Piazza Villebois - Wilsonville, Oregon

A recent study of all the major cities around the world found Portland, Oregon to be No. 42 when it comes to exceptional quality of life. Mercer’s 2009 Quality of Living Ranking surveyed 215 cities and ranked them on a point-scoring index.

Vienna, Austria scored the highest and Baghdad, Iraq was the worst-ranking city of those studied. Mercer compiles the information for companies who must place workers in various parts of the world. Click here to read more about the quality of life survey.

This study further solidifies the decision more and more individuals are making to move to Oregon and the Portland metropolitan area, specifically. The Portland real estate market is ripe with opportunities for buyers looking for affordably priced homes in exceptional neighborhoods.

There is no neighborhood in the Portland area more exceptional that the award-winning master-planned Villebois community in Wilsonville.

Inspired by traditional European villages, Villebois, which is French for “village near the woods,” is a 500-acre community that offers something for everyone. At the heart of Villebois sits the Village Center. Condominiums and row homes are the first homes to grace the Village Center, which will eventually also host a stunning piazza, with splashing fountains, majestic old-growth trees and ground-level retail and commercial space.

Surrounding the Village Center are three distinct neighborhoods, each with exquisite attention to detail, like stacked stone walls, lush gardens, and stunning architecture. At completion, Villebois will feature diverse housing types, including apartments and condominiums, attached row and town homes, as well as single-family detached homes on lots of varying sizes. The entire community is connected by more than 130 acres of trails and open green spaces, including parks and nature preserves that join to trails that lead well beyond Villebois.

Villebois will truly change how you live.

For more information about Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, please call 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com. For details about the Villebois neighborhood, visit www.ChangeHowYouLive.com.

Dreyer’s Ice Cream recently hosted its Slow Churned^® Neighborhood Salute ice cream party contest, and the Villebois community in Wilsonville, Ore. was selected as a Grand Prize winner out of neighborhoods across the nation. Earlier this Spring, Villebois residents submitted essays to Dreyer’s, nominating our community and explaining why Villebois should be selected to win

Here are two of the essays that helped the Villebois community win the Slow Churned^® Neighborhood Salute ice cream party contest:

       
“Villebois is a new neighborhood in Wilsonville, Oregon. Just south of Oregon’s largest city, Wilsonville is a small town favored by many commuters. With Portland and its suburbs only 30 minutes north, and the state’s capital city of Salem just 30 minutes south, it’s a great place for couples to raise their children away from the big city but still close to all the activities it has to offer.
       
Villebois is a new, planned community. The layout of the neighborhood promotes get-togethers, social events, clubs, games and outdoor activities of all types. With wide sidewalks, multiple parks and green spaces, it attracts a lot of people who enjoy spending time outdoors. Another feature of Villebois is the many and varied types of people who live here. With large single-family homes, small condominiums and row homes, apartments and medium-sized homes, there are many diverse people of all ages and walks of life who live here. And the best is yet to come. Villebois is a neighborhood under development and a lot of new people move in each month. As a community we are always trying to meet the new neighbors, get to know their family and help introduce them to the fun that can be had in our neighborhood. An ice cream social is a great way to do that and we’d love to have one sponsored by Dreyer’s.
       
Villebois is also the site of the 2008 Fit House, a project sponsored by Cooking Light magazine. This house was designed with fitness in mind, and that’s a perfect match to the lower-calorie slow churned ice cream that Dryer’s is promoting. We are an active neighborhood with lots of kids, dogs, parks, and everyone and everything on wheels. With Oregon’s wet wintery weather we really take advantage of the warm summer months and spend as much time as possible outdoors. We hope you’ll help us do that by awarding us one of the ice cream socials. Thanks for your consideration!”

~ Allison Sherman, Villebois resident

“I believe the Villebois neighborhood in Wilsonville, Oregon, deserves to be one of the winning communities honored by Dreyer’s in its Slow Churned^® Neighborhood Salute ice cream block party contest.
              
I have never lived in a community quite like Villebois. No other neighborhood in Oregon…let alone the Pacific Northwest…let alone the country has as much heart and genuine community spirit as we do in Villebois.
              
As the largest non-resort master planned community in the state, the 500-acre Villebois neighborhood offers us as residents the opportunity to live, work, play and learn – without ever having to leave the neighborhood. I live and work in Villebois myself and everyday I thank my lucky stars I am able to raise my family in a quiet, safe community like Villebois. My wife and I love living far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Portland, yet close enough if we ever want to drive into the city to take in a Blazers basketball game or a concert.
              
Villebois is family-friendly, and my kids can attest to that. Every week, we have a ritual of “park hopping” between the various play areas and green spaces that are tucked in pockets throughout the Villebois neighborhood. There are 160 acres of parks and open space in the Villebois community, and my family and I have scoured every last inch.
              
A mixed-use development, Villebois is also host to a Village Center, which will soon be filled with condominiums, a boutique hotel, shops, a specialty grocery store, cafés and restaurants. This will only complement our community’s current energy and European village flair.
              
Villebois residents love to get together as a community. From garage sales and potlucks to 4th of July parades, Easter egg hunts and other holiday events, the community is always gathering together for some activity. The weekly Villebois Sunday Market also brings the Villebois community together each week.
              
At Villebois, we believe that life’s better when you slow down. That’s why I believe that Villebois deserves to be one of Dreyer’s winning neighborhoods for the Slow Churned^® Neighborhood Salute.”
              
~ Andy Green, Villebois resident

For more details about the award-winning Villebois community, please call 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com.

Sofia Park in Villebois, Wilsonville, Oregon

Kick off the summer reading season now! The Villebois Events Committee (V.E.C.) and Villebois Ladies Book Club recently announced that on Monday, June 29^th between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. they will partner together to host the First Annual Villebois Summer Book Exchange under the gazebo in Sofia Park.

Residents are encouraged to bring a book and exchange it for another book! If you are interested in donating your used to books to the Summer Book Exchange, you may drop off your books at the Sofia Park gazebo on Monday, June 29th before the exchange between 3 and 4 p.m.

For more information about the First Annual Summer Book Exchange in the Villebois community in Wilsonville, Oregon, please contact Anita Hickey at aplwhickey@me.com or 503.582.8359 OR Laurie Essig at LaurieEssig@Windermere.com or 503.816.1840.

A special thanks to all those in attendance at yesterday’s dedication of Sofia Park to the citizens of Wilsonville!

It was great to see so many of the Villebois homeowners in attendance.  We estimate that around 250 residents showed up for the festivities.  We hope to participate in many more events like this in the future.  Our vision has always been to create a community that encourages interaction between neighbors and fosters a true sense of community.  Sofia Park will be only a small aspect of that vision.

I hope to begin a dialogue with several homeowners that expressed an interest in creating a community events committee.  I believe that with a collaborative effort between dedicated homeowners and Costa Pacific that we can continue to build on what is already a great community and create traditions and lasting memories for all owners in Villebois.

Thank you again to our sponsors!

The First Team Home Loans & Earth Advantage

For more information about how you can participate in community events please contact me at Blog@CostaPacific.com or 503-314-8013.

Andy Green Costa Pacific Homes, LLC Villebois Village Center Email Me at: Blog@CostaPacific.com Visit us on the web at: www.CostaPacific.com

Both Palermo and Sofia Parks are a part of the 36 acre regional park system which contains segments of the planned Tonquin Trail, an 8 mile trail that will someday connect Graham Oaks and the Willamette River with the Tualatin River to the north, providing for great walking, jogging and biking opportunities. For people who want to relax in the park a while, the covered pavilion, complete with bathrooms, is an excellent setting for outdoor dining and picnicking. The decorative water feature adds a unique dimension to the park. 

 The adjacent transit stop will provide connections to the WES station and the SMART system.  Costa Pacific continues to show its dedication to preservation of open space and commitment to enhancing the quality of life of current and future residents. An important milestone in the development of Villebois, it serves as the anchor park for the south neighborhoods and offers direct access to the Village Center via the future Promenade linking to the Piazza.

“Villebois is a great addition that helps to further enhance Wilsonville’s commitment to a sustainable and livable community,” said Mayor Lehan. “This development with its parks and trails encompasses what our city is all about”

“Sofia Park has all the features that helps make Villebois the special and unique place that it is,” said Long-Range Planning Manager Chris Neamtzu. “The Park offers a wide variety of activities and features that will appeal to all ages. It will be a very popular gathering place.”

 In Sofia Park, children will enjoy the play structures for climbing and twirling and will undoubtedly enjoy the water play area, while people of all ages can use the lawn for croquet, lawn bowling, or other activities. For people who want to relax in the park a while, the covered pavilion, complete with bathrooms, is an excellent setting for outdoor dining and picnicking. 

Community residents and all Wilsonville citizens are invited to come and participate in the celebration. The dedication ceremony will include a “ribbon cutting” ceremony, a bounce house and clown for children along with a fire truck and members of the local fire station.  Hot dogs, soda, and water will be provided by First Team Mortgage at First Horizon Home Loans, the event will also be sponsored by Earth Advantage.  The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, August 6th from 5:45 to 7:00.

For additional information on this event e-mail me at Blog@CostaPacific.com or you can reach me at 503-314-8013.

Andy Green Costa Pacific Homes, LLC Villebois Village Center Email Me at: Blog@CostaPacific.com Visit us on the web at: www.CostaPacific.com