Family-friendly spots across the quadrants to call home

Every year, we take a moment to celebrate what we already know: Portland is a pretty magical place to raise kids. Our annual Neighborhood Guide dives into family-friendly pockets of the metro area, each with its own unique charm. Think dedicated bike routes, tight-knit neighbors who show up when it counts, and even a little bit of country life—just a short drive from downtown. You’ll get the scoop on housing costs, kid-approved eats, and the best spots to play, explore, and just be together.

Kid-Friendly Places to Eat Out

Check out these kid-friendly, go-to spots, where the grown ups will love the food too!

The Alberta Arts District is one of Portland’s most storied and beloved creative corridors, and that’s for good reason. As one of the oldest sections ...

The Woodstock neighborhood is a charming, walkable area with many of its amenities right on Woodstock Boulevard. It’s easy to spend a whole day here ...

Welcome to Foster Powell — aka FoPo — a burgeoning and creative area in Southeast Portland that follows Foster Road from where it begins at ...

Browse our Neighborhood Guide

Niche.com’s No. 1 Best Place to Raise a Family in Oregon is closer than you might think: this year’s choice is Bethany, a small suburb of Portland in Washington County. This tracks with what locals say of this safe, quiet neighborhood with good schools....
The charming town of Milwaukie, less than a 10-minute drive from southeast Portland’s Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, is an ideal location for families looking for more space, lower home prices, a quaint downtown, and the proximity of Portland, without being directly in the city....
If easy access to all that Portland has to offer is a top priority, Goose Hollow brings just that. Learn more about the neighborhood that is older than the city of Portland itself....
One of Portland's smallest neighborhoods, Hollywood retains the classic character and charm of historic Portland, but with modern-day conveniences....
Hillside in Northwest Portland is an urban neighborhood with small-town charm....
"The best thing Brentwood-Darlington has going for it is the strong community vibe ... Neighbors support one another like I have never seen before, and I have lived in seven different states,” says neighbor Will Mohring....
For families ready to make the shift to suburban living, Happy Valley tops the list for its natural wonders and burgeoning food-and-drink scene....
The North Portland neighborhood of Kenton has everything a family could ask for — parks, a library and restaurants galore....
Sellwood-Moreland in Southeast is the quintessential, walkable, self-contained Portland neighborhood....
Eclectic dining options, sky-high walking and biking scores, and a community of resident-advocates — there’s lots to love about King....
Window shop northwest’s Alphabet District. Families say it offers a European feel — right in the heart of the bustling city....
Plenty of Portlanders are proud of their neighborhoods, but when it comes to community spirit, St. Johns is in a class of its own....
There’s much to celebrate in Beaverton’s Highland neighborhood....
We’re mad about Southwest Portland’s Maplewood neighborhood....
Portland has a new district: South Portland....
With many organizations that focus on building community, Lents in Southeast is on the rise....

There's always
more to explore!

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