Lake Oswego Homes, Beverston Real Estate and Portland OR Condos

Portland, OR, with a population of about 582,000, is located in the Northwestern part of the United States in Oregon, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Portland ranks 30th of the most populous cities in the United States and third in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC, Canada. An estimated 2.2 million people live in the Metropolitan Portland area. Popular Science has continued to award Portland the title of the Greenest City in America and Grist Magazine lists it as the 2nd greenest city in the world.

City of Portland offers homes in all price ranges, more upscale homes are generally nestled in the hills with spectacular views of the city, rivers, mountains and the valley, such as King Height, Forest Height, Green Hills, Nob Hill, Lincoln Height, Council Crest on the west side and Alameda, Mt. Tabor and Mt. Scott on the east side. East Moreland, Dolph Park, Irvington and Laurelhurst are subdivisions in more level areas. There is an array of homes and property in the historic register. You find the latest designed homes on smaller lots; more seasoned homes have a larger lot, estate-size homes are generally on acreage. Parks are in all areas of the City. Come explore the many options of homes and real estate for sale in this area.

City of Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the county seat of Multnomah County. The western portion of the city extends into Washington County and to the south into Clackamas County. There is strong land-use planning and investment in light rail. Many streets include bicycle lanes. Portland is known for its many micro-breweries, micro distilleries and coffee shops. The city has earned the nick name “City of Roses”. The climate is ideal for growing roses which is reflected in the International Rose Test Garden located within Washington Park as are the Japanese Gardens, Oregon Zoo and the World Forestry Center; Hoyt Arboretum is adjoining in the north. The Rose Garden Arena, a newer arena next to the older Memorial Coliseum, is the home of the Trail Blazers NBA team. Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Oregon Maritime Center and Museum are on the east bank of the Willamette.

The Willamette River runs north through the city and divides the City into East and West. 7 older bridges span the Willamette plus the Marquam Bridge carrying I-5 and the Freemont Bridge with I-405. Further north of the city, the Willamette joins the Columbia River and divides Oregon from the State of Washington. The Columbia River is navigated by ocean-going ships from Astoria to the marine terminals at the Port of Portland. Burnside Street runs east to west and divides the City into North and South; therefore, the City is in sections of North, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest. The freeway system has many access and exit ramps moving traffic rapidly from one area to the other. Portland boasts an International Airport located near the Columbia River about 12 miles northeast of downtown that is also connected with the light rail system.

Downtown is very active, offering live entertainment, concerts and shows, e. g. in the Arlene Schnitzer Hall, Portland Center for Performing Arts, Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Art Institute of Portland, Keller Auditorium, Oregon Historical Society, Portland Art Museum and many more. Different ethnic food can be enjoyed in many restaurants and cafes. The Pearl District, a newer redeveloped district with high-rise condos, is just north of downtown and West Burnside and offers many boutiques, shops, restaurants and bars within walking distance. Chinatown is east and north of Downtown close to the Willamette River along with the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. Union Train Station and Greyhound Bus Depot are at the northerly end just before the Broadway Bridge.

Portland is at the north end of the Willamette Valley spread out over 145 square miles of which 11.1 square miles are water. Mainly southeast Portland lies on top of the Boring Lava Field with at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor. During clear weather, you can see from much of the city snow-capped Mt. Hood and Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Adams in Washington State. Portland is surrounded by hills and the Cascade Mountains to the east and Coastal Mountains to the west.

There are six public school districts and many private schools for all levels. You find several universities such as Portland State University, Oregon Health Science University, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College and University of Portland. Portland Community Colleges are in several areas providing the Gateway to College and non-credit education to people of all ages in various subjects.

For entertainment you can cruise on the Willamette or Columbia River while dining and dancing. Go South toward Newberg and you reach the Oregon Wine Country. Several vineyards have wine tasting on weekends throughout the summer and fall. If you prefer boating and fishing, there are many rivers, creeks and lakes to choose from. Within one hour you can go skiing or snow-boarding, often year-round, on Mt. Hood. The Oregon Coast is also within one-hour reach. The annual Rose Festival starts in June and lasts for several weeks. There is a Rose Festival Queen coronation ceremony followed by parades, carnival rides, festival activities with beer or wine tasting and different foods at the Water Front Park, dragon boat races, race cars are competing and the airshow includes the Air Force. Golfers find many golf courses to go to. Campers have a choice of campsites throughout Oregon; some accept reservations ahead of time. Saturday Market operates between March and December in downtown.

Bigger employers located in the Portland area are Adidas’ Regional Headquarter, Yakima Products, Precision Cast Parts Corporation, Schnitzer Steel Industries. In the suburbs there are Nike’s World Headquarter, Intel, Linux Technology Center of IBM, Tektronix, Maxim Integrated Products, VeriWave, Columbia Sportswear, Reser Foods and many more.

If you are interested or are relocating to Portland, please feel free to contact me for more information. I am a long-time resident of Portland, know the area well including the suburbs and have successfully assisted many satisfied clients to find their right home over the last 20 years.