If you and your family have just arrived in Portland, congratulations and welcome to your new neighborhood. It’s the fastest-growing city in Oregon, with around 30,000 new arrivals each year, so the locals are used to greeting new faces, and you’ll find them to be a friendly and welcoming bunch. At least, most are welcoming, but more on that in a moment. There’s so much to see and do here, it can be hard to know where to begin – here are some suggestions that will help you and your family to get acquainted with your new surroundings.
The soccer city
While moving to a new city with children can be exciting, in some cases, getting to know a new city can be daunting for them. Sport is a great way to make new friends while doing something they enjoy, and that’s great for their health. In Portland, that means one thing – soccer! The Timbers and The Thorns are two of the nation’s top teams in MLS and the NWSL respectively, and as a result, there is an amazing grass roots infrastructure for youngsters of both sexes to get involved in the game.
Our very own volcano
Did you know there’s a volcano in East Portland? It’s ok ,you’ve not made a terrible mistake moving here, as Mount Tabor has been extinct for about 300,000 years. You can still see the cinder cone, which is now surrounded by parkland and a network of reservoirs that provide the city’s water. It’s a fascinating place to visit, and it’s right on your doorstep.
The Shanghai Tunnels
There’s a whole hidden world under the streets of Portland. Known locally as the Shanghai Tunnels, this subterranean labyrinth was constructed about 200 years ago and connects the basements of some of the city’s major landmarks. There are all sorts of spine-chilling stories about what they were for. Some say they got their name as they were used for Shanghaiing – kidnapping people in the dead of night for forced labor on sailing ships. Take a tour and hear some stories about the history of your new home.
A mysterious resident
On the subject of fascinating tales, we mentioned earlier that one local resident might be less than welcoming. Oregon has more Bigfoot sightings than any other state, and Multnomah County is in the thick of the action. It’s only a 25 minute drive from East Portland out to the beautiful Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River, and the youngsters will have a great time looking out for unusually large footprints – if you have a full day to explore, venture further into the Mount Hood National Forest and you never know what you might see!
We’ve just scratched the surface of all the things to see and do in and around your new home. But check these four out, and you’ll get a real feel for Portland, past and present. Have fun, and once again, a warm Portland welcome to you and your family!
(All photos by Tatiana Syrikova.)
