Is it wise to move to an area you have never visited?

Question

My bf and I are considering a move from the Bay Area (nor cal) to a small town just outside of Portland, OR (but in Wash state). I have never spent time out there, but he has and two of his best friends now live in Portland. Scared because he'll have a support system and I won't know a soul -- any advice? And what does Portland have that can woo me from San Francisco?

Answer 1

Coming from San Francisco, you might find things up in Oregon/Washington VERY different. I would definately visit there at least twice before moving there to be sure you like the area and the climate.
Good luck!

Answer 2

What small town? Locals can give you more help if you tell where you are talking about specifically. Vancouver/Camas/Battleground aren't exactly small towns - they are Portland suburbs. Longview/Kelso are very blue collar mill/lumber towns, but have some sprawl. Washougal is on the way up, and is becoming another suburb of Portland. The first really small town I think of, along the Columbia anyway, would be Stevenson. Along the 5 part of the Columbia, maybe Kalama? But, it's on it's way to becoming a suburb of Vancouver, so it won't stay small for long. . .

To answer your question, no, it's not wise to move to an area you've never visited. A short visit won't tell you what you want to know, but at least you'll get a feel for the area. Hook up with a realtor and ask for a tour of the cities.


Restaurants - many restaurants are on par with Bay Area dining.

Travel - We have an international airport that flies direct to Munich, Tokyo, and many other locations. You can fly pretty much anywhere on the west coast non-stop as well.

Weather - The winters are rainy. You can't be prepared for it. But, that's what vacations are meant for. Spend a week in Cabo or Hawaii sometime between January and March and it will help with the S.A.D. The rain generally starts in October or so and goes until June or July. The summertime however, is spectacular. It's clear, you can breathe, it's not sticky hot - it's just good clean sun. And it stays light until at least 9:30pm, so you can get a ton of things done and really enjoy how beautiful it is.

People - Nearly everyone here is incredibly nice. They smile when you walk by on the street. They aren't afraid to make small talk with you or approach you. There are tons of pleases and thank yous.

Shopping - Everything you need is in Portland or the vicinity - everything from Wal-Mart and dollar stores to Louis Vuitton and Saks. If there isn't enough, Seattle is 3 hours away. And, in Portland (and all of Oregon), there is no sales tax.

Traffic - Can be stressful. The city has been set up with one way streets to try and allow for the growth of the city - but it's not completely effective. To help alleviate it, we have a fabulous public transportation that is safe and that professionals actually use - "The Max". The street layout isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. Portland (and the surrounding areas) is broken up into quarters, we have NE SW NW and SE on most of the streets. You can find where you are or need to be simply by the designation of the streets. The streets in downtown are mostly numerical and alphabetical.
Traffic (cont) - Portland freeways are in the process of being added to. You can hit patches of traffic on them, but it's usually not more than 20-30 minutes of traffic. Unless there is an accident, the traffic is usually sparked by merging or curves.

Convenience - Things aren't open 24 as frequently as they are in LA. Once you get used to it - it's fine. The grocery stores can't carry liquor - only wine & beer. You have to use a liquor store, and they are all run by the state, to buy any hard alcohol.

Answer 3

Be brave and just do it. If you are open you'll make friends. Besides, you can always move back. In your life you should live many places so that when you are finally ready to settle you know what you like and dislike about a bunch of places. Portland is very different than California and you should experience that.

Answer 4

Portland Or isa beautiful place to live in...If u like the smaller towns..then u have like gresham..Milwaukie..on the east side..and tigard tualitin..on the West side...But all and all The portland metro area is a beautiful place to live...90 mins from the beach and 90 mins from the mountains..GL with that move

Answer 5

I did it. Came up from Orange County, Ca., had never been here. Living in Vancouver, Wa. and love it. Portland is big enough to have everything a city person would want, but small enough to get into nature in a hurry.

Answer 6

Visiting a town is not going to give you the same feel as you would have if you lived there. As one gentleman said, "the road goes both ways."

You only live once mija, live each day as though it is your last.

Answer 7

The road runs both ways, give it a try and if you don't like it, move back.

I did it 38 years ago and I'm still here.

Answer 8

you need to check it out first,,, lots of rain in the oregon washington area,,,,,

Answer 9

better visit first and see for yourself.