Overheard from a Local about Hillsboro (Portland, Beaverton: crime, homes, neighborhoods)

[UrbanAdventurer]

There definitely are some patchy spots in Hillsboro where the local clientele are not people you want to be involved with. Typically the farther south you wander towards TV Highway the sketchier it gets. it definitely wasn't always this way, but the past couple of decades there's been a huge influx of lower income Hispanics into the area which has heavily contributed to that.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by hose111

Figmalt, that's nice to be a hillsboro, but don't you think they should clean up some of the rougher areas around hillsboro?

The poor and disadvantaged have to live somewhere, since the Government is cutting their education, and "revitalized" North Portland.

[Nell Plotts]

hose111, who is "they"? Are you volunteering to clean up "roughter areas around hillsboro"? Have at it my friend and when you have polished it up let us know.

[AztoORegon]

Thank you for the Info, I will check out the Farmers Market in that area. I wish I had more like 2 weeks vacation over there. I have alot to do on my list and me going only when I have vacation at work here in Phoenix, its time contstrained. I know for sure I won't be sleeping in and missing out on the area and scouting. I hope to take lots of pictures and post my outcome soon! And my husband is Hispanic so the Hillsboro area with that type of culture is great for me I don't mind.

[CH14]

There are so many great farmers markets in the area....try to make the one downtown or in Beaverton if it is a priority this visit, and seek out the others once you relocate. As for Hillsboro, Orenco/Tanasbourne is a great family oriented area (this is where I lived while in OR). You have many amenities very close by....numerous grocery stores, shopping, MAX, Target, Barnes and Noble...parks, access to 26.

[Smiled]

Hillsboro is just fine. There are some areas close to the Tualatin River that are run-down, but I never feel unsafe there. I feel much safer there than I would, say, in Old Town, or inner NE, at some times of night.

[Daisy32673]

Originally Posted by figmalt

If you're going to be working at Intel, you don't want to live in Keizer. The drive would be way too long.

I am willing to admit that I'm something of a Hillsboro apologist, mostly because many of the people who talk badly about it have never been there, and certainly never lived there.

Without question Hillsboro has a high Hispanic population, but that does not equate to "Hillsboro is gang infested." There are gangs all over the metro area, as someone already stated.

There are several Intel locations between Hillsboro and Aloha, so Intel employees live all over, and housing costs vary. If you visit Hillsboro, be sure to go downtown on a Tuesday night or Saturday morning when the farmer's market is going. Downtown proper is along 1st-3rd, and Washington - Lincoln.

Exactly. Hillsboro is nowhere near gang infested. I about spit my water out when I read that from laughing. South Central and East LA - now that's gang infested.

[Daisy32673]

Originally Posted by hose111

Figmalt, that's nice to be a hillsboro, but don't you think they should clean up some of the rougher areas around hillsboro?

"I personally never went there, usually stay closer in"

How would you know the neighborhoods are rough or need clean up if you've never been there?

[figmalt]

Originally Posted by hose111

obviously, you will want to stay close to intel area...seems the further west/south you go, the uglier it gets. I personally never went there, usually stay closer in. The intel area though is beautiful.

I'm not sure what you mean. Yes "they" should clean up the rougher neighborhoods of Hillsboro. "They" should also clean up the rougher neighborhoods of Portland. "They" should especially clean up the rougher neighborhoods of NYC and LA.

As far as crime control in Hillsboro, the police have actually been very proactive about countering crime, something I've written about before in this forum. When Tri-Met had a spat of violent, gang-related crimes on the MAX and MAX stops, Hillsboro was one of the first cities to put cops on the train, because Tri-Met refused to make any changes, and they didn't want it to escalate. If you read the crime demographics and trends, Hillsboro's crime rate has declined steadily over the past 10 years. http://www.ci.hillsboro.or.us/Police/Documents/AnnualReports/HPD%20Annual%20Report%2009-10.pdf (broken link)

There are run down areas in Hillsboro, but there really isn't anywhere the I feel unsafe. There are areas I would avoid buying a house or renting an apartment, but you get that in any city.

My point about going to the farmer's markets in Hillsboro, is that so often people on here say "I didn't like the look of downtown Hillsboro," when (1) the area they were in wasn't downtown Hillsboro, and (2) They didn't go during events like the farmer's market, where you get a better sense of the community.

[DolceBeatrix]

We are relocating from Illinois, and have been driving around the Hillsboro area for the last few days. I can tell you, nothing in the downtown Hillsboro area compares to the "ganginess" I am used to from my state.

There are some very nice neighborhoods a little farther south from the Intel area of Hillsboro, we are looking at renting a house just north of Cooper mountain.