Question about the general aspects of Portland....?

Question

I've been doing some internet research on the city, and while everything looks great...I figured I'd ask folks that actually live there these questions.

1- How's the metropolitan economy as a whole?

2- Is it a good place to raise and take care of children? (now, I don't have any yet....just asking on the good things I've read)

3- How the mentality of the area? By that I mean....is it open-minded and progressively minded?

Answer 1

1. Economy in the whole PAC NW has been down over the past few years, including Portland. There are opportunities and it surely could be worse -- but it's not as good as it was in the late 90s

2. It's a great place to raise children. Good schools. Close to the ocean and mountains. Good Universities in the state.

3. It's a very open minded and progressive area.

If you're thinking about moving to Portland, I highly recommend it!

Answer 2

1 - depends where you look and what you do. Housing is exploding throughout the suburban areas, meaning that more homes are needed for the influx of people. Population growth can be good for certain aspects of the economy. However, the economy has taken a nose dive overall in the US, but the job growth in the area is higher than the US average.

2 - Portland schools, and most Oregon schools in general are not that great. They are underfunded and undersupported. Many people who can afford it, choose private school instead. However, when you cross the river into Washington, you find some of the best schools in the area. Schools that regularly perform well on standardized tests and that have generally satisfied students.

Portland is a nice place to raise children because it allows them to experience many things. It lets them appreciate nature first hand, exposes them to all different kinds of people, and shows them the hustle and bustle of the city.

3 - The mentality is generally progressive. It's very gay friendly, dog friendly, politically active, and PC. I don't consider it 'liberal', I consider it more forward thinking and open to everyone. It's not crammed down your throat, but tolerance is readily available.

However, in some of the suburbs, you do find more closed-minded people. There are still alot of blue collar areas and farm areas where change is not greeted with such open arms. It's just a matter of taking a look around and you'll know when you are in one.

Answer 3

1- The wide reaching middle-class recession of the last few years has certainly hit Portland as well. Low income jobs are increasing in number, while high income jobs are drying up. However, it's not as bad as it could be, and there are still some opportunities available.

The general downturn hasn't stopped the suburban sprawl from...sprawling...however. So the housing situation might be a problem, and traffic on I-5 gets worse every year.

2- No particular problems I can point to. Portland has clean air, good parks, and a strong array of activities for kids. Primary and secondary schools are decent. The local colleges and universities are not world-famous research institutions, but they get the job done if all you're after is a BA/BS.

3 - There's the same urban-rural divide you see everywhere else in America. Portland itself and Multnomah County is very liberal. But as a state, Oregon is considerably more conservative than its West Coast neighbors: Washington and California. The state's anti-discrimination and health access laws (or more to the point... lack thereof) are particularly troubling.

Answer 4

1. good
2. good
3. progressive in most cases.
Come! It's beautiful.