Portland Neighborhoods

The greater Portland area is divided into four main quadrants, divided east and west by the Willamette River and north and south by Burnside Street. Each quadrant is unique and has its own personality.

OHSU’s Marquam Hill Campus is located in southwest Portland, overlooking downtown and the Willamette River. Nearby neighborhoods include Homestead, Hillsdale, Burlingame and downtown Portland. The portion of the Homestead neighborhood located within walking distance of the campus is generally referred to as “on the hill.” If you want who want to live “off hill” and commute to campus, the neighborhood possibilities are endless. OHSU students and staff commute from suburbs as far west as Forest Grove, as far east as Troutdale, as far north as Vancouver, Wash., and as far south as Wilsonville. as far south as Wilsonville.

Whether commuting by car or bus (either directly to the campus or to a TriMet park-and-ride), getting up the hill can take some time. If you want to live within walking distance of the Marquam Hill Campus, keep in mind that some apartments may charge extra for parking or garage space, and on-street parking in most areas requires a city parking permit with a fee.

The West Campus is located in the middle of a very large residential area. There are numerous apartment complexes, bus lines and shopping centers. Many of the higher-end apartments are located within walking or biking distance to the campus. The West Campus is in the northwest part of the metro area bordering the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton.

Northwest
The northwest downtown neighborhood is described as feeling European, and you may pay a bit extra for the distinction. The Pearl District in northwest boasts many lofts, warehouses and galleries, and has an industrial feel to it. Old Town, Hillside and Forest Park are all close by and very accessible to downtown.

Southwest
Close-in: Southwest, downtown, Portland State University and the Goose Hollow
neighborhood are near the Marquam Hill Campus and have an uptown feel. OHSU has a shuttle bus that runs downtown through the PSU campus to Crown Plaza and back up to Marquam Hill.

The southwest quadrant also has many neighborhoods near the Marquam Hill Campus. Some of these neighborhoods have a distinctly suburban feel, more so than the urban southeast, northeast and northwest. Neighborhoods in this area include Hillsdale, Burlingame, Garden Home, Multnomah Village and Raleigh Hills/West Slope. These neighborhoods are on the border of Multnomah and Washington counties.

Suburbs: East Washington County includes the cities of Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Lake Oswego, West Linn and Sherwood. West Washington County includes the cities of Aloha, Cornelius, Hillsboro and Forest Grove.

Southeast
Close-in: On the southeast side of town, the Hawthorne/Sunnyside and Mt. Tabor neighborhoods provide easy access to downtown via bike or bus, and offer a diverse, funky atmosphere. Some other close-in neighborhoods are Buckman, Brooklyn, Hosford-Abernethy and Sellwood. All of these neighborhoods offer easy access to downtown via one of the main bridges linking the east side of the Willamette River with the west side.

Suburbs: Clackamas County, in the southern part of southeast, includes the cities of Clackamas, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Gladstone, Estacada and Sandy. Commuting from these areas is best done by car.

Northeast
Close-in: In northeast, the Lloyd District and Laurelhurst neighborhoods offer an urban environment that is family-oriented. The Hollywood neighborhood has a Marquam Hill express bus that travels weekdays between the MAX line at the Hollywood Transit Center and the Marquam Hill Campus.

Suburbs: Located in the eastern part of Multnomah County are the cities of Gresham and Troutdale. The light rail, MAX, runs east to west from Gresham through downtown and west to Hillsboro, as well as to the Portland airport. In 2004 the MAX will complete its northern route to the Portland Expo center in north Portland.

Links
For more information about Portland neighborhoods, visit these Web sites:

This page was last updated on 30 October, 2003 by Anna Smith, housing@ohsu.edu