Best new burb: Orenco Station
In Hillsboro, Oregon



The category: New housing developments that feel like real communities.

The stats: 15 miles west of Portland; population about 2,600. On the edge of the “Silicon Forest” — home to such high-tech giants as Intel and Lattice.

Why Orenco Station: We see suburbs becoming more diverse, more interesting, more neighborly, and more like complete communities instead of just bedrooms. Some, such as Oregon’s Orenco Station, are actually planned around mass transit. With a four-block walk to the light rail, Orenco Station has a town center filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants.

The story behind the burb: The award-winning 260-acre development, begun in 1997, focuses on the pedestrian and light-rail commuter rather than the classic car-centric suburbanite. The neighborhood itself is arranged around parks and a bustling Main Street.