Orenco Station? (Portland, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego: apartments, lease, condos) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

skrazzle · 03-20-2008, 07:11 AM

My girlfriend and I are looking to relocate. We are very very very sick of driving our cars and the money we have to spend on it, sick of suburban sprawl, etc.

However we would like to get a decent house or townhouse somewhere near the rail line. We want to find a neighborhood that has a lot around it that you can walk to... dinner, movies, bars, shopping, a market, etc... and as I said near the rail so if there isn't something around we can just take that. We want to keep driving at a minimal.

I've been trying to find information and Orenco Station sounds like it may be what we are looking for. We would prefer a place closer to downtown Portland, but not sure if there is anything near that has a yard and rooftop gardens? We have 2 dogs, and while we like to take them on walks, we don't wait it to be a pain every time we need to let them out to use the restroom, which is what limits us from a downtown apartment as it there may not be any options there other then taking them to a park 4-5 times a day.

So, anyone have any news on Orenco Station, or any other places in Portland that may suit our needs? Thanks!

John Shaft · 03-20-2008, 05:41 PM

It has been pretty popular, but my opinion has always been that a) it's too expensive and b) it's the worst of both worlds for urban/suburban living (you get the smallness of urban places mixed with the additional travel time of suburban).

tigerlily · 03-21-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skrazzle

However we would like to get a decent house or townhouse somewhere near the rail line. We want to find a neighborhood that has a lot around it that you can walk to... dinner, movies, bars, shopping, a market, etc... and as I said near the rail so if there isn't something around we can just take that. We want to keep driving at a minimal.

I've been trying to find information and Orenco Station sounds like it may be what we are looking for. We would prefer a place closer to downtown Portland, but not sure if there is anything near that has a yard and rooftop gardens? We have 2 dogs, and while we like to take them on walks, we don't wait it to be a pain every time we need to let them out to use the restroom, which is what limits us from a downtown apartment as it there may not be any options there other then taking them to a park 4-5 times a day.

I visit Orenco Station weekly for grocery shopping. New Seasons, an independent grocery chain, is fantastic - much nicer than Whole Foods. As far as restaurants, there is an Italian Restaurant and an Indian Restaurant. There are movie theaters or bars within walking distance. That said, you are fairly close to Streets of Tanasbourne and Tanasbourne Town Centre but you would have to drive or take the bus because the MAX does not have a stop at these shopping areas. The problem in these surburban areas is lack of good restaurants - mostly chains. Many people have dogs at Orenco, but the yards are quite small. From May to December, Orenco hosts a Farmer's Market on Sunday. Walking distance to the MAX to travel downtown would be the reason I would move to Orenco.

rainsmith · 03-24-2008, 02:23 PM

Orenco is great. Its got that village feel. You see lots of ppl walking around, presumably home, with their shopping bags. I would imagine it would be very nice (and economical) to be able to cut down on the dependancy of your cars. If you are looking for a bit of a yard I would look south of Cornell outside of the official neighborhood. Its still called Orenco area and still walking distance to the commercial center, and actually closer to the MAX line. The lots would average 5000sq ft, more or less depending on the age of the home. The Dawson Creek neighborhood is close by too and there are very large lots there because the homes are older (15 years ?) from here you could also walk to the library or the Costco or the Hawthorne Farms Athletic Club.

bobmulk · 03-25-2008, 12:41 PM

I would kill to live in Orenco Station. Phenomenal condos, apartments, homes. It's wonderful. Right across the street is practically every shopping amenity you could ask for, plus there's small restaurants, etc. in the Station. It's near the Max line and Intel is a stone's throw away. It's expensive, yes. You know why? Economics 101--something in demand will be command premium prices.

Misterkister123 · 07-04-2019, 10:55 AM

I live in Orenco Station. Just renewed my lease for another year. Everything is walkable. I don't have a car and I don't need one! I mean, unless I wanna leave the city. But the max line is literally right around the corner. It is expensive to live here however, if you can get rid of the car and all the payments that go with owning one, it sorta evens itself out.

texasdiver · 07-04-2019, 11:08 AM

Orenco Station is nice but once you leave its borders it is a long way to anything else. After the first week or two you will have discovered all the shops and restaurants and then there will be nothing new left to discover.

There are also a lot of neighborhoods within Portland that meet your definition of being walkable and on a rail line. You pretty much get what you pay for. The nicer the neighborhood and the amenities, the higher the price. Unless I was also working nearby in Hillsboro I'd not fixate only on Orenco Station but look at other options within Portland. If you can afford Orenco Station you can afford a lot of other place in Portland too. But as far as the suburbs go, I think Orenco Station is the only one I can think of that has what you are looking for. There are suburban places with nice downtown areas like Lake Oswego. But none I can think of that are right on a rail line.

I don't think you will really find any solution for your dogs in any place that is considered highly walkable. I have a yellow lab and have lived in both rural, urban, and suburban settings with him. We currently have a house with a yard. I could fence it in and be able to just put him out back as I did in our previous place but I haven't bothered to do that because (1) I'm lazy and don't want to buld a fence as we back up to a greenbelt, and (2) I got tired of going out every couple days and picking up all the dog poop in the yard at our last place. Now I just walk him 3-4 times a day in the neighborhood and deal with it.

psichick · 07-05-2019, 02:04 PM

FYI. The original post is from 2008.

pdxMIKEpdx · 07-05-2019, 03:13 PM

It's still interesting to hear how that "planned community" turned out.
I DO remember all the hoopla when it was first developed and was considered kind of remote from the "civilization" of Portland.
Lots of arguments pro and con.
It's nice to see how it fared so long after.

It may not be for everyone, but for some people it's a perfect fit!

psichick · 07-05-2019, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

It's still interesting to hear how that "planned community" turned out.
I DO remember all the hoopla when it was first developed and was considered kind of remote from the "civilization" of Portland.
Lots of arguments pro and con.
It's nice to see how it fared so long after.

It may not be for everyone, but for some people it's a perfect fit!

Oh, I totally agree! I was just making sure people are aware since they're answering the OP's question from 11 years ago.

And you're right, it's not for everyone. I lived there and I hated it. It's too reminiscent of SoCal for me - which I was escaping and also why I moved out of Orenco. However, I also work there so it's nice to have the different food options and cutesy boutiquey shops, espcially the more local pet stores that carry what I need, and there's a HomeGoods! I'm just glad I don't live there anymore.