Norris & Stevens, Inc.

In my 1L year of law school my boyfriend and I chose to live in Lake Oswego because it was close to school, it was a safe neighborhood and fairly spacious. However, we learned quickly that all the fun is in the city! School is important, but we definitely like to take advantage of our weekends and explore Portland (having moved from out of state). The move to North Portland was amazing! Our water bill in Lake O was in the hundreds every month -- and by moving to the city of Portland, we've lowered that to a much more normal rate. This apartment is a short walk from Mississippi Ave. and a quick bike ride to Alberta Arts District. Uber is also much more accessible in this area, paying only a fraction of what we used to pay to get around from Lake O. We can easily grab an Uber to Downtown or SE and our ride is here in a minute or two. Finally -- the drive to school is probably the easiest drive ever! Although North Portland looks far on a map and you may be concerned with traffic, it's really not bad. Because this apartment is far enough North and located right at a freeway on-ramp, you get on the I-5 South, take I-405 across the Fremont Bridge, and then get back on the I-5 South to get to campus. This route takes you around all the morning traffic attempting to get to Beaverton and Downtown Portland. And on the way home, this route takes you around all the afternoon traffic trying to get to Beaverton and Vancouver, WA. It takes me roughly 15min to get to campus each day.

The cost is comparable to new buildings with much better amenities, but the location is good, so there's nothing you can do about it unless you move.

Pros:
Management is nice, pet friendly, and helpful. The location is great but it's still easy to finding street parking. Utilities are separate but inexpensive (gas heat). The management company is in the process of updating the units. Most new move ins have brand new floors and appliances.

Cons:
Apartments are small and there isn't a secure entrance, although the neighborhood feels secure and I've never had a problem with break-ins. Laundry is shared and the machines could be better. No secure parking area.

Clinton Court is a great location if you are looking for easy access to good food, public transportation, etc. I lived in SW Portland for my first two years as a law student and am very happy I made the decision to move to SE. I was able to easily commute by bus (or walk) to my summer position and the drive to school is fairly easy (20 mins on average). This apartment complex is very pet friendly, there is parking on the street and a separate lot, and washer + dryer is on site.