6.2 out of 10

Portland

Ranked 2nd best city in Oregon
45.5059658320356 -122.683844263798
Great for
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Clean & Green
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Safe & Sound
Not great for
  • No ratings yet
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Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Singles
  • Trendy & Stylish

Reviews

5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
2yrs+

"Decent LGB nightlife"

Ive gone down to Portland for a few long weekends to visit friends and its a pretty fun place. They have some chill gay bars and just a fun nightlife scene overall. Its even MORE casual than Seattle, which I didnt know was possible until I went there.

Some of the clubs downtown can get a bit sleazy though, so watch out for that. I have some friends that live in the Central East Side of Portland, and when I visit them well usually stop by Crush Bar first, which is very laid back, and sometimes does drag shows, burlesque, and other events. Its cute. The foods not bad either.

If we feel like going out to a club afterwards, Holocene is nearby, though it gets overcrowded on the weekends. Its supposedly a gay bar, but it doesnt really seem like it inside. They used to do a monthly party called Gaycation, but they just did their last one unfortunately. Not sure why.

I was in Portland once when European Championship was on and so we went to 4-4-2 Soccer Bar, which was awesome. So rad to be in a place where everyone actually cares about soccer!

Oh I should probably mention the craft brew scene. Its just as good in Portland as in Seattle, which means there are a TON of local breweries. You really cant go wrong. There are also a lot of beer festivals. One of the biggest and the only one Ive been to is the Oregon Brewers Festival. This year Im planning to go to the Portland Craft Beer festival instead.

My friends who live in Portland love living there, and Id consider it if I was looking to move. Its definitely more affordable than Seattle and they seem to have public transportation figured out better than we do in Washington. Probably the only downside might be that its even rainier than in Seattle if you can believe it.
Pros
  • Great food and nightlife scene
Cons
  • Large homeless population
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
2yrs+

"Books, beer, and beards"

CULTURE
Portland has a very casual, organic feel to it. There are few dress codes at clubs and music venues. Books, beer, and beards are all highly valued. Natural food is everywhere. And yes, tiny houses are a real thing. Not many people actually LIVE in tiny houses, but Portland is a national favorite place for this tiny new movement. Read on for some more hints into the culture here.

BOOKS
As a shameless bookworm, one of my very favorite things about Portland is, of course, Powell’s bookstore. It is the largest independent bookstore in the WORLD and a very, very dangerous place for a book lover. You will find every book you ever dreamed of, and a thousand more. It’s the kind of place that will never be replaced by Amazon, because it’s just so damn fun to go to your favorite category and explore their new choices, check out the staff favorites, and chat it up with other people that are interested in (insert niche subject here).

THRIFTING
My other favorite place in town is Crossroads Trading Co. This is a chain used clothing store, but for some reason the one in Portland is better than the others I’ve seen. It’s fun to find a trendy new outfit that doesn’t break the bank. Actually, Portland is a great place for thrifting overall. You can get some really good finds. Maybe this is why the hipsters are so stylish. Hmmmm.

FOOD
Portland has a great food and beer scene. There are dozens upon dozens of local specialty restaurants, many of which use organic/local/fair trade ingredients. I like JoLa Restaurant in John’s Landing neighborhood. Amazing soup, sandwiches, salads, and gourmet toast. Stormbreaker Brewery is another favorite for food, and of course beer. I also like Sizzle Pie, a pizza place with a fun atmosphere and a bar that’s open late.

BEER & NIGHTLIFE
The city has tons of brewpubs downtown, and also more than one beer festival throughout the year where you can shamelessly get drunk with your friends in the name of “learning about the brewing process.” Other than downtown, Mississippi Street is the new hip place to go out. It didn’t used to be so hip, but it’s been developed/gentrified a lot in the past 2 years. Portland also has a great music scene, with a wide variety ranking from folk to opera to metal. For the most part, the nightlife is very laid back and unpretentious here.

RUNNING
Running culture is big in Portland, unsurprisingly. Athletic companies such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour have headquarters here, drawing in sports enthusiasts as employees. There are also quite a few professional runners who call Portland home. Galin Rupp, one of the U.S.’ top distance runners, is a homegrown hero, and another one of the running world’s biggest heroes, Steve Prefontaine, is from Coos Bay, about an hour from Portland. Runners really like the soft trails in Forest Park, a huge urban park stretching along the Wilammete from downtown about 5 miles north, almost to the town of Burlington.

PUBLIC TRANSIT
The city really has public transportation figured out. There’s the MAX light rail, which goes all the way to the airport, plus all the way to Beaverton, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Clackamas, Gresham, and the Expo Center. Not bad, not bad at all. Besides the MAX, there’s also the streetcars. There are two routes, the north/south line, and a loop that goes from downtown to the east side of the Willamette, and back. Oh, and there’s free public transit on New Year’s Eve! Not sure why all cities don’t do this, because it’s brilliant.

DOWNSIDES
There are two main bruises on Portland’s reputation. One is its struggle to support the homeless population. It’s unfortunate that there are so many people without a home, and Portland doesn’t seem to be able to adequately house and help them, sadly. Downtown can get pretty crowded. The second downside, oddly, is the over-abundance of strip clubs. When you picture Portland, you probably don’t think “bachelor party destination,” but it is for some. I’m not sure why this strange phenomenon has happened, but there are far too many seedy strip clubs for this small city.

COST OF LIVING
Part of the reason some Portlanders are building tiny houses is for the affordability. Depending on what part of town you’re in, rent can definitely put a big dent in your paycheck. Studios start at about $900/month, one bedrooms starting at about $1200. Luckily, prices aren’t quite as high as Seattle or San Francisco…. Yet.
Pros
  • Great food and nightlife scene
  • HUGE bookstore
  • Fun thrifting
Cons
  • Large homeless population
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Eco-Minded City with a great sense of community."

Want to play on a kickball team? Bike to work. Walk to coffee. Have easy access to organic foods direct from farms?
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
2yrs+
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Hazelwood - A great place to get started in Portland"

Hazelwood was my landing neighborhood when I moved to Portland a few years ago. It's a great place to get started - very affordable, near grocery stores, Powell's Butte Nature Park (where you can hike in foresty areas, meadows, and see many mountains from the top). Did I mention affordable? Oh yeah, I did: but it bears repeating. Fair prices for rent around here; if I were buying I'd consider it, too, because I bet this area will go up in value as PDX continues to expand.

While it is not by any means the coveted "close in" of Portland, Hazelwood is near both the train and the expressway, so it is just short hop and you can be downtown or anywhere else you want to be in Portland.

The neighborhood is quiet and appears to be mixed income. It seems racially diverse - which for me, is a bonus, I am not fond of a neighborhood that is all one race, no matter which race it is. Mixed is best. For example, there's an Asian grocery store here in the neighborhood, a Mexican nightclub, and a small tavern that seems to cater to white folks.

For shopping, it is not far to got to Mall 205, where all the big stores are (Target, Home Depot, etc). There's plenty of fast food, but the area seems to lack nice restaurants - and a Starbucks nearby would be nice, too, or even better a good independent cafe.

It's a quiet area, with more homes than apartment complexes, so it doesn't feel too crowded (although there are apartment complexes available, so newcomers can find a place here.) Overall I'd recommend Hazelwood as a great place to move in Portland. It may not be high on local flavor, but it has a lot of amenities for the cost.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"A great place to live and a lot of opportunities for bicyclists to get around."

Keeping with the Pacific North Western United States region this city has a divers culture with mostly laid back people and a wide variety of activities to partake in. There are many outdoor music venues in the summer including at the Zoo and in parks through out down town as well as some free movies played in parks. There is the Saturday Market that is also open on Sundays that have numerious vendors of locally made goods as well as First Thursday art walk in the Pearl neighborhood.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
1/5
2yrs+

"I didn't like at all"

This is area with a lot of Immigrants. If you are into Latin or Asian culture food,music,etc then you will like this place. I guess it is ok, but the crime in this area is very bad. Not enough police to patrol the area also. Not a place I would raise a family in my opinion.

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Best Neighborhoods in Portland

1

Buckman

4.5/5
"Love this part of Portland!"
45.5175491166273 -122.651587066803
"An ideal neighborhood for everyone"
45.5064581950704 -122.649415027557
"Traditional neighborhood in Portland...."
45.5494179531505 -122.623825933098
4

Northwest

4.5/5
"Very Desirable"
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5

Roseway

4.5/5
"Hidden Gem of a neighborhood"
45.5489877799838 -122.588219068523
6

Grant Park

4/5
"Popular Family-Friendly Neighborhood With a Great Park"
45.5390854618432 -122.627436862624
7

Pearl Town

4/5
"Trendy and Hip Downtown Area"
45.5280192237009 -122.682670249015
8

Goose Hollow

4/5
"Beautiful Neighborhood of Historic Homes"
45.5168951649354 -122.691849554253
"Love this neighborhood"
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10

Mount Scott

4/5
"nice neighborhood"
45.4810984673547 -122.590966097184

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