Is it me or is there a Boulder-Portland connection (foreclosures, crime)

[Ride-Fly]

Hi all,
I'm not a frequent poster here (nor a frequent visitor even) so I just wanted to say hello all and ask a question. My family and I have only lived in Boulder for a few years (2.5 for me, 4 for the wife) and love it here. Unfortunately, we are moving to Portland sometime this summer. My wife got a great job with Bonneville Power Administration and I will be getting laid off in the fall, so it's a no-brainer. We are moving from the land of 300 days of sunshine to the 3rd most depressed city in the US- filled with clouds and rain all winter long!! Dang!! I am sooo bummed!! Anyhow, my wife and I have both noticed that there is a strong connection between the 2 cities. We have run into so many people who have lived in both places, or are planning to move to one or the other. Anyone else have the same experience? Just thought it was such a coincidental thing and wanted to get some of the forum regular's thoughts. My wife grew up in Portland and has all her family there. As for me, I am an avid cyclist and at least Portland has that going for it. Still, I wish we could stay in Boulder!! Thanks and Ride ON!!!

[CCCVDUR]

Growing up in Seattle, I wonder, too, if there's a Boulder-Seattle Connection in addition to the Boulder-Portland connection.

I'm about to leave Flagstaff, which is "erroneously billed as an economically thriving liberal college town with very friendly people into outdoor sports," like Seattle. Not the case at all, but from what I've been reading, Boulder actually sounds like that place. I too have heard of people living in both Boulder and Seattle - and liking both places - just as you've heard of people living in both Boulder and Portland.

One clue is from the personality tests of Peter Jason Wentfrow (who publishes with Richard Florida) who found that Oregon, Washington, and Colorado were all in the top 10 for "Open to Experience" personality type -- whereas Arizona and New Mexico are in the bottom 25. Source:
The United States of Mind - WSJ.com

[Ride-Fly]

When are you leaving Flagstaff? I remember reading about it a while back that you were contemplating the move of there. I've only been to Flagstaff once before but I sure enjoyed it. The downtown is very cool and gives me the impression of what a "true" old west town would be like. Plus, I went mountain biking at one of the trails and it was close to epic! Not like Utah but dang close. Kind of reminds me of some of the trails in Boulder. I have a very favorable impression of your town but I gather from your posts that you are not that enamored with Flagstaff. Is it not to your liking demographically? Mostly college kids? Too conservative? Anyhow, I hope you find a place that suits you. Good luck Tom! Ride ON!!!

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Ride-Fly

When are you leaving Flagstaff? I remember reading about it a while back that you were contemplating the move of there. I've only been to Flagstaff once before but I sure enjoyed it. The downtown is very cool and gives me the impression of what a "true" old west town would be like. Plus, I went mountain biking at one of the trails and it was close to epic! Not like Utah but dang close. Kind of reminds me of some of the trails in Boulder. I have a very favorable impression of your town but I gather from your posts that you are not that enamored with Flagstaff. Is it not to your liking demographically? Mostly college kids? Too conservative? Anyhow, I hope you find a place that suits you. Good luck Tom! Ride ON!!!

Well ..... Flagstaff is typical "bipolar small town America"
with all of the usual Pros and Cons!

Pros
1.Flagstaff is GREAT if you are a student at NAU !
2.Flagstaff is GREAT if you work for W.L. Gore, the University, or are City Manager Kevin Burke receiving a great salary (former deputy City Manager of Boulder!).
3.Flagstaff is GREAT if you have enough money for a summer home on one of the fabulous golf course resorts.
4.Flagstaff is GREAT for bicycling, hiking, if you are in one of the above categories on the Flagstaff Urban Trails System!
5.Flagstaff is GREAT if you move up here to go to NAU from Phoenix. Otherwise, it's hard to make friends as an outsider w/ the "locals."

Cons:
1.Flagstaff is AWFUL if you are not one of the above.
2.Flagstaff is AWFUL if you are a YUP (my term, Young Urban Professional, and my age, (25-44) trying to start a small business.
3.Flagstaff is AWFUL if you want to retire here 12 months of the year. Best suited to summer vacation homes for people who live in Phoenix or Vegas the rest of the year.
4.Flagstaff is AWFUL if you have a chronic medical condition and need good doctors that take Medicare.

and yes, Flagstaff is Socially Conservative, even though most people vote Democratic. There is little acceptance of diverse cultures or gay people here -- and the locals are not that helpful to the homeless. Arizona is socially conservative. Portland, Seattle, very socially liberal. That correlates with the "Open to Experience score" (see previous post).

It will be interesting in the next few years to see if Liberals from the West Coast / California change this town, or, of the good old boys continue their dominance. Meanwhile life is short and one must move on when they're in the wrong place for their goals.

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by Tom Lane

It will be interesting in the next few years to see if Liberals from the West Coast / California change this town, or, of the good old boys continue their dominance. Meanwhile life is short and one must move on when they're in the wrong place for their goals.

Why do liberals always feel the need to change a town - a town that has been just fine without them, for over 100 years.

We don't want "west coast liberals". Thanks for stopping by - now, LEAVE

[Katiana]

A lot of Coloradans think Portland/Seattle are very dreary, drippy places. When my DH interviewed for a job in Corvallis, he was asked if he could handle the climate. Apparently, they had the experience of people from sunnier places having difficulty with the climate out there.

[boulderama]

Boulder/Eugene/Portland/San Fran/Seattle/Los Angeles/

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by Ride-Fly

When are you leaving Flagstaff?!!!

Because they won't build a Costco or allow a Trader Joe's in

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by Greatday;826192I5

Why do liberals always feel the need to change a town - a town that has been just fine without them, for over 100 years. We don't want "west coast liberals". Thanks for stopping by - now, LEAVE

I've never understood the attitude of the locals, especially the elite tree huggers, that "everything is doing fine" when Arizona could go bankrupt, foreclosures everywhere, there are drugs coming over the border, crime is increasing, the state is a right to work state, the minimum wage is unacceptably low, it's difficult in many towns to start your own small business due to Smart Growth policies, Flagstaff will have an average class size of 38 due to budget cuts, the state voted against gay marriage, etc. etc.

See, there you go, as usual w/ our previous interactions here, we have fundamental philosophical differences. That is what makes America great - our extraordinary political diversity in neighboring states.

Colorado over Arizona, anytime. for the record I am a Libertarian on most issues, and by definition embrace the Liberal free market economic principles of Adam Smith, and am therefore against Arizona's Smart Growth initiative which has pushed housing prices through the roof, while creating an underclass of minimum wage workers who will never be homeowners. I'm out of here.

Thanks for the dialogue, as always interesting to hear what native Arizonans think about us!

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by Tom Lane

I've never understood the attitude of the locals, especially the elite tree huggers, that "everything is doing fine" when Arizona could go bankrupt, foreclosures everywhere, there are drugs coming over the border, crime is increasing, the state is a right to work state, the minimum wage is unacceptably low, it's difficult in many towns to start your own small business due to Smart Growth policies, Flagstaff will have an average class size of 38 due to budget cuts, the state voted against gay marriage, etc. etc.

See - we don't want gay marriage. We want to be a RIGHT TO WORK state. There are drugs in every state - including liberal states. California - a VERY LIBERAL state will go bankrupt - not Arizona. We want limited growth.

WE, the NATIVES (not some wanna be such as yourself) like our state. You don't? Oh well.