Portland, OR 1 of 18 Active Retirement Communities Location

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Ivan Gillis

Active Retirement Communities

State: Oregon

City: Portland

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2009, it has an estimated population of 582,130 making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most environmentally friendly or "green" city in the United States and the second most in the world. Portland is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Approximately two million people live in the Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.

The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in light rail, supported by Metro, a distinctive regional-government. Portland is known for its large number of microbreweries and microdistilleries, as well as its coffee fanaticism. It is also the home of the Trail Blazers NBA team.

Portland lies in the Marine west coast climate region, marked by warm, dry summers and rainy but temperate winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and for more than a century, Portland has been known as "The City of Roses" with many rose gardens--most prominently the International Rose Test Garden.

Portland's location, with access both to the Pacific Ocean via the Willamette and the Columbia rivers and to the agricultural Tualatin Valley via the "Great Plank Road" through a canyon in the West Hills (the route of current-day U.S. Route 26), gave it an advantage over nearby ports, and it grew quickly. It remained the major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century, until the 1890s, when Seattle's deepwater harbor was connected to the rest of the mainland by rail, affording an inland route without the treacherous navigation of the Columbia River.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park runs along the west bank of the Willamette for the length of downtown. The 37-acre (15 ha) park was built in 1974 after Harbor Drive was removed and now hosts large events throughout the year. Portland's downtown features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space: the North and South Park Blocks.

Portland is home to a diverse array of artists and arts organizations, and was named in 2006 by American Style magazine as the tenth best Big City Arts Destination in the U.S.

Portlandia, a statue on the west side of the Portland Building, is the second-largest hammered-copper statue in the U.S. (after the Statue of Liberty). Portland's public art is managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Powell's City of Books claims to be the largest independent bookstore in the United States and the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi River

The Portland Rose Festival takes place annually in June and includes two parades, dragon boat races, carnival rides at Tom McCall Waterfront park, and dozens of other events.

Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year in celebration of beer, including the Oregon Brewers Festival. Held each summer during the last full weekend of July, it is the largest outdoor craft beer festival in North America with over 70,000 attendees in 2008. Other major beer festivals throughout the calendar year include the Spring Beer and Wine Festival in April, the North American Organic Brewers Festival in June, the Portland International Beerfest in July, and the Holiday Ale Festival in December.

Today, with twenty-eight breweries within the city, Portland is home to more breweries than any other city in the country.

Because of strong free speech protections of the Oregon Constitution upheld by the Oregon Supreme Court Henry v. Oregon Constitution 1987 which specifically found that full nudity and lap dances in strip clubs are protected speech, Portland is widely considered to have more strip clubs per capita than Las Vegas or San Francisco.

A judge dismissed charges against a nude bicyclist November 2008 on the grounds that the city's annual World Naked Bike Ride "was a well-established tradition in Portland." The 2009 Naked Bike Ride occurred without significant incident. City police managed traffic intersections. There were an estimated 3000 to 5000 participants.

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2008: $50,979 (it was $40,146 in 2000)

Portland:

$50,979

Oregon:

$50,169

Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $310,900 (it was $154,700 in 2000)

Portland:

$310,900

Oregon:

$273,300

Mean prices in 2008: All housing units: $350,431; Detached houses: $352,900; Townhouses or other attached units: $324,604; In 2-unit structures: $380,073; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $292,590; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $420,389; Mobile homes: $48,792; Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $75,466

Median gross rent in 2008: $779.

Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Portland: 102.8 (near average, U.S. average is 100)

In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

· Climate Charts

1. Average Temperature

2. Precipitation (Rain)

3. Humidity

4. Wind Speed (MPH)

5. Snowfall

6. Sunshine

7. Cloudy Days

· Tornado Activity History

· Hospitals & Medical

· Airports

· Colleges/Universities