Portland Neighborhoods: Tualatin Town Center

Frontpage/Areas Map Pictures of Tualatin Town Center Portland Scenic Photos Portland Neighborhoods Mapper

Pros:

Above average for a suburban area - nice natural areas.
Lots of retail (although mostly chains).

Cons:

Still the suburbs, quite a ways from Portland
Limited public transit (you really would want a car)
Tualatin-Sherwood Road is very busy, high traffic.

Tualatin encompasses a fairly large suburban area with plenty of housing developments about 15 miles southwest of Portland. Described here is mostly the "town center" of Tualatin, something the city re-created in the 1980s and is still trying to improve.

Tualatin Town Center is just west of I-5 about two miles, via the very busy Tualatin-Sherwood Road. There are numerous suburban towns like this, where you can find strip malls and chain restaurants everywhere. Tualatin has all of this but it is a step above most of the others because of the Town Center.

First of all, Tualatin Town Center is basically in a marsh area. The city took advantage of this and created an "art walk" which consists mostly of little plaques but also consisting of walking/running/biking trails through it. There is a strip mall on one side of the marsh, a whole number of apartment complexes to the west, and the trails run between them. If you wish to live in one of these dwellings, you would enjoy the regular walk and the opportunity to see birds, dragonflies, ducks, beavers, even the occasional snake(!). It's just a step above what you might find elsewhere in the 'burbs.

Beyond the Applebees, Outback Steakhouse, and Carl's Jr. chains you find in the area, there are also some nicer restaurants in a little area called Tualatin Commons, which is a circular development of conduminums, offices, and restaurants around a little man-made pond and a fountain. There are even concerts there in the summer months.

The very trendy upscale, outdoor mall Bridgeport Village is only 2-3 miles away (without getting on I-5): a nice perk if you love to shop.

You might consider Tualatin Town Center only if you really hate urban neighborhoods (and like the 'burbs) and you will work somewhere nearby. The commute into Portland would not be fun at rush hour, but to drive in a few times a month in the evenings is probably a 25 minute drive assuming no traffic. Bus service is limited - the TriMet 96, an express bus that runs at rush hour only on weekdays and the TriMet 76 that runs between Tualatin and Beaverton. You'd almost certainly want a car living anywhere in Tualatin although there are bike trails where you can ride through the area.

Note that the Washington County Commuter Rail Project is underway to add rail service (rush hour, weekdays only) between Wilsonville and Beaverton, with one stop at Tualatin Town Center. This is slated to open in 2008. If you need to commute in this corridor at rush hour this would be very convenient.

Links:

City of Tualatin Website

Pictures are all copyrighted by Andrew Hall and may not be used or copied without permission.

Portland Neighborhoods Guide: Tualatin Town Center