Portland boasts 95 neighborhoods, each with its own association, housing styles and in some cases commercial districts.

Housing is a relative bargain here, too – the median price of a home in Portland was $220,000 in 2010, according to zillow.com. Compared with other West Coast cities, Portland is considered one of the most affordable places to buy a home.

What sets Portland apart from those other cities is a combination of a strong urban core and beautiful natural surroundings.

Portland’s Pearl

The Pearl District adjacent to Portland’s downtown is one of the city’s most creative and vibrant neighborhoods.

In recent years, artists, designers, professionals and entrepreneurs have reclaimed the district’s once-drab warehouses, and new condos are being developed in the former rail yard.

With more than 30 art galleries, 50 restaurants and coffeehouses, 60 boutiques and specialty retailers, and three neighborhood parks, the Pearl District is a revitalization success story that draws national attention.

The most recent manifestation of the district’s turnaround is the Gerding Theater, home to Portland Center Stage, a professional theater company. The theater’s revitalization involved excavating down four stories to create a grand space, and the resulting venue has been billed as the world’s “greenest” theater.

The Portland Streetcar serves the Pearl, making it easily accessible, and the district hosts popular community and cultural events. On the first Thursday of each month, galleries stay open late and offer food, wine and entertainment, and over Labor Day weekend the district sets the stage for Art in the Pearl, an annual fine arts and crafts festival.

Sustainable Living

The South Waterfront development on the west bank of the Willamette River isn’t just the hottest, most dramatic real-estate game in Portland – it’s also the largest urban development in the nation.

South Waterfront is destined to become the model of mixed-use urban, high-density, sustainable development.

High-rise condominiums, street-level townhouses, medical facilities, and a mix of commercial and retail buildings rise from the once-gritty industrial area.

Oregon Health & Science University opened in the South Waterfront district in 2006, the first component of a planned new OHSU campus there. The “green” building features toilets that flush with rainwater, staircases that are ventilated with outdoor air, and solar energy that helps to provide heat and electricity.

The new Portland Aerial Tram provides a link to OHSU’s main campus on Marquam Hill.

Find more great reasons to live in Portland, OR.