Wilsonville, OR

Wilsonville has a long history as the transportation hub of northern Oregon. The area began to thrive in the 1840s, when Alphonso Boone moved to its shores by wagon train. Boone created the Boones Ferry, which was the main means of transportation across the Willamette River into Salem. This operation thrived until 1954 when Interstate 5 was completed to meet growing economic demands.

The area continued to grow as a trading hub along the Oregon Electric Railway line. Officials named the area Wilsonville in 1880, after the local postmaster Charles Wilson. Wilsonville received one of the first power companies in Oregon, allowing it to expand even further in the 1900s. Mentor Graphics and Stream Global Services call the area home.

Wilsonville hosts an annual fall harvest festival, SMART Trolley tours of its public transportation system and WERK Day, where residents clean up its city parks.

Whether you're looking for authentic Moroccan food or a bar to throw back a few beers, you have no shortage of choices in Wilsonville.

Dar Essalam serves gluten-free food that takes you on a culinary tour of Morocco. Order the lamb shank tajine with a side of mint tea. For dessert, try the casablanca, a crisp, buttery pastry stuffed with fruit and topped with ice cream and powdered sugar. With antique Moroccan furniture tucked into every corner of the dining room, it's not your average American dining experience.

If you want traditional American food served in a private booth, head to Oswego Grill. The restaurant cooks up a 10-ounce top sirloin steak topped with grilled mushrooms. Other classics include Danish baby back ribs smothered in barbecue sauce and slow-roasted chicken prepared on a hardwood grill.

Wilsonville's nightlife centers around locally-brewed beer and distilled spirits. McMenamins Old Church & Pub offers more than craft beers to thirsty customers. The pub's building used to be a church, built in 1911, and home to people traveling along the nearby ferry route. The renovated church now serves food, beer, wine and spirits to weary tourists. For live music, check out the pub's stage showcases, featuring performances from hired musicians. The pub is family-friendly, so bring the kids to experience the building's long history.

See how your favorite beverages are made at Vinn Distillery. This distillery creates spirits entirely out of rice, meaning that all of their products are gluten-free. Take a tour of the facility, or sign up for a tasting in their private bar.

Wilsonville has one of Oregon's only free-rider bus services, South Metro Area Rapid Transit. Residents use public transportation to get to and from residential sections and business districts. Riders only pay a fare if they travel outside of Wilsonville. SMART offers dial-a-ride services for seniors and people with disabilities. To get a ride, call the transportation hotline and wait for a car to pick you up at your door.

If you don't want to rely on public transportation, Interstate 5 intersects the area down the middle, allowing you to get to either side quickly. The Boone Bridge connects the southern and northern regions of Wilsonville across the Willamette River. Follow Wilsonville Road for a scenic view of the west and east sides of the area. Take Boeckman Road to glimpse the border of the Coffee Lake Wetlands.

The area sprawls over a large chunk of land, but bicyclists and walkers have safe sidewalks and pedestrian paths to travel on when they visit. Wilsonville received a Bronze Walk Friendly Community award for its commitment to safety.

Wilsonville hosts 16 award-winning parks, each enclosing acres of woodland scenery, creeks and community gardens. The largest of these parks is Memorial Park, which brushes against the edge of the Willamette River on Wilsonville's southern tip. Sports enthusiasts dream of a park like this, bveavvery athletic field Willamette owns sits in Memorial Park.

If you have something more secluded in mind, visit Tranquil Park on the west side of the area's borders. This park features long forested trails that are perfect for joggers, bicyclists or hikers.

Wilsonville has the advantage of being close to the Willamette River, making its Boones Ferry Park one of the most scenic of all of the parks in the area. The southern section of the park borders the Willamette River, providing visitors a glimpse into its waters. Boones Ferry Park caters to children with its basketball court and playground.

Wilsonville's cost of living is higher than the Portland city average. Houses in Wilsonville are worth more on average than houses in Portland, but the cost of living for groceries and utilities remains the same for both areas. The median rate of a residential rental in Wilsonville is $943 per month, making it the perfect option for renters.

Getting to city center via public transportation does not cost anything if you live within Wilsonville's borders. To get to Portland's city center, it costs $3. Gas prices average out to about 1 percent higher than the national average in Wilsonville, making transportation by car a reasonable option.

Getting a drink won't break your bank either, as most craft beers cost about $4 per bottle.

The Wilsonville Town Center is one of the area's largest strip malls. Local businesses such as Lamb's Nature's Choice Market, Minuteman Press and Wilsonville Vision Center do business in this buzzing economic district. Car buyers find two major car dealerships near the town center — a Toyota dealership and a Honda dealership. For a home makeover, check out Trudy's Living Room on the east side just off of Wilsonville Road. The owners showcase furniture art pieces every first Thursday of each month during their First Thursday Art Shows. They give customers free snacks and drinks at every event. If you want the outside of your home to look as wonderful as the inside, pay a visit to Tiffany Home Design located in Pioneer Court. This Wilsonville business offers home staging. Experts arrange your furniture and decor to accent the structure of your home. Once your mattress has worn out past its usable life, or you need a mattress that is more suited to your lifestyle, head over to Sleep Train Mattress Centers off of SW Boones Ferry Road. The staff are knowledgeable and trained in matching customers with health issues with mattresses that will relieve their symptoms. Have arthritis pain in your back? They have a mattress for that and will help you find the best one for your unique situation. Wilsonville has the usual grocery staples such as Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Safeway, but it also houses specialty grocers such as Lamb's Nature's Choice Market. This market sells baked goods, grocery items and flower bouquets.