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My wife and I want to stay on the East Coast because of proximity to our parents and families; however, we lived in Portland, OR for four years and loved so much about that city. We currently live in Charlottesville, VA because people had informed us that it was like Portland -- I don't think they could have been more wrong. So we are looking again -- Any ideas? Any places that we can get that Portland vibe?
There may be some places in coastal New England that would be closest.
We've got the habour walkway thing going on here (Oswego, NY) if you don't mind snow. We're only a few hours from mountains and in the midst of gorgeous natural wonders. I thought Portland reminded me a lot of here though we're a much smaller city. Then again it was over 30 years ago that I was there. I'd say Rochester, NY would be your best bet in NYS for a combo larger city/water venue with a certain progressiveness.
And yes, Lake Oswego was named after us. Ours is vastly larger though.
Your search may be futile. Ofcourse you're never going to find a place just like Portland, unless you're in Portland. It'll be hard to duplicate the climate, the scenery, the lay of the land, water, mountains...etc. If you find such a place, let me know! Good luck.
I would say that Burlington, Vermont would be your best bet. It's of course much smaller than Portland but carries a similar vibe, although the winter weather will be quite a bit to get used to.
Have you looked into Portland, Maine? It's actually a very picturesque city along the southern coast of the state, which makes its winters more mild than the rest of New England. Providence, RI also comes to my mind, as does Burlington, VT. I can't think of anywhere in Upstate NY, NJ, or PA that come close, other than perhaps Rochester. The South will obviously not offer what you are looking for.
And what exactly is the Portland vibe that you are trying to duplicate?
I guess the first thing is the friendliness one finds in Portland. People are easy to get along with, and they are kind. My wife and I fit into the middle class as far as socio-economics goes (I'm a high school teacher and she is in the IT field); however, we never felt as though we were judged for not having as much money as the next guy. As a matter of fact, one of the things we loved the most about Portland was that you could go to a little bar and stand next to a person who owns a multimillion dollar company and not have any idea because they aren't pretentious. It is probably a product of so many transplants, but we also found the people there very welcoming.
After those things comes the desire to be outside, but also the culture (art etc).
As to the futile search, we're finding that -- but we are continuing to look. It all might result on another transcontinental move.
Last edited by 3StillLooking; 04-17-2007 at 05:43 PM..
Reason: Unclear statement -- not clear why it is stated
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Another Portland?
It's actually a very picturesque city along the southern coast of the state, which makes its winters more mild than the rest of New England. Providence, RI also comes to my mind, as does Burlington, VT. I can't think of anywhere in Upstate NY, NJ, or PA that come close, other than perhaps Rochester. The South will obviously not offer what you are looking for.
The vibe
