Orchards Area - Vancouver, WA

This history of Orchards and all of Vancouver forever ties to the Lewis and Clark expedition, and you can't turn down a street here without some reference to the explorers' journey to the Pacific. Once home to only a few homesteader cabins and seemingly endless old growth forest, Orchards has slowly turned into a typical semi-rural suburban neighborhood. The Vancouver area has suffered through several boom and bust cycles tied to forestry, fishing and agriculture, which stunted its growth somewhat — especially compared to nearby Portland. Vancouver later experienced a growth cycle tied to technology and industry, and it has become as much a suburb of Portland as its own city. Many locals, especially those new to the area, do not distinguish between the two cities tied to one another with a single bridge over the Columbia River.

Orchards is a quiet, mostly residential area with a handful of local dining options that locals frequent located mainly on the south side of the neighborhood along 4th Plain Road. The proximity to downtown Vancouver, and to some degree Portland, allows for access to a wider range of dining and entertainment options than this small neighborhood provides. Still, several great options reside here for locals to feast on.

Hearty American dishes are the standard at Peachtree Restaurant & Pie House, where the all-day breakfast is the right call. Standard egg dishes are complemented with a variety of gluten-free options. Kindee Thai serves Thai classics as well as unique twists on the standards and proves a popular alternative to the usual chain restaurants for lunch or dinner. The Kabocha Curry is a "must try" dish perfect for sharing at the family-style table. Crave Grille caters to the gastropub crowd with draft beers, hearty American-style burgers and a generous happy hour menu with signature cocktails.

Night-time entertainment consists of a handful of sports bars, clubs and taverns. Residents seeking a robust scene head south to Portland, where a seemingly endless supply of music venues and clubs awaits.

Public buses are an option in Orchards with commuter service to Portland and local routes connecting to Vancouver and other suburbs. However, the private car rules the roads here, as it does in most west coast cities. Traffic remains a growing problem for residents and travelers, and recent freeway expansions have failed to keep up with the demand.

Within Orchards, cars remain the principle mode of transportation, though cycling and walking are often excellent options, and bike trails connect many parts of the region, providing safe routes for. Uber and other rideshare options service the area, but Portland demonstrated resistance to these, dampening the availability. Taxis must be called in as you will seldom find one on the street waiting for your business in this small suburban neighborhood.

Very few parks lie in Orchards itself save a couple of small neighborhood parks with playground equipment and picnic tables. Orchards Park, a small green space park near Interstate 205, provides a nice environment for a stroll or a picnic, but the area generally lacks in park space, perhaps owing to its proximity to the larger recreational opportunities of the Columbia River Gorge to the east and the Cascade Mountains to the north. You won't find any specifically designated dog parks in Orchard.

The cost of living in Orchards is lower than the surrounding area — especially when Portland is included in the comparison. This alone explains the popularity of the area because it provides affordable living for commuters and those who want access to the big city without the cost or hassle of living downtown. A $5 round-trip bus fare provides access to downtown, making the distance from the city center seem worth it for many.

While most residents of Orchards own their own homes, many rental properties exist, with the median rent for a one-bedroom unit being $1,000.

Local pubs and restaurants cater to residents, and drinks and food cost reasonable amounts. You can find a great happy hour beer for four bucks, and a night out will not break the bank. For commuters, gas prices stay typically below the national average here, though supply issues at times will spike prices briefly.

Wedged between Orchards and Vancouver, the Westfield Vancouver shopping mall is the retail destination for residents and travelers. Everything you need from major retailers rests here, including Macy's, along with the usual suspects in the youth-oriented clothing market. You will find a cineplex here, and along with the 140 retailers lie several fast-food eateries to keep the family sated.

Specialty stores like Tiny Hinys children's boutique diverstfrom the usual mall options, and bridal boutiques and specialty shops scatter the area.

Fred Meyer is the most popular large grocery store here, but the neighborhood luckily has several specialty grocers as well. Several Mexican, Indian, and Russian food stores exist in the area, including the Portland Taqueria, the Taste of India Grocery Store, and Premier Deli of Russia. Vancouver hosts several farmers' markets in the summer months with vendors from all over Washington and Oregon selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.