Gresham, OR Area Guide

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Family friendly Public transit is accessible Walkable to grocery stores Yards are well-kept Lots of parks Walkable to restaurants Friendly neighbors Safe at night Pet friendly Streets have sidewalks A quiet area Sense of community

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Gresham, OR

Gresham is a beautiful city just outside of Portland known for its forested and mountainous scenery and growing population. Like much of the Pacific Northwest, Gresham is becoming more popular and many former Portland residents end up calling the suburb their new home. The city now has over 100,000 residents, a number which will only continue to rise.

Gresham is a wonderful place for families, as it is much quieter than some of the larger cities in the area. The local public schools offer quality education for children and Mount Hood Community College is a large employer and educator in the city. Larger universities can be found just a few miles away in Portland and the percentage of educated individuals in the city is very high relative to the rest of the United States.

Gresham has an excellent transportation system and is connected to Portland and the other main suburbs by the Max Light Rail. Many residents opt for the public transportation because it is known for being clean and reliable, but many others do choose cars or even biking to get around. Gresham, like much of Oregon, is environmentally friendly and the transportation options are great for someone with a mind toward preserving the environment.

There are plenty of things to do in Gresham, depending on your interests. The area is known for outdoor recreation and you will find plenty of hiking and biking trails in parks such as Main City Park and the nearby Forest Park of Portland. Shoppers can explore great shopping centers such as Gresham Station and Washington Square Mall in Portland. There are also lots of restaurants, including Boccelli's Ristorante, Pastini Pastoria and Nicholas Restaurant. There is certainly a little something for everyone to find in this city.

In terms of cost of living, the average rent in Gresham, OR is over $1,200 a month. This is cheaper than Portland and most of the other suburbs, but still expensive compared to some parts of the United States and cities of a similar size. This high cost is at least somewhat offset by the minimum wage in Oregon, which is continuing to increase along with inflation. In fact, Oregon has one of the best policies in the country for supporting minimum wage workers and that makes it possible for almost anyone to live comfortably in this city.

Gresham's population is skyrocketing along with all of the West Coast. This shows no sign of slowing and the city will only become more interesting and varied with time. Anyone who wishes to move here will find plenty of friendly residents and make a great home of Gresham very quickly.