On our very first day in Portland, Meredith and I laced up our running shoes and headed out to explore our new city. Heading west towards the river, we ran into the Springwater Corridor. Within the first quarter mile, we knew this path that connects the Southeast Industrial district and Sellwood (one of our favorite neighborhoods), would become one of our go-to runs. Running along the Willamette River, the Springwater Corridor...

North Portland is Portland's 5th quadrant - an area of the city that escaped quartering (phew) by the Willamette River and Burnside Street.  North Portland has also evaded a few other Portland phenomena -- for better and worse ( The Better: teachers can afford to live here, plentiful parking spots, relatively unobstructed views of the Forest Park, an underdog spirit, some cute micro neighborhoods -- The Worse: Traffic noise,...

Laurelhurst Park path Laurelhurst Park is easily one of the nicest parks we've run in. Mature evergreens, quiet Firwood Lake, blooming flowers and a variety of trails make the park an ideal running spot. Our route to and from Laurelhurst runs along Clinton, Division and the Hawthorne neighborhoods, each providing a unique take on the multifaceted, independent spirit of Southeast Portland. Here's the Run-O-Meter of our Laurelhurst...

With each neighborhood run, we're going to score the route through our Run-O-Meter rating system. We've described the categories that matter to us below. Rating scale is 1-5:  1 = the worst;  5 = the best 1--•--•--•--5 Enjoyment It might be rainy, windy and cold, but a good running route can always bring happiness. 1--•--•--•--5 Scenery Mature trees, flowers, green grass, views of the Willamette River and the West...