Can you suggest cool neighborhoods in and around downtown Portland?

silly.goose

I'm from Denver, but am just starting to consider a move - thanks in advance for your help!

dutchgrl678

Depends on what you're looking for. We need more info. If you're looking for cool, I'd say the Pearl, NW Portland, or SW, close to downtown. But what are you looking for. Apartment, loft? Public transit?

silly.goose

dutchgrl678:

Depends on what you're looking for. We need more info. If you're looking for cool, I'd say the Pearl, NW Portland, or SW, close to downtown. But what are you looking for. Apartment, loft? Public transit?

I'm looking for apartments (small studio is fine) -- cool neighborhoods that are near to and easily accessible to downtown either by car or public transit.   

ETA:  I should also add that I have a dog, so access to a park would be really ideal too.

BethaBoo

My favorite neighborhood (for living) is between NW 23rd and NW 25th streets. It's has kind of a suburbs feel but with the convenience and pulse of downtown. 23rd is full of shops and great food, with apartments on top of storefronts. 24th and 25th are more houses and apartments, with a park located on 25th near Overton Street.

dutchgrl678

I love that area too. I used to live on NW 21st and it's an easy walk to the MAX station from there or the streetcar line. Another option is Goose Hollow which is near there as well. I know a lot of students used to have apartments just south of Burnside near Washington Park, so there must be some affordable places there. Check out near SW Vista, SW St. Clair and SW Jefferson, it's just north of Jeld-Wen Field. 

The_Jen626

What kind of person are you?  Are you a snobby coffee person?  A hippie?  Do you "need" to have 2 parking spots in front of your house/apartment?  Do you have/want kids, are school districts important to you?  How much are you wanting to spend on rent?

There's several different neighborhoods that I consider "cool" for different reasons, ya know?

Also just as a general FYI, the job market here SUCKS, so make sure that you and/or DH have jobs lined up before you move up here.

silly.goose

The_Jen626:

What kind of person are you?  Are you a snobby coffee person?  A hippie?  Do you "need" to have 2 parking spots in front of your house/apartment?  Do you have/want kids, are school districts important to you?  How much are you wanting to spend on rent?

There's several different neighborhoods that I consider "cool" for different reasons, ya know?

Also just as a general FYI, the job market here SUCKS, so make sure that you and/or DH have jobs lined up before you move up here.

To get much more specific regarding my lifestyle:  I fit the mold of being the "hippie" person pretty accurately.  My husband left me early last year, so after cleaning up the aftermath of divorce I'm thinking about a big life change.  I am single and don't have children, so schools aren't a huge deal to me.  Ideally I'd like to spend no more than $800 a month in rent, but I'm willing to live with a roommate or (more ideally) in a studio sized apartment.  I understand the challenges of the job market and wouldn't move without having something lined up.  I'm also considering going back to school, and the reasons this area interests me is there are more opportunities for environmentally focused jobs.  Also, FWIW - I have a lifelong love of this part of the country, in fact my XH and I got married just outside of Cannon Beach because I love it so much.  

Question:  Is Portland a city you can live in without owning a car?  I currently live in Denver, and while we have plenty of public transit - you'd be hard pressed to function here without a car.  

The_Jen626

silly.goose:

The_Jen626:

What kind of person are you?  Are you a snobby coffee person?  A hippie?  Do you "need" to have 2 parking spots in front of your house/apartment?  Do you have/want kids, are school districts important to you?  How much are you wanting to spend on rent?

There's several different neighborhoods that I consider "cool" for different reasons, ya know?

Also just as a general FYI, the job market here SUCKS, so make sure that you and/or DH have jobs lined up before you move up here.

To get much more specific regarding my lifestyle:  I fit the mold of being the "hippie" person pretty accurately.  My husband left me early last year, so after cleaning up the aftermath of divorce I'm thinking about a big life change.  I am single and don't have children, so schools aren't a huge deal to me.  Ideally I'd like to spend no more than $800 a month in rent, but I'm willing to live with a roommate or (more ideally) in a studio sized apartment.  I understand the challenges of the job market and wouldn't move without having something lined up.  I'm also considering going back to school, and the reasons this area interests me is there are more opportunities for environmentally focused jobs.  Also, FWIW - I have a lifelong love of this part of the country, in fact my XH and I got married just outside of Cannon Beach because I love it so much.  

Question:  Is Portland a city you can live in without owning a car?  I currently live in Denver, and while we have plenty of public transit - you'd be hard pressed to function here without a car.  

I'm sorry about your divorce.  The good news is, that us local Nesties are all awesome and really friendly, and we almost always hang out without the husbands anyway.  If you do end up moving here, let us know and we will plan a GTG!

Yes you can definetly live here without a car!  We have a "trolley car" in the downtown area, and there's a great bus system, and also the MAX which is like a train that goes all over town.

If you self-identify as a hippie, then you would probably LOVE to live in Portland, lol... Check out the Belmont, Hawthorne, and Woodstock areas.

Good luck with everything!