Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in Portland: Including Vancouver, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, and Wilsonville

by Geon, Bryan

  Website: www.ci.damascus.or.us

  Outer Clackamas County

  The outlying communities of Clackamas County lie in lovely rolling countryside at the western foot of the Cascade Mountains. Some homes here stand atop rises with views of Mount Hood or the Willamette Valley, others are tucked down into mossy forested hollows, and still others are part of subdivisions that wouldn’t look out of place in a close-in suburb, but which invariably are just a short distance from the farm fields and forest land that still dominate the landscape. Generally speaking, these communities are popular with people who are looking for a rural or small-town environment within striking range of a large city, and with easy access to the abundant recreational opportunities in the nearby mountains. Commuting can be a major chore or worse if you work in downtown Portland or Washington County, but is quite doable if your job is in the eastern fringes of the metro area (e.g., Gresham or Oregon City).

  Boring, which was named for early settler W. H. Boring and not for its lack of diversions, is a small, rural community set amid plant nurseries southeast of Gresham. The small town center at the intersection of Southeast 282nd Avenue and Highway 212 includes the Boring-Damascus Grange, which dates from 1896. The Boring farmers’ market, held on summer Saturdays, is possibly the only one in Oregon to bill itself as “equine-friendly.” Boring children attend Oregon Trail School District schools (www.oregontrailschools.com). (The school district is unlikely to adopt that phrase as its slogan.) Boring has very limited commuter bus service to Gresham; it is, however, favorably situated for hardy long-distance bike commuters at the end of the Springwater Trail Corridor that runs all the way to the Willamette River in Southeast Portland. Residents have a sense of humor about the name: Boring became paired (a sort of sister city relationship) with Dull, Scotland.

  A few miles to the southeast, Sandy (www.ci.sandy.or.us) is well known to Portlanders as a pit stop for cheap gas, ski rentals, and doughnuts on the way to Mount Hood. It is also a growing, bustling small city of nearly 10,000 people, with its own urban growth boundary, public transit system, and school district (Oregon Trail School District, www.oregontrailschools.com). Mount Hood Highway (US 26) is the main drag through town; the lower end is lined with supermarkets and shopping plazas, but the highway divides and traffic slows when the road reaches the city’s linear downtown area. Sandy offers a mix of housing, from 1950s-era ranches, apartment complexes, and brand-new luxury homes in Sandy proper to rural homes on acreage in the countryside nearby. Homes outside of town are sited in diverse settings, ranging from shady forest dells to hilltop pastures with views north to Mount St. Helens and east to Mount Hood. The surrounding area is dominated by plant nurseries, berry farms, and even a winery; to the east, toward Mount Hood, the land quickly transitions to forest. Sandy is the closest city to Mount Hood, and many residents are avid snowsport devotees. Sandy Area Metro buses (503-668-3466) connect Sandy to Gresham and Estacada.

  About 10 miles south of Boring and Sandy, Estacada (www.cityofestacada.org) stands on the bank of the Clackamas River. From Highway 224, which wends its way up the Clackamas River Valley into the Cascades, Estacada doesn’t look terribly attractive—the strip of businesses along the highway is definitely not the city’s best face—but the small, old-fashioned downtown behind it is pleasant enough. Most of the city’s houses stand on the hill behind downtown or are scattered in the forested areas nearby. Estacada’s economy has traditionally been timber-dependent, and the city has not grown as quickly as some closer-in communities have. Although a boom in large homes on big plots of land outside town has caused average home prices in the area to rise significantly, Estacada is among the most affordable communities in the region. Estacada has its own school district (www.esd108.org), which serves a huge area of rural Clackamas County, including much of the Mount Hood National Forest. The Clackamas River offers abundant opportunities for fishing and boating, and Highway 224 leads deep into the heart of the Cascades. Although Estacada is decidedly outside the metropolitan area proper, a TriMet bus line runs between the city and Portland on weekdays.

  Over the river and through the woods, truly rural Colton is enveloped in the lush foothills along Highway 211 southwest of Estacada. This is working timber country, complete with clearcuts and log trucks, as well as an abundance of Christmas tree farms, and the area has so far avoided an inrush of yuppies. Amenities are pretty much limited to a store and a restaurant at the crossroads. Colton has its own tiny school district (www.colton.k12.or.us), with an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

  Heading back toward the lowlands, the much larger community of Molalla (www.cityofmolalla.com) is also a lumber town, but its economy is slowly diversifying and the town is attracting more residents who commute to the Portland and Salem metro areas. Molalla has a very scenic setting on a rolling site where the Cascade foothills (and their supplies of timber) meet the Willamette Valley. The comparatively large, bustling downtown offers a bonanza of businesses: hardware stores, restaurants, banks, and more. The city’s generally well-kept homes include dwellings in old, newer, and newest styles. The city is regionally known for the Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo (www.molallabuckeroo.com), held each July at the rodeo grounds at the east end of town. Molalla has its own transit system, the South Clackamas Transit District (503-632-7000, www.southclackamastransportation.com), which connects the city to Canby and Oregon City by bus. Mulino, a few miles north of Molalla along the Cascade Highway (Highway 213), is not much larger than Colton—the community applied to the county for “hamlet” status in 2007—but it is certainly less remote. The Molalla River School District (www.molallariv.k12.or.us) serves both Molalla and Mulino.

  Molalla

  Further north, a mile or two off Cascade Highway, just a few miles south of Oregon City, the hamlet of Beavercreek lacks much of a town center—there is a gas station, a fire station, a post office, and a couple of businesses, plus the Beavercreek Grange and historic Bryn Seion Welsh Church, the oldest Welsh church on the West Coast. Beavercreek is claimed to be the birthplace of the sport of geocaching (see the “Sports and Recreation” chapter for details). Homes on large lots or small farms occupy the rolling hills, and roughly 6,500 people live in the area. Some new developments are going up north of the community, especially near Cascade Highway, but Beavercreek as a whole remains decidedly rural. At the same time, it is only 15 minutes from Oregon City, and lies within the Oregon City School District (www.orecity.k12.or.us).

  Other small outlying communities in Clackamas County include Redland, Liberal, Eagle Creek, and Marquam. Some people commute to the metropolitan area from the mountain communities between Sandy and Mount Hood—Welches, Rhododendron, Zigzag, Wemme, and Brightwood—but distance, hazardous winter weather, and heavy through traffic on Highway 26 make this option less attractive than it might sound.

  East Multnomah County

  Residents of eastern Multnomah County—the communities that extend east of Portland’s city limits—often grumble about being neglected. The county’s population (and hence representation on the board of commissioners) is Portland-centric, and many of the 150,000-plus people in the rest of the county feel, rightly or wrongly, that their corner of the world doesn’t get its proper share of funding. There is periodic talk of secession, either to form a new county, or to join Clackamas County, but the law is unfavorable and it is unclear that being tacked on to another populous county would provide any advantages. For now, fast-growing East County simmers in political disgruntlement, cooled only by the bitter winds that issue from the Columbia River Gorge in winter.

  Gresham

  Boundaries: North: Fairview; Wood Village; Troutdale; West: Portland; unincorporated Multnomah County; South: Unincorporated Multnomah County; unincorporated Clackamas County; Damascus; East: Unincorporated Multnomah County; Area: 23.4 square miles; Population: 109,000

  Gresham (pronounced GRESH-um or, by true old-timers, GRAY-shum) is the fourth largest city in Oregon, but most Oregonians (or
at least most Oregonians who live outside Gresham) seem blissfully unaware of this factoid. Ask the average Portlander what the fourth largest city in the state is, and they might guess Medford (no), Bend (not yet), or Beaverton (close but no cigar). In fact, many people in the Portland area largely ignore Gresham, except when they have to drive through it to get to Mount Hood. It is the butt of tasteless jokes, and the scene of gory crimes on local television news reports, and that is all.

  The region’s collective diss of Gresham is a shame. While the city does have its share of problems, including a frighteningly high crime rate in some areas, it also has plenty of quiet, middle-class neighborhoods, some decent schools, a charming, historic city center, a diverse population, and a light rail line with a straight shot to Portland. It is close to recreational opportunities on Mount Hood and in the Columbia River Gorge, it has easy access to Portland International Airport, and parts of the city have awesome views of the mountains. Moreover, real estate prices tend to be lower here than in most of Portland or its more fashionable suburbs. In short, while Gresham is far from a newcomer magnet, it is certainly worth a second glance.

  Gresham’s small downtown district (www.exploregresham.com) is surprisingly pleasant; the streets are lined with restaurants, shops, a few historic buildings (including a 1913 Carnegie Library, now a museum), and even a couple of day spas, and some new townhomes and loft-style residential buildings have been built here. There is a farmers’ market here on Saturdays from May to October (www.greshamfarmersmarket.com). Downtown Gresham is the eastern terminus of the MAX Blue Line, and many residents rely on light rail to commute to jobs in Portland. (The city has vague plans to further energize this area with new “transit-oriented” development.) The area around downtown is an odd mix of housing and commercial development. Apartments and townhome developments line many of the main roads (and some of the minor ones), while older subdivisions of single-family houses dot the landscape; even within walking distance of downtown, there are neighborhoods of 1960s-era homes on winding streets and culs-de-sac. The general impression is that opportunistic developers built haphazardly whenever old Mrs. Brown’s farm (or its equivalent) went up for sale, without really giving any thought to how or whether their developments related to one another. (This is not to say that the neighborhoods are necessarily unpleasant; some of them just seem stranded.) The new Gresham Station commercial development west of downtown has brought a bevy of national retailers and even some (relatively) high-end lofts and condos to the area.

  Much of west-central Gresham consists of single-family homes mixed with high-density housing developments and apartments. Rents here are in many cases much lower than in close-in Portland neighborhoods, and the region has seen an influx of low-income workers who have been priced out of Portland by gentrification and rising rents. This area in general, and in particular the Rockwood neighborhood (which is being positioned as the “Gateway to Gresham”), has a reputation for gang activity and violent crime, although it’s not exactly the South Bronx. There are also some quiet, residential, and perfectly safe areas here, so don’t be put off by the bad rep. Some urban renewal activity is taking place in this part of the city, especially along Burnside Street where the MAX line runs. Much of the city’s northern area, especially the districts adjacent to Fairview and Wood Village and flanking Interstate 84, is devoted to light industry.

  In southwest Gresham, developments of newer homes—in some cases, brand-new homes—abut hobby farms just over the city line in unincorporated Multnomah County. This area, set in a valley on the west side of Gresham Butte, features a hodgepodge of styles, with a mix of ranches, contemporary homes, split-levels, some low-rise apartment complexes and townhome developments, and a few brand-new subdivisions. The homes on Gresham Butte itself (much of which is now protected as open space) tend to be newer and correspondingly more expensive, with views of the Washington Cascades (or, for houses on the eastern side of the butte, of Mount Hood).

  The neighborhoods of southeast Gresham, like those of southwest Gresham, feature a mix of styles, although the average home is relatively new. The Kelly Creek neighborhood, off Orient Road, has experienced substantial new development right out to the city limits, where on Southeast 282nd Avenue you’ll see dense developments right across the street from plant nurseries. This part of the city is well-positioned for quick trips to Mount Hood, and some homes have great views of the mountain looming to the southwest. Shopping plazas and light industrial facilities line the Mount Hood Highway (US 26) in this part of the city.

  The Gresham-Barlow School District (district.gresham.k12.or.us) serves most of the city; students from the western fringe attend schools in the Centennial School District (www.centennial.k12.or.us), and the northern part of the city is part of the Reynolds School District (www.Reynolds.k12.or.us). Mount Hood Community College occupies a campus in the northeast corner of the city, and at least indirectly adds some cultural spice to the landscape. Gresham is reasonably well served by public transit; in addition to frequent MAX service, Tri-Met bus lines serve most of the main streets, and Sandy Area Metro buses run to Sandy. Interstate 84, which skirts Gresham to the north, is the main freeway route to Portland, but it can be very congested during rush hour, particularly between Interstate 205 and downtown Portland. Driving to Portland via the main east-west streets (Powell Boulevard, Division Street, Stark Street, Glisan Street, and Foster Road) can be slow and time-consuming, but it is a reasonable alternative if you are headed to Southeast Portland.

  Gresham

  Website: www.greshamoregon.gov

  ZIP Codes: 97030, 97080, 97230, 97233

  Post Office: Gresham Post Office, 103 W Powell Blvd

  Police Station: Gresham Police Department, 1333 NW Eastman Pkwy, 503-618-2318 (non-emergency)

  Emergency Hospital: Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center, 24800 SE Stark St, Gresham, 503-674-1122, www.legacyhealth.org

  Libraries: Gresham Library, 385 NW Miller Ave, 503-988-5387; Rockwood Library, 17917 SE Stark St, 503-988-5396; www.multcolib.org

  Parks: More than 25 parks and natural areas, including Main City Park and Red Sunset Park, plus 8 miles of recreational trail; www.greshamoregon.gov/play/

  Community Publications: Gresham Outlook, www.theoutlookonline.com

  Public Transportation: TriMet, 503-238-RIDE, www.trimet.org; MAX light rail service to Portland and Washington County and bus service within Gresham and between Gresham and various points in Portland; Sandy Area Metro (503-668-3466, www.ci.sandy.or.us) runs buses from Gresham to Sandy

  Fairview, Wood Village, and Troutdale

  Boundaries: North: Columbia River; West: Gresham; South: Gresham; East: Sandy River; Area: 3.5 square miles (Fairview); 0.9 square miles (Wood Village); 6.0 square miles (Troutdale); Population: 9,200 (Fairview); 3,900 (Wood Village); 16,500 (Troutdale)

  The cities of Fairview, Wood Village, and Troutdale straddle Interstate 84 near the west end of the Columbia River Gorge, about 17 miles east of downtown Portland. These three “freeway-close” communities are sometimes lumped together—in this entry, for example—but all are separately incorporated and have different characteristics. Children from all three cities attend public schools in the Reynolds School District (www.Reynolds.k12.or.us). The median price of homes in these three communities is below the metro-area average, and is significantly lower than median prices in Washington County or the city of Portland.

  The interstate runs right down the middle of Fairview, the closest of these three cities to Portland. The original heart of the city, just south of Interstate 84, is a relatively affordable neighborhood of Cape Cods, ranches, and (east of Fairview Avenue) some newer traditional and contemporary homes; across Halsey Street to the south, Fairview Village (www.fairviewvillage.com) is a new mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, master-planned development with townhomes, single-family homes, apartments, shops, and offices. The new Fairview City Hall is also located here, and Salish Ponds Park provides nearby open space. North of Interstate 84
, the shores of shallow Fairview Lake are lined with large, expensive new homes, most with private docks, and a small park with a canoe dock. A short distance to the north is Blue Lake Regional Park, a Metro-run park with a popular swimming beach.

  Fairview

  The city of Wood Village sprang into being as a company town for the Reynolds Aluminum plant during the Second World War. Today, the city is best known as home of the disused Multnomah Greyhound Park (a.k.a. the “Dog Park”) in the city’s southeast corner; the park closed in 2004, and the site has been eyed for redevelopment. A plan to build a massive entertainment complex and casino on the site was defeated by voters in 2012. The adjacent Wood Village Town Center features a mix of retailers and specialty stores together with a new housing development. Most Wood Village homes are modest—unsurprisingly, given the city’s origin—but not tiny or squalid.

  Wood Village

  Troutdale is the largest and most populous member of this civic trio. Troutdale’s minuscule historic downtown borders the Historic Columbia River Highway, just up the hill and across the tracks from a very different shopping experience at the Columbia Gorge Factory Stores. Downtown Troutdale has several antique stores, restaurants and bars, and galleries, along with a couple of historic museums; a First Friday Art Walk takes place here, as does a farmers’ and artists’ market on Saturdays from April to mid-November. About a mile to the west on Halsey Street, the McMenamin brothers have converted the former Multnomah County Poor Farm into the 38-acre Edgefield complex, with a hotel, several restaurants and bars, a brewery, a winery, a golf course, a movie theater, and a glassblowing studio.