NORTHWEST LIVING

Whether you see Portland, Oregon as a small town with a big-city feel, or a big city that feels like a small town, most people agree that it is a great place to live. Located on the banks of the Willamette River, only 90 minutes from snow-capped peaks and the Pacific Ocean, you might not realize Portland's bustling downtown and waterfront are the heart of a metropolitan region with more than 2 million people. Throughout the metro area are thriving neighborhoods filled with restaurants, record shops, bars, funky clothing stores, antique malls and art galleries. Portland also has an abundance of movie theaters (some even serve beer and pizza), new and used bookstores (including Powell's, the largest independent new and used bookstore on Earth), coffee shops and clubs.

Within walking distance of the PSU campus is the world-class Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society, a performing arts complex and a concert hall. For the sports-minded, Portland has its own NBA team (the Trail Blazers) as well as minor-league baseball, hockey and soccer teams. Those who love the outdoors frequent Forest Park, the largest natural urban forest reserve in the nation. Forest Park features 5,000 acres of hiking and biking trails, the Oregon Zoo, public gardens and beautiful old-growth woods. And all of this is connected by one of the world's leading public transportation systems, a combination of buses, streetcars, and light-rail trains, making the entire metro area only a couple stops away.

 

If you enjoy day trips, a short drive in any direction will lead you to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world: mountains, seashore, river gorge and desert... On clear days, the Cascade Range volcanoes Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens loom on the Portland horizon. Both snowcapped peaks are just a short drive from the city.

Stretching above 11,000 feet, Mount Hood is Oregon's highest point. It's a downhill and cross-country skiers' paradise and with its year-round snow, the summer training home for the US Olympic ski team. During the spring and summer, campers pitch their tents on mountain lakes along the Pacific Crest Trail. Experienced climbers can go for the summit, though sudden storms can make this a very dangerous undertaking. All throughout Oregon, the wilderness is waiting to be explored. Visit Crater Lake National Monument, hike through the Coast Range, the Steens Mountains, the Three Sisters, or drop from the rainforests to the beaches in Washington's nearby Olympic National Park.

Two rivers wind through Portland, Oregon: the north-flowing Willamette, running past the city's Waterfront Park and esplanade, and the "mighty" Columbia, the fourth largest river in the US. Portland gets the nickname "Bridgetown" from the twelve bridges crossing these rivers, each an example of a unique architectural style.

If it's ocean you're looking for, the Oregon Coast is a year-round playground for adventure-seekers and beachcombers alike. Along the scenic coastal Highway 101 you'll find quaint beach towns and wind-wracked headlands hundreds of feet above the crashing Pacific, and miles of unpopulated beach. Wild flowers grow atop massive cliffs, and eons of wind and angry waves have carved giant boulders into caves and lovely cathedral-esque hollows. Bring your wetsuit, and surf or sea kayak among the sea lions.

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