PDX apartment search

Cvepo · Jun 13, 2017

I just signed a lease in PDX, moving from NY. It was honestly a bit of a pain finding a place. I used apartments.com and craigslist (the apartment we went for was on both). I'm not sure about Kenton, because we were trying to stay SE as I'm working at OHSU and will need to use the MAX to get to work. One tip I received from someone was to google the neighborhood you want and add "apartments" to the end. Most places were require income verification, so if you have an offer letter with your pay, have it handy. We also flew to Portland to look at places in person. While the online pictures were actually pretty spot on, it's much easier to visualize your stuff there when you actually stand in it.

Other than that, focus on what you're looking for. We wanted a 2 bedroom since we are 2600 miles from family, and wanted washer/dryer in unit, etc. Rent in Portland is a bit excessive. We crunched the numbers and budgeted for under $2500/month which was challenging to find for a 2 bedroom in a newer place, but we have a double nurse income and no kids. Many apartment buildings charge for parking spots, so if you look at complexes, find out about that and consider street parking/see if it's an option.

My husband will be working at Providence St Vincent (pretty much right on the border of Beaverton and Portland), and his manager told him to be careful living on the other side of the Willamette because traffic over the limited bridges can be rough. We are across the river, but close by at least.

Good luck, and feel free to message me privately; I can give you more info/stuff we did if you're interested!

Jsylaart · Jun 14, 2017

Zillow has a separate app for rentals too which is very useful in finding an apartment!

gibbbygibson, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2017

Hi here in the NW we are huge Craigslist users. Definite place to look. Since you don't have to go right into Portland, you are lucky and won't deal with the worst of the traffic. You should also search for Aloha, Tigard, and even Milwaukee. They are all very close together. Another great source here is Oregonlive.com. Hillsboro is another area that is even more affordable--about 20 miles from Beaverton. It gets more and more rural as you move that direction so prices get lower and lower. Happy hunting. If I think of any other good places to search will let you know.

boywithacoin, BSN · Jun 19, 2017

Even though I have a lot of grumbles about people moving here, especially to areas like Kenton and other N/NE Portland locations because of gentrification, etc., I will tell you that I have several friends who live in the Kenton Commons right across from Kenton Park, and they love it. Pet friendly, common laundry, studios to two bedrooms I think. I don't know if there's a waitlist situation or what's the deal, just that it's a place to check out. The friends that I know who live there range in careers from waitstaff to teachers to call center managers, so I think the cost may be suitable for your needs, but who knows! Good luck with your search.