East Portland Community Center

TThe East Portland Community Center serves the young and old. I personally enjoy the programs it has for my children, but I know that a great many senior citizens regularly use the facility. They have an excellent indoor park for children birth-5 years old. There are a variety of classes for reasonable rates. They have a preschool on site and are planning to build an outdoor playground. There is an exercise room that you can use for an hourly or monthly rate. They have an excellent gymnasium and family nights where all can come to enjoy the facilities for a small fee. more

Much like Montavilla Community Center at NE 82nd Ave. and Glisan St., EPCC has an indoor park open during four weekdays, where your little ones can run around like crazy for $1 for two hours. My daughter prefers this one because they stamp her hand! There is a big trampoline, a watchful CC employee, lots of mats, little tikes cars and toys, blocks, manipulatives, a play kitchen, basketball, and much more. Unlike Montavilla, it doesn't have slides, but it does have an area that's perfectly suited for crawlers. Set-up and tear-down is done primarily by employees, although parents are responsible to gather all of the big toys. The biggest benefit to this over Montavilla is aesthetics. There's just something about being in a brand spanking new, airy, bright, open gym to make you feel optimistic about your child's wonderful future, especially when he or she has a thoughtful, civic-minded parent such as yourself! There are also a ton of inexpensive activity classes and an art park fall through spring. more