As suburbs go, the twin cities of Tigard-Tualatin don’t have the well-defined identities of some of Portland’s other bedroom communities. Beaverton (or, if you want to get technical, unincorporated Washington County) has Nike, Hillsboro has Intel, and Lake Oswego has a lake. Tigard-Tualatin may not have any Fortune 500 companies to speak of, but they do have the Blazers’ practice facility, some of the region’s easiest access to nature hikes and water spots, and one of our area’s toniest malls to date.  

About that mall. We’re speaking, of course, of Bridgeport Village, which boasts Oregon’s sole Crate and Barrel location, beloved of the newly affianced everywhere, along with a nice mix of upscale national chains and local haunts like nifty gifts store Tender Loving Empire, plus an Apple Store that’s reliably less crowded that the downtown Portland location. 

When you need a detox from all that shopping, the peaceful Tualatin River is just the ticket; launch your canoe or kayak from Cook Park (in the summer, you can rent one from the Tualatin Riverkeepers, a community-based organization that works on watershed preservation). Or cycle on the family friendly Fanno Creek Greenway Trail, which starts at Tualatin Community Park and ends 10.5 miles later in Southwest Portland. 

If indoor sports are more your speed, check out Archers Afield, perhaps the region’s largest indoor archery range, where you can indulge your inner Katniss to your heart’s content; or go all Will Shortz and visit the Paddle Palace Club in Tigard, a mecca for table tennis enthusiasts and the people who love them.  

As in most of the Portland suburbs, the food scene here is much more diverse than the chain restaurants with full parking lots might suggest. Tigard is home to the area’s first H Mart, the massive Korean grocery store where you can find all the kimchi varieties your fermenting-loving palate desires, along with Mugen Noodle Bar, a ramen joint that draw notice from foodies for its tori paitan broth, a creamy, chicken-y comfort. And if you’d prefer a burger, there’s lots of that, too—local families flock to Cooper Mountain Ale Works Public House, an offshoot of a Beaverton-based nanobrewery known for its experimental brews. Or you could grab a pizza, beer, and a movie at the under-rated  Joy Cinema and Pub, which more than holds its own against nearby theater chains.