Retire in Portland real estate!
Recently, the AARP website ran an article promoting Portland real estate as a desirable retirement location where "European charm meets environmental nirvana." While the 155 rainy days can be a downer, the article said retirees just love the miles of safe bike lanes, the Pearl District shopping and the reasonable $280,800 median house price.
"Portland just has everything we need," says fifty-eight-year-old Ralph Cohen. "We like the nightlife. We like the theater. It's got navigable water, which is really important to us. And while we've lived many other places and looked at other cities as possible retirement spots, including Olympia and Seattle, they just don't have all the things that Portland has to offer."
For Howard (76) and Manya (70) Shapiro, the "green" features of The Henry condominiums were irresistible. Howard explains, "All the water is recaptured, it's heated with solar, and there's no formaldehyde used in construction." He also noted that the many walking distance amenities – movie theaters, restaurants and parks – are all just a block away.
"The blocks are smaller, which adds to the European feel and makes walking places easier," says Steve Rudmond from the Portland Housing Authority. He says that the bus and light rail system gives Portland real estate a competitive advantage as well.
Portland real estate is like a renaissance, say retirees. The abundance of progressive, forward-thinking developments, the care taken to create aesthetic communities and the citizens' desire to maintain a sustainable future makes Portland one of the nation's most unique cities.