Forrest View Apartments

from floor to ceiling. These look out upon the stunning vista of the Marquam Nature Trail, giving the appearance of living in some sort of postmodernist treehouse. The forest view looks out over a sloping valley, and from our second story, the hillside vanishes from any view within the house, leaving you with an endless story of trees and their inhabitants, with not a sign of human habitation in sight. Birdwatchers, squirrel fans, deer voyeurs, and nature lovers rejoice, as there is always something going on outside to catch the eye. At night, these apartments might as well be in the countryside rather than downtown Portland, as the rustling of leaves of the windswept canopy and the occasional nocturnal forest dweller's footsteps crunching through the underbrush are your lullaby. Inside, both living room and bedroom have stunning hardwood floors, with many units also having a fireplace. Some units also have a balcony or patio attached, though not all. The two downsides: One, no dishwasher or laundry hookups inside, although there are on-site coin-op laundry and first come, first-served indoor storage spaces near the laundry room. As for the dishwasher, we purchased a counter-top unit which connects to the faucet and works admirably. The kitchen is not spacious, but what space there is is well utilized. Likewise, the bathroom is small, but not with a poor layout. The living room is more than enough for two people, and our bedroom is actually a little larger than the living room. Our unit has three closets, one in the bedroom, one directly outside the bedroom and another near that, outside the bathroom. The interiors are well-maintained and groundskeepers beautify the open exterior outside monthly. The property managers are a married couple and they are quick to resolve maintenance issues and very friendly and fair in their dealings. Our rent didn't even increase after the first year. All in all, we love it here and you will too.