Portland, Oregon or Boston, Oregon?

Inside the city limits of Portland, you might find yourself walking or hiking through the 4800 acre forested retreat called Forest Park which adjoins another sizable area, Macleay Park. This is one of the largest if not the largest, parks within the city limits of a city the size of Portland. Portland boasts the most parks within it's city limits, of any city in the country with similar population as Portland. Significant too, are the many top US rated golf courses around the area. These courses have combined to host The US Women's Open, The PGA Winners Circle Tour, the US Amateur-both men's and women's, plus a variety of other regional tournaments. Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Oregon and Crosswater in Bend, Oregon have both landed on lists of the top new golf courses in the United States in recent years. The Hood River area just east of Portland hosts annual world class wind surfing championships and several X-treme game challenges as well. And who could forget Portland's own basketball team, the Trailblazers.

Portland was named the #1 Choice of "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine. Of course everyone living here already knew that. The arts and cultural diversity are truly outstanding. Portland has a world renowned Symphony, Opera, Ballet Company, Shakespearean Theatre and a plethora of gorgeous art Museums that come together to create, "First Thursday." This is a downtown tour and open house of all the smaller museums which is held on the first Thursday of each month. The Portland Art Museum has many traveling exhibits whose only West Coast stop is here in Portland.

For a long time, Oregonians have realized how special the quality of life is here. With some very insightful people at the helm, it was the daunting task of a governing body, the Metro Council, to look at the Portland area and set some guidelines for future geographical growth. Thus, the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and Urban Growth Boundary Reserve was created. Three decades of planning has gone into making this plan of the templates that other city areas copy to help reign in urban sprawl. A superb light rail system (MAX)-Gresham/Airport/Downtown, Hillsboro/Downtown, and the just completed Downtown/Expo Center (Columbia River) lines are helping to decrease the traffic congestion that every major city seems to have. The addition of the downtown trolley line helps transport people from Portland State University in the south Park Blocks, thru the exploding Pearl District to the NW Twenty-Third Street boutique and restaurant scene. Some excellent and informative web sites are:

These sites will help familiarize yourself with Portland and the surrounding areas in hopes that you too, may indeed become as enamored with the region as we Oregonians are. If you decide to pursue 'Changing Directions?' even further, then know I would love to help you realize your real estate goals here in the 'City of Roses.' Enjoy a safe and wonderful journey.