Pro tip: you can also simply take the NW line down to the Pearl in about 10 minutes. Super pro tip: technically you don’t even have to pay, even though you should if you’re not broke. Things to know about the Pearl District. It’s “character” is boujee and damn near completely devoid of culture. A lot of Portlanders have zero interest in spending time there. But it is nice and generally much cleaner than anywhere else in Downtown. Therefore it’s easily one of the most expensive places to live in Portland. But if that’s your vibe then you will probably love it. Though, it barely has riverfront access in comparison to the rest of the waterfront areas. The waterfront that it does touch is mostly lined with condos, though there is still a small path that you can walk on. Another insider perspective: The Alphabet District (where I’ve lived for the past 2 years 1 block away from the massively popular 23rd street) is also relatively expensive, but much less so than The Pearl. It’s got an older, more serene and slower vibe, and is also the most beautiful neighborhood in the Downtown region, although it’s definitely uptown, seeing as it cuts off at 16th street, where it then transitions into The Pearl. The NW/Alphabet District is also great if you like a place that has a nice mix of fairly upscale places to eat and shop, while also having a nice assortment of more divey bars and cheaper, yet still delicious eats and cute hidden gem coffee spots and niche shops. The Pearl feels exponentially more commercialized (though NW District’s 23rd St also feels pretty (but also less) commercialized. I’m almost finished. But it’s important to note that the upper part of the Alphabet district also has pretty nice accessibility to Washington Park, which is where the Rose Garden and the Japanese Gardens are, which are plopped right inside of the outskirts of Forest Park, which you continue on into from Washington Park. It’s absolutely gorgeous. You can also take a nice stroll over to the Providence Park, which is where the Timbers play (the area gets super rowdy on game days). That being said, you can easily walk to the outskirts of the heart of Downtown (which is West Burnside Street) from Pearl District, which is where the iconic and totally awesome Powell’s Books is. so the significance of all of this really just depends on your own personal vibe. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get to the heart of Downtown from the Alphabet District (which is where the only Trader Joe’s in downtown is, btw!). I consider the heart of downtown to be from Burnside spanning south down to Portland State University, and stretching east to the Williamette waterfront and west to maybe 14th street. Having said all of this, you will not get a Portlandia-esq experience living Downtown, though I have loved living Downtown due to how invigorating being around the energy of people and urban spaces is to me. For that reason I’m now moving to the heart of the SE Portland area to experience the artsyness, quirkiness, somewhat more diversity, and much stronger sense of community that the east side or Portland has to offer, after having lived in the uptown portion of Downtown Portland for 7 years. Good luck with your journey. Enjoy it. Spread positivity and smile at a few people a day, including at least one unhoused person.Get involved with something in your neighborhood community. Step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Try foods that you wouldn’t normally go for. Take hikes at the amazing waterfalls surrounding Portland, and also drive the hour and a half over to the GORGEOUS Oregon coast. Slap some stickers on a stop sign or a water meter. Just have fun with it and help keep Portland fun and welcoming. Lastly, Couch Street is actually pronounced as “Cooch Street”, as crazy as that sounds. Some locals will vehemently correct you until it changes. But I say call it what you want. Who really gives a shit 😂 call it Coach Street just to see the reaction of locals. Oh and parking absolutely BLOWS in Downtown. I hope you’re an excellent person parallel parker and don’t mind parking 10 blocks from your apartment time to time after 5pm, if you don’t have a designated parking spot from your apartment complex. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk! Maybe I’ll see you around 😉
@@livinginoregon haha, my pleasure. i intended to just comment on the street car thing, and then just kept thinking of other things that might be good for people to know 😅 actually, I just realized that it’s also good to know that the Alphabet District is one of the areas of Portland that is most devoid of relatively modern residential buildings. Which is a huge reason why it has the old school, classy urban neighborhood vibe that it has, but means that you might have to be willing to live in a building that was built in 1911, or something like that. I can think of a few modern complexes, but they’re few and far between.
I really enjoyed your detailed description of Portland neighborhoods as regards walkability. I’m going to pick your brain because you clearly have a better feel for these areas than I. My partner and I have been renting a 3BR/2Bath apartment in Wilsonville for 16 years. Prior to that, we owned our own home in Cleveland, Ohio. By the latter part of this year, we’ll be poised to purchase either a one story home or a condo. We are retired and well past our bar hopping/brewery visiting days. Our priorities are pretty basic. At the top of our list is the violent crime factor. Just to be clear, we’re against violent crime, not in search of it.🤣 We also need to know which neighborhood would best serve our autistic, developmentally delayed daughter’s needs. She would probably need to be able to safely walk to a supermarket, drugstore and have easy access to public transportation, were we no longer here. 😇😇 To be honest, I’d be just as happy to stay put, but it’s important our daughter has a permanent place to reside. Yes, Wilsonville checks a lot of our boxes, although it has more of a right wing mentality than we find comfortable. Also, the homes in Wilsonville are too expensive. I’m not able to speak by phone right now, so any nugget of information would be appreciated. I’d put a cap on our purchasing power at around $475K. Thank you, Lisa
this was a good video, it helps to see the map occasionally, i had no idea portland was so vast and expansive, seattle is so unwalkable and strange by comparison
How did you like it? I’m moving to the NE corner of Buckman at the end of the month. Basically at the border of Kerns and Sunnyside, and a stones throw from Laurelhurst 😃 I’m pretty excited, since I’ve lived in Goose Hollow and Alphabet District for the entire 7 years that I’ve lived in Portland, so I don’t feel like I’ve gotten the genuine Portland experience.
None of these are awful, but the ones that are the best for safety and least amount of homeless would be Sellwood-Moreland, Beaumont-Wilshire and Multnomah Village I would say. Some of the better schools in those neighborhoods as well.
Glad so many people still have your opinion. Less people with opinions like that should eventually set Portland back to being close to how it used to be culturally. But keep that same attitude when it happens.
I stomped all the puddles in PDX and I still engage in that awful activity. Only in Portland do they brag about walkability. No one wants walkability outside of PDX because PDX is unwilling to do anything real or progressive about their traffic concerns. This is not a bragging point, this is Stockholm Syndrome. Traffic is so fucked, you become compelled to walk, and it's just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong . I wish you luck in your recovery
Most locals legit don’t care about getting wet. Ever notice the lack of umbrellas when it’s raining. You’re soft and that’s okay, but your perception doesn’t define the inner workings of others. That’s such a self-centered point of view lol.
@@portlandgoose4727 Yeah, I still don't use an umbrella but for sure like so many commuters that had to and still are navigating that mess on I5, it's far from being self centered, it's just a fact, they've done squat to fix the problem
Very helpful tour of the city. We are planning a short visit and this is really helpful. GREAT JOB!
Great video, you really get a sense of the differences of each neighborhood. 18:46
Very helpful! thank you!
Pro tip: you can also simply take the NW line down to the Pearl in about 10 minutes. Super pro tip: technically you don’t even have to pay, even though you should if you’re not broke.
Things to know about the Pearl District. It’s “character” is boujee and damn near completely devoid of culture. A lot of Portlanders have zero interest in spending time there. But it is nice and generally much cleaner than anywhere else in Downtown. Therefore it’s easily one of the most expensive places to live in Portland. But if that’s your vibe then you will probably love it. Though, it barely has riverfront access in comparison to the rest of the waterfront areas. The waterfront that it does touch is mostly lined with condos, though there is still a small path that you can walk on.
Another insider perspective: The Alphabet District (where I’ve lived for the past 2 years 1 block away from the massively popular 23rd street) is also relatively expensive, but much less so than The Pearl. It’s got an older, more serene and slower vibe, and is also the most beautiful neighborhood in the Downtown region, although it’s definitely uptown, seeing as it cuts off at 16th street, where it then transitions into The Pearl.
The NW/Alphabet District is also great if you like a place that has a nice mix of fairly upscale places to eat and shop, while also having a nice assortment of more divey bars and cheaper, yet still delicious eats and cute hidden gem coffee spots and niche shops. The Pearl feels exponentially more commercialized (though NW District’s 23rd St also feels pretty (but also less) commercialized.
I’m almost finished. But it’s important to note that the upper part of the Alphabet district also has pretty nice accessibility to Washington Park, which is where the Rose Garden and the Japanese Gardens are, which are plopped right inside of the outskirts of Forest Park, which you continue on into from Washington Park. It’s absolutely gorgeous. You can also take a nice stroll over to the Providence Park, which is where the Timbers play (the area gets super rowdy on game days). That being said, you can easily walk to the outskirts of the heart of Downtown (which is West Burnside Street) from Pearl District, which is where the iconic and totally awesome Powell’s Books is. so the significance of all of this really just depends on your own personal vibe. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get to the heart of Downtown from the Alphabet District (which is where the only Trader Joe’s in downtown is, btw!). I consider the heart of downtown to be from Burnside spanning south down to Portland State University, and stretching east to the Williamette waterfront and west to maybe 14th street.
Having said all of this, you will not get a Portlandia-esq experience living Downtown, though I have loved living Downtown due to how invigorating being around the energy of people and urban spaces is to me. For that reason I’m now moving to the heart of the SE Portland area to experience the artsyness, quirkiness, somewhat more diversity, and much stronger sense of community that the east side or Portland has to offer, after having lived in the uptown portion of Downtown Portland for 7 years.
Good luck with your journey. Enjoy it. Spread positivity and smile at a few people a day, including at least one unhoused person.Get involved with something in your neighborhood community. Step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Try foods that you wouldn’t normally go for. Take hikes at the amazing waterfalls surrounding Portland, and also drive the hour and a half over to the GORGEOUS Oregon coast. Slap some stickers on a stop sign or a water meter. Just have fun with it and help keep Portland fun and welcoming.
Lastly, Couch Street is actually pronounced as “Cooch Street”, as crazy as that sounds. Some locals will vehemently correct you until it changes. But I say call it what you want. Who really gives a shit 😂 call it Coach Street just to see the reaction of locals.
Oh and parking absolutely BLOWS in Downtown. I hope you’re an excellent person parallel parker and don’t mind parking 10 blocks from your apartment time to time after 5pm, if you don’t have a designated parking spot from your apartment complex.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk! Maybe I’ll see you around 😉
Thank you for taking so much time to share your perspective. That’s all really spot on 🙏
@@livinginoregon haha, my pleasure. i intended to just comment on the street car thing, and then just kept thinking of other things that might be good for people to know 😅 actually, I just realized that it’s also good to know that the Alphabet District is one of the areas of Portland that is most devoid of relatively modern residential buildings. Which is a huge reason why it has the old school, classy urban neighborhood vibe that it has, but means that you might have to be willing to live in a building that was built in 1911, or something like that. I can think of a few modern complexes, but they’re few and far between.
🤣
I really enjoyed your detailed description of Portland neighborhoods as regards walkability. I’m going to pick your brain because you clearly have a better feel for these areas than I. My partner and I have been renting a 3BR/2Bath apartment in Wilsonville for 16 years. Prior to that, we owned our own home in Cleveland, Ohio. By the latter part of this year, we’ll be poised to purchase either a one story home or a condo. We are retired and well past our bar hopping/brewery visiting days. Our priorities are pretty basic. At the top of our list is the violent crime factor. Just to be clear, we’re against violent crime, not in search of it.🤣 We also need to know which neighborhood would best serve our autistic, developmentally delayed daughter’s needs. She would probably need to be able to safely walk to a supermarket, drugstore and have easy access to public transportation, were we no longer here. 😇😇 To be honest, I’d be just as happy to stay put, but it’s important our daughter has a permanent place to reside. Yes, Wilsonville checks a lot of our boxes, although it has more of a right wing mentality than we find comfortable. Also, the homes in Wilsonville are too expensive. I’m not able to speak by phone right now, so any nugget of information would be appreciated. I’d put a cap on our purchasing power at around $475K. Thank you, Lisa
Hi Lisa - thanks for watching! Would you mind sending an email to info@oregonreloteam.com and we can discuss further?
this was a good video, it helps to see the map occasionally, i had no idea portland was so vast and expansive, seattle is so unwalkable and strange by comparison
you make great videos! thanks for sharing😊👍✌
I used to live in Kerns, right on the edge of Laurelhurst - very walkable. (edited)
How did you like it? I’m moving to the NE corner of Buckman at the end of the month. Basically at the border of Kerns and Sunnyside, and a stones throw from Laurelhurst 😃 I’m pretty excited, since I’ve lived in Goose Hollow and Alphabet District for the entire 7 years that I’ve lived in Portland, so I don’t feel like I’ve gotten the genuine Portland experience.
I loved it there. I could walk to restaurants and all kinds of shopping, but it felt homey, like a neighborhood. @@portlandgoose4727
🤣
" genuine Portland experience " ...don't worry loudmouth you'll get robbed too
Are you taking safety into consideration?
No hes a realtor and not from here
I live here. Your fine.
@joetroll...its not " fine " . And ya betta Don't. You do not even want to think about it Portlandy boy
@@Azazel2024 better don’t what?
None of these are awful, but the ones that are the best for safety and least amount of homeless would be Sellwood-Moreland, Beaumont-Wilshire and Multnomah Village I would say. Some of the better schools in those neighborhoods as well.
the east side is the most walkable and the west side is the least walkable
If you dont own a 🏠 you are homeless!
Well aren't you a gas
PLEAAASE STAY AWAY FROM ST JOHNS
You ruined the planet!
Is this a rhetorical “you” or me personally?
@@livinginoregon You
@@bencrank34 thanks 🙏
Less of the city and more of your face.. what to see
So, there are still people moving to Portland? Crazy.
Yes
Glad so many people still have your opinion. Less people with opinions like that should eventually set Portland back to being close to how it used to be culturally. But keep that same attitude when it happens.
Stupid and desperate more like
@Portlandgoose not everyone is a delusional resident like you
@ Portland goose, down pantifa boy. Free speech . You hear boy ? Sit back down lady
Lol, you're a joke dude
Heh, care to elaborate?
Yeah; you're a dishonest weasel realtor who isn't from here and are incredibly dishonest
I stomped all the puddles in PDX and I still engage in that awful activity. Only in Portland do they brag about walkability. No one wants walkability outside of PDX because PDX is unwilling to do anything real or progressive about their traffic concerns. This is not a bragging point, this is Stockholm Syndrome. Traffic is so fucked, you become compelled to walk, and it's just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong . I wish you luck in your recovery
Car-pilled much?
@@anonymousbilly3516 Way too much, but my shoes got about the same mileage
Most locals legit don’t care about getting wet. Ever notice the lack of umbrellas when it’s raining. You’re soft and that’s okay, but your perception doesn’t define the inner workings of others. That’s such a self-centered point of view lol.
@@portlandgoose4727 Yeah, I still don't use an umbrella but for sure like so many commuters that had to and still are navigating that mess on I5, it's far from being self centered, it's just a fact, they've done squat to fix the problem
@ Portland goose you're a really opionated leftist. You aren't Portland. You aren't queen . Sit down
Portland Oregon 👎👎👎
Did you specifically seek this video out just to type this comment? You’re a strange, sad man.
Super helpful. Thank you!