Whether reviving old streetcar districts like Kenton, maintaining midcentury gems like Raleigh Hills, or starting from scratch in places like Forest Heights, Portlanders seem wired to create great places to walk, bike, shop, and simply be. So as we make our annual assessment of the best places to live in Portland, we’ve chosen to look beyond the obvious statistics—housing prices—to offer a longer view of value.

We’ll guide you to a trio of neighborhoods where thoughtful planning and savvy investments have kept the prices steady, and to three other hoods poised for great times ahead. We’ll also visit a community that’s aiming to go carbon neutral and introduce you to the city’s first new strategic neighborhood plan in 30 years.

Of course, we’ve gathered comprehensive housing data on all 120 neighborhoods and communities across the region. (After all, who doesn’t want to know how their home’s doing?) But we also dug for other measures, like pedestrian- and bicycle-friendliness, proximity to supermarkets, residents’ generosity in giving to the arts and disaster relief, and even politics and pets.

So join us in putting aside the gloom and doom that’s plagued the local real estate market. There are so many reasons to celebrate Portland’s neighborhoods.

In This Feature:

Holding Steady

Take a tour of crash-beating neighborhoods—the Northwest District, Cathedral Park, and Sabin.

03/16/2010 By Kasey Cordell, Randy Gragg, and Rachel Ritchie Edited by Brian Barker

Up-and-Comers

The neighborhoods of Kenton, Foster-Powell, and Boise are looking forward to an increase in value.

03/16/2010 By Kasey Cordell, Randy Gragg, and Rachel Ritchie Edited by Brian Barker

The People's Republic of Sunnyside

Southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood has a regal, district-wide energy plot.

03/16/2010 With Brian Barker

Where the Animals Roam

Active animal licenses are analyzed comparatively between Democrats and Republicans.

03/16/2010 Edited by Brian Barker

Walking to the Future

Portland is anticipating hefty changes over three decades, according to the city's new 30-year urban blueprint.

03/16/2010 By Rachel Ritchie

Condo Bonding

Are condos on the comeback trail? Here are some top-notch locales in your price range.

03/16/2010 By Randy Gragg

Shrink City

Portland Alternative Dwellings offers minuscule (56 square feet!) options for hesitant homeowners.

03/16/2010 With Brian Barker