Here's the city by neighborhood, the way I'd explain it if you were riding shotgun on a tour. Filter by how you actually want to live, tap a neighborhood for the deeper stuff, and add anything that looks good to your shortlist.
I grew up a few blocks from the Alameda Ridge.
Now I'm in year 6 of helping people buy and sell houses here.
Burnside splits north from south. The Willamette splits east from west. Williams Ave splits N from NE. Every address in the city carries one of those, and locals use them constantly. If someone says they live in "inner SE," that tells you a lot.
A few places come up constantly that aren't technically Portland: Milwaukie, Beaverton, Tigard, Gresham, and Happy Valley. Each one has its own tax picture and its own feel, so they're worth putting on the table if your commute is driving the search.
Milwaukie, Gresham, and Tigard are where your dollar goes further than the others or Portland proper.
checking schools? Run the exact address through the school district's own boundary lookup. Boundaries don't follow neighborhood lines, and I'll send you the right link for any house you're looking at.
Honestly, you can't really go wrong picking a neighborhood here. It's a big city that feels small.
Send me your shortlist and I'll tell you what I'd actually look out for.
Neighborhoods, specific houses, the Zillow links you've been staring at at midnight. Whatever you've got. I'll give you the honest read.
Tap "+ shortlist" on any neighborhood and it'll show up here, ready to send.