I'm new to the whole moving experience...(yikes!). Yeah. How can I properly research an area in order to make an informed decision? What kinds of questions should I be asking about communities I'm considering for relocation?
2007-02-06 06:51:44 · 4 answers · asked by Vespa 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Portland
Well, all of Portland is beautiful so there is nothing to think about there. However there are lots of things to consider. Do you have kids? If so, you want to look at school districts. Where are you going to work? That helps in selecting a part of the city. Are you a student/looking to go to school? We have many community college locations and Portland State University is an awesome school. Our cost of living is pretty good compared to the rest of the country however we have had issues with our unemployment rate. I'd look into jobs before moving here.
When it comes to a place to live, are you looking to find an apartment or a house? If an apartment, rent.com and places like that are okay to look at, but looking at the websites of actual apartment management companies is better. You get more pricing information as well as better information on the location of the building. Here are some larger ones that service the whole Portland area:
Princeton Property Management:
http://www.princetonproperty.com/
American Property Management:
http://rent.apmportland.com/about
Something else thats good about contacting these companies directly is you can tell them what you are looking for, and then they'll point you to the apartments that suit your needs. It takes a lot of time off searching yourself and you know you are getting what you need.
There are a lot of areas of Portland that are older and absolutely adorable. Just because an apartment building looks older on the outside, don't rule it out. They are fully renovated on the inside and are in areas that are fantastic. 39th street and lower in Portland is an older area that has lots of shopping, coffee houses, art houses and is close to downtown. This includes the laurelhurst area.
Also remember that Portland has an amazing public transportation system. You can get pretty much anywhere in the city on the bus or the Max (light rail train) for only a buck or two.
So that's my incredibly long rant on the topic. Sorry for being so wordy =P In short, ask about crime rates, distance to shopping, school districts, distance to public transportation and job opportunities in the are. Portland is only a little smaller than Seattle, still has that big city feel with out the pretentiousness. There is always something to do here regardless of the rain from coffee shops to book stores, to live music, to cute bars/pubs, lots of dancing and many many art houses and museums. It also goes without saying that there are lots of outdoor activities to do here. We hare an hour and a half away from the beach, we have many rivers for summer time play, an hour away from a Mt. Hood and snow activities, and you can drive to the desert in a few hours.
I wish you luck in your move and welcome to Portland if you choose to move here! We are all friendly in this city. (for the most part)
2007-02-10 06:48:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start with a visit to the area..and visit to that city's Chamber of Commerce..(either in-person or on-line)...visit the city's website...visit any local "chat rooms" for that locality...talk to come locals that way...
Good Questions to ask: Employment rate (unless you are being transferred with a company), medium home price or rental prices, schools (if you have kids), night life and/or restaurants, insurance rates (especially for your car, they DO vary state-to-state), climate, taxes (city, county, auto, home...some states have higher tax rates on homes and auto's), how "fast" is the real estate market..(not only gives you a good idea of what you may be in for when buying, but also lets you know the popularity of one area over another)...how about utilities (they are quite high in some areas)...
You are wise to do A LOT of homework before relocating...most people don't and usually get some unpleasant surprises...good luck to you!
2007-02-06 07:08:00 · answer #2 · answered by Toots 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
YOU SHOULD MOVE TO OREGON BECAUSE IT IS WAY BETTER AND THERE ARE WAY MORE THINGS TO IN PORTLAND THAN SEATLLE TRUST ME! YOU WILL LOVE OREGON GIRL!
2007-02-08 09:00:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
it rains here alot. then jobs are not that easy to find
2007-02-06 06:55:43 · answer #4 · answered by looklikebradpitt 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋