Housing Opportunities
Portland, Oregon is often named in national rankings as one of the most livable cities in the United States. In general, housing is not hard to find in the Portland area. Most of the law students live within three miles of the school. Others choose to live in one of several quaint neighborhoods or surrounding suburbs. In this section, there are several references to help you find housing that fits your needs.
Portland is divided into quadrants:
- Northwest (NW)
- Southwest (SW)
- Northeast (NE)
- Southeast (SE)
Each quadrant has its own distinct flavor. The Willamette River divides the east and west sides. A street called “Burnside” divides north and south. So, if you are in the Northwest quadrant of town you are north of Burnside Street and west of the Willamette River. The Willamette, by the way, flows north to the Columbia River which divides Washington and Oregon. The Columbia is the river Lewis and Clark floated down to the Pacific. Most LC students live near school (SW Portland), with Lake Oswego, NW Portland, and SE Portland (Sellwood and Hawthorne) as the most popular alternatives.
In each section below, you’ll find descriptions of various Portland neighborhoods (with comments from students who live there) to help you select where you might want to live.
We also recommend checking out the Redfin Portland Neighborhoods Guide for even more information about neighborhoods & renting in Portland.
Downtown Lake Oswego: Just south of Tryon Creek State Park. There is a biking/walking path through the State Park that leads directly to the law school. There are numerous restaurants, trendy stores, and a grocery store within walking distance.
Mountain Park: The neighborhood off Boones Ferry Road just south of the Law School. Forested and mostly residential, with numerous apartment complexes and condominiums. A 5-minute drive to the law school. Students who live in this area also walk, bike, or take the #38 Tri-Met bus to school.
Alberta: A hip neighborhood that serves as a center of creativity in Portland with many galleries, studios, shops, cafes, taquerias and restaurants.
Mississippi Ave: Another hip neighborhood with a lot of great restaurants, bars, and music venues. Get to downtown on the new Yellow Max line and take the shuttle to school.
Hollywood District: NE Portland around the busy part of NE Sandy Blvd by 42nd Ave. Cool old theater here.
Kerns: Popular and fun neighborhood that’s a mix of both commercial and residential properties. There are great places to eat along NE 28th and Burnside.
Nob Hill: Around NW 23rd, an old residential and trendy area with many high-end restaurants and shops. There are nice studios and one-bedroom apartments here, but rent is a little high.
Pearl District: Formerly an industrial area, the Pearl District is quickly developing with new apartment buildings, art galleries, and boutiques. This is a swanky part of town, and rent here may be the highest in the city.
Hawthorne & Belmont: Hawthorne Blvd and Belmont Ave very popular neighborhoods for young people. They both have a very eclectic feel with an abundance of locally owned coffee shops, restaurants, and shops.
Division & Clinton: One of the fastest growing areas in the city. This is a very hip neighborhood, and housing is expensive. Great restaurants and bars, all within walking distance.
Foster & Powell: This is an up and coming neighborhood in SE. A lot of new restaurants and bars are moving in, and affordable rent can still be found.
Westmoreland: Next to Reed College. This is a very young area. Great parks, nice bars and restaurants.
Sellwood: Great area. Close to softball fields. Has it’s own small town feel. A little more upbeat than the west side of the river. Closer to some action, but the Sellwood Bridge can be a pain. Great antiques shops here.
Mount Tabor: Portland is the only city with an extinct volcano within the city limits. Very nice residential neighborhood. Nice walks and bike paths are found in the park. One of the longer commutes to school.
Collins View: A quiet, suburban area around school. Few apartments with mostly residential housing. A few houses are available to rent, but they go pretty quick.
South Burlingame: The area adjacent to school to the north. Again quiet and residential. Mostly single family homes. Several professors live in this area.
Multnomah Village: Quaint, eclectic little nook. Several antique shops and boutiques with a few bookstores, bars, and coffee shops scattered on the small main street. A six-minute drive to school or a good bike ride.
Downtown: Pioneer Place is the centerpiece with courthouses, office buildings, movie houses and theatres, and lots of restaurants and food carts.
Chinatown: Located at West Burnside and Fourth Ave. Grittier part of town.
Beaverton: Suburb to the west of Portland. Lots of condos and luxury apartments. Where Intel and Nike are located. Hefty commute to the school with occasionally nasty traffic snarls on the main routes, such as Highway 217 in the evening.
Tigard: A small city next to Portland. Traffic can be bad some mornings, turning a short commute into a drag.
Tualatin: About 5 miles south on I-5. Good bus access to downtown and a bus (#38) that comes to campus as well. Well situated for daily shopping (Safeway, Fred Meyer, K-Mart, Haggen Supermarket) and reasonably priced.
All rental and roommate listings are password protected for incoming 1L students. Login information is available by request for students following Orientation in August. As an admitted student, you will receive a password to this page in your new student documentations.
- Post a listing
- Delete a listing
Contact the admissions office at lawadmss@lclark.edu or 503-768-6613 to delete any posted listings.
Available specifically for law students, college-owned houses are within easy walking distance to the law school and are rented by the room.
For more information or to learn about the availability of rooms contact Tangent Property Management at nelson@tangentpm.com.
Current tenants of college owned housing should first contact Tangent Property Management, in writing, with any questions or concerns. If Tangent is not able to answer the question or resolve the issue within a reasonable time, please contact Billy Walker, Program Director & Special Assistant to CFO & VP for Operations at Lewis & Clark College, at bwalker@lclark.edu.
We are not able to specifically recommend or endorse any of these websites or companies - they are listed simply as resources. We would appreciate feedback, particularly if you have difficulties.
If you use an apartment finder service, it is best to contact one after you arrive or just before. Services will mail or fax you names of landlords, addresses, and descriptions of the housing units, and the prices. These services typically handle large commercially owned and operated complexes and some private rentals.
You can also go to the websites of property management companies in Portland (such as www.mainlander.com or www.inter-west.com, www.capmng.com, or rent.apmportland.com to see what availabilities they have.
- www.oregonlive.com
- www.wweek.com
- www.portlandcraigslist.com
- www.aptsforrent.com
- www.apartmentguide.com
- www.hotpads.com
- www.rent.net
- www.move.com
- www.apartmentratings.com
- www.apartments.com
- www.apartmentfinder.com
- www.abodo.com/portland-or
- www.apartments-in-portland.org
- www.trulia.com
- www.zillow.com
- www.mysmartmove.com
- www.padmapper.com
- www.zumper.com
- www.RENTCafe.com
For pet-friendly housing, you may also want to check out Portland Rental Service and the Oregon Humane Society which has a list of pet-friendly housing rentals in the area.
If renters insurance is something you are interested in, previous students have recommended and used the guide found here to compare quotes and better understand what they are purchasing.
Disclaimer
This is not a rental service to those who choose to post rental availabilities. Lewis & Clark is not responsible for making sure posters fill their rentals.
Renters should also be informed of their rights. Learn more about Oregon Tenant Rights before signing a lease or entering into a new rental situation.
Law School Admissions is located in Gantenbein on the Law Campus.
MSC: 51
email lawadmss@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-6613
fax 503-768-6793
toll-free 800-303-4860
Law School Admissions
Lewis & Clark Law School
10101 S. Terwilliger Boulevard MSC 51
Portland OR 97219