Portland, OR? Need advice from natives AND transplants!?

Question

Hi, there. The husband and I are considering moving there (taking a vacation to see it in a few days). Did online research & checked census stats, but want the insiders' view. Currently we live in Florida ("Like hell, only hotter"). Please advise re:

1. Cost of living/housing (i.e. can you afford a house in non-cracktown, on an average salary?)

2. Traffic/avg commutes

3. Weather (do you like it?)

4. Is it pretentious, or are the people laid back?

5. Raising families- best places?

6. To-Do: Museums, music (yeah, it's the indy capital, but what about the symphony?), what do you do every weekend?

7. Is it already totally unaffordable b/c of influx of people from Seattle & CA?

8. Pros.

9. Cons.

10. Anything else you have to say about it (I'm very interested in the bad points, though - good things aren't usually something to worry about).

Thanks!!!!!

Answer 1

Western Oregon is great! If you don't mind the clouds.
Eastern Oregon is great, too! If you don't mind hot dry summers and freezing cold winters.

OK, that's the bad stuff... now the good stuff... Everything! Except the clouds on the west and hot sun/winter ice on the Eastern side.

Most of the people are well educated and you'll find all kinds! And you won't see as much wealth and poverty like Florida.

Jobs can be tough to find... your competition can be intense because of the good education system. Income taxes are high because there is no sales tax.

Lakes, rivers, beaches, smaller cities, ahhhh the good life... if it wasn't for the darn clouds.

You can find everything in Portland... it's very diverse. The Shakespeare Festival is in the South, Ashland, every year and the summers in Oregon are incredible! So are the winters if you like to snow shoe, ski, etc. You can also climb Mt. Hood if you have the energy and skill!

Oregon is great! Cost of living is going up fast... due to the influx of people, especially from California. A small home will now cost $250-$300K.

Did I mention the education system is good.

Check out all of the cities and towns, because they all seem to have their own different economy and lifestyle... and best wishes!

After 30 years or so... I moved to Florida. I like the warm rain and sunny, warm beaches... at least for now.

PS. Don't miss the 4th of July in Seaside, OR... it's great! Bring a blanket because it may not be warm.... at the beach.

Answer 2

Okay, if you are dead-set on Portland, read no further.

If not ..... Consider Eugene, just 100 miles south of Portland on I-5.

Eugene is smaller than Portland ... Total area population about 225,000 ... and has more of a small town feel to it, even though it has all the amenities of a large city. The cost of living is lower than Portland, and the commute is oh so much easier!

It is home of the University of Oregon, several other colleges, and a community college. There is a great sports program for kids, lots of outdoor and indoor activities, and a LOT of cultural events. There is a ballet, a fantastic concert hall (the Hult Center), a local symphony, several small theater groups, and an independent movie theater that shows hard to find movies (the Bjiou).

I lived in Oregon for 45 years, spending much time in both eugene and portland areas, and I would far prefer to live in or around Eugene. And its a short two hour drive up the freeway if you want to attend something in Portland.


Contray to what Cary said, if you live in other places in Oregon besides the cities, you can get a modest 1,500 ft home in a pleasant neighborhood for $150k. I recently sold a 1200 sq ft 3 bdrm 1 bath with large yard for $110k ... it was in good condition. That was in a small town near Eugene. Depends on where you look.

Answer 3

I live in Portland and love love love it! It's not for everyone though. It's pretty liberal, so you'd have to have an open mind.

here's what I can help with:

Check out the local newspaper websites for current events and classifieds for housing prices, jobs local entertainment

pioneercourthousesquare.org
oregonlive.com
saturdaymarket.org
portlandmercury.com
trimet.org
mcmenamins.com
we are getting really over populated from people across the country, so bad in fact it's hard to find someone actually born and raised here-I was born here and went to H.S. in Cali, but moved back here b/c I love it!!!

we have museums, opera, concerts, festivals for EVERY occasion, Saturday market, plays (went to see Wicked), etc. We have most of the luxuries as a major city without hassle. There's a fun Beverly Cleary park with statues of all her book characters.

we have the best public transportation system which makes it so you really wouldn't have to drive anywhere if you didn't want to. In fact I don't drive period!!

There really is so much to do here that it's crazy. I think that is because it does rain here and people don't like to stay at home.

The people are pretty laid back with the exception of the "pearl district" crowd, which is mainly people from California that think they're cool b/c they're from Cali~

Check out the Hawthorne, Brooklyn, Broadway and downtown areas, jump on the MAX and just take it from one end to another to see portland.

Go to Pioneer Courthouse Square and stand on the one brick in the square you can hear yourself echo when you talk. While you're at Pioneer Courthouse Square drop by the vistors center and talk to the nice people there. They have tons of info you can take back to FL. it's on the West side of the Square.

I still get amazed by this city, you find amazing things around every corner!!! Have fun

Answer 4

because of the fact transplants pass right into a community because of the fact its the two on ny or on the factor of it, advance the charges, and then ***** and moan approximately how they are residing "paycheck to paycheck" because you had to stay interior the 2000 dollar a month studio condominium in Williamsburg because of the fact it replaced into cool. Worst yet are the transplants who act pretentious because of the fact they stay in NYC as damaging to everywhere they got here from, and handle human beings like **** because of the fact they're a clean Yorker now. Even worse is while people who legitimately made neighborhoods what they are (Artists from DUMBO working example) get thrown out to make way for Condos because of the fact the community is "inventive" even nevertheless each and every of the artists had to pass away and pass to different aspects of the city.

Answer 5

1. its a buyers market here right now trust me...

2. traffic is like other big citys it sucks on days that are work days like between 5-7pm and mornings and holidays

3. weather...well if u were to come right now u wouldnt like it...ive been to florida many many times. it dosnt rain nearly as much there as it does here. and its grey unlike florida.

4. you cant find more hippies ne were portland is just weird but thats y i love it!

5. best place for raising familys would probly be gresham or around the kids can still go places and ur still close to the city but not to close.

6. there is a symphony here we have many places to go see plays we have the art museum we have alot of stuff in downtown portland. yes looottttsss of music and diffrent types.

7. ....portland is like 4 hrs away from seatle and 8 hrs away from the boarder of cali. trust me we dont get alot of people that like to drive for that long.

8. awesome people, nice summers, i love it here.

9. bad things oi winters suck!!! rain almost everyday. ummm we have alot of homeless people downtown. uhhhhhh


10. i love it here even if it rains there still ways to get out of the rain...u should come visit but dont go see the turouisty stuff go see true oregon spend the weekend downtown.
go to the gorge its beautiful!!! go to northwest portland and go people watch thats where the craziest part is. we have everything here from low low low class to super upper class. it jsut depends on where u r...
again i love it here!!

Answer 6

check out the daily astorian newspaper its where we are thinking of relocating too in oregon