Is Aloha a good place to live? (Portland, Beaverton: real estate, apartments)

[BCVancouverite]

My husband ane I are moving to Portland next summer and are looking at real estate. We contacted a real estate agent about some properties that could be fixed up/built on and he suggested that Aloha is not really the place where professionals would want to live given a choice. Also mentioned that Metzger is not a great option. I've been checking out this forum and online stats and don't get it. Could someone please tell me if there are problems with these areas?

[seniors-paul&mary]

My wife and I were interested in moving to Metzger,OR which is near Aloha. Does Metger have easy access to public transit, library, community college, seniorcenter and Kaiser medical clinics We would like a single home with large suitable for vegetable garde and fruit tree and berries. What are opinions?

[Venusian_Artist]

Pass on Aloha. You buy a house in illegal immigrant gang territory, you will be upside-down in no time.

[Bluesbabe]

It IS true about the gangs. But there are a few areas, even in Aloha, that you could check out, depending on your price-range.

Cooper Mountain is a good place to check out. It's unincorporated like Aloha, but is considered more 'Beaverton' (post office, more than likely). You can find homes there with acreage. And there are subdivisions off 170th south of Farmington.

One problem is that Light-Rail doesn't serve these areas. There's a bus along Farmington, but mass-transit in south Beaverton leaves a lot to be desired.

[davefr]

Originally Posted by BCVancouverite

My husband ane I are moving to Portland next summer and are looking at real estate. We contacted a real estate agent about some properties that could be fixed up/built on and he suggested that Aloha is not really the place where professionals would want to live given a choice. Also mentioned that Metzger is not a great option. I've been checking out this forum and online stats and don't get it. Could someone please tell me if there are problems with these areas?

There are obviously exceptions, but most of Aloha is kind of like a "trailer trash" area without the trailers. At one time the typical Aloha property would be a modest home on a very large lot. Over the years the developers snatched up the large lots and turned them into low end apartments and condos.

If your fixer upper goals are to end up with a nice property in a nice neighborhood then I'd definatly expand my search beyond Aloha.

Hillsboro and Beaverton both offer a much broader selection of properties. IMHO the "crown jewel" of Wash. County are the rural fringe areas. (ex: Cooper Mtn, Bull Mtn, Helvetia area, Banks/Forest Grove, Bald Peak, etc)

[John Shaft]

If you don't want to fork over $500K for a .10 acre lot and a 50 year old house in Portland, with tweakers/homeless urinating in your yard, the west side is a good place to go. Aloha has more affordable homes, larger lots, and traditional homes (single level). On the other hand, there is a more rural-blue collar- "redneck" feel. Also, there are minorities, so if you're a closet racist like the urban elites in Portland, you will be nervous living around so many "Spanish" people.

[Rob Allen]

The question about Aloha was asked months ago. The person who revived this thread today asked about Metzger, which is not next to Aloha. Metzger is an unincorporated enclave near Washington Square Mall.

There is a Transit Center at the mall where you can get buses to Portland, Beaverton and other places. Buses also run along Hall Blvd, the main street of Metzger. The nearest library, senior center, and Kaiser clinic would be in Beaverton, and there's a campus of Portland Community College not far away. There are homes with large lots suitable for gardens. I have friends who live in Metzger, and it seems to be a nice area.

Sounds like it may meet your needs.

[mdvaden]

There are a few nice neighborhoods in Aloha, if you look around. But it may take more time looking than is worth it.

I'd take Metzger any day, because Aloha seems to be a pain to get out of to get places. Metzger has several ways in and out of it and is close to a lot.

Comparable in my opinion - why don't you search for a place in Tigard, between SW Scholls Ferry Road and SW Walnut Street, or near SW Walnut x SW 121st.

There are some nice big lots in there.