Moving from Southern California to Oregon (Portland, Salem: trip , rent , job)

[healthportalusa]

Let's all consider that any view given here is a tiny slice of reality. One person's perception of a specific place based on comparison to a place they knew very well, does not come close to comparing all of LA verses all of Oregon or Washington.

Literally everything changes every 50 miles you travel in the great NW. We have snow-topped mountains, ocean beaches, rain forests, and deserts within a couple hours drive from one another.

Depression is very real wherever there is no sunlight. The Willamette Valley in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington is a very gray place to live for nine months out of the year. I live in Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR. It is June 1st today and there is not a ray of sunlight on the ground and it is cold (57) damp and drizzly.

I grew up in Northern NJ with four seasons. Here we have two; dark and raining from October to June, and mostly sunny from July through September. It rarely freezes, but when it does you can imagine an always wet place literally turns to ice, but it rarely lasts more than a few days. Snow is very rare and the one or two times a year we get snow, it's a joy for the kids and hell for drivers who think their SUV works like the one on the TV commercial plowing through the tundra.

Summers are heaven on earth here, expect last year we had a lot or rain even during the summer.

If you like mushrooms and molds, you won't believe how well they do here. My lawn can produce an amazing variety of mushrooms and very large toadstools that you never see in the east.

I am looking at setting up an early retirement village for folks 40 to 65 in eastern Oregon. The weather is much sunnier, the cost of living is much lower, and the people are simple good old American folks.

I want to run the village on alternative energy, grow most of our own food, and teach people how to be healthy, wealthy, and wise and have fun doing it. If anyone else is interested in planning such a place, let me know your ideas.

[walkerdawg]

I guess I am very confused as I grew up in California and the place is loaded with gorgeous small towns full of trees and good weather if you want to live in a rural town or even a small city. Why haven't you looked closer to home?

We now live in Washington-no income tax and since we are not huge consumers, very little sales tax-food is not taxed in Washington. If you want small town, trees and good weather look to the eastern side of Oregon if you are stuck on Oregon, but be prepared for a very high cost of living, lack of good produce, extremely short growing season in Bend, Oregon as it is high Desert-lived there and had to get out-high unemployment, depressed wages but lots of mountain to ski/snowboard, pretty city in it's own way, lots of wealthly part timers, if that's your thing. Lots of sunshine but frigid weather October through June. Lots of driving deaths due to black ice conditions. Some of the meth heads there are being displaced by newbies demanding law enforcement as Central Oregon was Meth Central USA and still has a huge problem with druggies and drunk drivers-lots of toothless people living in trailer parks. But if you want snow and sunshine and a small town-but then there is Redding CA-similar town.

Let's be real about Oregon-statiscally high unemployment compared to some major cities but not all. Cost of living is the same as Seattle-not my stats but the governments. Very liberal and possibly too agenda driven rather than community driven. Explanation: I am pro gay marraige and pro building more jails to house and provide true apprenticeship programs for job training to druggies while giving them 3 year minimum sentences to get them off the drugs for good and teach them a semi -technical job skill they can take into the real world-nursing, construction, etc. They would have to pay back the equivelent of a 2 year student loan and 500.00 per month rent to pay back the taxpayer for some of the costs of their incarceration and education.-Does this make me a Conservative Liberal? I would fit in no where in the DT pop of Portland's personal agenda driven populous where "what I need versus the community" and "words speak and mean more than actions" rules the city. Great place for the partying, vain, need to be seen young knuckleheads, wanna bees and urban professionals who think anyone looking at them is envying them rather then maybe just thinking "what kind of a man wears Tommy Hilfigger? or "What was she thinking"


Example-the push for light rail to save energy versus what forcing people into light rail means for their personal life: People who think the majority of people can carpool or use light rail do not have children they must care for, ie: pick up from daycare, schoold emergencies, take to doctor appointments and activities, grocery shop on the way home because they are too flippin tired to go home and then have to turn around and get into their cars to go shop plus they have meals to cook...blah, blah blah, Light rail is great for singles and the childless. People on the East Coast are considered less friendly than West Coasties and that is because they are forced into so many negative, life altering situations by social engineering that they are exhausted and angry-hubby lived and worked in DC for years.

Crime is down in Portland proper because the hoodlums were priced out so they went to the subs and raised crime rates in those areas-nothing new happening all around the counrty. The wealthy who can afford DT can now enjoy less crime. We live in the DT of a city and believe me, we pay more-taxes, etc. We have friends who live in Portland and can't afford to move because of the housing market. We joke and call Oregon the 'Hotel California'-sucks up all your income so you can't afford to move away.

Oregonians need to be careful of what they ask for. 80 percent of the population here is being driven by agenda's of 20 percent who are huge hipocrites if you open your eyes and really look. All the greenies watering their lawns, killing bugs birds need for food and fertilizing lawns with poisons, driving 70 mph in 50-60 mph zones, their cars hosting stickers like "Think Green", tearing out the guts of old houses which, until they get a hold of them, were perfectly able to house people, having a horrific zoo-one of the worse we have ever visited-no space for large animals-so sad we will never go back-how can environmental people who love nature allow such a zoo?

Oregon is a beautiful state to look at and we are sure offers plenty of wonderful living for the right person(s) but you need to rent and make sure you are a good match so you can thrive and hopefully be a part of helping your community thrive rather than JUST meeting your particular agenda-Personal agenda seeking satisfaction wrongs hundreds of millions of women in Muslim countries and has for centuries- The use of this phony, brainwashing religion allows politicians 100 percent of control over their country in order to have incredible wealth for themselves and millions of ignorant, poor male followers then use it to contol the women in those lands. Islam makes any other religion look progressive yet liberals embrace this religion while despising Christian religions-A perfect example of narrow mindedness that kills.

[mikemorrow]

Walkerdawg says
"Oregonians need to be careful of what they ask for. 80 percent of the population here is being driven by agenda's of 20 percent who are huge hipocrites if you open your eyes and really look. All the greenies watering their lawns, killing bugs birds need for food and fertilizing lawns with poisons, driving 70 mph in 50-60 mph zones, their cars hosting stickers like "Think Green", tearing out the guts of old houses which, until they get a hold of them, were perfectly able to house people, having a horrific zoo-one of the worse we have ever visited-no space for large animals-so sad we will never go back-how can environmental people who love nature allow such a zoo?

Oregon is a beautiful state to look at and we are sure offers plenty of wonderful living for the right person(s) but you need to rent and make sure you are a good match so you can thrive and hopefully be a part of helping your community thrive rather than JUST meeting your particular agenda-Personal agenda seeking satisfaction wrongs hundreds of millions of women in Muslim countries and has for centuries- The use of this phony, brainwashing religion allows politicians 100 percent of control over their country in order to have incredible wealth for themselves and millions of ignorant, poor male followers then use it to contol the women in those lands. Islam makes any other religion look progressive yet liberals embrace this religion while despising Christian religions-A perfect example of narrow mindedness that kills."


I say WTF? Total hawgwash. Go to a differant forum for your rants!
peace

[Thai]

One of the harmful types of asbestos in Southwestern Oregon's soil and rocks is tremolite asbestos. There are several types of asbestos, some more harmful, due to their fiber length, than others. I can't offhand remember the other type(s) that are most harmful. I did a lot of research, sent for published state govt material from Northern Calif and all of Oregon and Washington, then talked to or e-mailed the people responsible for gathering and publishing the geologic data. My understanding is that the major threat from these rock and soil types is from exposure to airborne dust created when driving on gravel roads or doing excavation work. This would extend to gardening and hardscaping activities by homeowners, as well as those living or spending time in areas where such work is going on. Studies in Calif's foothills have shown elevated mesothelioma and other lung disease rates in areas where these soil types are present or people drive or live near disturbed soil or rock. The state geologist in Oregon said the southwestern portion of the state was really the only area that had much asbestos. Unfortunately, much of the Sierras, their foothills, and the beautiful areas of moutainous Northern Calif, all the way to the coast, are also prime areas for asbestos-containing soil and rock. In our frequent travels in Oregon it does seem like more people in the rural regions smoke than we encounter here in the greater SF Bay Area of Calif.. I, too, have wondered how the no-smoking laws of Oregon compare to those here in Calif.. Bars? Restaurants? Parks, etc.? All this said, we deeply cherish the time we get to spend in the state where I and all of my extended family come from each year :-). It's one of the finest places on Earth!

[CharBon319]

Originally Posted by ds495

Why shouldn't people speak their native tongue?
I think we would too (speak our native tongue), in another country. You miss it.

It's one thing to visit another country and not be able to speak the language. It's another when people, legally or illegally, come to our country and don't even try to learn english and expect free medical, free housing, our Social Security, welfare, special education/teachers because they want to speak their own language.........give-me, give-me. Oh, let's have a kid in the US so it will be a citizen and they won't make us leave. They think they're entitled to it. My grandfather immigrated from Germany through Ellis Island in the late 1800's, he learned English and became a US Citizen. German was rarely spoken in his house. My son-in-law legally came from Mexico. Within 6 months he could speak and understand English. He also became a citizen.

[NOTINYUMA]

californians are really not liked here i am seeing. i do not feel that way but see how the native oregonians treat californians. lots of hippie potsmoking vegans are coming from s california. treated like weirdos here..... land is really high in the portland area also.

Originally Posted by Farmergrl

I just completed reading all of these posts and I can see all sides. Most of the folks leaving SoCal WANT to. Obviously, if you don't want to (husband's job forces relo) then you'll be unhappy. It's what you make of it.

Now, I've been called a redneck. I grew up in Silverado Canyon on a semi working farm. My neck got red. I though that was it. No biggy.

I WANT to leave So Cal. If I had stayed in Silverado, I might have been OK. But I moved to town. Now, the prices are too high in Silverado.

I'm scared for my girls having to deal with watching their school chums grow into Emo/Punk weirdos that use a 4 letter word as punctuation. I don't understand people who let theri kids that are 12 dye their hair black & red, wear tight jeans and tube tops and let them wander around the mall with $100.00!

I want a simpler way of life. I want a meadow where my pony grazes by a stream. Ducks splash around and chickens hunt for grubs. Barn cats prowl for prey and my doxies roam free. My goat comes when I call her and her milk makes the best soap! Baby chicks scramble to their mama hen when hawks glide overhead. The girls pick a pail of berries for a fresh pie. The orchard's yield is canned for the Winter. The basement is stocked and the firebox ready for cozy evenings with a good book.

Seasons! That first hint of warm wind one morning heralding Spring's soon return. That melancholy bite of air when Fall brings it's first aroma to a sultry Summer day. The smell of wild grasses baking in the Summer's sun. And Winter's first rains washing the dust off the trees. Waking up in the middle of the night to pull on another comforter because the snow is falling outside. Life's too short to just have it be an ambient mean temperature of 77 degrees everyday.

SO...which small town am I looking for? Where can I find some acreage with or without a house that has streams and creeks? Meadows and hills?

Is Cottage Grove the town? They have some great covered bridges, I hear. What about Sweet Home? Or should I be nearer to the coast, like Gold Beach? Or further inland, like Sisters? It's time to jump in the RV and take a Walk About in Oregon!

I can't afford anything crazy, as I'm not one of the So Cal's that will make a ton off my house. But I'd like a lot of land for my buck.

I'd like to become an Oregonian. I'd gladly take the Oath and renounce all allegiance to So Cal. Not that I ever had any.

MY GOODBYES: I'm through with traffic, cutting eachother off, not using blinkers to switch lanes. Malls, fast food, WalMart. Kids who think they're the parent, bossy toddlers, scary teens. Spongy nectarines, musty tomatoes, cardboard fruits, limp vegys. Hormone laden beef, milk, eggs, women. Designer dogs, their clothing, bags, rinestone collars. Making wrinkles, sags, laughlines, small chests disappear. Concrete, stucco, asphalt, fake rocks, plastic grass. Zero lot lines, HOAs, city ordinances, no parking your RV on your own driveway. Neighbors who call the City Code Enforcer, Animal Control and police on you daily because-dammit- He pays taxes and demands to live in a Utopian, designer neighborhood! 5x3 plot of land for a "garden", tree trimming codes, fireplace emission laws, BBQ emission laws. Funny looks when you purchase bullets, seeds, a bible, boots. NOT having to buy bottled water, pool chemicals, upgraded landscaping every year, designer anything. G O O D B Y E .

PLEASE!! I gotta get oughta here!

Which towns shall I explore/fall in love with?

My thanks to all Oregonians; native or not, who share your precious resource with any one who chooses.

[zoeys_mom07]

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda, I am 22, my hubby is 24,and we have a beautiful daughter who's 15 months old. I have lived in So. Cal all my life, I've lived in Orange County, Lake Havasu (CA side), and now we live in the Inland Empire, about 1 hour and a half away from San Diego. We're both sick and tired of the traffic, pollution, rude, superficial, fast paced environment that southern CA comes with. I have looked all over for a state to move that is friendly, clean, slower-paced, etc for the sake of our daughter especially.Come to find out though that we need to stay on the west coast b.c. my hubby can only transfer on the west coast without losing his seniority at UPS, he is working on being a full time driver. I fear that my daughter isn't going to be able to enjoy her childhood b.c. kids here grow up too dang fast! I watch my little brother and pick him up from school and I heard some kindergartners dropping the "f-bomb" and saying they were going to kick eachothers ***es(I knew they were in kinder cuz my lil brother was in kinder at the time and they were in his class)!! I was like "whoa!!" Not to mention all of the emo kids!! Oh lord!Anyways, we were looking at Bend or Redmond, but now I read that it is full of meth-heads and what not, and I think this is going to be a straight move due to the fact that we do not have the funds to go for a visit prior to moving b.c. we want to move ASAP, as soon as we can get the money we want to be gone! Weather wise Bend seems what we're looking for, not too much rain, it snows, summers are not too hot (summers here are 120), we really don't mind the cold, if it is more then like 65 for us, we're roasting lol. My hubby works for UPS, and I plan on going to school to be a registered nurse, we don't have the "arrogant, snobby" californian attitude everyone seems to hate californians for, but I do worry that we'll still be dissed. I am quite shy, I am polite, always say please and thank you, and if someone smiles at me, generally I will smile back unless that shyness of mine kicks in lol, then I will look down out of embarassment. I also worry that my daughter won't make any friends b.c she isn't a native. But we want to move within the next 3 years, before she starts school, so we can hopefully avoid that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and feel free to pm me!! Have a lovely day everyone!

[freedom]

Originally Posted by zoeys_mom07

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda, I am 22, my hubby is 24,and we have a beautiful daughter who's 15 months old. I have lived in So. Cal all my life, I've lived in Orange County, Lake Havasu (CA side), and now we live in the Inland Empire, about 1 hour and a half away from San Diego. We're both sick and tired of the traffic, pollution, rude, superficial, fast paced environment that southern CA comes with. I have looked all over for a state to move that is friendly, clean, slower-paced, etc for the sake of our daughter especially.Come to find out though that we need to stay on the west coast b.c. my hubby can only transfer on the west coast without losing his seniority at UPS, he is working on being a full time driver. I fear that my daughter isn't going to be able to enjoy her childhood b.c. kids here grow up too dang fast! I watch my little brother and pick him up from school and I heard some kindergartners dropping the "f-bomb" and saying they were going to kick eachothers ***es(I knew they were in kinder cuz my lil brother was in kinder at the time and they were in his class)!! I was like "whoa!!" Not to mention all of the emo kids!! Oh lord!Anyways, we were looking at Bend or Redmond, but now I read that it is full of meth-heads and what not, and I think this is going to be a straight move due to the fact that we do not have the funds to go for a visit prior to moving b.c. we want to move ASAP, as soon as we can get the money we want to be gone! Weather wise Bend seems what we're looking for, not too much rain, it snows, summers are not too hot (summers here are 120), we really don't mind the cold, if it is more then like 65 for us, we're roasting lol. My hubby works for UPS, and I plan on going to school to be a registered nurse, we don't have the "arrogant, snobby" californian attitude everyone seems to hate californians for, but I do worry that we'll still be dissed. I am quite shy, I am polite, always say please and thank you, and if someone smiles at me, generally I will smile back unless that shyness of mine kicks in lol, then I will look down out of embarassment. I also worry that my daughter won't make any friends b.c she isn't a native. But we want to move within the next 3 years, before she starts school, so we can hopefully avoid that. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and feel free to pm me!! Have a lovely day everyone!

Hi Zoey's mom,

First, most people in Oregon are from somewhere else, mainly California. I would be shocked if anyone ever seriously messed with you because you are from California. I admire your desire to raise your child in a wholesome manner.
Oregon is not heaven, but probably as close as one could get in the USA.
The drug scene is exaggerated, but it is here. It is everywhere. It's not something that i even consider in my daily adventures here. We've been here for 15 yrs. and there are so many positives the couple negatives are not even measurable.
I do reccommend a visit first. At least come through the Rogue Valley in So. Oregon as well as Central (Bend, Redmond). It gets pretty cold in Bend.

best wishes,

freedom

[Merkin_Ball]

If you are planning on moving to Oregon from California? DO NOT DO IT!

I can not stress this enough. First, it rains, and rains, and rains, and then rains more. When it is not raining, it is overcast; the sun literally disappears for nine months a year!
My story:
My family is actually from Oregon but unfortunately, my spouse's family was not. She moved them up here and within three years her younger brother committed suicide, her parents divorced after 29 years, and her family that I loved so much is a complete wreck.
It all started with S.A.D. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Her mother and younger brother started to develop symptoms their first fall here (started mid-October). Our first Thanksgiving was a disaster, everyone was so gloomy. By March the doctors had diagnosed them both with SAD and started medicating them and gave them lights to help them -- they only put off the inevitable. Her brother digressed and with his parents constantly fighting and his depression getting worse he finally killed himself. My wife's parents divorced pretty soon thereafter. The part we blame ourselves for, is knowing it was the gloom of Oregon that brought him to where he was.

Oregon is a beautiful place to visit. I love it, but it really is not for everyone. There is a reason the housing prices are so cheap in Oregon -- it is not for everyone. So, again, if you are planning to move to Oregon -don't. Do yourself a favor and visit for a month, sometime between October and May, and see if you and your family can really tolerate the gloom.

I am sure my wife would not have seen the allure of a new job, and her parents would not have looked at selling their house if they knew what was in store for them.

[tiffela74]

"First, it rains, and rains, and rains, and then rains more. When it is not raining, it is overcast; the sun literally disappears for nine months a year!"

This is what is called a gross exaggeration. Ive lived here all my life and have never experienced the sun literally disappearing for 9months. Although......i do recall an eclipse several years back, but it lasted moments...not years.

I am sorry for your sad story, but suicide and divorce happen in every other state and country in the world. My cousin committed suicide while living in Palm Springs. And it wasnt from the weather Im sure.....anyhow, yes, I am sorry for your very sad story, but again, it happens all over the world, Oregon does not have a direct claim on owning that.
Tiffany