Love where you live.

 

The secret is out about Portland and its surrounding neighborhoods. U.S. News & World Report has named Portland as one of the top 150 cities to live. “Two mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean can be reached in an hour or two, while the fertile vineyards of the Willamette Valley lure city dwellers with a thirst for something fresh.” So if you’ve made up your mind that this where you’d like to live, congrats! Now let’s talk about neighborhoods…

 

The 6 regions of Portland

 

Click to enlarge regional map

 

The Portland metro area is comprised of many smaller neighborhoods, each with its own flavor. There is no one perfect neighborhood, but you will find that some areas may match your lifestyle better than others. Check out our breakdown below.

North Portland

A diverse mixture of residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Historically was the heart of Portland’s Black community, but has experienced rapid gentrification in the last decade or so, especially with the expansion of the Yellow Line MAX (our local light rail service) up Interstate Avenue. Easy to walk, bike, and catch public transit around town. Notable areas within North Portland are: Mississippi Avenue, Killingsworth Street, St. John’s, and Kenton.

Southeast Portland

Like NE Portland, Southeast Portland stretches from the Willamette River in SE to roughly 82nd Avenue. It’s a mix of industrial areas, green spaces (including a wildlife refuge!) and large swaths of housing. Especially close-in, the area is accessible by major streets, which are chock-full of restaurants, bars, vintage shops, grocery stores, and more. You’ll likely hear about: Hawthorne, Stark, Belmont, Division, Powell, Woodstock, Mt. Tabor, Sellwood and Foster-Powell. Parking can be difficult, so your best bets are buses and bike lanes.

Northwest Portland

Northwest Portland is where most visitors to Portland land, since it includes many of Portland’s hotels, boutiques, and large chunks of downtown, including the famous Powell’s Bookstore. It’s densely populated (in Oregon terms), mainly with apartments of all shapes and sizes. You’ll probably hear about the Pearl District, the Alphabet District (including NW 23rd Avenue), the Brewery Blocks, Slabtown, and Forest Park. If you want to settle down in this area, expect to pay for it. However, the tradeoff in accessibility and “downtown living” might be worth it to you – as long as parking isn’t a top priority.

Hillsboro

Hillsboro resides outside of Multnomah County, in Washington County, and boasts both residential areas and farming communities. It’s also become a tech hub (colloquially known as Silicon Forest) with companies like Intel, IBM, HP, and more setting down roots here. Ever heard of the Airplane Home in the Woods or Roloff Farms? Yep, you can find both of those here. Housing in Hillsboro tends to be much more reasonably priced, and you can always rely on TriMet’s Blue Line to get you to and from downtown Portland.

Gresham

Gresham is in East Portland and is probably the most scenic city of the ones we’ve mentioned thus far. With a ton of parks, nature trails, and incredible views of Mt. Hood, there are plenty of activities for outdoor lovers. Housing tends to be more abundant and less expensive in this residential community, with more opportunities for first-time homebuyers to settle down. A diverse population including many immigrant communities make this a cultural hub for activities, events, and incredible food.

Northeast Portland

A large mix of smaller neighborhoods and housing, split further between the more affluent inner section – “close-in” – and the more ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse outer Northeast. Housing ranges from newly-built apartment complexes, to quintessential craftsman homes, to 1920s deco-style apartments. Parts of the area are very accessible by the Blue and Red Line MAX, frequent bus lines, and biking.

East Portland

East Portland is commonly thought of as the area between 82nd Avenue and Gresham. It’s one of the most racially diverse areas of the city, as many displaced residents of color moved east of 82nd after their neighborhoods gentrified. The area has been chronically underinvested in, but there are a dearth of parks, sidewalks, streetlights and community spaces to check out. The food scene is incredible, from Dim Sum to a plethora of food cart pods. Considered an “up-and-coming” neighborhood, East Portland is definitely an exciting place to live.

Southwest Portland

The majority of downtown Portland is located in SW Portland, including the Park Blocks, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Pioneer Square, and many prominent cultural touchstones; Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland State University, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Portland Art Museum, and much more. There are several semi-suburban neighborhoods, including Multnomah Village and Lake Oswego, outside of the downtown area that are considered great for families and decently accessible. Housing options tend to be pretty pricey though, and limited outside of home ownership, except a few large apartment complexes.

Beaverton

Beaverton sits just west of Portland in Washington County and is one of the most diverse cities in Oregon, with large African-American, Asian, and Latino populations. It’s home to Nike and more than a few shopping malls and natural areas. There are a lot more housing options, and Beaverton definitely has that ‘family-friendly’ feel, but since it’s such a sprawling area, you’d be trading affordability for convenience in terms of getting around town.

Southwest Washington

Southwest Washington, although another state, is highly-regarded as a suburb of Portland, Oregon because of its close proximity. Value and lifestyle are top attractions to those considering a move to this area. Great schools, no state income tax and affordability make this a place you can truly make room to live. One of the most significant draws to Vancouver living is a purely practical one. The housing in Vancouver (and other Southwest Washington communities) is relatively affordable when compared to housing in nearby Portland and other major Pacific Northwest cities, such as Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. and it is very close to the Portland International Airport.

 
 

$648,107

Average home sales price in
February 2024

87 Days

Average days on market for homes in February 2024

+19 Days

Change in average days on market for homes as compared to February 2023

$376,757

Average condo sales price in February 2024

 

Welcome to Portland.

 

The first thing to know about Portland is that we tend to skew more casual in terms of style than many other parts of the country. To give a bit of context, it wouldn’t be out of place to see jeans and a plaid shirt at even the nicest restaurants in town. Outside of a few industries, people tend to skip on ties, suits, and heels.

As far as weather goes, everything you’ve heard is true i.e. it rains a lot here. It’s not like rain in the Midwest or on the East Coast though – typically it’s a persistent, grey, soggy drizzle with some breaks and heavier downpours intermixed. Honestly, our best advice is to wear some mostly waterproof, relatively flat shoes and layer sweaters and jackets that don’t absorb tons of water.

On the other hand, Portland has, on average, 144 days of sunshine, almost all between the months of May and October. Like, our summers might be some of the best in the world. Styles still tend to be pretty casual, but you’ll see a lot of sunburns after the first nice weekend, so sunscreen is always in fashion. Although Portland summers are very agreeable, in the last decade we’ve seen an increase in high temperature days and wildfires, which can wreak havoc on air quality.

Some general items and styles that are always in: clogs, plaid shirts, Blazers gear, Timbers gear, reflective biking attire, Dr. Martens, Blundstones, Birkenstocks, anything Nike, Adidas or Columbia, wool sweaters, Pendleton, jeans, beanies, dogs, glasses, beards, buns, bangs, overalls, oversized jackets, tattoos, and taking your style a little too seriously.

“You take care of you and your family first. Then you go care for your neighborhood, and finally, you spread it on out within the community.”

– Al Smith

 

Recommendations from our crew.

Whether you’re new to town, considering making the move, or just visiting, our team wants you to experience the best Portland has to offer. There’s plenty to do in Portland, here’s our recommendations.

¿Por Qué No? Taqueria

Commonly referred to simply as ¿Por Que No?, is a small taqueria chain with two locations in Portland, Oregon.

McMenamins Kennedy School

Originally an elementary school, this hotel, movie theater and dining establishment in NE Portland may be best known for their soaking pool.

 

Ecliptic Brewing

A modern brewpub, and local staple, offers a large variety of craft beers. Pair your pint with a burger, sandwich or seasonal salad.

Timberline Lodge

Ski, snowboard, sled or snowshoe your heart out, then enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, fireside at Mt. Hood's Timberline Lodge.

Tilikum Crossing Bridge

Designed by TriMet, Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is a cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River in Portland.

 
 

Hungry for more? Check these out too!

 
 
 

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Buying and selling a home is one of the most personal transactions in one’s life. As an agent, I get deep insight into who my clients are – what makes them light up…

Get in touch with us.

Thank you for your interest in working together. We would love to connect with you and learn more about your Real Estate goals and needs.


Beth Benner
(503) 819-2885
beth@bridgetoportland.com

Sharon Bloudek
(503) 701-1000
sharon@bridgetoportland.com

Genmae Rianelli
(503) 867-5208
genmae@bridgetoportland.com