A Local Experts Guide To the Best Student Friendly Neighborhoods to Rent Near Colleges in Portland

Hello! My name is Chad, and I joined the ApartmentHomeLiving.com team as a Local Expert after living in Portland, Oregon, for more than 20 years. I have a deep love for this charming and vibrant city. I frankly marvel at how Portland manages to offer an incredible array of attractions and amenities while somehow retaining a comfortable small-town feel.

For example, college students flock to Portland to take advantage of its high-quality post-secondary education options while simultaneously enjoying all that the city has to offer. After falling in love with the excitement and livability of the city, people who go to college in Portland often stick around after graduation.

As a graduate of Portland State University (PSU), I know firsthand how rewarding it can be to attend school in the city while taking full advantage of its beautiful parks, outstanding restaurants, diverse shops, and thriving arts and culture scene. I wouldn’t trade my PSU experience for anything, but Portland is home to many other noteworthy universities and colleges, which offer a broad spectrum of academic focuses and degree programs.

No matter what learning institution you choose, you can make your college experience even better by settling in the right neighborhood. Read on for a review of some of the best neighborhoods to consider near four of the most popular universities and colleges in Portland.

Portland State University

My alma mater, PSU is Portland’s public research university and the largest institution in the Oregon University System. It offers more than 200 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs through its colleges of liberal arts and sciences, engineering and computer science, and urban and public affairs. It also supports undergraduate schools of fine and performing arts and business administration as well as graduate schools of education and social work. PSU bills itself as “a place to test ideas and projects that show the world how different is done.”

Park Blocks

PSU is located in and around the Park Blocks, which serve as a popular public green space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Park Blocks also lend their name to the neighborhood that surrounds them. This neighborhood is home to many of Portland’s most prominent cultural attractions, including the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon Historical Society Museum. Centrally located next to the downtown area, the Park Blocks features stops for the Portland Streetcar, the MAX light rail, and multiple city bus routes. In short, the treelined Park Blocks offer a leafy oasis in the middle of Portland while providing easy access to all that the city has to offer.

Goose Hollow

Sandwiched between the Park Blocks and Portland’s West Hills, Goose Hollow is full of leafy trees and quiet streets. It borders Washington Park, a large public area that includes fields, forests, and playgrounds, as well as the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, the Hoyt Arboretum, and the world-famous International Rose Test Garden. But you don’t have to leave Goose Hollow to find a well-known public attraction. The neighborhood contains Providence Park, an outdoor event venue that serves as the home field for the Portland’s professional soccer teams: the Timbers and the Thorns.

Pearl District

If you are looking for an iconic Portland neighborhood, it is hard to beat the Pearl District. Before the mid-1980s, this area was highly industrial, supporting a range of railroad, warehouse, and manufacturing operations. After becoming rezoned as a “mixed-use” area, it blossomed into a bustling center of commerce and community. This transformation was aided by the arrival of artists who embraced the burgeoning Pearl District in large numbers. Today, the neighborhood remains a center of culture with many galleries and arts institutions. It is also the site of Portland’s longstanding First Thursday: a community art event that features large numbers of street vendors and special attractions in galleries and shops.

Reed College

The rigorous and exclusive Reed College is well-known as a bastion of independent learning and free thought. To foster critical thinking and interdisciplinary understanding in first-year students, Reed requires them to take the year-long course Humanities 110, which exposes them to a broad spectrum of academic and physiological topics and examines “how people living in diverse historical contexts have engaged fundamental questions about existence.” As their scholarly journey progresses, undergraduate students can major in one or more of 38 different subjects in the humanities, the social sciences, or the physical/biological sciences. The Reed campus is also quite remarkable with its spacious rolling lawns and its architecturally significant buildings. Students are welcome to hike the 28-acre Reed Canyon on campus grounds. US News & World Report ranks Reed 63rd on its list of the best liberal arts colleges in the country.

Reed

If you want a short walk to your Reed College classroom but prefer to live off campus, you will want to consider the surrounding neighborhood of Reed. Most of this neighborhood is dominated by Reed College itself, but it also includes some exceptionally beautiful and quiet residential areas. Although it is home to several historic farmhouses, the neighborhood is primarily comprised of mid-century Cape Cod bungalows and ranch-style homes as well as a few select apartment complexes. Beyond the ample green spaces on the Reed College campus, neighborhood residences have easy access to the adjacent Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

Brooklyn

Located between Reed and downtown Portland, Brooklyn sits atop the east bank of the Willamette River. Beyond connecting directly with the downtown area just across the Ross Island Bridge, this neighborhood has some iconic Portland attractions all its own. The historic Aladdin Theater is a popular venue for all kinds of major touring musicians, and the Original Hotcake House is a locally famous “greasy spoon” diner that serves great food in enormous portions for a reasonable price. I should know because I frequented this establishment quite frequently when I lived in Brooklyn for roughly three years. Lesser-known treasures in this neighborhood include Edelweiss Sausage and Deli: the very best place in the city for authentic German food and supplies.

Sellwood-Moreland

South of Brooklyn and west of Reed, Sellwood-Moreland remains quite close to downtown but stretches out into some expansive and unique natural areas. The most notable of these areas is the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, which I hiked on a regular basis when I lived nearby. Occupying a stretch of floodplain along the Willamette River, Oaks Bottom is home to more than 200 species of resident and migratory birds. Sellwood-Moreland is also home to the small and charming Oaks Park: one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in America. If great restaurants and shops are more your thing, Sellwood-Moreland has you covered as well.

University of Portland

Ranked 12 in “Best Value Schools” according to US News & World Report, the University of Portland offers a far more intimate learning experience compared to the other schools on this list. Although it has just a few thousand students, this private Methodist institution offers over 50 undergraduate programs in areas that include the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, education, nursing, performing arts, and interdisciplinary studies. It also has masters and doctoral programs. According to the University of Portland, its students enjoy a remarkable 9 to 1 student to faculty ratio. Furthermore, 99 percent of those students receive scholarships and/or financial aid.

University Park

Centered around the University of Portland, University Park is one of the smallest neighborhoods in Portland, but it remains quite diverse. In addition to its substantial student population, it is home to a broad mix of young professionals, families, and retirees. While it may not be a bustling center filled with popular attractions, University Park has an impressive assortment of restaurants and shops within walking distance of cozy homes and affordable apartments. Despite its restrictive size, this 11.5-acre neighborhood has two spacious public parks in addition to the open greenways of the University of Portland.

Overlook

Just southeast of University Park, Overlook is one of Portland’s biggest neighborhoods in terms of both population and geographic area. Abutting the east bank of the Willamette River, it includes the largely industrial Swan Island as well as a broad mix of stand-alone houses, condominiums, and apartment complexes. Overlook is home to the North American headquarters of the global footwear and apparel brand Adidas. Like most neighborhoods in Portland, it also has more than a few good restaurants and shops.

St. Johns

With the exception of the mostly non-residential Forest Park, St. Johns occupies more square miles than any other neighborhood in Portland. Evolving from a mid-1800s settlement just north of Portland, this neighborhood is home to many historical buildings, including a quaint turn-of-the-century post office and a neo-Georgian city hall that currently houses a police precinct. Its National Cash Register Building contains a pub and theater by McMenamins, a family-owned company that has repurposed many historic buildings throughout the greater Portland area. St. Johns borrows its name from the iconic St. Johns Bridge, which serves as a gateway into the neighborhood. In a city with so many major bridges that it has earned the moniker “Bridgetown.” the St. Johns Bridge is, by far, the most photographed and celebrated. On a personal note, I must mention that officiated a lovely wedding for close friends in a park beneath its cathedral-like arches.  

Lewis & Clark College

Describing itself as “a private institution with a public conscience” and “a close-knit campus with global reach,” Lewis & Clark College combines “classic liberal arts learning with forward-thinking collaboration.” With just over 2,000 students, this school is even smaller than University of Portland. However, its heavily forested campus spans more than 135 acres. In fact, Lewis & Clark consists of three distinct but interrelated campuses: the Law School, the Graduate School of Education & Counseling, and the College of Arts & Sciences. US News & World Report ranks Lewis & Clark 103rd on its list of the best liberal arts colleges in the country.

Collins View

Lewis & Clark College occupies the southeastern corner of the upscale Collins View neighborhood. While there are few businesses in this quiet and beautiful residential area, Collins View’s two main thoroughfares, SW Terwilliger Boulevard and SW Boones Ferry Road, can connect residents with shopping and restaurants within a few minutes. For nature lovers, the neighborhood offers easy access to both the Tryon Creek State Natural Area on its southern border and the River View Natural Area on its eastern border.

South Burlingame

Vibrant green spaces in South Burlingame, the neighborhood directly to the north of Collins View, include Burlingame Park and Fulton Park. Fulton Park is notable for being the home of the Fulton Community Display Garden and the Fulton Park Community Center, two valuable community resources under the direction of Portland City Parks and Recreation. Primarily composed of young professionals and families, South Burlingame is home to great restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.  

Marshall Park

Like neighboring Collins View, the Marshall Park neighborhood borders the lush Tryon Creek State Natural Area. It also contains the Jensen Natural Area and the Foley-Balmer Natural Area as well as its namesake Marshall Park. Hikers flock to Marshall Park to navigate a series of trails that descend into a 400-foot-wide, tree-lined canyon. The residential areas of the Marshall Park neighborhood have a sparse suburban feel. There are many stand-alone homes, but students can also find some high-value apartment options.

College Living in Portland

Put simply, Portland is a great place to go to school and an even better place to live. This is particularly true for people who like to balance work with play, convenience with excitement, and urban bustle with natural splendor. No matter where your personal and professional interests happen to lie, you can find a school that is right for you in Portland. When you are ready to enroll, you can choose among several nearby neighborhoods, each with its own distinct benefits and atmosphere. Let ApartmentHomeLiving.com help you feel at home as a Portland student.