West Portland Park - Portland, OR

Over 800 settlers were making their living from fish, lumber, wheat and cattle by the time Portland was officially incorporated as a city in 1851. Soon after, hopeful developers began to carve Portland up into separate lots and neighborhoods around 1890. As the first serious development in 1889, West Portland Park constitutes Portland's oldest neighborhood.

After experiencing a creative renaissance in the late 1990s, Portland enjoys a modern reputation as a trendy and cultured city. In this dynamic context of independent artists, galleries and artistic public discourse, West Portland Park residents enjoy the Shaffer Fine Art Gallery on First Avenue.

West Portland Park operates as part of Portland's Southwest Neighborhood Association. With representatives from each of the 17 neighborhoods, the coalition works together to support citizen involvement and organize community-building activities such as public mural painting and free outdoor shows.

Excellent dining options abound within the neighborhood boundaries. Head over to Southwest Capitol Highway to check out the popular selection of restaurants.

Start your morning off right with a bacon cheddar "scuffin" and great cup of coffee at Angelfire Coffee Roasters. Later on, enjoy the low prices and huge portions at Kuang's Kitchen. From some of the best Chinese food around, make an especially fine choice when you order the barbecue pork. When you need a snack, satisfy your Mediterranean desires nearby at the Hummus Stop. Ask to try the kalamata olive-and-chive hummus, and remember to add the baked pita chips for a perfectly seasoned addition to your order.

At night, kick back and watch the game at Bullseye Pub, and enjoy the heated outdoor patio even on cooler nights. When in the mood for a night of dancing, make the 10-minute trip to downtown Portland for more entertainment options that you know what to do with. Check out the live music at the popular and intimate Valentine's for a low-key starting point.

As a neighborhood known for being in the top biking cities in the country, West Portland Park welcomes bikers with a network of biker-friendly roads and trails. Major roads with biking lanes in West Portland Park include Southwest Barbur Boulevard and Southwest 49th Avenue.

If you're not ready to bike alongside cars, consider kicking back while someone else does the driving. Portland's metro transit service, TriMet, conveniently connects all of Portland's neighborhoods to the rest of the city. With a single $2 ticket, ride any combination of metro area buses, light rails and streetcars for 2.5 hours. Given the restaurants, shops and entertainment spread generously through the heart of the city, you can also count on your own two feet to get you around after stepping off the bus in downtown Portland. Just plan a more convenient mode of transport inside the suburban borders of West Portland Park.

Although hailing a cab remains an unlikely event in Portland and the surrounding areas, the membership-based taxi company Uber provides a great alternative. Once you register, simply order their cabs from your smartphone or computer, and the nearest one picks you up in moments.

When you need a place to put your car, 9,000 metered spaces await throughout the city, with hourly parking rates averaging around $1 during the week. West Portland Park also lies adjacent to Interstate 5, which equates to convenient freeway access from anywhere in the neighborhood.

One of the major attractions of West Portland Park remains the bountiful availability of refreshing green spaces, none of charge residents with a visiting fee.

In the southeast corner, West Portland Park Natural Area, also known as Loll Wildwood, adds over 17 acres of walking trails and wooded forest to the neighborhood, while the nearby Kerr Site affords 5 acres of wooded wetlands up for exploration. The small neighborhood favorite, Holly Farm Park provides a pretty picnic area, a playground and a renovated skate bowl to residents, catering to locals of all ages. This well-used but rarely crowded park welcomes dogs as well.

In the summer, the Portland Parks Foundation schedules and organizes a range of concerts, movies and events throughout all the city's parks, while working to keep them all free through the Summer Free for All Program.

Residents of West Portland Park have it all and pay a little extra for it, with a cost of living seven percent higher than the average cost of living in the city of Portland. A one-bedroom residence in this neighborhood rents for an average of $975 per month.

Pay $2 to get to city center via the comprehensive metro transit system and about $5 for a beer at a local pub. Local gas prices average 8 percent higher than the national average.

When you want to keep your shopping truly local, note that the most interesting neighborhood stores scatter along Southwest Barbur Boulevard. Peruse the jewelry at Crystal Cavern or get groomed by Muriel at La Muse Salon.

Barely a mile away via Interstate 5, Multnomah Village awaits with niche retail stores clustered on every corner. Spend your dollars on the one of a kind locally designed clothing, local art pieces and handmade jewelry at Anne Bocci Boutique, or browse the well-curated and affordable selection of fine second-hand clothing at GHM Boutique. Of course, downtown Portland shopping lies just minutes away as well.

Neighborhood grocery stores include Aladdin Specialty Foods, Mediterranean Market, Barbur World Foods and a nearby Safeway. In the summer, both the Hillsdale Farmers Market and the Portland Farmers Market take place just a few miles north of West Portland Park.