Susan's Online Guide to Portland Oregon

The country shall be independent, and we will be satisfied with nothing short of it. - Samuel Adams, 1722 - 1803

Susan's Online Guide to Portland Let me Help You Find a Home and a Neighborhood
Welcome to my Web site about the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. It's my way of helping you become acquainted with the neighborhoods and communities of the Portland metro area and to inform you about the Portland area housing market. Your comments and suggestions about my Web site are always welcome. If you have questions or if you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Portland area, contact me online or call me at (503) 497-2984. Susan Marthens Principal Real Estate Broker/CRS GRI
Community News
Independence Day has double meaning for Beaverton family from Iran July 4 − Azar Salehi remembers her first July Fourth celebration. Packed into a soccer stadium in Iran filled with American pilots, Azar and her husband, Hossein, watched fireworks in 1973. They split their first hamburger. When "The Star-Spangled Banner" played and the Americans put their hands over their hearts, Azar cried. "They are not in their country and they are celebrating in another place," Azar recalls. She understood their longing, understood their pride. The Salehi (suh-leh-HEE) family will celebrate Independence Day in their adopted nation as the eyes of the world are on Iran and its people. Most of their relatives still live in Iran, which remains in turmoil after the June 12 presidential election. The government has cracked down on dissent after widespread protests that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide victory was rigged. Read the full story... Blue Sage to close as Portland restaurants big and small struggle July 4 − Like a Fourth of July hot dog bursting open over too-hot coals, the Portland area's restaurant scene -- only recently ballyhooed as among the nation's most vibrant -- continues to shrivel amid a scorching recession. Gone in recent months are old standbys such as McCormick and Schmick's in Old Town as well as newer, but once-hot spots, such as Fife, Cava and the Alberta Street Oyster Bar and Grill. That's only a small sampler of the closures, each of which comes with a unique side dish of circumstances. But in an industry of thinly capitalized operators that often survive dinner to dinner, shift to shift, the common ingredient is the economy and the price it is exacting on diners' spending habits. Read the full story... City of Portland steps in to monitor Alberta art walk July 4 − After continued complaints about drunkenness, public urination, noise, trash and traffic, Portland city officials have taken a much bigger role in the management of the Last Thursday art walk on Northeast Alberta Street. Last month, the city hired an event management firm to help with security. The city also took over the closure and reopening of Alberta Street and is working to limit noise from bands and revelers. "We see our role as making sure everybody is safe," said Roy Kaufmann, a spokesman for Mayor Sam Adams. "It's not fair for the people living nearby to look ahead and dread this event." But the city isn't taking over Last Thursday and will end its expanded role with October's event, after which Adams' office expects community organizers to assume greater responsibility. Read the full story... Boomers show entrepreneurial spirit July 4 − Aging baby boomers aren’t headed out to pasture — they’re starting new businesses, according to a Kauffman Foundation study that predicts the United States may be “on the cusp of an entrepreneurship boom.” Over the past decade, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 had the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity of any age group. The 20-34 age bracket had the lowest rate, despite the attention lavished on youthful founders of companies such as Facebook and Google. Job trends may increase entrepreneurial activity among older Americans. “While people under age 30 have historically jumped from job to job, the most striking development today has been the deep drop in the incidence of ‘lifetime’ jobs among men over age 50,” writes Dane Stangler, senior analyst at the foundation and author of the study. Read the full story... Birds may influence Willamette River bridge design July 3 − When the Oresund Bridge opened in 2000, it had one of the longest cable-stayed main spans in the world and a problem: Dead and dying birds were being found along the deck of the bridge, which connects Denmark to Sweden. A 2001 study by Lund University in Sweden determined that the bridge’s cable-stayed design is particularly dangerous for migratory species flying at night. Now that TriMet has chosen a cable-stayed design for its Willamette River bridge, a TriMet official and the bridge’s architect say they want to avoid harming the many bird species that migrate along the Willamette. A cable-stayed bridge includes one or more towers with cables supporting the bridge deck. Read the full story... Author Arianne Cohen walks tall, very tall, in Portland and loves it July 3 − Arianne Cohen rode the bus to downtown Portland and her knees bumped into the seat in front of her. She got off on Southwest 5th Avenue and didn't walk more than a few blocks before a stranger commented on her height. "He said 'dude, you're really tall,'" Cohen said, rolling her eyes in a what-can-you-expect look. "I get stuff like that every day. Multiple times per day." Cohen is 6-foot-3 and outgoing. The two traits are related; she said she developed a big personality to match her size because it was what people expected of her. Read the full story... Guide to Summer Time Fun − Concerts and movies in the parks, entertainment at Pioneer Square, and Shakespeare. Children's Family Adventures Here are ten activities for families with young ones. Movies in the Park Movies begin at dark. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 PM so bring a picnic and enjoy! Pioneer Square Concerts and other events (usually at noon) in downtown Portland. Shakespeare in the Park As they do every summer, the Portland Actors Ensemble (PAE) will bring the works of Shakespeare to life in our parks. Summer Neighborhood Concerts The Portland Parks Department has concerts just about every evening in the summer at a park. You will want to attend at least one of the Washington Park concerts (August 2-15) at the International Rose Garden. Waterfront Blues Festival July 2-5. In conjunction with the Blues Festival, Bite of Oregon will offer food from some of Portland's best restaurants and wine from over 20 wineries across the state.
House and Home
Housing price slide into 16th month July 1 − Portland's home prices continued to hit new record declines in April as they fell 16 percent compared to April 2008, according to a report published today. Portland ranked among the nation's three healthiest markets in early 2008, but April's figures from the Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Index show that foreclosures and job losses continue to push prices down in the region. The Portland region has set record price declines for 16 straight months and the declines have grown deeper each month since January 2008. Since the July 2007 peak, Portland-area prices have fallen 21 percent. Portland's prices have fallen back to June 2005 levels, according to the index. Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Seattle also posted record year-over-year declines in April. Read the full story... English Tudor designed by Roscoe Hemenway − English Tudor in coveted Arlington Height, adjacent to Rose and Japanese gardens, Washington Park, Oregon Zoo, downtown. Gallery off living room and dining room overlooks English garden and treed vista. Kitchen has 7x12 nook with bay window. The home has three bedrooms - all on the same floor. There are two full bathrooms and a partial bathroom. The family room has bookcases and fireplace. Pre-inspected, new sewer line, new 90% efficient gas furnace. Well maintained home waiting to welcome you. To view more photos, click here. To view call 503-497-2984.
Living Green
Model energy-saving plan OK’d July 2 − A pilot program enabling Portlanders to reduce home energy usage with no out-of-pocket costs kicks off next week, just after the Oregon Legislature provided $10 million to take the program statewide. The project, dubbed Clean Energy Works: Portland, is viewed as a state and national pilot test to counter global warming by cutting home and business energy consumption. The plan’s key innovation is granting homeowners a low-cost loan that’s paid back over several years via utility bills. Homeowners can use loan proceeds to install insulation, weatherization, windows, heating and cooling systems, renewable energy systems or other energy-saving improvements. Loan payments, it’s hoped, will be offset by reductions in electricity and gas costs due to lower usage. Read the full story...
Sports and Outdoors
Night vision July 4 − They've come on a pilgrimage to a special place where dark is good and light is evil. The pilgrims are on the geeky side, and they circle up their RVs and campers and vans like prefab prairie schooners. They outlast the daylight hours with understated chatting and the kids' model Mars rover races. Then, when it's solidly dark, they climb orchard ladders and peer into little eyepieces attached to tilted black tubes of all sizes but with some bordering on gigantic: These are Dobsonian telescopes, homemade instruments that gather starlight well. It's late August on the high prairie in the Ochocos, and the annual four-day Oregon Star Party is in full swing, a gathering of about 600 amateur and backyard astronomers at various levels of seriousness, including families who like to mix in a little educational splendor with the bottle rockets and stomp rockets. Read the full story...
Portland Blogs and Web Sites
Burnsider Stories and pictures from the Burnside Bridge, Portland, Oregon. The e bloggers live near the bridge and walk across it as part of their commute every day. Documented Life Planet Earth as seen from Portland Oregon. Community & Parents for Public Schools in Portland They seek to redefine parent and community involvement in Portland Public Schools. Discovering Portland Two women flee California for Oregon to ask if Portland is the city they've dreamed of. Ever Day is a Miracle A blog about families, kids, politics and current events, travel, books, and living in Portland. Good Stuff NW Kab is a writer and designer who loves living in Oregon with its combination of urban style and down-home friendliness. Lots of recipes on Kab's blog. Home Ownership A blog about the "Neighborhood Housing Program" sponsored by the Portland Development Commission. Kids in Portland This site provides a resource for parents to come together and find out all of the attractions, restaurants, activities, ideas, issues, art, music, for kids in the area. Oregon Fly Fishing Fishing reports, conservation news, fishing advice, and hot fly patterns. The Oregonian Neighborhoods Covers Portland metro area neighborhoods and communities. Pat's Blog Whatever ticks Pat off or tickles his fancy: politics, news and society, music, movies, books, cooking, autism, and anything else bright and shiny in the world of ideas. And Pat does it with humor. Portland Architecture If you're interested in buildings, this is the site to visit. RSS feed and newsletter. Portland Blogsogs A complete list of all the bloggers who call Portland home. Portland Dog Blog For people who exercise their dog at Portland parks. Portland Housing Blog Real estate and economic discussions. Portland Metblogs Written from the perspective of people who live, work, and play here every day. SheSue Experience Shelley blogs about events, restaurants, attractions, outdoor activities, curiosities and more. e. Upper Left Coast Thoughts on politics, faith, sports and other random topics from a red state sympathizer in indigo-blue Portland, Oregon. Walking in Portland This blogger walks around Portland with his wife and dogs taking photos and making notes about living in Portland. inPortland A magazine, published every Thursday, has stories about neighborhoods and communities. Portland Tribune Published on Thursday, one of the Tribune's strength is their neighborhood news. Oregon Newspapers Links to over 100 newspapers in Oregon. This includes community weekly papers − check out the stories in smaller towns like Astoria and Pendleton.

(866) 368-7878	Susan Marthens Principal Real Estate Broker CRS, GRI (503) 497-2984 Fax (503) 220-1131	6443 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97221 (503) 297-1033
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Let me Help You Find a Home and a Neighborhood