Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in Portland: Including Vancouver, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Wilsonville (Newcomers Handbook for Moving to and Living in Portland) (Paperback)

~ Bryan Geon (Author)
Key Phrases: cedar mill, brush prairie, garden home, Mount Hood, Clark County, Washington County (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Our first-ever Newcomer's Handbook for Portland, this thirteenth title in the series approaches Portland with a sensibility appropriate to the city--with humor and a bit of delight in the quirkiness that exemplifies the Rose City. The guidebook features in-depth Portland neighborhood and suburban community profiles as well as chapters on all aspects of local life.

Welcome to Portland, one of the most livable urban areas in America! Call it Stumptown, Rose City, Beervana, Bridgetown, Puddletown, or PDX, it s your town now. (Just don t call it Portland, or-eh-GONE. The state name is pronounced OR-uh-gun. Practice before you arrive.) Portland is located at the northern end of the fertile Willamette Valley, roughly an hour east of the coast it s called the coast here, not the shore or the beach and an hour west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. The high desert is a two-hour drive to the east, and world-class wineries are less than an hour southwest. Abundant recreational opportunities make the city a favorite of outdoor enthusiasts, and from the city s West Hills, and even from some downtown office buildings, it s possible to see the Columbia River Gorge and five snowcapped volcanoes: Mounts Hood, St. Helens, Adams, Rainier, and Jefferson. Top that, Topeka!

Of course, Portland s appeal transcends its spectacular setting. The city is known for its vibrant neighborhoods, progressive urban planning, environmental awareness, liberal politics, coffeehouse and brewpub culture, and, yes, for its rain. So what s it really like here? Well, though Portland enjoys more than its fair share of pleasant, well-preserved urban neighborhoods, connected to one another by bike lanes and transit and state law limiting the extent of urban sprawl it is also afflicted with strip malls, traffic congestion, ill-conceived development, and other assorted ills of the modern American metropolis. The key difference is that in Portland you can arrange your life so that you don t have to deal with those problems. If you want to live in a close-in neighborhood, within walking distance of cafés and food markets, and ride your bike to work every day, you can. (You won t necessarily be able to afford a house in such a neighborhood, however.) If you prefer to live in a suburban community, you can do that, too.

As for politics, Portlanders on average are more liberal than the citizens of the typical American burg when Money magazine rated Portland the country s best place to live in 2000, it warned conservatives to stay away but the city has a surprising diversity of political opinion, ranging from a strong libertarian contingent to a small community of Trotskyites. (The latter get nervous around ice picks.) Suburban communities are generally more conservative, and the region as a whole is probably no more liberal (or conservative) than any other large coastal metropolitan area.

If it s craft beer or coffee you re after, suffice it to say you won t be disappointed. There are 38 breweries in the Portland metro area, and locally produced craft beer makes up 11% of Oregon's beer consumption. (That figure may sound low, but it s by far the highest rate in the country.) And Portland's coffee scene is every bit the equal of Seattle's, with local roasters winning awards for both quality and sustainable business practices. Don't miss the burgeoning tea scene, either, based on well-established local tea manufacturers as well as an increasing number of unique tea houses. Many Portlanders consider coffee (or tea) essential for coping with the rain.
Ah, the rain. While it s true that Portland has its share of rainy days, much of the city's rainfall arrives in the form of a fine mist or drizzle. Often a day that starts out cloudy becomes bright and sunny by afternoon (or vice versa).

About the Author

Bryan Geon moved to Portland in 1993 as a fresh-faced college grad. Since then, he has lived in four of the city's five sections and in three different Oregon counties (although not simultaneously). He moved away several times to experience life in states that begin with the letter M (Michigan, Minnesota, and Maryland, along with college years in Massachusetts), but he has always returned inexorably to the City of Roses, like a swallow coming back to Capistrano (with the significant difference that the author is not a bird). Although he grew up in California, he married a native Oregonian. This act made him eligible for state citizenship. When not practicing law or writing, he enjoys traipsing around the Northwest and spending time with his two sons, both proud native Portlanders.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: First Books; 1 edition (September 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912301775
• ISBN-13: 978-0912301778
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #137,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book For Relocators That Even Non-Relocators Can Enjoy, September 11, 2007

By	The Footpath Cowboy "rockerusa2002" (Kingston, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

THE NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK FOR MOVING TO AND LIVING IN PORTLAND: INCLUDING VANCOUVER, GRESHAM, HILLSBORO, BEAVERTON, AND WILSONVILLE is an exceptional book for relocators. However, even non-relocators will find it very enjoyable. It features great coverage of the city of Portland, including the very desirable West Hills and Bridlemile sections, as well as its incorporated suburbs, yet it also covers unincorporated areas such as Oatfield (which is, for mail delivery purposes, part of Milwaukie), unincorporated western Multnomah county (which has both Portland AND Lake Oswego ZIP Codes), and Cedar Mill (which has a Portland ZIP Code), as well as the often-overlooked towns of Wilsonville and Happy Valley, and Vancouver, Washington and its suburbs. Many great ideas for education, dining, house-hunting, shopping, health/fitness, and recreation are included in this book. DON'T PASS THIS BOOK UP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great neighborhood profiles, January 18, 2008

By	Shane (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

I just visited Portland for the first time and was glad to have purchased this book before doing so. Great neighborhood profiles and all kinds of additional information. My favorite travel series so far- better than Frommer's.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, December 11, 2008

By	Review (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great book for anyone looking to relocate - or even for locals. I could have done without the generic sections on how to hire a mover or buy a house, but it's well worth skipping these parts for the info to be gotten. Great overview of neighborhoods, local resources, parks, etc.