what is Cedar Mills like? (Portland, Beaverton: hardwood floors, houses, neighborhoods)

[karelise]

Is Cedar Mills considered part of Beaverton or part of Portland? Can anyone tell me what it is like? We would love safe and family-friendly but not crazy about the Beaverton descriptions ( I've read 'bland suburbia'). I'm not anti-suburbia, but would like a place with some culture, great parks, farmers markets, things of interest if possible. Lake Oswego soudns ok but hte prices are high and the pickings are slim so we're trying to find something else either in Portland or not too terribly far outside of it (within 20-30 minutes).

thanks!

[scone]

I used to live in Cedar Mill. It's nice, but definitely suburban. Think traditionals with attached garages, split levels, ranches. Many of the lots are larger than 10,000 sq. ft., which is considered pretty big here. It's quiet, green, and somewhat upscale in a low-key way. The zip code is city of Portland, but you pay Washington County taxes. The Beaverton school district is very good, especially West Tualatin View. The Max station is down near the 26, so it's easy to get into the city if you want to. There's an excellent Parks and Recreation department. Altogether, I think it's ideal for families, especially because there are so many employers nearby.

Too things: it's quite hilly! If you want a flat walking experience, you won't like it. Second, Beaverton is far more "ethnic" than most people realize. There are more than a hundred languages spoken by the kids in the local school district. There's a particularly prominent South Indian population, who are big in the high tech industries, such as Intel. I suspect the people who think it's bland are dyed in the wool city people.

[karelise]

thanks scone - very informative, I appreciate it.

[John Shaft]

The Beaverton farmer's market in the summer is pretty incredible IMO. Parks in Beaverton are really good. Cedar Mills has a desirable location since it's near Portland and 26 (and 217). In addition to the houses mentioned above, there are also a substantial number of much smaller properties (houses <1200 sq ft). For me those are too small for "family living" but not for others.

[tytus]

My wife and I live in Cedar Hills. We love it. Most of the area was developed in the 50's..so, big lots, hardwood floors, brick fireplaces, and huge grown in vegetation. Close to freeway access. About a 8 min drive into downtown. Great shopping, tons of parks (Commonwealth park is awesome!), lots of walking neighborhoods, great schools, Washington county taxes. You can't really go wrong in my opinion.

For search criteria use zip codes 97005 and 97225.