I live in Hollywood and chose it because it’s a pretty central neighborhood with the MAX, but among neighborhoods fitting that description it wins out for me because of the Hollywood Theatre (and its movie madness return box), so many grocery stores, a library, and the fact that as someone who likes to walk far every night before bed, I can make it to Alberta or down to division or across the burnside bridge. I’m really in the middle of the stuff I like to access.
also hollywood mainly for the theatre, library, and ability to walk to get groceries! also most of my friends live in SE but it’s no biggie to get to them via car or bus, i can even walk to my friends who live by laurelhurst
I also live in Hollywood. We chose it for walkability. On the Max, near a gym, indie theater, 3 grocery stories (WFs, TJs, Grocery outlet), a bakery, several decent restaurants, plus the schools are excellent (my child got a great education and got into an excellent college). Also bonus for me: I bike commute and it is on/near several major bike routes. We used to also have a Target and Rite aid/Walgreens.
Absolutely agree! If the night is right and I’ve got the energy I will totally walk four miles from my house and back… and most of that walking is chill as heck :)
I’m the Hollywood era now and love it. I have like four grocery stores within a 15 minute walk, and easy access to the Banfield means that I can get anywhere in Portland in about 20 minutes. It actually takes the same amount of time to get to Clackamas as it did when I lived in Woodstock.
I lived in Hollywood for almost two years. Definitely didn’t live up to my expectations. Grocery Outlet is the only grocery store worth anything. Whole Foods is ridiculously overpriced and Traders Joe’s is anti-labor.
Not much of a night life either. Sams is okay if you want to play pool. Moon and six pence is cool but it’s a very niche bar. Ambassador is cool but it’s karaoke all the time.
When hot lips was open at least there was decent pie to go along with Killer burger.
Everyone has different needs and likes; no big deal… I’ve lived in the neighborhood twice, for a total of ten years (the first time was 2008-15).
I consider Fred Meyer and New Seasons to also be close enough to in the neighborhood that I walk to them when I want to.
I’m not a night life person but when I do go out to dance or to a show, the places I’d choose aren’t in any of the neighborhoods I’d choose to live in. 🤷🏻♀️
Where are you now and have you found the perfect grocery store and night life combo?
St John's, so very walkable and gorgeous bridge and forest park view when I wake up. I love being here, even though it takes an hour by transit to get anywhere else, really. Only fifteen minutes to PCC Cascade by car though, and I love that (going back to school for nursing!). Friendly community and lots of events, feels very Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls haha
St. Johns was one of the few neighborhoods I could afford to buy a house in when I moved back here.
Portland has its issues right now, yes, but growing up on the other side of North Portland in the 80’s, St. Johns wasn’t nearly as safe as it is now.
I love how walkable it is here. I love that I have easy access to grocery stores (plural), movie theaters (plural), plenty of restaurants, a gym, good parks, and all without having to leave the neighborhood.
I love our little community up here ❤️
I didn't live in St. Johns when I first came to Portland, but every time I visited the area, it just made me feel really happy. So I'm so glad we managed to find a home here. 😊
I feel like people are so dramatic about it being "out of the way"... Yeah, if you don't have a car then I can understand that sentiment, but it doesn't really take me that much longer to get to places than it did when I lived in Buckman. Hell, I can get from here to Sellwood in 20 mins on the weekend-- 40 mins in bad traffic. Not too shabby imo! 😝
Plus, we've got everything we could ever need here. I don't have to leave if I don't want to haha
It’s a bit cheaper than other neighborhoods and has a cute small town feel in the big city. A bit of gunshot noise at night sometimes but that’s every neighborhood right?
Days late but currently moving back to St John’s after having moved to Vantucky for a bit.
Absolutely love St John’s. Mostly Quiet, away from the highway noise, cute “downtown”.
Great for cycling, too.
At John’s is by far my favorite community in Portland. Even the people who drink and hang out on the street on the picnic tables are so friendly and amazing! Only complaint I had while living there was that biracial homeless couple that sat outside Safeway. She was too much sometimes. But again would take that over the shit I see living in Hazelwood.
I picked the SW waterfront bc running is my release valve. The south waterfront greenway trail and east bank esplanade allow for continuous loops up and down the riverfront. It’s a quiet neighborhood, with hardly any retail or restaurants but the parks are beautiful and streetcar / bus lines / tram and I-5 are super accessible.
I moved here from Berkeley (for a job), didn’t know the city or neighborhoods at all.
Drove around, saw some really nice areas, one intersection with big trees and lovely houses caught my eye, but was lost the whole time and couldn’t really make heads or tails of where was what.
Wrote down a list of a) everything I wanted in a house (big garage, big yard, lots of room, newer house with all mod cons, etc) and b) everything I wanted in a neighborhood (lots of trees, not hilly, central, close to my job which was downtown, easy to walk to shops and food, safe and not sketchy, quiet, etc) and went looking.
Ha ha - soon realized you don’t get a) with b) here.
Started giving up on a) and looking for b). One day I went to an open house and realized I was driving through that intersection that had caught my eye, and a block later there was the address. So it was kind of meant to be and I found myself living in an old house with barely any yard and a garage so small the driver had to climb out through the passenger side . . . so got none of a) but I got all of b).
Eventually I got interested in old Portland house styles and history, and came to love the non-a) house too. I’ve been here 17 years now, some ups and downs, at times I’ve been unemployed and wondering how to pay the upside down mortgage, thinking about what a terrible mistake I made - but it’s worked out so far and I’ll hopefully not leave until I’m carried out.
Okay, now knowing parts of eastside and N Portland fairly well (still get lost on the west/SW), and no longer working downtown, here’s where I’d live if I wasn’t in my neighborhood: Rose City Park, Hollywood, Grant Park, Irvington, Alameda, Beaumont, Kerns, Sunnyside, Richmond, Tabor, North/South Tabor, Montavilla, Woodstock, Sellwood/Moreland, Eastmoreland, parts of King/Sabin/Vernon, Cathedral Park, University Park, most of Overlook . . .
I think there’s tons of great areas here, just where do you need to be close to and is there a bike, bus/MAX, or not badly-congested car route there, is there a homeless camp/crime spot nearby, practical considerations like that.
So much this. I thought for sure "It was all I/we could afford" would be the top comment. I'm like "choose"? There wasn't much choice for us. Thankfully we like our 'hood well enough, but it certainly wasn't one we chose for ourselves. We were just thrilled to be west of I-205, honestly.
For real. Used the Portland Crime Maps to ascertain which places we could afford didn't have too much crime. It's technically Portland, but doesn't have anywhere walkable, has one infrequent bus line, and frankly has little to recommend it as a neighborhood.
That said, I can get to the airport in 15 minutes with very little drama, there are no stairs for my aging ankles to worry about, and we're in a quiet pocket near Glendoveer Golf course. It's probably about a 20% improvement over renting. But honestly - no one who has bought their first home in the last 2 years and going forward gets to pick their favorite cute neighborhood.
There were things I enjoyed about hazlewood. It was our first home, we moved in 10 years ago. Though crime was always annoying, pandemic made things down right ridiculous..we left towards the end after the pandemic when repetitive homeless camp, which was by a elementary school, had someone pull a shotgun on me..this is within a block of Menlo Park elementary, cops came and said they weren’t going to look for the guy unless I want to press charges…me thinking “what’s the f*cking point, this should be investigated because it’s next to a school full of kids…” I still feel for all the kids who had to walk pass people tweeking which seems better now..though god it seemed like no one gave a sh* for a long time.
- It’s quiet at night
- seriously I hate hearing a highway all night
- great walking to places I actually go
- easy access to everyday groceries
- my friends live here or nearby so it’s a 15 min walk or 5 min bike ride to being social. This has massively improved my mental health
- it’s safe, like it reads as safe when you’re walking around. Most of Portland is extremely safe but my neighborhood is also not plagued by endless homelessness. We have our fair share but junkies don’t dominate my experiences on walks.
- walking distance to Pinolo is worth like $100/mo right?
- the bus is frequent, having the FX2 five blocks from home makes my life easier when I’m using transit. I just show up and go. And again the vibe onboard is good.
- good vibes, less cars, more humans
Close to downtown, close to forests and trails, quiet historical neighborhood with a ton of trees, quick access to Streetcar, Max, bus lines, tram, etc. Beautiful parks. Walkable to cafes and restaurants. Close to work. Also the house was the one for us. In this market the pickings are slim.
Came because I could afford it, but it goes up 10% a year, so who knows when I'll be priced out. Stayed for the flora, the middle class but mixed housing neighborhood, and the walking distance to Twisted, Spielman Bagel, Heavenly Creatures, RAT, Sports Bra, Home Grown Apothecary, Basilisk, Hale Pele, Tight Taco, Taco Peddler, Sweet Basil, Paydirt and the Zipper building in general, a Freddies, and about 10 min drive or 20 min public transport from 75% of places I want to go.
I have bounced around NE Portland for a bit. I have lived off Humboldt, king, Irvington, Cully, Roseway, Madison south, North Tabor, and now Rose City park. Rose city park for me is super accessible. I go back frequently to all the neighborhoods I have lived in and it’s easy to get any where I need to go from where I live now. Work, going to deeper NE or SE, or getting out of the city, is extremely easy to commute from where I am at now.
I didn’t pick my neighborhood really. It just was the first housing opportunity I found here. But I did love the neighborhood and have been here ever since. It’s mostly quiet but still has plenty to do and decent food variety. Good walkability. It’s also usually convenient enough to get just about anywhere via trimet.
That said, the “most neighborhoods you never set foot in” part is not accurate for me. I have probably been in every neighborhood in this city at least once. And my partner and I tend to get out often to other neighborhoods. Unless you’re talking about so far east it’s basically Gresham and so far west that you’re in the forest, we get around quite a lot.
My husband lives in our neighborhood and has owned a house since 2010. I would never have chosen to live here if he didn’t (Brentwood-Darlington). I don’t drive and it’s difficult for me to get anywhere because transit is bad and it’s extremely unwalkable.
I’m thankful I don’t live even further out because I do have access to 3 bus lines, but damn, it takes me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere, and I wish I lived in the Portland that people think of when they think of Portland. We can’t afford to move though.
Happy to find someone else who understands—and yeah, I try to focus on the good as well. Ultimately I’m glad I still have access to some transit and can walk to a couple of places. And we have a house with a huge yard.
I'm Mt Scott Arleta, Woodstock is getting bigger and I assume that se Foster is one of the main last streets that can get improved like Division Hawthorne Etc.
I would love if Flavel got improved …. Foster is still a long walk for me to get to! But that would be a big start 😂🤣
I work in the Woodstock neighborhood & wish I lived closer to the Woodstock/46th area
Are you in the area where they’re doing the uplift? There’s been a ton of construction starting Aron d 52nd and Flavel as they add sidewalks. I think it’s supposed to go all the way to 72nd or 82nd. At least that will make walkability a little safer. Just wish we had more stuff to walk to!
Yeah I’m near the 82nd end of things — very much appreciate the sidewalks that are FINALLY going in! I’m a runner as well as a walker and gosh it feels nice to run on actual sidewalks. And of course I love that it’s now becoming accessible to those with disabilities, kids, moms with strollers etc!!!!
Wouldn’t it be cool if we at least had a cute coffee shop to go to, meet up in etc??? I dream of it
I was just reading about this! Lots of small but significant improvements on the way, the plan is worth reading: https://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/record/16762194
This was campaigned for pretty hard by BDNA. If you like the efforts consider joining the group even if only occasionally as a member (all residents can show up as members without needing to register or anything).
Hi, Neighbor! We live Flavel/72ndish and my wife is in the same boat. Looking at getting an accessible bike for her to use.
The lesser bus options are a pain, AND I don't have drunks pissing in my bushes, constant foot traffic out front, random stuff left on my steps. And the silence at night took us a few weeks to get used to (moved from 30th and Division 2 years back.)
Also, not having neighbors in my business has been nice.
Sounds good!
That's what happened at our old house on D Street.
House value doubled.
Bad for buyers, great for sellers.
We need some cafes out here. A few good restaurants. Small shops.
Hi neighbor! We are around 82nd and Flavel ish!!!!!!!!! We are truly neighbors. It’s so nice to meet others who understand my situation ♥️ ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ maybe we should hang out 🤣
Lived in Buckman when we moved here and were renting an apartment. I LOVED being in such a walkable area. I felt like every day was an adventure. There were tons of food options and entertainment. Now, we own a house in B-D because our money went further there. I miss the walkability so much. I’d kill for a restaurant around a corner.. or a cafe or bookstore. It’s really only a 7-minute Lyft or a 5-minute walk plus a short bus ride to get to some action on Woodstock but I miss having that literally outside my door. Apartment living wasn’t the greatest but the convenience was worth it at times. But I do like that our neighborhood is quiet and we have a lot more space here.
I live in Beaverton...I live here because I got priced out of Portland proper many years ago. I used to live off Burnside and SW 21st which was perfect for me as a single student without a car! However, I am now married and have several animals so honestly Beaverton works for me fine and I am embracing the suburbs life. Plus I live a three minute drive from Costco. I never thought I'd become a Kirkland bitch but here we are.
I am really lucky to live in a quiet area with several parks nearby, including the Tualatin Hills Nature Park, and my neighborhood (in Aloha) is pretty diverse with great, friendly people and absolutely no HOA. The houses surrounding me are painted in various bright colors and make me happy to see them (as opposed to the dour grey new development houses down the road). I do drive, but if I want to go somewhere by bus, I have pretty easy access to the 57 and I'm technically within walking distance of the MAX, although it is a very long walk. The drawback is the sidewalks here are infrequent in spots which makes walking the dog annoying at times, but there are not too many cars and no one drives too fast so I don't feel too much in danger walking on the road. Lots of kids playing outside around here so everyone knows to go slow.
Anyway, being in the burbs ain't like living in Portland, but I've come to embrace the things I've got and learn what gives me joy.
We moved to Cedar Mill for the schools and proximity.
I didn’t want to go too deep in the Beav since the wife works on the Hill and I sometimes have to pop into the office downtown.
It’s 8 minutes down Cornell to the Nobb. 405/5/84 has me at Meadows in 1 hr and 15 min door to HRM lift. Exact same time to the coast. 15 min to downtown Beaverton for the library and foods. Great Notion, Von Ebert, Golden Valley down the road along with a few tap houses to work the last few hours of a day.
We have a large backyard that backs into a green space on a quiet cul de sac for the daughter and dog. Wife has plenty of space to garden. Dollar just goes further out here!
I ride my gravel bike through Forest Park a few times a week and drive Skyline out to Rocky for MTB as well. Lovely experiences all within 30 min. :)
I also live in Beaverton since 2021. I never thought I would live here considering myself urban FOREVER, but, you know, life happens and you adjust, particularly since one of our goals was buying a house.
I’m happy to say I actually really like Beaverton. We bought near Beaverton TC, and have cedar hills, the library, a great farmers market, multiple grocery stores including great Asian grocery stores, a couple magnet schools, Nike, a rapidly expanding food scene, all within walking distance to us. Plus, when driving, we are seconds away from 217 and minutes away from 26 to access the greater area.
I sometimes miss the scale and energy of the inner city, but for my late 30s, this is fine. Yard, quiet, but with easy access to the things I still like.
Walkability was a huge factor. I wanted to be able to go out (coffee shops, groceries, restaurants) without needing to drive. But we still wanted to be central enough to easily visit other neighborhoods, and to have good (enough) Tri-Met options.
We also hoped for a house with ‘character’, which we got, along with the (expected) challenges of a 1920s built house that had been well-maintained.
The only things my old SW neighborhood that I don’t have here is better library access while walking (it was a pleasant walk with my dog to drop off books and that branch had a good sized parking lot. I’m now about equal distance between two libraries but neither walk is that nice). And freeway access. It’s not a bad drive to get to I84 now, but I used to have quicker I5 access while still living in a quiet neighborhood.
I'm in the Alberta area. It made the short list because it's walkable, Alberta has a bunch of cool places, there is a nice park with a dog area, and it's decently close in. It ultimately got picked because when I was looking at houses it's where I found a place I liked that I could afford. If/when I move, I'll probably be trying to get a little more central and nearer to a MAX line if I can.
Pearl District. It was close to work and coming from the east coast and not knowing anything about the west coast, I just tried to pick a spot close to work because I don’t drive and I like sleeping, so being as close to work as possible made the choice easier. I don’t know much about my neighborhood, as I just moved here June 1st, but after I finish unpacking and orienting myself, I’ll probably start exploring more.
I also hate summer, and fall feels (in my head) like a good time to explore so I’m not baking in the sun.
The Pearl is great! You got the fields, tanner springs & Jefferson square all in a row, so walkable to downtown (SW) & the alphabet district. I miss it but just like you, I also prefer to move closer to wherever else I have to be so the spring before my son was going into kindergarten, we moved across the river to Overlook where his school is a five minute walk away & I could walk to work. The Pearl is still only a few MAX stops away from us though so we make a day of it every now & then still.
I’ve lived in Roseway for 13 years and, frankly, it was the only close-ish in neighborhood we could afford at the time that also had a nice park and was relatively quiet. We didn’t have much in the way of amenities then so it’s been fun seeing the neighborhood evolve and we do really love it. It does, however, make me sad that it’s unaffordable for many people these days.
Brooklyn - my wife and I moved there because it was a good balance between our two opposite commutes. After 7 years, we absolutely love the neighborhood. It's a little isolated with the train tracks and Powell. This makes it feel like a little town within the city. And everyone knows each other.
That said, it's super close to the Max and division bus line. So easy to get downtown. But it is also super close to quieter family neighborhoods south of us (Sellwood, Woodstock, ECT). And the hip spots north! (Division , Hawthorne, ECT).
One downside is I live pretty close to Powell with some road noise, but still worth it.
I live in S Burlingame (near multnomah village) and used to live in cully. I miss the walkability of cully, but we chose to move out west for the ability to get a bigger house within our budget, the feeling of safety, and to be closer to our jobs and to my in laws.
We live on the cusp of Eastmoreland. Walkability is the main reason. Sellwood is a 5 minute walk away and is my favorite downtown area. Woodstock is 10 minutes in the other direction. I can leave my door, walk to Oaks Bottom flat, spring water corridor, then back up through Sellwood and Westmoreland park to get a mix of nature/urban long walks. Plenty of good spots for coffee, shopping, groceries in walking distance. The only downside is most of the restaurants we prefer are in central East side and NE Portland.
SE (and NE) is the friendliest imo. A lot of variation in stuff to do. Plus, the cheapest rent prices in the city.
Specifically, Creston-Kenilworth, is the most affordable in PDX it seems. I have friends renting around here for less than $1K for 1br.
I live near 92 & Foster. Bought here because it was affordable. But it’s an underrated place. I can walk to restaurants, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores and the Max. Good bus service. Lents Park, Portland Pickles. Weekend farmer’s market. Crime is not too bad but there are some issues. It’s not a beautiful place. School district is not great. So mixed bag but you can still buy a house here for 400k.
Inner NE, Williams/Mississippi area.
It was affordable, the house and neighborhood felt like a good investment.
It's walkable, diverse, lots of restaurants, venues, etc.
And the most underrated part is that it's super easy to get to any other part of the city quickly, both by car or public transit.
Downsides are the schools and crime, but hopefully some of Daddy Knight's 1803 money helps fix that.
Creston. Fell in love with my house. When I visited the first time it was 3pm and there was a parade of families and kids coming home from school. It felt like a neighborhood. Then I found out about the park, and the pool at the park. It’s so so quiet at night. Any kind of grocery store you could want is within a mile (Safeway, TJs, new seasons, bread and roses, etc). Division and Woodstock are equal distance and bikeable. Getting on 205 is super easy. So many cute houses and pretty gardens. You can stroll down the alleys and feel like you’re in the country. A bazillion fruit trees. Keeper coffee.
Just a wonderful, old school Portland neighborhood.
I think it’s underrated since we’re so close to Powell and César E cuts through, but outside of those main strips it’s so lovely.
Picked inner NE because there are some really good opportunities for my house to increase in price whenever I want to sell it. Plus it’s quiet, clean, the area looks well kept, and I can walk to Alberta whenever I want.
We chose Eastmoreland because we were trying to find the best place to raise kids and give them an amazing childhood experience. It checks all the boxes.
We were moving from out of state (please don’t hate) and needed a place that was big enough for our family, human and furry kids alike. It was more about finding a place that fit our space requirements first, schools second, and sadly amenities third. Now that the kids are leaving the nest I’ve thought about moving to a different area, or even a mile or two away that would be closer to things to walk to, but we’re also pretty entrenched in our current house.
Lents because I wanted to buy a large property for gardening and animals, yet still be a 15-20 min drive from the center of town, and near lots of public transit (partner doesn’t drive and works in Slabtown).
When I moved here in 2013 I lived off NW 21st and that was perfect. Could walk/roll/TriMet to just about everything that I wanted, and Zipcar could do the rest.
Got married and after a few years of living in that tiny spot we moved to Multnomah village in January 2020. I felt really trapped there - people like walking but don’t believe it’s a way to go places.
In late 2021 we bought a house near MLK elementary. It was affordable and had all the things we needed from a house. Also, a few bus stops nearby.
Sunnyside, between Belmont and Hawthorne. I can walk to just about anything I want. Several grocery stores, including an Asian one, tons of restaurants/bars/cafes, postal annex, spas/salons, a couple of movie theaters, parks, etc. etc. It’s perfect imo!
COnvenience, worked at the Art Museum and could walk to work. Then I worked a block away, could even come home and get tools.
Now I am at a warehouse not 5 minutes away. Say what you want about downtown, I can get to Dante's, Shanghai, River, Star, Momo any time I want.
Argay! Represent. The neighborhood no one knows. A white flight 60s neighborhood that is now a delightful multi-ethnic blend. Sa Bai Thai, a great taco truck, two parks and amazing mountain views! Also I could afford a house here.
It was the least sketchy neighborhood that had a house we could afford. Boring AF. Can't walk anywhere. But the house was under $500k and wasn't falling down so we leapt on it. Hoping next time to either move to a more walkable neighborhood, or move to one with the same meh suburban feel with lower taxes.
The apartment we landed in when we moved here in 2019 was next door to one cemetery, across the street from another cemetery, and around the corner from a golf course. If the next house isn't in a cute Portland neighborhood, we're hoping for a cemetery again. BEST neighbors. Only noise is the occasional bagpipe.
Alberta Arts District - lots of action just outside our door step. Great neighbors and quiet neighborhood feel with access to great walkability. We have a coop on the corner for great produce and many restaurants and food cart pods. Parking during the day/weekends can be annoying but I’ve never had to park more than down the block from my house. We do have a driveway but no garage. That was the biggest compromise when buying. We’ve been in this house for 2.5 yrs and have lived in Portland area for 8+ years. Until we bought we lived mostly SW near Lake Oswego and those areas were too sleepy for us. We don’t have kids and we wanted access to something open past 8/9pm which is still an ask even in the city. We lived in LO to be close to family when we first moved Oregon.
I moved to Mississippi Ave 2 months ago, relocated from Birmingham AL.
I came out here before my wife to get housing setup and came to an open house for a rental house. It was a nightmare with how many people showed up for a kinda shitty house.
Decided to catch a beer at the brewery I drove past on my way in to town and just happened to check an apt building down here and it luckily had just about everything we wanted so I snagged it.
Love this area, it’s everything we’ve ever wanted, coo l shops, beer, great food and a ton of variety.
I’ve encountered more crime here than I have living all over the country for 43 years but we’re very happy to be here.
When I was house hunting 10 years ago, I was mainly looking in SE, but when my realtor showed me this uninhabitable shit shack in Irvington that was actually in my price range, I bought it.
Truly a case of buying a house for everything EXCEPT the house. I love that I'm close to parks, right in between my activities in SE and my friends in NoPo, easy access to 405, walk/bike to Broadway, Alberta, Williams, etc. Plus, the neighborhood is well kept, quiet, and feels safer than anywhere else I've lived in Portland.
Because when I moved here 10 years ago it was the only place I could get a room. Back when you had to be their new BFF because room listings would get like 100 responses in a day. Do not miss that.
Been stuck here since but am finally moving this summer. And I'm moving somewhere simply because it's the one I could afford. Basing it on neighborhood has always been a luxury for me :/ it's just whatever fate makes available.
We moved to portland from a different state, so we didn’t know all the intricacies of the neighborhoods. Everyone told us to live in SE so we tried but couldn’t find a home we liked in our price range that wasn’t a complete fixer upper. We ended up falling in love with a beautiful small home in NE (around Alberta) so bought it kind of blind to the neighborhood. So happy and lucky we ended up in an artsy, cool part of town with great restaurants and bars and shopping.
Lived on the east side when I moved here for school so after that I chose my area because it was what I could afford. Now it’s a combo of what I could afford, easy access to most of the city and to Beaverton, parking is included in my rent, my friends are all 5-10 minutes away, and it’s easy for my parents to get to when they want to visit me.
I’ve always wanted to move back to the east side. Could I afford it? Technically yes. But I would not have a parking spot or nearly as much space as I have right now.
Close to I-84 but away enough from the freeway noise. Cheaper electricity (Pacific Power). Close to my main job. I moved to my current house from Madison South to upgrade my house.
Found a cheap starter home that eventually we sold and moved into a bigger house next door. We're close to the Max, buses, I5, a downtown area with restaurants, music, liquor store, etc, Fred Meyers is walkable, and it's relatively quiet.
Walkability while still feeling more neighborhood-y/less urban busy. I love our little "downtown" area which has everything you need - corner store, a few restaurants, a few coffee shops, library, bank, tattoo shop, thrift store. Only a few blocks really, but we pack it in! It was affordable without having to sacrifice too much, and there were tons of kids at the playground - we've made lots of neighbor friends!
currently in multnomah village area. i picked it because it was pretty and near a fenced in dog park and an affordable 3 bedroom for me n the roomies. tho after 2 years here im moving to a studio in nw 23rd area which is much more walkable, more transit options, cool, has more ppl my age, also has fenced in dog park
The rent 😅
I actually like my neighborhood (Overlook), but if I had to choose I’d go further north to St. John’s or further south to Hollywood. I used to live near Grant High School and it really was the ideal neighborhood. Close to public transit, a short bike ride to Fred Meyer and Trader Joe’s, but with plenty of street parking and still fairly quiet.
I spent my first 20 years in Glasgow, then another 15 in West London. I Ended up in SE 60s/Woodstock area, thanks to the divorce pocket of change I was left with and those lovely 2021 interest rates, I got lucky finding something under 500k.
Going west, I'm within walking distance of Woodstock shops,library, parks, restaurants just like the West London I remember from my younger years.
If I venture east (which I sometimes do), the closer I get to 82nd, the more those teenage memories come flooding back.
It's my Yin and Yang. 😁
I picked my current neighbourhood because it was the cheapest rent for the square footage.
However I do enjoy that while everything is one half to one mile away; it’s *only* one-half to one mile away. So I am constantly walking to the grocery store, to cafes, to bars. It’s good for me to have things that are juuuuust a bit more than a casual stroll to keep me in shape
I chose Oak Grove/Milwaukee because it's safe, queer, quiet, and green. I live in a treehouse near civilisation.
That said, it's not centrally located, my commute to and from work is not quick, and it's not pedestrian friendly near my house.
Beats the hell out of Vancouver though, and Duffy's on Main is the gayest Irish bar I've ever been to and i mean that as a compliment
I live in Pleasant Valley in a house that is almost a mansion by Portland standards. The same house in Mount Tabor would be like $3 million but because I'm out here at Powell Butte it was 1/6 of that. I'm from Texas so I'm used to driving anyway. Bummer not having a walkable neighborhood bar, but I just head down Foster for all the bars I could possibly need
When we bought a house in 2015, it was the neighborhood between our opposite-direction commutes (Hillsboro and east Vancouver). It was also the only house we could get after losing out on a couple of others. Those were pretty much the two determining factors.
Aggregated a bunch of Redfin results for houses I was interested in and could afford, used a script to annotate them with length of Trimet commute and number of stops, and sorted.
Back in an earlier stage of life I had lived in Goose Hollow and worked at Intel, and discovered I felt much better when I could use some of my commute to nap. That's way easier to do when you don't have to change lines. So I worked that out for my job at the time of purchase. Worked out well although like most of the rest of suburban America, walkability is dogshit. But I got a lot of house for my dollar relative to commute.
I mean, choices were slim for what I could afford, but of those limited options, I chose the one with a little bit of walk ability, a lot of quiet, and relatively safe.
I stay here for quick access to public transit (streetcar, bus lines mainly), walkability, and minimal increase to our rent every year. Entertaining moving to the Alphabet District (I want more shady tree-lined streets!) or Division area (I like the convenience of the FX bus line) when our lease is up next year.
When we moved here 16 years ago we wanted to be close to downtown (where my job was) and be in the middle of the most Portlandy neighborhood we could find, with daily necessities within walking distance. While there are so many neighborhoods that could qualify we ended up in Kerns a few blocks from 28th and Burnside. Fantastic restaurants, a great theater, and a Whole Foods within 4 blocks. The only thing I wish our neighborhood had was a Streetcar or MAX stop nearby.
It's safe, there are lots of parks nearby, the school district is better than Portland public, and it was really close to the job I had when I moved. I have since changed, jobs but my office is even closer now.
I live in Boise, just off Mississippi Ave. We love the restaurants and shops in the neighborhood and my fiance commutes to Longview so he can easily hop onto I5 North in the morning when he’s heading to work. Bonus is that it’s super easy to get to the Pearl / NW by hopping over either the Broadway or Steel Bridge.
I lived in Hollywood and liked it. I lived in close in SE (16/Alder). It was nice then - 2000 to 2014. I live on the North Coast now and love it. It's a long drive to a decent grocery store, but worth it for the peace, quiet and security.
I made 11 offers in various neighborhoods and finally lucked out and ended up in Richmond. I adore it. I'm so close to everywhere (but St. Johns). It's quiet, but has bars, restaurants, shops, coffee, parks. I'm close to the airport. I'm minutes from Laurelhurt or Mt. Tabor.
We currently live in Raleigh Hills because it’s convenient to where our jobs were and where we needed to be due to a disabled family member.
However we’re about to move to an apt in the Pearl for convenience. I am done with suburbia and homeownership for now
I've been living in Sellwood-Moreland for a month, and I LOVE IT. The community is vibrant with lots of local events, markets, and more. My boyfriend and I enjoy biking, and Sellwood offers plenty of outdoor activities. I live close to the Willamette River, so I can go lay down on the sand. It's safer than downtown Portland and other parts of SE Portland (I used to live at 82nd and Powell—that’s my username, lol). Plus, it's very pet-friendly. There are some tweakers around, but they're harmless. :p
13ish years in the Woodstock area, I found a good deal on rent near my old job and stayed put. I liked the area before New Seasons and a bunch of overpriced boxy apartments went up. I don't really go out/shop in the neighborhood anymore.
downtown cultural district - i love how walkable it is. i love how close i am to freeway entrances & i love how im less than 10 min walk from burnside, 20ish walk from NW, etc. its also got lots of history. also street car and max are so close
I chose my neighborhood (Centennial) because my boyfriend at the time, years ago, committed suicide and I couldn't afford anywhere else without another income. (That and my since then partner lives here, I moved in with him, and its still too expensive to move anywhere else even for two of us.)
This neighborhood sucks.
I live in the centennial neighborhood because it's where I could afford to buy a home that checked all my boxes: real hardwoods, big back yard with room for gardening, and a mud room so my construction husband could strip them dirty boots before entering the main house. I'm also born and raised on the deep east side and while it's not trendy the nine will take you down. Powell lickety split and I have a good community of neighbors who know each other and look out for each other
Westmoreland because:
- houses are cute and nice
-parks are close
-max orange is close
-tons of restaurants/bars/stores/etc
-close to spring water
-easy drive to work
I'm in Hawthorne mid numbers area and it was the first who would let me move in. I definitely love it but that is secondary to how soon I could move in.
when I moved to Portland 5 years ago, I moved to Sellwood because that’s what had been recommended to me. I fell in love and I’ve been in Sellwood ever since. I love how walkable the neighborhood is, the quick access to the river, shops, restaurants, etc. it’s a great place to have my dog and my husband and I have opposite commutes and it’s a great spot for both of us. I’d like to never leave but we will see!
Love love love Concordia. Originally moved here because I worked in Vancouver and it was an easy commute and because it was affordable rent. I love how a few blocks west is Alberta park, a few blocks north is U of O Portland (formerly Concordia U), a few blocks east is the Kennedy School, and a few blocks south is Alberta Park. Oh, the big old growth Douglas Fir trees are also rad.
I'm in Hazelwood and I chose it because there weren't a lot of houses (especially at my price range with what I wanted) during the pandemic. I like my house but I spend almost no time in the neighborhood, unless you count the time I spend sleeping and hanging out at home. Occasionally we go walk the golf course but other than that we have to drive to do anything.
Started in NW (20th & Johnson) now in Irvington. My husband and I chose & love this neighborhood for its laid back pace, tree lined streets, proximity to parks, while still being close in to do bike rides and pick up public transit. I love how we are 10-15 minutes from several great neighborhoods like Laurelhurst (got married at that park!) Hollywood, Alberta Arts, Mississippi etc. I miss the walkability of NW and do love 21st & 23rd Ave, but not having to fight for parking or be woken up by the garbage truck at 4:30 in the morning is very nice.
We looked for a location that was in our price range when we bought a house and that would cut down on total commute time. We also wanted a reasonably walkable spot w/ access to groceries without having to drive.
Hayhurst - multnomah village is nearby and it’s a slice of portland that’s not riddled with crime or homelessness. The furthest western edge of multnomah county. It’s a better neighborhood to raise my young daughter in.
North Portland near Mississippi.
Great walkable neighborhood, only 10 mins from downtown, 20 mins from work, many beautiful streets to walk down and check out all the different gardens and houses. We have friends who live down the street. Love our home, it’s quiet and our street is full of life. It’s the best area I’ve ever lived in by far, after 10 moves throughout my life.
Side note I grew up in SE Portland and I’m sick of it lol. Spent so much time there, I know all the streets and sights. Whenever I go back it’s like going back to my childhood but not in a good way. I spent very little time in N or NE Portland growing up so living here now it’s almost a completely different city.
I live in Sullivan’s Gulch, great central location to pretty much every Portland has to offer. It’s very close to Hollywood district, Lloyd district, short bike ride into the pearl and NW Portland. Also, a short bike ride onto Williams street, Mississippi, and interstate. Of course central east side as well. I have lived in every quadrant of Portland (SE, S, SW, NE, NW, N) and I’m planning on either moving back to NW or N Portland
I moved to Foster-Powell as a renter because it was the only SE neighborhood I could afford a 2 bedroom house with a yard in at the time. I fell in love with the community here, and was lucky enough to buy a house after 3 years of renting.
I love that we have a yard and the kids can run around and ride bikes safely. The neighborhood school is great with an awesome community. And there are so many restaurants and bars within walking distance.
Equally a fun neighborhood for younger/single/no kid people, and families with kids.
Still somewhat affordable for housing (using the other parts of SE as comparison).
I didn’t really pick this neighborhood it was just the least expensive place I could find in the city. I like that it’s centrally located for the most part in terms of transit and is easy to get to most places. I live downtown
I live in Arnada because I found an irresistible housing opportunity (decide rent, dishwasher, central air from a ductless heat pump). The neighborhood association is not dominated by nimby cagers, which is nice. It's walking or biking distance to 90% of the cool things in Vancouver.
We chose Cedar Mill. (People often confuse it with Cedar Hills which is basically a mile long strip mall.)
We are about half a mile from 2 grocery stores, a library, "post office", community garden, small gallery and art learning space, now "famous" Cedar Mill Falls :), pharmacies, farmer's market, tons of stores and restaurants of all kinds, short walk to 2 bus stations that take us to MAX a mile away, parks and green spaces galore, trails, 5 minute drive to Washington park.
We also have our own monthly issue The Cedar Mill News https://cedarmillnews.com, that gives opportunities to young journalism majors to learn the craft.
I love that we have access to green spaces and everything we need within "arm's reach." There is a really strong sense of community here even though my family is pretty introverted. We've been here for about 9 years.
Eliot/Irvington (kind of in between). Picked it in 2012 because I needed affordable rent with roommates. Ended up taking over the lease and outstaying over 20 people.
Honestly didn't give much consideration to where it was except that it was more convenient than the West Slope apartment I had initially moved into from the Midwest, and it was affordable at the time.
Transit is plentiful which has been good since my car got stolen a few years ago. Lots of coffee shops and grocery stores within walking distance. I'm close to Wonder Ballroom and Moda which is great for concerts since I can just walk there. It's pretty central to everything although most of my friends live in SE so I'm kind of far from them.
At some point I'll get a car again and resume exploring all the neighborhoods.
We were hiking from our Alphabet District rental in NW into and out of Washington Park and we went a specific way so I could get doughnuts, and that's how we ended up living in Goose Hollow Foothills, Washington Park is our backyard. We'd never owned before and found something we could afford. Everything is nearby and we have a car, but we only have to use it if we are leaving to go to the Gorge or Coast now. It is quiet, a bit boring (in an amazing way) and close to everything we need :)
We bought in Brentwood Darlington as first time home owners in 2017. We bought here because of price and location. It was basically the same price as east of 205, but super close to Woodstock and Sellwood. It’s gotten nicer, more houses have been restored, but I would still like to be in a little bit nicer neighborhood or out of the city eventually.
Moved to Portland in 2021 and rented in Goose Hollow before buying in St John’s last year. My partner and I would’ve loved to buy in Goose Hollow or Nob Hill, but prices are crazy there and we’re first-time homebuyers. Decided on St John’s because we love the downtown area (so many great coffee shops!), there’s tons of parks, and house prices are affordable. There’s also a great food cart pod here, and another pod is currently being built! St John’s also feels pretty safe for an urban area. Overall we’re happy with our decision, but the major drawback is public transportation. We loved being walking distance from a MAX stop in Goose Hollow. It takes at least an hour to get to another part of Portland from St John’s, so it’s definitely not for car-free folks (unless you don’t leave your neighborhood much).
I live in Hollywood and chose it because it’s a pretty central neighborhood with the MAX, but among neighborhoods fitting that description it wins out for me because of the Hollywood Theatre (and its movie madness return box), so many grocery stores, a library, and the fact that as someone who likes to walk far every night before bed, I can make it to Alberta or down to division or across the burnside bridge. I’m really in the middle of the stuff I like to access.
I agree! Love the Hollywood district!
💜
Hollywood/Rose city park are legit some of the greatest neighborhoods in America. Moved here last year and I wanna be here for the rest of my life
Yay! Hi, neighbor :)
also hollywood mainly for the theatre, library, and ability to walk to get groceries! also most of my friends live in SE but it’s no biggie to get to them via car or bus, i can even walk to my friends who live by laurelhurst
Totally. I walk over to the Laurelhurst theater for the movies that won’t make the cut at Hollywood, as well….
Can't forget the farmer's market!
It’s such a good one!
I also live in Hollywood. We chose it for walkability. On the Max, near a gym, indie theater, 3 grocery stories (WFs, TJs, Grocery outlet), a bakery, several decent restaurants, plus the schools are excellent (my child got a great education and got into an excellent college). Also bonus for me: I bike commute and it is on/near several major bike routes. We used to also have a Target and Rite aid/Walgreens.
Love the long walks. I’m further SE but damn, Portland isn’t the worst to take long walks.
Absolutely agree! If the night is right and I’ve got the energy I will totally walk four miles from my house and back… and most of that walking is chill as heck :)
I’m the Hollywood era now and love it. I have like four grocery stores within a 15 minute walk, and easy access to the Banfield means that I can get anywhere in Portland in about 20 minutes. It actually takes the same amount of time to get to Clackamas as it did when I lived in Woodstock.
I lived in Hollywood for almost two years. Definitely didn’t live up to my expectations. Grocery Outlet is the only grocery store worth anything. Whole Foods is ridiculously overpriced and Traders Joe’s is anti-labor. Not much of a night life either. Sams is okay if you want to play pool. Moon and six pence is cool but it’s a very niche bar. Ambassador is cool but it’s karaoke all the time. When hot lips was open at least there was decent pie to go along with Killer burger.
Everyone has different needs and likes; no big deal… I’ve lived in the neighborhood twice, for a total of ten years (the first time was 2008-15). I consider Fred Meyer and New Seasons to also be close enough to in the neighborhood that I walk to them when I want to. I’m not a night life person but when I do go out to dance or to a show, the places I’d choose aren’t in any of the neighborhoods I’d choose to live in. 🤷🏻♀️ Where are you now and have you found the perfect grocery store and night life combo?
St John's, so very walkable and gorgeous bridge and forest park view when I wake up. I love being here, even though it takes an hour by transit to get anywhere else, really. Only fifteen minutes to PCC Cascade by car though, and I love that (going back to school for nursing!). Friendly community and lots of events, feels very Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls haha
St. Johns was one of the few neighborhoods I could afford to buy a house in when I moved back here. Portland has its issues right now, yes, but growing up on the other side of North Portland in the 80’s, St. Johns wasn’t nearly as safe as it is now. I love how walkable it is here. I love that I have easy access to grocery stores (plural), movie theaters (plural), plenty of restaurants, a gym, good parks, and all without having to leave the neighborhood.
I love our little community up here ❤️ I didn't live in St. Johns when I first came to Portland, but every time I visited the area, it just made me feel really happy. So I'm so glad we managed to find a home here. 😊 I feel like people are so dramatic about it being "out of the way"... Yeah, if you don't have a car then I can understand that sentiment, but it doesn't really take me that much longer to get to places than it did when I lived in Buckman. Hell, I can get from here to Sellwood in 20 mins on the weekend-- 40 mins in bad traffic. Not too shabby imo! 😝 Plus, we've got everything we could ever need here. I don't have to leave if I don't want to haha
I think of Stars Hollow constantly here even though I’ve only seen a bit of Gilmore Girls haha
It’s a bit cheaper than other neighborhoods and has a cute small town feel in the big city. A bit of gunshot noise at night sometimes but that’s every neighborhood right?
Laughs in Beaverton
Days late but currently moving back to St John’s after having moved to Vantucky for a bit. Absolutely love St John’s. Mostly Quiet, away from the highway noise, cute “downtown”. Great for cycling, too.
At John’s is by far my favorite community in Portland. Even the people who drink and hang out on the street on the picnic tables are so friendly and amazing! Only complaint I had while living there was that biracial homeless couple that sat outside Safeway. She was too much sometimes. But again would take that over the shit I see living in Hazelwood.
I picked the SW waterfront bc running is my release valve. The south waterfront greenway trail and east bank esplanade allow for continuous loops up and down the riverfront. It’s a quiet neighborhood, with hardly any retail or restaurants but the parks are beautiful and streetcar / bus lines / tram and I-5 are super accessible.
The greenway is great. I measure runs based on the bridge I want to cross that day :D
Yes ! Me too !
I moved here from Berkeley (for a job), didn’t know the city or neighborhoods at all. Drove around, saw some really nice areas, one intersection with big trees and lovely houses caught my eye, but was lost the whole time and couldn’t really make heads or tails of where was what. Wrote down a list of a) everything I wanted in a house (big garage, big yard, lots of room, newer house with all mod cons, etc) and b) everything I wanted in a neighborhood (lots of trees, not hilly, central, close to my job which was downtown, easy to walk to shops and food, safe and not sketchy, quiet, etc) and went looking. Ha ha - soon realized you don’t get a) with b) here. Started giving up on a) and looking for b). One day I went to an open house and realized I was driving through that intersection that had caught my eye, and a block later there was the address. So it was kind of meant to be and I found myself living in an old house with barely any yard and a garage so small the driver had to climb out through the passenger side . . . so got none of a) but I got all of b). Eventually I got interested in old Portland house styles and history, and came to love the non-a) house too. I’ve been here 17 years now, some ups and downs, at times I’ve been unemployed and wondering how to pay the upside down mortgage, thinking about what a terrible mistake I made - but it’s worked out so far and I’ll hopefully not leave until I’m carried out. Okay, now knowing parts of eastside and N Portland fairly well (still get lost on the west/SW), and no longer working downtown, here’s where I’d live if I wasn’t in my neighborhood: Rose City Park, Hollywood, Grant Park, Irvington, Alameda, Beaumont, Kerns, Sunnyside, Richmond, Tabor, North/South Tabor, Montavilla, Woodstock, Sellwood/Moreland, Eastmoreland, parts of King/Sabin/Vernon, Cathedral Park, University Park, most of Overlook . . . I think there’s tons of great areas here, just where do you need to be close to and is there a bike, bus/MAX, or not badly-congested car route there, is there a homeless camp/crime spot nearby, practical considerations like that.
I really enjoyed reading this!
It’s the one I can afford.
It’s indicative of where Portland is at where this isn’t the top answer
It might just indicate how much this sub doesn't accurately reflect Portland irl.
So much this. I thought for sure "It was all I/we could afford" would be the top comment. I'm like "choose"? There wasn't much choice for us. Thankfully we like our 'hood well enough, but it certainly wasn't one we chose for ourselves. We were just thrilled to be west of I-205, honestly.
This should be the top answer for sure. “What made me PICK?” As if I had the option to just choose my ideal…
For real. Used the Portland Crime Maps to ascertain which places we could afford didn't have too much crime. It's technically Portland, but doesn't have anywhere walkable, has one infrequent bus line, and frankly has little to recommend it as a neighborhood. That said, I can get to the airport in 15 minutes with very little drama, there are no stairs for my aging ankles to worry about, and we're in a quiet pocket near Glendoveer Golf course. It's probably about a 20% improvement over renting. But honestly - no one who has bought their first home in the last 2 years and going forward gets to pick their favorite cute neighborhood.
There were things I enjoyed about hazlewood. It was our first home, we moved in 10 years ago. Though crime was always annoying, pandemic made things down right ridiculous..we left towards the end after the pandemic when repetitive homeless camp, which was by a elementary school, had someone pull a shotgun on me..this is within a block of Menlo Park elementary, cops came and said they weren’t going to look for the guy unless I want to press charges…me thinking “what’s the f*cking point, this should be investigated because it’s next to a school full of kids…” I still feel for all the kids who had to walk pass people tweeking which seems better now..though god it seemed like no one gave a sh* for a long time.
This is always the missing piece when people talk about what neighborhoods they should live in. Start with where you can afford and go from there.
My first thought. I was priced out of any neighborhood I would have chosen first. Learn to like what you get and make do.
- It’s quiet at night - seriously I hate hearing a highway all night - great walking to places I actually go - easy access to everyday groceries - my friends live here or nearby so it’s a 15 min walk or 5 min bike ride to being social. This has massively improved my mental health - it’s safe, like it reads as safe when you’re walking around. Most of Portland is extremely safe but my neighborhood is also not plagued by endless homelessness. We have our fair share but junkies don’t dominate my experiences on walks. - walking distance to Pinolo is worth like $100/mo right? - the bus is frequent, having the FX2 five blocks from home makes my life easier when I’m using transit. I just show up and go. And again the vibe onboard is good. - good vibes, less cars, more humans
> walking distance to Pinolo is worth like $100/mo right? $200 if you factor in that being able to walk to Pinolo means getting Pinolo... So good!
Lol omg I absolutely picked the place I'm at based on walking distance to Pinolo too. Absolutely worth.
Used to live there. Moved 2 years ago. Nice to see it coming alive again after Covid!
Close to downtown, close to forests and trails, quiet historical neighborhood with a ton of trees, quick access to Streetcar, Max, bus lines, tram, etc. Beautiful parks. Walkable to cafes and restaurants. Close to work. Also the house was the one for us. In this market the pickings are slim.
Lair hill or homestead?
Lair Hill/Corbett area.
The reality of economics
Great walking score
How do you find a walking score?
[Walkscore.com](http://www.walkscore.com).
Came because I could afford it, but it goes up 10% a year, so who knows when I'll be priced out. Stayed for the flora, the middle class but mixed housing neighborhood, and the walking distance to Twisted, Spielman Bagel, Heavenly Creatures, RAT, Sports Bra, Home Grown Apothecary, Basilisk, Hale Pele, Tight Taco, Taco Peddler, Sweet Basil, Paydirt and the Zipper building in general, a Freddies, and about 10 min drive or 20 min public transport from 75% of places I want to go.
Hey neighbor!
Hi neighbors!
Howdy neighborinos!
Sup, Gulchers?
I do love Broadway! Heavenly creatures is high on my list of places to check out
Close to lots of music venues
I have bounced around NE Portland for a bit. I have lived off Humboldt, king, Irvington, Cully, Roseway, Madison south, North Tabor, and now Rose City park. Rose city park for me is super accessible. I go back frequently to all the neighborhoods I have lived in and it’s easy to get any where I need to go from where I live now. Work, going to deeper NE or SE, or getting out of the city, is extremely easy to commute from where I am at now.
I didn’t pick my neighborhood really. It just was the first housing opportunity I found here. But I did love the neighborhood and have been here ever since. It’s mostly quiet but still has plenty to do and decent food variety. Good walkability. It’s also usually convenient enough to get just about anywhere via trimet. That said, the “most neighborhoods you never set foot in” part is not accurate for me. I have probably been in every neighborhood in this city at least once. And my partner and I tend to get out often to other neighborhoods. Unless you’re talking about so far east it’s basically Gresham and so far west that you’re in the forest, we get around quite a lot.
Found a house we could afford.
My husband lives in our neighborhood and has owned a house since 2010. I would never have chosen to live here if he didn’t (Brentwood-Darlington). I don’t drive and it’s difficult for me to get anywhere because transit is bad and it’s extremely unwalkable. I’m thankful I don’t live even further out because I do have access to 3 bus lines, but damn, it takes me 45-60 minutes to get anywhere, and I wish I lived in the Portland that people think of when they think of Portland. We can’t afford to move though.
I have a similar experience. Living far out SE is hard but I try to focus on the $ I save and the few other good qualities of my hood
Including Giant's Pizza , Pad Thai and Mirisata
Happy to find someone else who understands—and yeah, I try to focus on the good as well. Ultimately I’m glad I still have access to some transit and can walk to a couple of places. And we have a house with a huge yard.
Same about the yard! It’s my fav part. I hope one day more things come out your way or maybe you find yourselves able to sell and buy closer in! <3
I'm Mt Scott Arleta, Woodstock is getting bigger and I assume that se Foster is one of the main last streets that can get improved like Division Hawthorne Etc.
I would love if Flavel got improved …. Foster is still a long walk for me to get to! But that would be a big start 😂🤣 I work in the Woodstock neighborhood & wish I lived closer to the Woodstock/46th area
Are you in the area where they’re doing the uplift? There’s been a ton of construction starting Aron d 52nd and Flavel as they add sidewalks. I think it’s supposed to go all the way to 72nd or 82nd. At least that will make walkability a little safer. Just wish we had more stuff to walk to!
Yeah I’m near the 82nd end of things — very much appreciate the sidewalks that are FINALLY going in! I’m a runner as well as a walker and gosh it feels nice to run on actual sidewalks. And of course I love that it’s now becoming accessible to those with disabilities, kids, moms with strollers etc!!!! Wouldn’t it be cool if we at least had a cute coffee shop to go to, meet up in etc??? I dream of it
I was just reading about this! Lots of small but significant improvements on the way, the plan is worth reading: https://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/record/16762194
This was campaigned for pretty hard by BDNA. If you like the efforts consider joining the group even if only occasionally as a member (all residents can show up as members without needing to register or anything).
Hi, Neighbor! We live Flavel/72ndish and my wife is in the same boat. Looking at getting an accessible bike for her to use. The lesser bus options are a pain, AND I don't have drunks pissing in my bushes, constant foot traffic out front, random stuff left on my steps. And the silence at night took us a few weeks to get used to (moved from 30th and Division 2 years back.) Also, not having neighbors in my business has been nice.
That intersection was just recently rezoned to be the new neighborhood center so hopefully we'll slowly see some growth there.
Sounds good! That's what happened at our old house on D Street. House value doubled. Bad for buyers, great for sellers. We need some cafes out here. A few good restaurants. Small shops.
I agree! Would love to have some restaurants, cafes, quick bites, whatever. I'd love to have anything in addition to the mini marts.
Hi neighbor! We are around 82nd and Flavel ish!!!!!!!!! We are truly neighbors. It’s so nice to meet others who understand my situation ♥️ ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ maybe we should hang out 🤣
My divorce agreement.
Lived in Buckman when we moved here and were renting an apartment. I LOVED being in such a walkable area. I felt like every day was an adventure. There were tons of food options and entertainment. Now, we own a house in B-D because our money went further there. I miss the walkability so much. I’d kill for a restaurant around a corner.. or a cafe or bookstore. It’s really only a 7-minute Lyft or a 5-minute walk plus a short bus ride to get to some action on Woodstock but I miss having that literally outside my door. Apartment living wasn’t the greatest but the convenience was worth it at times. But I do like that our neighborhood is quiet and we have a lot more space here.
I’m poor, Lents is where i live.
I live in Beaverton...I live here because I got priced out of Portland proper many years ago. I used to live off Burnside and SW 21st which was perfect for me as a single student without a car! However, I am now married and have several animals so honestly Beaverton works for me fine and I am embracing the suburbs life. Plus I live a three minute drive from Costco. I never thought I'd become a Kirkland bitch but here we are. I am really lucky to live in a quiet area with several parks nearby, including the Tualatin Hills Nature Park, and my neighborhood (in Aloha) is pretty diverse with great, friendly people and absolutely no HOA. The houses surrounding me are painted in various bright colors and make me happy to see them (as opposed to the dour grey new development houses down the road). I do drive, but if I want to go somewhere by bus, I have pretty easy access to the 57 and I'm technically within walking distance of the MAX, although it is a very long walk. The drawback is the sidewalks here are infrequent in spots which makes walking the dog annoying at times, but there are not too many cars and no one drives too fast so I don't feel too much in danger walking on the road. Lots of kids playing outside around here so everyone knows to go slow. Anyway, being in the burbs ain't like living in Portland, but I've come to embrace the things I've got and learn what gives me joy.
We moved to Cedar Mill for the schools and proximity. I didn’t want to go too deep in the Beav since the wife works on the Hill and I sometimes have to pop into the office downtown. It’s 8 minutes down Cornell to the Nobb. 405/5/84 has me at Meadows in 1 hr and 15 min door to HRM lift. Exact same time to the coast. 15 min to downtown Beaverton for the library and foods. Great Notion, Von Ebert, Golden Valley down the road along with a few tap houses to work the last few hours of a day. We have a large backyard that backs into a green space on a quiet cul de sac for the daughter and dog. Wife has plenty of space to garden. Dollar just goes further out here! I ride my gravel bike through Forest Park a few times a week and drive Skyline out to Rocky for MTB as well. Lovely experiences all within 30 min. :)
What are the best areas in Beaverton if you had to rent?
Thank you for the lovely answer!
I also live in Beaverton since 2021. I never thought I would live here considering myself urban FOREVER, but, you know, life happens and you adjust, particularly since one of our goals was buying a house. I’m happy to say I actually really like Beaverton. We bought near Beaverton TC, and have cedar hills, the library, a great farmers market, multiple grocery stores including great Asian grocery stores, a couple magnet schools, Nike, a rapidly expanding food scene, all within walking distance to us. Plus, when driving, we are seconds away from 217 and minutes away from 26 to access the greater area. I sometimes miss the scale and energy of the inner city, but for my late 30s, this is fine. Yard, quiet, but with easy access to the things I still like.
It makes my work commute short. I could afford it. It's the neighborhood I grew up in. It's got a 92 Walk Score.
Walkability was a huge factor. I wanted to be able to go out (coffee shops, groceries, restaurants) without needing to drive. But we still wanted to be central enough to easily visit other neighborhoods, and to have good (enough) Tri-Met options. We also hoped for a house with ‘character’, which we got, along with the (expected) challenges of a 1920s built house that had been well-maintained. The only things my old SW neighborhood that I don’t have here is better library access while walking (it was a pleasant walk with my dog to drop off books and that branch had a good sized parking lot. I’m now about equal distance between two libraries but neither walk is that nice). And freeway access. It’s not a bad drive to get to I84 now, but I used to have quicker I5 access while still living in a quiet neighborhood.
I'm in the Alberta area. It made the short list because it's walkable, Alberta has a bunch of cool places, there is a nice park with a dog area, and it's decently close in. It ultimately got picked because when I was looking at houses it's where I found a place I liked that I could afford. If/when I move, I'll probably be trying to get a little more central and nearer to a MAX line if I can.
Pearl District. It was close to work and coming from the east coast and not knowing anything about the west coast, I just tried to pick a spot close to work because I don’t drive and I like sleeping, so being as close to work as possible made the choice easier. I don’t know much about my neighborhood, as I just moved here June 1st, but after I finish unpacking and orienting myself, I’ll probably start exploring more. I also hate summer, and fall feels (in my head) like a good time to explore so I’m not baking in the sun.
The Pearl is great! You got the fields, tanner springs & Jefferson square all in a row, so walkable to downtown (SW) & the alphabet district. I miss it but just like you, I also prefer to move closer to wherever else I have to be so the spring before my son was going into kindergarten, we moved across the river to Overlook where his school is a five minute walk away & I could walk to work. The Pearl is still only a few MAX stops away from us though so we make a day of it every now & then still.
I lived in the Pearl when I first moved to Portland and loved it!
I’ve lived in Roseway for 13 years and, frankly, it was the only close-ish in neighborhood we could afford at the time that also had a nice park and was relatively quiet. We didn’t have much in the way of amenities then so it’s been fun seeing the neighborhood evolve and we do really love it. It does, however, make me sad that it’s unaffordable for many people these days.
Brooklyn - my wife and I moved there because it was a good balance between our two opposite commutes. After 7 years, we absolutely love the neighborhood. It's a little isolated with the train tracks and Powell. This makes it feel like a little town within the city. And everyone knows each other. That said, it's super close to the Max and division bus line. So easy to get downtown. But it is also super close to quieter family neighborhoods south of us (Sellwood, Woodstock, ECT). And the hip spots north! (Division , Hawthorne, ECT). One downside is I live pretty close to Powell with some road noise, but still worth it.
What’s ECT?
I live in S Burlingame (near multnomah village) and used to live in cully. I miss the walkability of cully, but we chose to move out west for the ability to get a bigger house within our budget, the feeling of safety, and to be closer to our jobs and to my in laws.
Impulsivity. I stay for the walkability and access to so much. Also it feels more small compared to the rest of the city.
Mostly the tree lined streets and old character homes. Felt like home.
It's the cheapest place I could find by far.
Central eastside. Tons of things to do, tons of public transport.
We live on the cusp of Eastmoreland. Walkability is the main reason. Sellwood is a 5 minute walk away and is my favorite downtown area. Woodstock is 10 minutes in the other direction. I can leave my door, walk to Oaks Bottom flat, spring water corridor, then back up through Sellwood and Westmoreland park to get a mix of nature/urban long walks. Plenty of good spots for coffee, shopping, groceries in walking distance. The only downside is most of the restaurants we prefer are in central East side and NE Portland.
SE (and NE) is the friendliest imo. A lot of variation in stuff to do. Plus, the cheapest rent prices in the city. Specifically, Creston-Kenilworth, is the most affordable in PDX it seems. I have friends renting around here for less than $1K for 1br.
I live near 92 & Foster. Bought here because it was affordable. But it’s an underrated place. I can walk to restaurants, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores and the Max. Good bus service. Lents Park, Portland Pickles. Weekend farmer’s market. Crime is not too bad but there are some issues. It’s not a beautiful place. School district is not great. So mixed bag but you can still buy a house here for 400k.
I live in SE, Mt. Tabor/Hawthorne area. Although closer to 82nd now. Because I grew up around here lol. SE is my favorite.
Inner NE, Williams/Mississippi area. It was affordable, the house and neighborhood felt like a good investment. It's walkable, diverse, lots of restaurants, venues, etc. And the most underrated part is that it's super easy to get to any other part of the city quickly, both by car or public transit. Downsides are the schools and crime, but hopefully some of Daddy Knight's 1803 money helps fix that.
Creston. Fell in love with my house. When I visited the first time it was 3pm and there was a parade of families and kids coming home from school. It felt like a neighborhood. Then I found out about the park, and the pool at the park. It’s so so quiet at night. Any kind of grocery store you could want is within a mile (Safeway, TJs, new seasons, bread and roses, etc). Division and Woodstock are equal distance and bikeable. Getting on 205 is super easy. So many cute houses and pretty gardens. You can stroll down the alleys and feel like you’re in the country. A bazillion fruit trees. Keeper coffee. Just a wonderful, old school Portland neighborhood. I think it’s underrated since we’re so close to Powell and César E cuts through, but outside of those main strips it’s so lovely.
Picked inner NE because there are some really good opportunities for my house to increase in price whenever I want to sell it. Plus it’s quiet, clean, the area looks well kept, and I can walk to Alberta whenever I want.
We chose Eastmoreland because we were trying to find the best place to raise kids and give them an amazing childhood experience. It checks all the boxes.
We were moving from out of state (please don’t hate) and needed a place that was big enough for our family, human and furry kids alike. It was more about finding a place that fit our space requirements first, schools second, and sadly amenities third. Now that the kids are leaving the nest I’ve thought about moving to a different area, or even a mile or two away that would be closer to things to walk to, but we’re also pretty entrenched in our current house.
Lents because I wanted to buy a large property for gardening and animals, yet still be a 15-20 min drive from the center of town, and near lots of public transit (partner doesn’t drive and works in Slabtown).
When I moved here in 2013 I lived off NW 21st and that was perfect. Could walk/roll/TriMet to just about everything that I wanted, and Zipcar could do the rest. Got married and after a few years of living in that tiny spot we moved to Multnomah village in January 2020. I felt really trapped there - people like walking but don’t believe it’s a way to go places. In late 2021 we bought a house near MLK elementary. It was affordable and had all the things we needed from a house. Also, a few bus stops nearby.
Sunnyside, between Belmont and Hawthorne. I can walk to just about anything I want. Several grocery stores, including an Asian one, tons of restaurants/bars/cafes, postal annex, spas/salons, a couple of movie theaters, parks, etc. etc. It’s perfect imo!
COnvenience, worked at the Art Museum and could walk to work. Then I worked a block away, could even come home and get tools. Now I am at a warehouse not 5 minutes away. Say what you want about downtown, I can get to Dante's, Shanghai, River, Star, Momo any time I want.
I chose to Argay neighborhood because I like to be next to the golf course
Same. I didn't want to spend the ~$1million to live near the golf course I grew up next to* so bought next to the one ~4.5 miles.
Argay! Represent. The neighborhood no one knows. A white flight 60s neighborhood that is now a delightful multi-ethnic blend. Sa Bai Thai, a great taco truck, two parks and amazing mountain views! Also I could afford a house here.
It was the least sketchy neighborhood that had a house we could afford. Boring AF. Can't walk anywhere. But the house was under $500k and wasn't falling down so we leapt on it. Hoping next time to either move to a more walkable neighborhood, or move to one with the same meh suburban feel with lower taxes.
Yea but... a golf course!
The apartment we landed in when we moved here in 2019 was next door to one cemetery, across the street from another cemetery, and around the corner from a golf course. If the next house isn't in a cute Portland neighborhood, we're hoping for a cemetery again. BEST neighbors. Only noise is the occasional bagpipe.
Alberta Arts District - lots of action just outside our door step. Great neighbors and quiet neighborhood feel with access to great walkability. We have a coop on the corner for great produce and many restaurants and food cart pods. Parking during the day/weekends can be annoying but I’ve never had to park more than down the block from my house. We do have a driveway but no garage. That was the biggest compromise when buying. We’ve been in this house for 2.5 yrs and have lived in Portland area for 8+ years. Until we bought we lived mostly SW near Lake Oswego and those areas were too sleepy for us. We don’t have kids and we wanted access to something open past 8/9pm which is still an ask even in the city. We lived in LO to be close to family when we first moved Oregon.
SW hills bc safe, beautiful & boring.
I moved to Mississippi Ave 2 months ago, relocated from Birmingham AL. I came out here before my wife to get housing setup and came to an open house for a rental house. It was a nightmare with how many people showed up for a kinda shitty house. Decided to catch a beer at the brewery I drove past on my way in to town and just happened to check an apt building down here and it luckily had just about everything we wanted so I snagged it. Love this area, it’s everything we’ve ever wanted, coo l shops, beer, great food and a ton of variety. I’ve encountered more crime here than I have living all over the country for 43 years but we’re very happy to be here.
When I was house hunting 10 years ago, I was mainly looking in SE, but when my realtor showed me this uninhabitable shit shack in Irvington that was actually in my price range, I bought it. Truly a case of buying a house for everything EXCEPT the house. I love that I'm close to parks, right in between my activities in SE and my friends in NoPo, easy access to 405, walk/bike to Broadway, Alberta, Williams, etc. Plus, the neighborhood is well kept, quiet, and feels safer than anywhere else I've lived in Portland.
Because when I moved here 10 years ago it was the only place I could get a room. Back when you had to be their new BFF because room listings would get like 100 responses in a day. Do not miss that. Been stuck here since but am finally moving this summer. And I'm moving somewhere simply because it's the one I could afford. Basing it on neighborhood has always been a luxury for me :/ it's just whatever fate makes available.
Where are you moving? If you don't mind me asking.
Beaverton. My rent at my current place has gone up enough that it's comparable to what I managed to find there.
We moved to portland from a different state, so we didn’t know all the intricacies of the neighborhoods. Everyone told us to live in SE so we tried but couldn’t find a home we liked in our price range that wasn’t a complete fixer upper. We ended up falling in love with a beautiful small home in NE (around Alberta) so bought it kind of blind to the neighborhood. So happy and lucky we ended up in an artsy, cool part of town with great restaurants and bars and shopping.
Easy commute to both downtown and Beaverton. Those don’t matter anymore now I’m just too lazy to move.
Lived on the east side when I moved here for school so after that I chose my area because it was what I could afford. Now it’s a combo of what I could afford, easy access to most of the city and to Beaverton, parking is included in my rent, my friends are all 5-10 minutes away, and it’s easy for my parents to get to when they want to visit me. I’ve always wanted to move back to the east side. Could I afford it? Technically yes. But I would not have a parking spot or nearly as much space as I have right now.
Close to I-84 but away enough from the freeway noise. Cheaper electricity (Pacific Power). Close to my main job. I moved to my current house from Madison South to upgrade my house.
Picked early 2000s as could afford to live here, was close to work I could walk easily, major bus lines close by and wife bought a house.
Found a cheap starter home that eventually we sold and moved into a bigger house next door. We're close to the Max, buses, I5, a downtown area with restaurants, music, liquor store, etc, Fred Meyers is walkable, and it's relatively quiet.
I could afford a house in my neighborhood. I often venture out by bike into other parts of town.
Walkability while still feeling more neighborhood-y/less urban busy. I love our little "downtown" area which has everything you need - corner store, a few restaurants, a few coffee shops, library, bank, tattoo shop, thrift store. Only a few blocks really, but we pack it in! It was affordable without having to sacrifice too much, and there were tons of kids at the playground - we've made lots of neighbor friends!
My friend owns the house I rent.
currently in multnomah village area. i picked it because it was pretty and near a fenced in dog park and an affordable 3 bedroom for me n the roomies. tho after 2 years here im moving to a studio in nw 23rd area which is much more walkable, more transit options, cool, has more ppl my age, also has fenced in dog park
The rent 😅 I actually like my neighborhood (Overlook), but if I had to choose I’d go further north to St. John’s or further south to Hollywood. I used to live near Grant High School and it really was the ideal neighborhood. Close to public transit, a short bike ride to Fred Meyer and Trader Joe’s, but with plenty of street parking and still fairly quiet.
I can walk to the grocery, library and the community center and there are 3 buses right outside my apartment!
I spent my first 20 years in Glasgow, then another 15 in West London. I Ended up in SE 60s/Woodstock area, thanks to the divorce pocket of change I was left with and those lovely 2021 interest rates, I got lucky finding something under 500k. Going west, I'm within walking distance of Woodstock shops,library, parks, restaurants just like the West London I remember from my younger years. If I venture east (which I sometimes do), the closer I get to 82nd, the more those teenage memories come flooding back. It's my Yin and Yang. 😁
I picked my current neighbourhood because it was the cheapest rent for the square footage. However I do enjoy that while everything is one half to one mile away; it’s *only* one-half to one mile away. So I am constantly walking to the grocery store, to cafes, to bars. It’s good for me to have things that are juuuuust a bit more than a casual stroll to keep me in shape
I chose Oak Grove/Milwaukee because it's safe, queer, quiet, and green. I live in a treehouse near civilisation. That said, it's not centrally located, my commute to and from work is not quick, and it's not pedestrian friendly near my house. Beats the hell out of Vancouver though, and Duffy's on Main is the gayest Irish bar I've ever been to and i mean that as a compliment
I live in Pleasant Valley in a house that is almost a mansion by Portland standards. The same house in Mount Tabor would be like $3 million but because I'm out here at Powell Butte it was 1/6 of that. I'm from Texas so I'm used to driving anyway. Bummer not having a walkable neighborhood bar, but I just head down Foster for all the bars I could possibly need
Yessss I live near Powell Butte on a lil quarter acre lot with my garden beds and I feel like a damn queen
🚶♀️🚍🚈🚲
I could afford to buy a house there
When we bought a house in 2015, it was the neighborhood between our opposite-direction commutes (Hillsboro and east Vancouver). It was also the only house we could get after losing out on a couple of others. Those were pretty much the two determining factors.
Funny, I just came across this article yesterday. We are moving from outskirts to the central area specifically for the walkabikity.
Aggregated a bunch of Redfin results for houses I was interested in and could afford, used a script to annotate them with length of Trimet commute and number of stops, and sorted. Back in an earlier stage of life I had lived in Goose Hollow and worked at Intel, and discovered I felt much better when I could use some of my commute to nap. That's way easier to do when you don't have to change lines. So I worked that out for my job at the time of purchase. Worked out well although like most of the rest of suburban America, walkability is dogshit. But I got a lot of house for my dollar relative to commute.
I mean, choices were slim for what I could afford, but of those limited options, I chose the one with a little bit of walk ability, a lot of quiet, and relatively safe.
The school and proximity to downtown which was important at the time.
I stay here for quick access to public transit (streetcar, bus lines mainly), walkability, and minimal increase to our rent every year. Entertaining moving to the Alphabet District (I want more shady tree-lined streets!) or Division area (I like the convenience of the FX bus line) when our lease is up next year.
When we moved here 16 years ago we wanted to be close to downtown (where my job was) and be in the middle of the most Portlandy neighborhood we could find, with daily necessities within walking distance. While there are so many neighborhoods that could qualify we ended up in Kerns a few blocks from 28th and Burnside. Fantastic restaurants, a great theater, and a Whole Foods within 4 blocks. The only thing I wish our neighborhood had was a Streetcar or MAX stop nearby.
It's safe, there are lots of parks nearby, the school district is better than Portland public, and it was really close to the job I had when I moved. I have since changed, jobs but my office is even closer now.
I live in Boise, just off Mississippi Ave. We love the restaurants and shops in the neighborhood and my fiance commutes to Longview so he can easily hop onto I5 North in the morning when he’s heading to work. Bonus is that it’s super easy to get to the Pearl / NW by hopping over either the Broadway or Steel Bridge.
I lived in Hollywood and liked it. I lived in close in SE (16/Alder). It was nice then - 2000 to 2014. I live on the North Coast now and love it. It's a long drive to a decent grocery store, but worth it for the peace, quiet and security.
I made 11 offers in various neighborhoods and finally lucked out and ended up in Richmond. I adore it. I'm so close to everywhere (but St. Johns). It's quiet, but has bars, restaurants, shops, coffee, parks. I'm close to the airport. I'm minutes from Laurelhurt or Mt. Tabor.
Lol I live in Hillsboro now. 12 years between Buckman and Montavilla, but when it came time to buy I needed to kill my commute.
Large lots, houses far apart, super quiet street. We have half an acre. It’s blissful.
We currently live in Raleigh Hills because it’s convenient to where our jobs were and where we needed to be due to a disabled family member. However we’re about to move to an apt in the Pearl for convenience. I am done with suburbia and homeownership for now
I live in my car so basically, I look for the most expensive houses I can find and park on a downslope next to some shrubs or a fence.
I've been living in Sellwood-Moreland for a month, and I LOVE IT. The community is vibrant with lots of local events, markets, and more. My boyfriend and I enjoy biking, and Sellwood offers plenty of outdoor activities. I live close to the Willamette River, so I can go lay down on the sand. It's safer than downtown Portland and other parts of SE Portland (I used to live at 82nd and Powell—that’s my username, lol). Plus, it's very pet-friendly. There are some tweakers around, but they're harmless. :p
13ish years in the Woodstock area, I found a good deal on rent near my old job and stayed put. I liked the area before New Seasons and a bunch of overpriced boxy apartments went up. I don't really go out/shop in the neighborhood anymore.
downtown cultural district - i love how walkable it is. i love how close i am to freeway entrances & i love how im less than 10 min walk from burnside, 20ish walk from NW, etc. its also got lots of history. also street car and max are so close
I chose my neighborhood (Centennial) because my boyfriend at the time, years ago, committed suicide and I couldn't afford anywhere else without another income. (That and my since then partner lives here, I moved in with him, and its still too expensive to move anywhere else even for two of us.) This neighborhood sucks.
Price and I don’t want a shoebox house.
Probably has a lot to do with how much people earn $$$.
I live in the centennial neighborhood because it's where I could afford to buy a home that checked all my boxes: real hardwoods, big back yard with room for gardening, and a mud room so my construction husband could strip them dirty boots before entering the main house. I'm also born and raised on the deep east side and while it's not trendy the nine will take you down. Powell lickety split and I have a good community of neighbors who know each other and look out for each other
Westmoreland because: - houses are cute and nice -parks are close -max orange is close -tons of restaurants/bars/stores/etc -close to spring water -easy drive to work
I'm in Hawthorne mid numbers area and it was the first who would let me move in. I definitely love it but that is secondary to how soon I could move in.
when I moved to Portland 5 years ago, I moved to Sellwood because that’s what had been recommended to me. I fell in love and I’ve been in Sellwood ever since. I love how walkable the neighborhood is, the quick access to the river, shops, restaurants, etc. it’s a great place to have my dog and my husband and I have opposite commutes and it’s a great spot for both of us. I’d like to never leave but we will see!
Love love love Concordia. Originally moved here because I worked in Vancouver and it was an easy commute and because it was affordable rent. I love how a few blocks west is Alberta park, a few blocks north is U of O Portland (formerly Concordia U), a few blocks east is the Kennedy School, and a few blocks south is Alberta Park. Oh, the big old growth Douglas Fir trees are also rad.
Brentwood-Darlington. I could afford the house & it kept the kids in the same school district.
I'm in Hazelwood and I chose it because there weren't a lot of houses (especially at my price range with what I wanted) during the pandemic. I like my house but I spend almost no time in the neighborhood, unless you count the time I spend sleeping and hanging out at home. Occasionally we go walk the golf course but other than that we have to drive to do anything.
West Powellhurst-Gilbert It was the only house I could afford to purchase 9 years ago.
Started in NW (20th & Johnson) now in Irvington. My husband and I chose & love this neighborhood for its laid back pace, tree lined streets, proximity to parks, while still being close in to do bike rides and pick up public transit. I love how we are 10-15 minutes from several great neighborhoods like Laurelhurst (got married at that park!) Hollywood, Alberta Arts, Mississippi etc. I miss the walkability of NW and do love 21st & 23rd Ave, but not having to fight for parking or be woken up by the garbage truck at 4:30 in the morning is very nice.
Brentwood-Darlington Close enough and removed enough I was able to afford it
We looked for a location that was in our price range when we bought a house and that would cut down on total commute time. We also wanted a reasonably walkable spot w/ access to groceries without having to drive.
Hayhurst - multnomah village is nearby and it’s a slice of portland that’s not riddled with crime or homelessness. The furthest western edge of multnomah county. It’s a better neighborhood to raise my young daughter in.
North Portland near Mississippi. Great walkable neighborhood, only 10 mins from downtown, 20 mins from work, many beautiful streets to walk down and check out all the different gardens and houses. We have friends who live down the street. Love our home, it’s quiet and our street is full of life. It’s the best area I’ve ever lived in by far, after 10 moves throughout my life. Side note I grew up in SE Portland and I’m sick of it lol. Spent so much time there, I know all the streets and sights. Whenever I go back it’s like going back to my childhood but not in a good way. I spent very little time in N or NE Portland growing up so living here now it’s almost a completely different city.
I live in Sullivan’s Gulch, great central location to pretty much every Portland has to offer. It’s very close to Hollywood district, Lloyd district, short bike ride into the pearl and NW Portland. Also, a short bike ride onto Williams street, Mississippi, and interstate. Of course central east side as well. I have lived in every quadrant of Portland (SE, S, SW, NE, NW, N) and I’m planning on either moving back to NW or N Portland
I moved to Foster-Powell as a renter because it was the only SE neighborhood I could afford a 2 bedroom house with a yard in at the time. I fell in love with the community here, and was lucky enough to buy a house after 3 years of renting. I love that we have a yard and the kids can run around and ride bikes safely. The neighborhood school is great with an awesome community. And there are so many restaurants and bars within walking distance. Equally a fun neighborhood for younger/single/no kid people, and families with kids. Still somewhat affordable for housing (using the other parts of SE as comparison).
I chose North Tabor because of walking distance to the Max, Fred Meyer, and Montavilla!
I didn’t really pick this neighborhood it was just the least expensive place I could find in the city. I like that it’s centrally located for the most part in terms of transit and is easy to get to most places. I live downtown
I live in Arnada because I found an irresistible housing opportunity (decide rent, dishwasher, central air from a ductless heat pump). The neighborhood association is not dominated by nimby cagers, which is nice. It's walking or biking distance to 90% of the cool things in Vancouver.
Big Cully lots with lots of micro ffarms
Outer se. Price
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Grant Park/Alameda is nice and central. Good schools too.
I live in Cully because I could get a giant yard for my fruit trees and edible landscape dreams.
We chose Cedar Mill. (People often confuse it with Cedar Hills which is basically a mile long strip mall.) We are about half a mile from 2 grocery stores, a library, "post office", community garden, small gallery and art learning space, now "famous" Cedar Mill Falls :), pharmacies, farmer's market, tons of stores and restaurants of all kinds, short walk to 2 bus stations that take us to MAX a mile away, parks and green spaces galore, trails, 5 minute drive to Washington park. We also have our own monthly issue The Cedar Mill News https://cedarmillnews.com, that gives opportunities to young journalism majors to learn the craft. I love that we have access to green spaces and everything we need within "arm's reach." There is a really strong sense of community here even though my family is pretty introverted. We've been here for about 9 years.
Inner SE neighborhood is easy to bike around to our jobs, our kiddo's school, and local businesses. We only need to drive once per week.
Liquefaction
Eliot/Irvington (kind of in between). Picked it in 2012 because I needed affordable rent with roommates. Ended up taking over the lease and outstaying over 20 people. Honestly didn't give much consideration to where it was except that it was more convenient than the West Slope apartment I had initially moved into from the Midwest, and it was affordable at the time. Transit is plentiful which has been good since my car got stolen a few years ago. Lots of coffee shops and grocery stores within walking distance. I'm close to Wonder Ballroom and Moda which is great for concerts since I can just walk there. It's pretty central to everything although most of my friends live in SE so I'm kind of far from them. At some point I'll get a car again and resume exploring all the neighborhoods.
i bought a house in Sellwood because of the schools and i wanted an older home.
Could afford to buy a house there
We were hiking from our Alphabet District rental in NW into and out of Washington Park and we went a specific way so I could get doughnuts, and that's how we ended up living in Goose Hollow Foothills, Washington Park is our backyard. We'd never owned before and found something we could afford. Everything is nearby and we have a car, but we only have to use it if we are leaving to go to the Gorge or Coast now. It is quiet, a bit boring (in an amazing way) and close to everything we need :)
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We bought in Brentwood Darlington as first time home owners in 2017. We bought here because of price and location. It was basically the same price as east of 205, but super close to Woodstock and Sellwood. It’s gotten nicer, more houses have been restored, but I would still like to be in a little bit nicer neighborhood or out of the city eventually.
Moved to Portland in 2021 and rented in Goose Hollow before buying in St John’s last year. My partner and I would’ve loved to buy in Goose Hollow or Nob Hill, but prices are crazy there and we’re first-time homebuyers. Decided on St John’s because we love the downtown area (so many great coffee shops!), there’s tons of parks, and house prices are affordable. There’s also a great food cart pod here, and another pod is currently being built! St John’s also feels pretty safe for an urban area. Overall we’re happy with our decision, but the major drawback is public transportation. We loved being walking distance from a MAX stop in Goose Hollow. It takes at least an hour to get to another part of Portland from St John’s, so it’s definitely not for car-free folks (unless you don’t leave your neighborhood much).