Portland combines walkable inner neighborhoods with one of the better light rail and streetcar systems in the West. The Pearl District, Northwest District, Hawthorne, Mississippi, and Alberta all offer dense local retail and good transit.
Downtown, the Pearl District, Northwest District (NW 21st/23rd), Hawthorne, Division, Mississippi, and Alberta are the most walkable. All have local grocery, multiple cafes, and easy transit.
MAX light rail has 5 lines covering downtown, the airport, and key suburbs (Hillsboro, Beaverton, Gresham, Milwaukie). The Portland Streetcar covers downtown and Northwest. Frequent buses cover most of the city.
Portland is consistently ranked among the top US cities for bike commuting. Inner SE (Hawthorne, Division, Clinton, Belmont), inner N (Mississippi, Alberta), and the Pearl all have extensive bike infrastructure and short rides to downtown.