Portland Neighborhoods: Lake Oswego

Frontpage/Areas Map Pictures of Lake Oswego Portland Scenic Photos Portland Neighborhoods Mapper

Pros:

Nice area, beautiful homes
Excellent public high school

Cons:

Expensive! (But maybe that's what you want?)
You're going to need a car almost guaranteed, even if you commute to Portland by bus.

Long one of Portland's more exclusive suburbs, Lake Oswego is full of huge mansions and middle class homes alike, even some apartment complexes. The small downtown has some trendy, spendy shops and restaurants, although many of the shops are locally-owned, not chains. The Lake itself is overlooked by bluffs that offer great views from million-dollar homes. Only in the last decade has the cache of the name "Lake Oswego" been rivaled by the Pearl District in terms of status, in one sense. But you can't buy a house in the Pearl, only a condo - if you are wealthy and want a huge house, you'll either want one in the West Hills with a view or a mansion in Lake Oswego, away from the hustle and bustle of Portland.

The commute from Lake O to Portland is kind of lame: up I-5 through the Terwilliger Curves - can be a nightmare if there's an accident - or up OR 43, which can be slow in rush hour also. TriMet does provide service from Lake Oswego to Portland and also a few express buses at rush hour, which are supposedly quite crowded.

There's a fun excursion trolley: the Willamette Shore Trolley from Lake Oswego to Johns Landing, just south of downtown Portland. But it doesn't run every day.

Some people simply don't like urban neighborhoods, even though Portland's are terrific. Living in Lake Oswego might be a good alternative - its a beautiful area. Lake Oswego high school is excellent also. But can you afford it?

Links:

City of Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego Review (newspaper)

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

Portland Neighborhoods Guide: Lake Oswego