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Portland, Oregon
or Boston, Oregon?
In 1843 that was a very big question. Portland could also have been named
Boston, but as the story has it, the outcome of a coin toss between two
traders decided the city's name fate. That coin tossed between William
Overton and Amos Lovejoy has a permanent home at the Oregon History Center.
Oregon and Portland specifically, have always been a destination city
for adventuresome people. Some of those tourists decide that this is where
they will eventually come to reside. Two of the early traveler's, along
with their tour group, was the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805 (before
Portland was even Portland.) Oregon, along with the rest of the country
will be celebrating the 200 year anniversary of that historic expedition
in 2005. From points east of the Oregon, the expedition followed the Columbia
River west along the Columbia Gorge and ended in Seaside, Oregon on the
Pacific Coast. To this very day, tourists and visitors can experience
the same vistas and extraordinary scenery that Lewis and Clark enjoyed
along their journey.
Portlanders LOVE Portland. There are not too many places where one can
live that is 1 1/2 hours drive to the east to Olympic quality skiing (year
around I might add) in the majestic Cascade mountains whose visual appearance
can take your breath away. And then if that weren't enough, just a 1 1/2
hour drive to the west of Portland, you will find some of the most extraordinary
land and sea vistas you could ever hope for. The coastal magnificence
is picture postcard perfect and something you surely do not want to miss.
Inside the city limits of Portland, you might find yourself walking or
hiking through the 4800 acre forested retreat called Forest Park which
adjoins another sizable area, Macleay Park. This is one of the largest
if not the largest, parks within the city limits of a city the size of
Portland. Portland boasts the most parks within it's city limits, of any
city in the country with similar population as Portland. Significant too,
are the many top US rated golf courses around the area. These courses
have combined to host The US Women's Open, The PGA Winners Circle Tour,
the US Amateur-both men's and women's, plus a variety of other regional
tournaments. Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Oregon and Crosswater in Bend, Oregon
have both landed on lists of the top new golf courses in the United States
in recent years. The Hood River area just east of Portland hosts annual
world class wind surfing championships and several X-treme game challenges
as well. And who could forget Portland's own basketball team, the Trailblazers.
Portland was named the #1 Choice of "Best Places to Live" by
Money magazine. Of course everyone living here already knew that. The
arts and cultural diversity are truly outstanding. Portland has a world
renowned Symphony, Opera, Ballet Company, Shakespearean Theatre and a
plethora of gorgeous art Museums that come together to create, "First
Thursday." This is a downtown tour and open house of all the smaller
museums which is held on the first Thursday of each month. The Portland
Art Museum has many traveling exhibits whose only West Coast stop is here
in Portland.
Portland's economy is no longer dependent on just the forest industry
as it had been for many years. Tourism is now the front runner for the
economic dollar. The area now hosts about 1000 +/- technology companies,
from Intel-the largest private sector employer-to Hewlett-Packard, Epson,
NEC, Novellus and scores of small software firms who have made the area
their home.
For a long time, Oregonians have realized how special the quality of life
is here. With some very insightful people at the helm, it was the daunting
task of a governing body, the Metro Council, to look at the Portland area
and set some guidelines for future geographical growth. Thus, the Urban
Growth Boundary (UGB) and Urban Growth Boundary Reserve was created. Three
decades of planning has gone into making this plan of the templates that
other city areas copy to help reign in urban sprawl. A superb light rail
system (MAX)-Gresham/Airport/Downtown, Hillsboro/Downtown, and the just
completed Downtown/Expo Center (Columbia River) lines are helping to decrease
the traffic congestion that every major city seems to have. The addition
of the downtown trolley line helps transport people from Portland State
University in the south Park Blocks, thru the exploding Pearl District
to the NW Twenty-Third Street boutique and restaurant scene. Some excellent
and informative web sites are:
Local TV Stations with news, weather and general information:
These sites will help
familiarize yourself with Portland and the surrounding areas in hopes
that you too, may indeed become as enamored with the region as we Oregonians
are. If you decide to pursue 'Changing Directions?' even further,
then know I would love to help you realize your real estate goals here
in the 'City of Roses.' Enjoy a safe and wonderful journey.
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