Living in a city’s downtown may not be for everyone, but for those who are drawn to the fast paced lifestyle of the city center, downtown Portland real estate provides some nice advantages.

One of the most obvious benefits to living in the heart of Portland is how easy transportation is to and from the Portland downtown area and within it. For most people living in town, bikes and public transportation are the preferred mode of moving around. However, there is no requirement for an automobile or a bicycle if you use Portland’s public transportation. But Portand is quote a flexible city and functions well with all modes of transportation.

Walking to your destination is a great way to get (and stay) healthy, and Portland is certainly supportive of a pedestrian lifestyle. In fact, Portland’s city blocks were intentionally made smaller than those in other cities (200 feet instead of a typical 300 to 800 feet), making for a closer walk to Portland’s many corner coffee shops. If your place of employment is downtown, this means you may be able to sell your car entirely.

The downtown Portland area has wonderful residential areas where you can pick up a Portland condo and reside in the city’s core in style. Depending on where your job is located, you could just end up living within walking distance from it.

There are some excellent areas you should look into if you want to rent a converted loft or condo in Portland, but for a lot of folks, the clear winner is The Pearl District. It’s popular because of the abundance of stores and easy transportation, The Pearl District also happens to be where many trendy art galleries and upscale businesses are located.