Urban Mamas

We welcome any opportunity to share the Portland love. An urbanMama from New York recently emailed:

We are making a trip from Brooklyn to Portland next week. Given that we may consider this trip as a vacation with our kids, but also as a potential place to live, we need more insights for the following-
- neighborhoods that are family and provide the good schools zoned
- any places to visit to to get a real sense of the area outside of tourist attractions
- any one we can visit along the way to get the real scoop

I am a mom to two boys 5 and 8. Life is Brooklyn is interesting and comfortable as we are from here. I guess we are searching now for different, smaller, natural feel- while having good educational opportunities for out kids. Any input would be fantastic!!

This is a unique question.  Let's help Eric and his visiting family find accomdoations for his time here:

My family will be visiting Oregon next month for the first time.  We have two kids, 3 and 6 years old.  Do you know of any place which rents babycarriers in Portland?  We plan to do a little hiking at Mt. St. Helens and the gorge.

Looking for some hikes in the area?  Check out:

• Get Yer Boots On - great family hikes in the Columbia Gorge
• Hike the Coast! - favorite jaunts on the Oregon Coast

If you feel like plugging your favorite Portland-area "kid-friendly" hiking trails, have at it!

It's wonderful that we have so many friends and family coming to visit us in Portland!  Michelle writes:

My in-laws are coming for a stay in November and they have asked me to book them a hotel room. We live in inner SE and I am wondering if any other urbanMamas have any hotels in the $80-$100 price range that they might suggest? I would so appreciate the help!

urbanMamas and their families experience their fair share of guests visiting them in the Rose City.  But, where do they all stay?  Melissa emails:

I live in Sellwood/West Moreland area in a small old house that is filled to the brim with myself, hubby, stepsons, my 13 month old daughter, two dogs and an old cat. We don't have a guest room (the baby doesn't even have a room yet - she sleeps with us) and worse than that we only have one bathroom.

My parents are coming out to visit for a week in October. In the past they've done house swaps with people but it is starting to wear on them and they don't want to do it again. And the one serious drawback in my neighborhood is that there is no hotel, decent motel, or bed & breakfast.

So my question to the urbanMamas - where do you like to put up guests when you don't have the room? Can anyone recommend a decent place to stay that is close to Sellwood/West Moreland?

Casidy is planning a trip to Portland and has already check out tips from Portland in a Day.  Any tips on where to stay?

I'm a single mom planning on visiting Portland (and surrounding areas) end of August, with my 3yo son.  Any suggestions of good places to stay?  I'm looking for something really kid friendly: pools, parks, etc.  We're from Minneapolis, and this will be our first visit (with hopes of relocating), so any info is helpful at this point!

Emily is considering relocating to Portland.  What are some of your suggestions to get the best taste of Portland in a short visit?  She asks:

My family (me, husband, two boys aged 2 and 1) are visiting Portland next week to decide if we will relocate, and where we might like to live.  If you had one week in town, where would you visit?  We want to see some touristy stuff, but mostly get a feeling for the different areas/neighborhoods and what it would be like to live there with kids.  We will be staying in the Hawthorne area near Laurelhurst Park, but want to travel all over (even suburbs) within the confines of naps and 8pm bedtimes. :)  Parks for toddlers, strong coffee, sushi and brewpubs are of special interest.  I am hoping to really get a taste of the local Portland flavor.