Say Hi to Portland’s Belmont Goats
The local herd is cared for by a dedicated team who have helped them move whenever gentrification comes knocking
There’s a common pattern when it comes to working class neighborhoods: first come the artists, then come the yoga mats, strollers, coffee shops, and novelty stores, replacing the original grit and inhabitants of the neighborhood in the process. It’s a tale as old as time, from boroughs across New York City, to West Philadelphia, to Portland, Oregon.
In the Rose City, one might be able to track this process by following the history of a local resident goat herd known as the ‘Belmont Goats.’ A decade ago, the goat colony arrived at a vacant lot on Belmont — since, they’ve moved several times, a trail of development in their wake. Once gentrification has begun, members of that neighborhood are often disbanded, scattered to the fringes, never to be whole again. The beauty of the Belmont Goats is that the community moves together.
From the beginning, there’s been a deep community spirit tied to the nomadic herd and its stars like Cooper, Bambi, Clover and Carl. The goats’ story began in…
