Spend a few days in Portland and you'll understand why the local mantra is "Live and let live well." Strict zoning laws limit sprawl, so its compact neighborhoods feel intimate and easy to navigate, especially via the city's light-rail (as energy-efficient as it is thrilling for kids). Portland began as a frontier town and has always attracted independent thinkers; now the young, creative class drawn here during the dot-com era has started families, leading to an upswing in restaurants and boutiques heavy on sustainable produce and handmade goods (the word organic is practically part of the civic code here). Best of all, the city has a knack for balancing its environmental ethos with good aesthetics. On any given street, you'll find the pierced mingling with the Prada-clad over local microbrews and fair-trade coffee. Perhaps the only downside is the city's famous rainfall—but then again, that keeps the 37,000 acres of parkland green year-round.
Next Page: Portland Guide by Neighborhood—Southeast
