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Portland Metropolitan Area
Portland is a city with the quiet charm of a small town, yet the diversity of a bustling
metropolis. There are a great many things to do in Portland including Washington and
Forest Parks, the downtown area, and the ocean to the west, the mountains to the east. The suburbs
of Portland are divided into quadrants including NE, SE, SW, and NW. The NE, SE, and NW are all Portland
proper, but the SW includes Beaverton and Hillsboro. Beaverton is a city of about 80,000 people
and even at the outskirts is located just 15 minutes from downtown Portland. Beaverton is
filled with parks and neighborhoods with cherry tree lined sidewalks. It is one of the best school
districts in the state of Oregon and you find many young families among its streets. Hillsboro is
also a city on its own, but a great part of it is farming. It is west of Beaverton, but still just
a hop, skip, and jump to downtown Portland. Its lush, rolling hills and rows of corn and other crops are a
true escape to those from the inner city. The Willamette River that runs straight through downtown divides
the east side of Portland from the west. Both northeast and southeast Portland have gorgeous, old Victorian homes, many
dating back to the turn of the century. They both are very close to downtown Portland, just a bridge crossing away.