I would stay away from Portland proper.... you can live in a nicer place, cheaper rent and closer to nature, yet not far from downtown. Check out Clackamas, Damascus, Oregon City, Canby. Better for kids there too. This side of town has many more Eastern Europeans as well, Poles, Russians and Ukrainians. There are several excellent food stores, Azov and Good Neighbor which stock fresh Polish kielbasas and other Polish foods as well.
