Zoo Lights at The Oregon Zoo is fabulous this year!  

Wonderful time was had by all and this is one of the very best ZooLights I have been to!

Here  is the schedule according to their site.  You can find more info about admission, etc. as well on the site here:  

ZooLights schedule

• Sunday-Thursday hours: ZooLights gates are open from 5-8 p.m. Guests may stay on grounds until 9 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday hours: ZooLights gates are open from 5-8:30 p.m. Guests may stay on grounds until 9:30 p.m.
• Train: Train will begin running around 5:15 p.m.
• There will be no ZooLights on Monday, Dec. 24 or Tuesday, Dec. 25
  Welcome to ZooLights 2012Beautiful LightsGreat Trails
  Lots of WonderFascinating truly
  This was the most amazing part – pointilism with lights created this one – a giant LiteBright!another view of itHippos and gators in a stream
  so coolelephants in the background..dragon…
• Lake Oswego Blog

Penguins Back In Their Pen At The Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo in Portland is spectacular and even though it is raining this weekend, it might be a good time to go check out the penguins in their brand new pen - completed this last Thursday, the happy birds are all settled in and ready for you to come see them!

You can find more info on the zoo at their site:  http://www.oregonzoo.org/

We highly suggest getitng a membership and supporting this amazing facility.   Membership ranges from $49/year to $104/year and pays for itself quickly.  It is a great place to come to visit animals, but also has some wonderful walking trails.  

Southwest Hills is located in what is known as Portland’s “West Hills” and is home to some of the grandest real estate in Portland, boasting an average home price of $718,700 according to Portland Monthly. The neighborhood is a fine balance of sophistication, open space (176 acres of park), privacy and proximity to the city.

The history of the Southwest Hills is one of the more interesting and extreme of all of Portland’s neighborhoods. Being a naturally hilly area, in the 1800′s it was virtually impossible to travel to because of the muddy roads. The Portland Cable Railway gave access to the area in 1892. The train service originated in downtown Portland on 5th and Jefferson, and traveled to Canyon Road. It then went from Canyon to approximately Kingston Avenue, then to somewhere around about Fairview Boulevard. The construction of the Vista bridge led to dramatically increased access. By the 1930′s, the combination of amazing views and proximity to downtown caused the real estate values to jump from hundreds of dollars an acre up to several thousand.  That trend has continued over the decades, which is why the Southwest Hills real estate values remain at the top among Portland neighborhoods.

The neighborhood is also home to one of the City of Roses’ most popular destinations, Council Crest Parkwhich is thought to be the highest point in Portland at 1,073 feet above sea level. The area was originally known as Talbot’s Mountain, after its pioneer settlers. Gone are the cable cars that carried visitors to this scenic vista, but the wonderful views remain and the park is a great place to laze in the grass and watch the sun set. Downtown and Northwest Portland are easily accessible via Barnes Rd. and forest trails are only footsteps away in Washington Park.

Parks and Recreation

• Council Crest Park
• Governors Park
• Marquam Nature Park
• Norris House & Property
• Portland Heights Park
• Washington Park
• Washington Park – International Rose Garden

Schools

• Ainsworth Elementary
• Gray Middle
• Lincoln High
• Portland Public Schools District Map

Because school district boundaries do not necessarily correspond to neighborhood boundaries, verify which school your child will attend by clicking here and entering your address or prospective address.

Statistics

• Click Here to view demographics, property tax information and more for Southwest Hills.
• Click Here to compare Southwest Hills to other Portland neighborhoods.
• Click Here to view crime statistics for Southwest Hills.

For more information on Southwest Hills in Portland, or Portland real estate in general, contact Loren Castillo at eXp Realty.

Loren Castillo is a recruiter and career coach with eXp Realty in Portland, Oregon.503.998.4868loren.castillo@exprealty.com