Orenco Station - Hillsboro, OR Area Guide

The Atfalati tribe lived in what is now Hillsboro for thousands of years until settlers from the east established another community here in the 1840s. They named the area after Oregon politician David Hill. In the 1870s, officials built a railroad through town and then built an electric railway 40 years later. This caused the population to grow throughout the early 1900s. In the 1980s, high-tech companies moved to Hillsboro, establishing its place as Portland's economic epicenter.

Northeast Hillsboro houses the Aircraft Aviation Museum, which has one of the most diverse collections of classic aircraft in Oregon.

The neighborhood's art scene thrives under the Northwest Conservatory of Dance and the Walters Cultural Arts Center, which serves as a venue for performances and showcases.

Each year, the Washington County Fair Complex hosts The Oregon Renaissance Festival featuring traditional food, classical music and performers dressed in time-appropriate clothes.

Nightlife in Northeast Hillsboro revolves around local pubs. Since the area mostly consists of residential neighborhoods and major corporate headquarters, few clubs and music venues sit within the neighborhood's borders. You'll still find plenty to do here, especially with its diverse restaurant options. Most restaurants rest along the neighborhood's central location on Cornell Road, with Buffalo Wild Wings serving as a local favorite. The name explains everything you need to know about this Northeast Hillsboro staple. The restaurant serves every version of chicken wing imaginable, with dozens of options for dipping sauces. Order the famous jungle fries, which include hand-cut potato fries topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, ranch and green onion. If you are competitive then sign up for the Tap Out Wing Challenge, a contest where you eat six of the restaurant's spiciest wings in less than six minutes.

You don't think of Indian food and pizza going together, but Curry & Crust combines these flavors into a spicy fusion. Located one block east of Cornell Road, this restaurant serves a lunch buffet that includes traditional cheese pizza, tandoori chicken pizza and paneer makhani pizza. You'll eat traditional Indian flavors served in the familiar shape of round Italian pizza crust. Vegetarians can select from one of 10 vegetable appetizers with sweet and mint sauce.

Northeast Hillsboro houses some of the best Vietnamese cuisine, including Vivi's Vietnamese Noodle House. Start with an order of classic spring rolls, then expand your taste with a Vietnamese meatball sandwich. For something that combines sweet with savory, dig into a pork steam bun with ground pork, Chinese sausage, diced onions and hard-boiled egg.

What this neighborhood lacks in music venues it makes up for in local pubs and bars. For beer connoisseurs, stop in to Orenco Taphouse for your choice of 20 rotating craft beers. Whether you like a light Belgian ale or a dense oatmeal stout, this taproom caters to every thirsty customer's need.

Dive bars in the area include O'Brien's Pub and Maguffy's Pub on Cornell Road. Locals come to these spots for simple, no-fuss atmosphere, a wide selection of affordable spirits and karaoke nights. If you're in the mood for a fancier food selection, visit The Dugout Bar, which serves heaping sandwich plates.

Since everything is close together in Northeast Hillsboro, you don't have to drive a car to get around the neighborhood quickly. You'll find nearly everything you need along Cornell Road. If you don't want to take your car, hop on a TriMet bus or the MAX train to get anywhere in the area or to downtown Portland.

People have no problem hailing cabs in this busy neighborhood, since many major corporations call it home. In fact, people take cabs to and from hotels in the area every day while they are on business trips. You cannot request a ride from Uber in Northeast Hillsboro.

When you take your car, you'll find public parking nearly everywhere. Some areas require a paid parking meter, but many spaces are free.

Cornell Road gets the most traffic each day, since it directly connects to Sunset Highway. Locals Take Sunset Highway west to get to downtown Portland, and from there choose between Interstate 205 and Interstate 5 to get to Portland International Airport or Washington.

This neighborhood's quiet streets and highly-developed walkways make it one of the safest places to walk or jog in the Portland area. Nearly every store's close proximity to major social areas creates a walkable route. Bicyclists also find these streets safe, as many high-traffic lanes have special markings for bikers.

Choose among Northeast Hillsboro's three main parks to take advantage of the Pacific Northwest's green scenery.

Despite housing some of the largest warehouse buildings in the Portland area, this neighborhood also has Dawson Creek. This park's thick trees enclose a large body of water at its center, with trails running through the high forest sections. Joggers use this park to get away from the paved streets of the neighborhood.

Rosebay Park only takes up a few blocks of the neighborhood, but it has a playground for children, benches, sidewalks and a basketball court for residents to relax.

Central Park sits at the heart of the neighborhood, only taking up about an acre of land. Sit at one of the park's benches to watch the hustle of Northeast Hillsboro's thriving culture.

These parks are free to the public and welcome animals on leashes. The parks don't host annual festivals or events, but you find plenty of special outdoor activities throughout the year.

People wanting to move to a thriving business hub on a budget find everything they need in Northeast Hillsboro, since the cost of living here is about 2 percent lower on average than living in downtown Portland. Expect to pay an average price of $1,116 per month to rent a one-bedroom space in Northeast Hillsboro. If you find this outside of your budget, the neighborhood has apartments available anywhere from $800 to $1,400 monthly.

To get to anywhere in the neighborhood or into downtown Portland, take the bus for about $2.50 per ride. Locally-brewed specialty beers will cost anywhere from $4 to $5 per bottle at a local bar. Meanwhile, gas prices remain about 8 percent higher in Northeast Hillsboro than the national average.

While you discover most stores near Cornell Road, the neighborhood does not have a specific commerce center. Find high-end stores along Town Center Drive near Evergreen Parkway, such as Nordstrom Rack, or go closer to the neighborhood's center for Kitchen Kaboodle.

The Streets of Tanasbourne take the idea of a mall and turn it on its head. Located on Emma Way, this outdoor shopping complex combines the casual atmosphere of a street market with the common stores you find in any shopping mall. You can shop at Gap, Express, or Color Me Mine.

For items hand-picked by the shop's owner, visit Amrapali Boutique. This boutique has traditional Indian garb, jewelry, and handmade gifts. Purchase a piece of clothing you cannot find anywhere else, and ask for alterations to tailor it to your exact size.

Athletes need comfortable apparel to play their best and Aries Apparel on 188th Avenue has everything a sports fan wants. This shop focuses on women who play sports, and it carries everything from sports bras to fastpitch softball protective gear.

Meet all of your grocery needs at Costco, as long as you have a membership. For smaller food trips, the neighborhood has a Fred Meyer and Albertsons. Buy organic foods at New Seasons Market near the Hillsboro Airport.

The Hillsboro Farmers' Markets hosts a Sunday market at Orenco Station. This market features organic local produce, fine arts and crafts, and live music. The market includes about 65 vendors. The Saturday Farmers' Market is held downtown and is the longest-running farmers market in the Northwest. This market has more than 100 vendors and is located along Main Street between 1st and 3rd Avenue.