How do Oregonians feel about outsiders? (Portland, Eugene: relocate, jobs, health)

[tiffela74]

lol, sounds like you'll fit in just fine.....
unless you start spouting off about how terrific your previous state is, and how crappy it is in Oregon, you shouldn't have any issues.
you start out friendly, you'll typically get friendly right back atcha.
Let us know when you make it up and how it all goes.
Best of luck to you,
Tiffany

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by socal john

Well all you Oregonians get ready 'cause I'm headin up. Born & reared in Socal. Use to love it 'till it was willingly annexed to Baja, Mexico. Retired last May after 25 yrs in Law Enforcement. Paid my dues as a good, tax paying citizen so move over! I'm not a snob, don't drive like a drunken sailor, AND will probably go to work up there. I have family in Roseburg so that's my first stop. I'll even buy ya a beer just to show there's no hard feelings. I speak fluent English, don't use drugs, and love animals. Just gotta be a spot up there for a guy like me.

Since you're a former law enforcement officer from SoCal, you'll get a kick out of the small towns claiming to have the worst crime in the state and all the reported crimes in the newspaper... I mean is shoplifting a pack of M&M's worth publishing in the newspaper?

Anyway, tiffela74 is right about being friendly, you'll get friendly folks, but it seems like you have to make the first effort. I guess Oregonians can spot a Californian a mile away, same as a Californian can spot a tourist a mile away.

[chrisruns2far]

Originally Posted by socal john

Well all you Oregonians get ready 'cause I'm headin up. Born & reared in Socal. Use to love it 'till it was willingly annexed to Baja, Mexico. Retired last May after 25 yrs in Law Enforcement. Paid my dues as a good, tax paying citizen so move over! I'm not a snob, don't drive like a drunken sailor, AND will probably go to work up there. I have family in Roseburg so that's my first stop. I'll even buy ya a beer just to show there's no hard feelings. I speak fluent English, don't use drugs, and love animals. Just gotta be a spot up there for a guy like me.

Hello, the majority of Oregon residents will welcome people from CA just fine. As with any state, you have your good folks and bad folks moving here. As a land-use attorney and land-use planning advocate, just don't move here and join the masses who seek to pave, subdivide and over develop our wonderful state. I will never understand the amount of newcomers who move here and then vote to undo and undermine what made Oregon appeal to them, i.e open space, limited sprawl in comparison to any other state in the country and the preservation of farm land and forest lands. I've met folks from CA who want to keep Oregon the way it is and I've also met and encountered folks from CA who want to transfer the CA land-use free-for-all here and could care less about sustainability and what our next generations will inherit from us.

It is the lack of knowledge of Oregon's historic pro-active and progressive land use policies and disregard of long-term sustainabilty safe gaurds and practices by numerous CA transplants that tend to upset many long time Oregonians. So your more than welcome to move here, but please respect what makes your choice so appealing to you and think of the last 30 years of work and planning that went into making Oregon much less sprawling than any other state. For Example: the Portland Metro area has 2.2 million people and the Boise, ID Metro area has 1 million people, yet the Boise Metro area covers (sprawls) over an land area that is 85% the size of the Portland Metro land area with less than half the population. That is what Oregon has acheived and many of us wish to see the provisions that facilitate that to remain in place.

[magicdeed]

As a former New Yorker, I LOVE Oregon and now consider it my home. Moving to Myrtle Creek was the best thing and I absolutely love living in a small town. Oregonians are friendly people and will treat you with respect if you treat them with respect.

[vanight]

To be honest, it really depends if your in the Portland metro area where all the flaming liberal hippies live, or out in the country. In the rural areas there is a definite ant-Californian sentiment. Oregon was a conservative state up until many California liberals started moving here in the 70's and 80'.

That being said, it would be idiotic to assume because someone is from California, they are a Liberal, but that is kind of where the sentiment comes from. As far as driving goes, I actually like the way Californians drive! I had blast down in California being able to actually DRIVE on the freeway. Of course I got rear ended because some stupid chick in her parents SUV was too busy talking on a cell phone, but it wasn't a bad one.

The other thing is that I think farmers and loggers are sort of anti-migration because of sprawl issues and tree huggers. The "Charmen" fire comes to mind. Of course, 90 percent of my Dads side moved to California because they hated the weather here and there is more opportunity in S. Cali. Like I said, Oregons elite crowd has been pushing for diversity for 2 decades. Well, they have it, you have basically the far side of both ends of the spectrum with regards to worlds views. It can make for some pretty heated debates at work, but it keeps things interesting.

One thing I think more Californians may overlook is the weather. I am talking about the effects it can have on your energy and emotional well being. At first it will seem cool and ew ahhh everything is so green, but after a few years you may find yourself suffering from seasonal depression depending on how much of a sun person you.

Just being honest here...there are very widely varying views on this issue.

[vanight]

Be prepared to avoid the portland metro/west side areas if you dont like a completely overcrowded and massive traffic, lack of freeway access, lack of road infrastructure in general to the point that most of us country people go there as a last resort.

Honestly, and I just got back from Orange country/irvine area. The traffic in the Portland metro area is WORSE in my opinion than in S. California. Another effect of overboard land use laws.

There are always 2 sides to an issue, like measure 49. Your best bet if your a cop, is to find a nice small town way out in eastern or central Oregon. The hunting and fishing are great, although its not what it used to be thanks to frivolous lawsuits. It is also more like S. Cali weather wise over there, accept for the snow of course.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by vanight

Be prepared to avoid the portland metro/west side areas if you dont like a completely overcrowded and massive traffic, lack of freeway access, lack of road infrastructure in general to the point that most of us country people go there as a last resort.

Honestly, and I just got back from Orange country/irvine area. The traffic in the Portland metro area is WORSE in my opinion than in S. California. Another effect of overboard land use laws.

The Portland Metro Area took a lesson from SoCal, and realized that it was impossible to build your way out of congestion. Instead, they are building a light rail transit system, and a large portion of it is complete. It is easy to commute around the Metro Area using MAX. You just can't do it by car. I realize this is culture shock for any good SoCal resident, but you need to adjust. Portland has enough freeways. They aren't going to build any more, ever.

Well, that's not precisely true. They may build another bridge across the Columbia someday. The Interstate and Glen Jackson Bridges are pretty much at capacity. It's a horse race, since they are also talking about extending MAX to Vancouver, which would take 40,000 cars a day off the freeway and save many $millions. Vancouver just hasn't woken up to the advantage of a light rail system yet. Washington's lax land use planning has made light rail less practical, so they may have a serious problem moving into the 21st century.

[JRB1964]

Ive lived here 5 years and the only thing thats colder than the weather is the people. They have convinced me the midwest is where I need to be. Good Luck

[GoBeavs]

I welcome them with open arms, come on up and enjoy. We are all free to move about the nation. Any moron who wants to act like he owns a state is nothing more than that, a moron. I can't stand idiots who have lived in one area all their life and can't stand to see it change. Go cry in a corner moron, there's nothing you can do about it. It's funny, you never hear Californians complaining about people moving to their state, and you never hear Oregonians complaining about people moving to California. You know most Oregonians would move if they were living in a housing market that was 500k+ and they stood to make a huge profit. Ignorant farmers man, I'm telling you.

Oh yeah, thank GOD Portland is liberal. If you're looking for conservatives, go be on a farm with all the other hillbillies. If you're looking for liberals, move into the city with people who actually live in the 21st century.

[watkins911]

I Have Just Joined This Forum Because My Family And I Are Being Relocated For My Husbands Job And We Dont Have A Choice. After Reading Alot Of These Posts I Am So Disappointed In The Way Everybody Gets Opinions Of Californians And How We Come To Your State And Ruin Everything. Last I Checked We Have A Right To Live Where Ever We Want And Should Not Have To Worry About Moving To A Place That Is Going To Treat Us Badly. As Far As Missing Home And Talking About How Certain Things Are Better Should Not Be A Issue. Im Sure A Majority Of Us Have At One Time Or Another Commented On How Our Cars Were Better Than The Neighbors, Or House Was Better Or Our Kids Were Better Behaved. It Is Part Of Life And People Need To Get Over It And Not Take It Personal. This Move Is Hard Enough As It Is Seeing I Was Born And Raised In Cali, I Am Concerned For My Daughter That Is Going To Have To Go The Schools In Oregon. If Adults Are Feeling That Way About Californians And Having No Problem Voicing There Opinions Is That Something You Instill In Your Children To. The Last Thing I Want Is For My Daughter To Go To School And Have Kids Pick On Her Because She Came From Cali. Racism Is Bad Enough In This World And Now We Have This I Guess I Will Call It (statecism)! Well I Guess These Forums Have Helped Tremendously In Deciding Where We Should Move To And After Reading This Wa Is Sounding Way More Inviting.