Oregon. The very name inspired the largest voluntary land migration in recorded history … for good reason. Windswept beaches, expansive forests and snow-capped peaks share the landscape with high desert, rangelands, towering rock formations and dramatic river valleys in this geographically diverse region. It’s a beautiful place that 3.3 million people proudly call home.

Portland is Oregon’s largest city and is described by a number of publications as one of North America’s most livable and lovely cities. The city is renowned for having a well-planned urban environment with an unusual array of parks, walking trails, bike paths, distinct neighborhoods, and public spaces that show an uncommon commitment to community and human scale.

It’s hard to characterize any place in just a few words, but Portland is sometimes referred to as a city of books, beer, bikes, and blooms. (The city is home to America’s largest bookstore, Powell’s Books … more than two dozen microbreweries … a large network of bicycle paths and lane’s that have earned it the reputation as the nation’s most bicycle-friendly city … and a system of beautiful parks and gardens that prosper from a mild climate and 10-month growing season.

Portland State University anchors the south-end of downtown Portland at the tail of a greenbelt known as the South Park Blocks. It’s about a 5-minute walk to the commercial heart of downtown … a great place to go to school and a great place to live.