162nd Street.

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Once a week grilled cheese

Michelle and "Papa" Lockaby bring their granddaughters to Sam's Café regularly for grilled cheese sandwiches. Five-year-old Camron scored a fake mustache from 25 cent machine by the door. The couple lives less than two miles away, and say they've lived in this area for several years. "A lot of good people working and living around here,” says Papa.

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"This is the worst part of the job."

Terry Doty deals with the things that people leave behind when they move. He works for Waste Recovery Systems.He’s spending his day loading mattresses, broken TVs, cracked mirrors and ragged armchairs into a truck. Some things will be recycled, others go to the dump.

He works all over the city but says you can tell a lot about a neighborhood through its trail of waste. "There's waste everywhere," he says. "But you can tell this area isn't a wealthy part."

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"I'm so excited to be here."

Honey Robbins just moved back to Portland after several years in Alaska, where she was a subsistence fisherwoman. "I've missed home a lot," she says. "So now I'm just getting my bearings back." She says that after so long in Alaska, moving back to the city where there's a lot going on is exciting. For now, she she's staying with her aunt in a Rosewood apartment until she finds work and her own place to live.

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"I get along with everybody."

Marilyn Jefferson spends her days selling incense on street corners, downtown, or wherever she sees crowds. She says her dog Angel is a big hit with people. "She goes everywhere I go," says Jefferson. Jefferson has lived in the neighborhood for three years, and she says the businesses are really nice. She especially likes the people at the nearby 7-11 and the Mexican tienda. "I get along with everybody," says Jefferson. 

Amanda Peacher / OPB

"There's potential here."

 Los Michoacanos taco truck has been open for just three months. After working for a golf course for nine years, Jose Grazano says he finally decided to take the leap of starting his own business. He hopes to be known for the best tacos in the neighborhood (for $1). His dream is to open a restaurant, but the taco truck is a more realistic option for now.

Business is slow so far, but he says there's potential in this location.

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Ruffina Tierra is from the Philippines. She's waiting for her child at the school bus stop.

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The Max line along Burnside divides the neighborhood, but also provides a crucial transportation options for Rosewood residents. 

Amanda Peacher / OPB

Newt Hudson lives in Gresham, but is stopping in at a small Mexican tienda to buy cigarettes. A former gang member, Hudson says a small tattoo by his left eye is a symbol of the Crips. Being in a gang felt powerful, says Hudson, but it also led to a lot of bad things for him. "But I'm a good boy now." 

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Working to rebuild

Ryan Clinton says he's on a path to rebuilding his life. Today he's headed to Portland Community College via the Max line. In the past, he struggled with alcoholism, but after becoming sober he wants to help others. He's taking classes to become a drug and alcohol counselor. 

 Clinton has lived in Rosewood for just over a year. "I keep to myself, but there's a lot going on here with drugs and shootings. But I'm not worried for my own safety." 

Amanda Peacher / OPB

In about 20 minutes, Rosewood residents can be in downtown Portland on the Max line.

Amanda Peacher / OPB

"The faith I use." 

Jeff Ketchum has been unemployed for more than a year. Right now he says he doesn't really have a home. Life has been rough lately. "I lost seven family members in five years. Now it's just me and my baby sister," says Ketchum.

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There are no green spaces within walking distance, so Layth Maqdas uses the parking lot outside his family's apartment complex as his playground.

Amanda Peacher / OPB

The Grocer's Outlet is a haven for groceries. Since the local Safeway closed, the small market is one of the only places where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

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22-year-old Kristin Bradford has lived in this area her entire life. "Don't go on the streets after dark," she says. But she likes it here. She lives with three friends, her husband, and her one-year-old daughter in an apartment. "It's small be we're pretty comfortable." She and her friend are taking a break from their babies to treat themselves to a Dutch Brothers coffee.

Amanda Peacher / OPB

One of the largest markets in the neighborhood, Su Casa sells fruits and vegetables and Mexican foods and ingredients. It also has a bakery, deli/meat counter, full restaurant, check cashing service, travel agency, beauty salon and jewelry store inside. 

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More than 70% of Rosewood residents live in large apartment complexes.

Amanda Peacher / OPB

"Marboros sell best"

Tri Bui owns the Smoke Shop cigarette stand with his sister. Originally from Vietnam, Bui doesn't smoke. But he says business is good. "Marlboro Reds sell best," says Bui. "They're just a classic."

He has a full-time job at a library as well, so his twelve-hour shifts here can get tiring. But he likes talking to people, so it's a good fit for him. 

Amanda Peacher / OPB

Rosewood lies along the boundary of Gresham and Portland.

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Like much of East Portland, there are many unpaved streets in Rosewood.

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The Kwan Yin Temple at the edge of Rosewood serves the Rosewood Buddhist community.

Amanda Peacher / OPB