Moving to Portland from out of state (Beaverton, Tigard: apartments, houses)

[Minervah]

There are also B&Ns at Clackamas Town Center and Washington Square.

The Lloyd Center is in Portland. The other two are suburbs right next to Portland. They all have apartments around them. What kind of neighborhood are you looking for?

The Lloyd Center is near neighborhoods that have lots of shopping, bars and good public transportation. I like a neighborhood nearby called Sullivan's Gulch. I would chose this area.

Clackamas has lots of apartments and is very suburban. So is Beaverton/Tigard where the Washington Square store is located. It has mostly apartment complexes with not so great public transportation. There is shopping. You can live right across the street from the shopping mall or biking distance.

May I mention again that if part-time retail work or coffee shop jobs are your only other alternatives to working at Barnes and Noble, really think about this move.

[Nell Plotts]

There are lots of residential neighborhoods nearby, also it is a block away from a MAX stop to the south and there is frequent bus service to the north (Broadway, Weidler couplet).

[gypsydoc]

Originally Posted by tmwilson

As far as I know, the only B&N in Portland is in the Lloyd Center. What's the area around the Lloyd District like? I've tried looking it up online (Google Maps, Wikipedia, etc.) but I can't get a good idea.

I won't have a car up there for a while, so I'll be biking between home and work. Are there any residential neighborhoods within biking distance? I'd prefer to not live in a commercial area.

Here's a link that shows several B&N in the Portland area:

Barnes & Noble - Store and Event Locator

The one in Tigard is a more suburban area and is about 15 minutes to downtown Portland.
Here's a YouTube link re: Tigard: Moving to Tigard Oregon | Tigard Home, Lifestyle and Relocation Video - YouTube
Clackamas Town Center is close to Happy Valley, also about 15 minutes to downtown.
The one at Tanasbourne is in Beaverton - on the West side of Portland. Very suburban.
Lloyd Center is close to the Hollywood residential area - a bit pricey, more of an urban residential area. Older, higher priced homes. Some garden apartments near there. but beautiful.

Lots of shopping with all of them. Hope that helps.

[tmwilson]

I had read about the stores located in the "outskirts" of Portland (if that's what you would call them) but considering that I won't have a car, I'm really only looking at the ones in the city - unless any of you might say that Tigard and Happy Valley and Beaverton might be better alternatives to actually living in the city.

I may be subleasing a room from someone in Belmont for the summer, giving me the chance to look for a room in person. Is the Lloyd Center a decent commute from Belmont? I check Google Maps for this kind of thing a lot, but that really only gives me an idea of distance; it doesn't really give me an idea of the geography and infrastructure...

[EnricoV]

Lloyd Center isn't too far from Belmont. How convenient a commute it is will depend on how far out (or in) on Belmont you're living. You've got Sullivan's Gulch (where the I-84 freeway is) separating the two, so you can only cross over bridges at specific points.

One good point is, there are cross-town buses that run north-south to Lloyd Center. That saves you from having to go into downtown and transferring back out.

[gypsydoc]

Portland is divided into many neighborhoods - about 92 and there are neighborhood associations that are fairly active for each one. Most neighborhoods have small hubs of coffee shops, stores, shopping, food, etc. and are quite walkable.

Check out Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address to see how walkable (and therefore bikeable) neighborhoods are. You can put in an address you're checking out and then figure out the score. It will show you the location and distance from the address you put in to restaurants, libraries, gas stations, coffee shops, retail shops, book stores, movie theaters, and on and on. Very helpful! and you can go out several miles from the initial address as well.

Roads have bike lanes that try to keep riders off the main roads (also, plenty of bike lanes ON main roads) and there are maps that take bikers through more residential areas for an easier, safer commute. If you want to live close to downtown, the prices will be higher, both for apartments and food, etc. The neighborhoods are made up of a hub of stores, shops, etc. This is a VERY bike-friendly town.

Feel free to contact the Chambers of Commerce for Portland, Happy Valley (Clackamas Town Center), Beaverton , Tigard, etc. and they will be happy to send you info. If you are a member of AAA, they can also send you information.

This link has a page with links to all the suburbs around.
It's a great place to get more of a "feel"
for what you're getting into.
Portland, Oregon Nearby Communities

Also, check out:
PortlandMaps
This is a site with all kinds of Multnomah county statistics. Crime, neighborhood, etc. I believe it also has elevation levels. Out in the SE, the land is fairly flat. Many people use the Springwater Trail for their daily commute. It is an asphalt hiking, biking trail that goes to town (east/west) and there are also bike trails that go north and south up to the Columbia River. You can ride right next to the water.

Portland, Oregon Vacation and Travel Information
The site above has lots of information.

I get the feeling you really want to be in a more urban environment and that is why you keep mentioning Lloyd Center. (sorry if that's not it!) That one would provide you with the most urban environment... but within fairly easy biking distance to residential. Because it is more urban, your prices will be quite a bit higher than, say, Beaverton or Tigard. All of the locations nearby the B&Ns that are here would have access to shopping and apartments. so you could live close to your work and the shopping - by that I mean groceries and daily necessities.

Belmont is one of the very cool neighborhoods with restaurants, and the stores I mentioned. There are MANY nice areas like that.

Beaverton, Happy Valley and Tigard are not out in any kind of "boonies." They are large towns that are next to Portland proper, with their own governments, pluses and minuses. For myself, I don't like congested living. I like space and so I would prefer those other areas.

One thing we have here is the Urban Growth Boundary, which keeps a higher density of homes on the inside, with easy access to the many parks and gorgeous country just minutes away from most anywhere.

[Nell Plotts]

The OP will be working at a store in the Lloyd Center.

Great to hear you found a shared living situation. It is much easier to transition to an unfamiliar community with room mates, cheaper too.

[gypsydoc]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

The OP will be working at a store in the Lloyd Center.

Great to hear you found a shared living situation. It is much easier to transition to an unfamiliar community with room mates, cheaper too.

Thanks for the update.. I didn't realize it was a definite roommate share situation yet, as she used the word "may" and indicated her curiosity about the other stores and other areas.

tmwilson said:

"I may be subleasing a room from someone in Belmont for the summer, giving me the chance to look for a room in person."

Just sayin'

[Minervah]

If the OP winds up on Belmont and is using bus transportation. He can take the number 15 Belmont and transfer to the number 70 at Belmont and Morrison. That will take him right to the Lloyd Center.

[EnricoV]

I should have added ... unless you're up on Mt. Tabor, a bike commute to Lloyd Center from anywhere on Belmont is going to be a pretty flat, easy ride. Portland bike maps has a good city-wide map indicating dedicated lanes, "friendly" streets, etc.