The Best Places to Live in Portland, Oregon

The population in Portland, Oregon is growing rapidly. This is because the city offers a variety of benefits. For a "big city," it still has a small-town feel. People in Portland care about social and environmental issues. They recycle and ride their bicycles to work. There are thousands of acres of public parks. The ocean, lakes, rivers, and mountains are all just a short drive away.

On every online Portland message board I have visited, I have seen people asking the same question: Where should I live in Portland? You should live on the east side, unless you like the suburbs. Here are my Top Three picks:

1. The Brooklyn neighborhood

Brooklyn is my favorite neighborhood. I am probably partial, because I live here. Brooklyn is just over the Ross Island Bridge from downtown. It is near a major bus line, and it takes just ten minutes to get downtown on the bus. The area is gaining in popularity, although it is mostly underrated. Perhaps this is because it is located smack in the middle of industrial areas. Brooklyn is a historical neighborhood, which was originally a working-class neighborhood. The houses are adorable, and the people are interesting. Brooklyn has a really neat park, called the Brooklyn Park, where children play in the fountain in the summer time and sled down a huge hill in the winter time. My favorite places to eat in Brooklyn are The Berlin Inn, which serves German fare and dozens of German wines and beers, and Edelweiss, a German deli. There is a great little coffee shop called True Brew, which serves fairly traded organic coffee, and has shelves of used books that you can purchase or read while enjoying your coffee. The Aladdin is a theater where live music is performed almost every single night. Brooklyn is close to the hip and trendy Clinton, Hawthorne, and Belmont neighborhoods, but just far enough away to not be bothered by the hipsters in all of their glory. The health food grocery store New Seasons is just one mile away from Brooklyn. The vibe here is friendly. People greet one another in passing and stop to admire cute babies and pets. The cost of housing is inflating, but is still affordable compared to other areas.

2. The Sellwood neighborhood

Sellwood is my second favorite neighborhood. It is just south of Brooklyn. Sellwood is a more aesthetically pleasing place to live than Brooklyn. The houses are interesting and quaint. There are tons of children. There is the beautiful Sellwood Park, overlooking the Willamette River. Sellwood Community Center is an excellent resource for the neighborhood. It offers dozens of classes for people of all ages. There are dozens of unique shops and places to eat. My favorite shops are Sweet Peas, a childrens consignment store, and Spielwerks, a children's toy store. There are many antique shops. There are a few good bars. The vibe here is friendly, but not as friendly as the vibe in Brooklyn. The housing is more expensive than a lot of other places in Portland, but if you are moving from California or Seattle, the prices will not shock you at all.

3. The Mt. Tabor neighborhood

The reason I picked Mt. Tabor as my third choice is because you can still find affordable housing there, and because the resource of the actual mountain, Mt. Tabor, is a great one. People hike, bicycle, and play on Mt. Tabor. Toward the bottom of the mountain is a really cool park. There are many places to picnic and relax. As far as the neighborhood goes, it is large and growing. There are many cool shops and places to eat. My favorite is Flying Pie Pizzeria. You can order whole-wheat pizza dough, and the way they spice their pepperoni is out of this world. There is a movie theater that allows you to order beer and food. There is a nice, quaint coffee shop called Bipartisan Cafe. The houses are cute, but large. The vibe of the neighborhood is friendly. There are a lot of families with small children.

Those are my Top Three picks for where to live in Portland, Oregon. There are many, many other great neighborhoods that I just could not list here. I hope you find the one that suits you best.