It borders the Lloyd District and Sullivan's Gulch on the north, Laurelhurst on the east, Buckman and Sunnyside on the south, and (across the Willamette River) Old Town Chinatown on the west.

Kerns has a healthy mixture of commercial buildings, condos, rental housing, and single-family residences.

Screen Door, a restaurant which has been featured on the Food Channel is located nearby on East Burnside.

[3] Sunshine Dairy ran its sales and marketing out of the Fire Alarm Dispatch (FAD) building, which, in 1928 was constructed solely for use as a communications headquarters at NE 21st and Pacific Avenue.

Coca-Cola operates a bottling and distribution facility on 2710 NE Davis St in a former school building.