West Haven-Sylvan, OR Apartment Renter's Guide

While there are oodles of festivals happening in Portland, just minutes from West Haven-Sylvan, perhaps the most essential event for everyone to visit is the Waterfront Blues Festival, featuring live music (obviously), unique vendors and local food and drink. World famous craft beer, anyone?

Sitting cozily between Beaverton and Portland is the little community that could: West Haven-Sylvan. Though its title is a bit clunky to spit out, it is a charming little town close to natural and cultural amenities that offers residents a little bit of everything plus some peace and quiet, even though you've probably never heard of it. Before you write off West Haven-Sylvan as a boring 'burb outside Portland, it's worth pointing out that it's close to the Oregon Zoo, Tualatin Hills Nature Park and Forest Park, so if you prefer weekends filled with kayaking, hiking and biking rather than craft beer tasting and music critiquing, you're covered either way. Don't let West Haven's bucolic rolling hills, easy access to Highway 26 and multitude of housing options totally bowl you over. The real beauty of West Haven-Sylvan is the people. They're all friendly, welcoming and fascinating individuals who place a premium on good character. You can't buy that kind of warm environment (unless you're talking monthly rents, then yeah, you can). Welcome to West Haven-Sylvan!

Every move, big or small, starts with the little things. Making a half-hearted attempt to research the place you're potentially spending the next several years of your life or more is arguably a bit irresponsible. Skip the Google searches and make this a less time-consuming project by following the advice below to find success.

Personal Docs

It's on you to provide a selection of documents to prove who you are and how capable you are of affording rent. Gather together your ID, credit report (which is, of course, completely up to date and does not feature any inaccuracies or potential issues, yes?) and recent pay stubs to wave merrily in front of your prospective landlord's face. You may also want to snatch up a cashier's check, as most places won't take the first month's rent and security deposit in personal check form. So far, so good.

Habitation

Your prospects are looking good in West Haven-Sylvan, especially if you're not yet certain whether you want a townhouse, one-bedroom apartment or single-family home. This place has it all. Go ahead and go wild comparing a 1970s craftsman-style detached house to sprawling two-bedroom modern apartment in the newest complex. Trying on all the styles is just part of the fun here in West Haven-Sylvan. Of course, it's worth pointing out that more people buy than rent here, and the vacancy rate is lower than average, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to find the right situation, say 1-2 months. Heaven forbid you procrastinate and have to take something less than optimal. There is good news, though! Some apartments are all bills paid and most will take care of at least a few essentials. That's uplifting when you realize the cost of living is a bit above average in this area. You might forget that little factoid when you realize most places are premier apartments with upgraded kitchens featuring your favorites like stainless steel and granite.

In Portland you have distinctive districts with hip names like Pearl District, Hollywood and Downtown, but West Haven-Sylvan isn't nearly so pretentious. No, West Haven-Sylvan doesn't have fancy monikers for its sectors, but there are differences between them. Scan the descriptions to find the best place to call home.

West: An excess of parks, open spaces and single-family homes make up this section of West Haven-Sylvan. There are apartments, condos and townhouses for rent, but there are far more detached houses for sale. Merritt Orchard Park and Mitchell Park are perfect for relaxing on a sunny day, but don't count on finding too many local shops and eateries here. Hit up Deveraux Glen for apartment homes that actually feel homey.

East: It's all about the apartment buildings on the east side, plus easy highway access and stunning golf course views. There aren't a lot of amenities here either, but both Beaverton and Portland are close, so you can pick your poison every night of the week. As for the best haunts for your house, consider Sylvan Terrace Apartments if you want a speedy commute or Breckenridge Apartment Homes if you want a neighborhood feel.

Don't let the fact you can't walk to a coffee shop and discuss politics stop you from enjoying all the many fantastic attractions so close to West Haven-Sylvan. There's more to love about this place than its proximity to the city of snark. Check out all the cool stuff around West Haven-Sylvan that doesn't even have anything to do with Portland!

The Great Outdoors

There are more amazing outdoor spaces than you can shake an ethically sourced stick at, including Ki-a-Kuts Falls, L.L. "Stub" Stewart State Park and Forest Park. Get in touch with Mother Nature by strapping on some hiking boots and hitting the trails, or busting out your new mountain bike and hitting the paths. The Oregon Zoo arguably counts as an outdoor excursion, and locals say it gets better every year. If you find that you're tired of all the beautiful trees, refreshing air and semi-cloudy weather after a while, just head to Beaverton to enjoy the downtown area's selection of fine restaurants, local dive bars and quirky coffee shops that can rival even Portland's.

Eco-Friendly Transit

The reality is that while you're living in West Haven-Sylvan, you're going to need a car. Portland and Beaverton both have great public transportation offerings, but they're relegated, for the most part, to those cities. Feel free to putt-putt over B-town to grab the train or bus to Portland or elsewhere, but understand that a bike can only take you on pleasurable adventures in West Haven-Sylvan, it probably can't take you to work.

While it's certainly true that amenities within walking distance are in short supply in West Haven-Sylvan, it has so much other good stuff going on you'll hardly notice. And if you're the type to search out a serene environment, this is your dreamland. You don't actually have to sacrifice the comforts of the 21st century though. With Portland only five miles away and Beaverton only about two, you're hard-pressed to whine about the small town remoteness of West Haven at all. Mostly because, it's not really that remote.