Both verdant rambling forest and close-in hood, Northwest Portland’s Forest Park neighborhood is located a quick 5 to 10-minute drive to downtown PDX at the right time of day (20-ish minutes+ during rush hour and other busy times) and is also an easy commute to Beaverton-Hillsboro on the other side. Bordered by the Northwest Heights, Hillside, Northwest District, and Linnton neighborhoods, Forest Park is named for the area’s rolling 5,000-plus acre park, part of which physically sits inside the neighborhood’s boundaries on the southern and eastern sides.
Forest Park Family-Friendly Destinations
While Forest Park may not be the most walkable in the Portland area (It’s classified as ‘car dependent’), it more than makes up for it in natural beauty, great local amenities, and accessibility to outdoor activities. Living in Forest Park, you may not be able to walk to the grocery store the way you could in NE Portland’s Beaumont, or SE’s Sellwood-Moreland, but you can access over 80 miles of nature trails and forest roads for hiking, horseback riding, and running. Pittock Mansion, a beautiful and historic 1914 house museum can also be reached through the expansive network of trails and is a destination adventure unto itself.
Nearby is the Audubon Society Wildlife Care Center where at any given time over 3,000 wild animals are in treatment and rehabilitation with the goal of being released back into the wild. Visit the center with your family to meet the permanent residents; animals that could not be released back into the wild now call the center home. Stroll the four miles of trails around the Audubon Society’s Nature Sanctuary to discover and learn about the native plant species, and explore Balch Creek.
Living in the Forest Park neighborhood also puts your family in very close proximity to the Oregon Zoo. With around 2,700 animals representing 215 species and subspecies of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates plus 19 endangered species and 9 threatened species this 64-acre zoo is a family favorite on sunny and rainy days alike.
Located within walking distance from the zoo you’ll also find The World Forestry Center where even the littlest visitors can explore interactive exhibits featuring different types of forests from around the world while learning about their unique characteristics and sustainability issues. Directly across the parking area is the famed Portland Children’s Museum, an indoor creative play and discovery space designed specifically for families with children aged ten and younger.
Forest Park Median Home Values
Many homes in the Forest Park neighborhood boast spectacular views with properties in the eastern portion of the neighborhood look over the expansive park and the Willamette River. Properties in the western portion of the neighborhood have views of the massive valley below. This neighborhood is still relatively new, growing quickly over the last two decades and the prices reflect this growth and the increasing demand for homes in the area.
Forest Park offers buyers the opportunity to go stick-built on empty parcels of land available from $30k and up, as well as high-end developer homes or move-in ready properties listed from the low $400s to well over $1 million – and even up to $8.6+ million. Forest Park is admittedly one of the more expensive neighborhoods to purchase in with the average home price currently landing somewhere around $700k.
Forest Park Neighborhood Schools
Aside from the beautiful natural surroundings, one of the most popular reasons families move to the Forest Park neighborhood is that some of the best schools in the state are located within 2 miles including Forest Park Elementary(K-5, public) West Sylvan Middle School (6-8, public), Lincoln High School (10-12, public), and St. Pius X (K-8, private).
Stay tuned for more information on Portland, Oregon Neighborhoods.
If you’re ready to start the home-buying process (in Forest Park or any other Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington neighborhood) I’d love to help. Give me a call anytime, or start your home-loan prequalification now by submitting your info directly to me using this handy online form.