Portland Neighborhood Reports

Out of Love for Portland

Portland, Oregon is an amazing place with distinct neighborhoods, each with its own attractions and culture. We love our town! We enjoy writing about these unique spots, offering relocation tips and providing stats on Portland neighborhoods, their growth, development, schools, and more.

Top 10 Portland Neighborhoods – 2022 Report

February 25, 2022

Whether you’re moving to Portland or thinking about it, or whether you’ve lived here for a while, knowing which neighborhoods rank highest is important. Making an investment in a home is one of the biggest any of us makes in our lifetimes, so being informed about what neighborhoods have to offer will go a long way in helping you make your decision. We looked at a variety of features in each Portland neighborhood, including highly rated schools (according to greatschools.com), shops and restaurants, as well as walk, bike, and transit scores. We also explored the history of each neighborhood to see how the past informs the present. 10. Sellwood Neighborhood Portland’s Sellwood neighborhood may not be as trendy as other...

What are the Quietest (and Loudest) Neighborhoods in Portland?

December 27, 2021

Did you notice how quiet life got at the beginning of pandemic? As we all sequestered indoors, traffic decreased—even disappeared in some areas, the din of human voices didn’t mix and mingle with the air waves, and even mass transit met a lull for a short time. But life goes on, and humans find ways to maintain and continue. With the world slowly opening up and/or figuring out how to function in this new normal, noise levels are increasing, as well. Whether you’ve stayed put since the pandemic began, whether you made a move, or whether you’re thinking about making a move now, knowing where to find peace and quiet is important for quality of life. We took a recent...

The Best County in Portland, Oregon is?

August 23, 2021

Portland, Oregon is a sprawling metro sometimes referred to as the tri-county area. Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties are Oregon’s three most populous, and together they hold nearly 2 million people (1.9). Portland proper in contrast has a population of over half a million, and so most of the population in Portland’s metro area is contained within the expansive tri-county area. Let’s meet our contenders to find out which Oregon county is the best in Portland. Multnomah County This county holds the entirety of Portland proper within its borders, but also extends far to the east, nearly all the way to Mt. Hood. Multnomah has the distinction of hosting Portland downtown, the international PDX airport, and has within its borders...

10 New Oregon Homes and Places added to the National Historic Registry

June 14, 2021

For both the history and architecture buffs out there, the National Register of Historic Places constitutes a gold mine of fascinating stories and imagery. Begun in 1966, the Register seeks to preserve and memorialize significant buildings and places across the nation. If your mind goes straight to colonial settlements as you’re reading, you wouldn’t be totally wrong. But the Register includes much more than that. Yes, most sites must meet a minimum age requirement for consideration. But that requirement is only 50 years – meaning, as of right now the 1970’s have entered the building! Therefore, sites from a wide range of eras can attain “historic” status. And beyond age, context matters. The general guiding principle of the Register is...

Portland Zip Code Map: 2021 Update

April 16, 2021

Zip codes are just another part of our everyday life, right? We use them, but most of the time don’t think much about them. But understanding how the zip codes work in your area helps when you’re buying or selling a home. Knowing your zip code, or the zip code you’d like to live in, may prove to be a useful tool in your real estate arsenal. Keep reading to find out how to understand Portland zip codes, and how they can help you. How Do Zip Codes Work? Let’s start off with some basics. The US Postal Service instituted zip codes back in 1963 as a way of streamlining delivery. We’re talking about a time when suddenly air shipping...

The 5 Highest Rated K-8 Schools in Portland in 2021

April 2, 2021

As we’ve noted before, school rankings and performance have a tangible impact on real estate prices. Areas with high-performing schools will see more demand and therefore higher price tags. This is even more true today, in the age of the internet. More school information than ever is available at your fingertips. While what makes a good school is very subjective (data points won’t describe the dedication of a teaching staff, for example), having this information is a great way to get a feel for where to find great schools. Under the Fair Housing Act, Realtors can’t “steer” you towards a certain school district. These regulations are meant to prevent discrimination; real estate agents shouldn’t be pushing a client towards a...

Top 5 Portland Maps for Sustainability and Livability in 2021

March 29, 2021

It’s not exactly a secret that Portland has been on the forefront of urban movements, now popularized, for decades. This city values the environment alongside its citizens’ enjoyment of it. From biking to hiking, from walking the neighborhood to getting out of town, Portland wants its people out there. (And its environment protected all the while.) Unsurprisingly, Portland maps show up to the challenge! In honor of this, today we’ll look at the top 5 Portland maps that showcase our city’s dedication to livability and sustainability. What Makes Portland a Livable City? The question of livability is no doubt debatable and subjective. But for our purposes here, we’re looking at a few key factors. First, mobility. How easy is it...

Top 10 Portland Neighborhoods: 2021 Update

February 26, 2021

Thinking of buying a home in Portland but not sure where to start? Right now is a very strange time to be buying a home. It’s the middle of a pandemic, which makes it much more difficult to get a feel for neighborhoods. When even the concept of indoor dining is at times hypothetical, how do you get a gauge of a neighborhood? But the good news is that means there’s still so much out there to be explored! So to help you in your search for a new home, we’ve gathered up our top ten favorite neighborhoods in Portland right now. If you’re wondering how we decide – well, the thing about neighborhoods is they’re organic. There’s something ineffable...

Is Portland, Oregon Safe? – 2021 Update

February 19, 2021

Is Portland, Oregon Safe? This is a legitimate question and like most good questions it has a nuanced answer. There are parts of Portland that have been hit hard recently, and other neighborhoods that haven’t seen any statistical crime increase. Thankfully, we have exceptional, official Portland Crime Maps provided by the city itself. This crime map is incredibly detailed down to the street level and you can even select what type of crime you’d like to research. You’ll notice the current map is the feature image of this article and downtown Portland is not faring well. Portland Crime Charts 2021 The Portland Police Bureau creates detailed monthly crime charts and makes them available to the general public. Here again, you...

5 Things You Didn’t Know – Milwaukie, Oregon

February 10, 2021

Milwaukie is the kind of suburb that you’ll sometimes hear city-dwellers might as well be part of Portland – but isn’t. In its quaint downtown, you’ll find local retail and dining reminiscent of some quieter Portland neighborhoods. And yet, it still manages to feel like its own cul-de-sac, tucked just south of much less price-friendly Sellwood and Eastmoreland. With easy access to the MAX and its own brand of small town charm, Milwaukie is a suburb not to be underestimated. Read on to find five reasons why not. 1. It’s Home to Two Iconic Oregon Businesses So Milwaukie is just a sleepy suburb of Portland, right? Think again. You might not find a huge Nike campus here, but you will...