Should I Move From Seattle to Oregon? (Portland, Bend: apartments, rent)

[deniseld]

Hi all,
My mother and I live outside Seattle in a community that isn't diverse when it comes to ethnic or lifestyle backgrounds. We love being a 1/2 hour away from Seattle for access to arts & entertainment however everything here has the feeling of "been there, done that" for us.

We both have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and need to move somewhere with better weather. We don't mind snow but humidity in the summer is definitely not desirable.

We pay $900 for a 2 bedroom apartment and are hoping for comparable rent prices where we move, if possible.

We're considering CA, OR and even CO.

I have spent countless hours on the internet reading posts and feel overwhelmed, to say the least.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

[Silverfall]

Well Oregon isn't going to help you with SAD or the lack of diversity. I guess you could consider Bend but you won't be 1/2 hour away from a major metro.

[Nightdiver13]

Sacramento might be suitable for you. Plenty of sunshine (but wicked hot summers), decent diversity, and affordable rents.

[countryway]

I have not been to WA or OR, but have lived in Sacramento and currently in Colorado. The Front Range of Colorado is very nice. Especially in Northern Colorado, like Fort Collins. The Winters have snow but the sun comes out and there are plenty of T-shirt days in January. Good balance in weather and relief from snow. This has been my experience in being here for two Winters. Its been sunny and in the 40s/50s lately. The cloud cover doesn't last long, and the sun comes out often. Denver is more severe durning winter than the Fort Collins area typically.

Sacramento will have hotter and longer Summers with mild to moderate rainy Winters. I have seen some winters with alot of rain and some flooding and some with not very much at all. Spring in Sac usually starts in Feb. or March with Summer right on its heels lasting til October. Winter Fall and Spring are shorter with Summer lasting longer usually, but not near as long as Southern California. Four Seasons usually prevail in Northern California. I always enjoyed the seasons in the Sac area. I have not lived there in 4 years but I hope this helps in some way. Good Luck!

From what I hear I don't think Oregon will be much better for you.

[haggardhouseelf]

I would check more into CA or CO or even New Mexico or Oklahoma. Oklahoma might surprise you. A lot of Californians are opting to relocate to Oklahoma because the quality of life there is actually really good and the cost of living is much lower.

You're not going to enjoy Oregon if you want a big city nearby. Portland is Oregon's largest city and even it feels like a small town. I'm from Dallas, TX... and Portland feels so small to me. Also, people have issues with SAD here (in Oregon) as well.

Best of luck!

[EnricoV]

Stick to your responses in the California or Colorado Forums. The climate in Oregon isn't much different than Washington, so I can't see you'd be any happier here.

[deniseld]

Originally Posted by Nightdriver13

Sacramento might be suitable for you. Plenty of sunshine (but wicked hot summers), decent diversity, and affordable rents.

NightDriver13, did you live in New England by chance? The "wicked" comment brought me back to my days living out in Boston lol. God I loved it out there. Except for the humid summers. Loved the snow though. And NOTHING shuts down when they get dumped with snow, it's amazing.

Are there any specific areas or neighborhoods you could suggest around Sacramento for me?

[EnricoV]

That discussion should probably be taken to your California query.

[delta07]

I agree with most other posters here, Oregon isn't going to suit your needs, especially in relation to SAD. I'm originally from Colorado and relocated to Bend 3 years ago. While Bend is definitely sunnier than western Oregon, it's still not as sunny as CO or CA. I find myself really affected by the winter weather. We often get days of overcast, gray skies (although this year it's been really fantastic and sunny) and during the dead of winter I suffer from SAD here. Also, if you like the hustle & bustle of city life, Bend is probably going to be pretty sleepy for you. We do have a small arts community, but nothing like the bigger metropolitan areas of Seattle, Denver or San Francisco.

Denver is very dry compared with Seattle, so you won't have the lush green vegetation in the city. It's pretty brown. But it does have a pretty vibrant arts scene and is affordable, especially compared with Seattle. Of course, the Rocky Mountains are right there, so you can easily drive to find some natural beauty. San Francisco, seems like a good fit for you, with the exception of the rent. I doubt you will find something in your price range. As others have suggested, look into Sacramento. I don't know much about it, but it's a bigger city.

[Nightdiver13]

Originally Posted by deniseld

NightDriver13, did you live in New England by chance? The "wicked" comment brought me back to my days living out in Boston lol. God I loved it out there. Except for the humid summers. Loved the snow though. And NOTHING shuts down when they get dumped with snow, it's amazing.

Are there any specific areas or neighborhoods you could suggest around Sacramento for me?

Nope, never lived in New England, but I am from the east coast, so humid summers are vivid in my memory. I actually miss those a lot.

As for Sacramento areas, I lived in Davis when I was down in that area, and loved it. However, you probably wouldn't want to live in any of the 2 bedroom apartments that cost $900 there. For that rent, Sacramento is the place. I don't really know good neighborhoods to live in, but rather ones to avoid. As Enrico said, you'll get a lot of good info from the Sacramento forum.