Renting in Salem? (Portland, Albany, Woodburn: apartment complex, travel, rental)

[Nakadai]

Yes, another out-of-stater coming to OR. From Maryland originally, living in Florida currently and have lived in CA, CO, IA, WV, VA, & Japan previously. Thus I'm beyond the naive notion that utopia is awaiting us there or anywhere, but I dig the mtns. and miss the west. Plus, my wife is from Japan, and visiting my in-laws will be much easier from OR than from FL!

Anyway, we're trying to sell our house in FL (any takers--unlike there, the sun never stops shining here). Once sold, we're hoping to arrange for an apt. from here. Any recommendations on neighborhoods? Where to look, where to avoid? What we might have to spend for a small apt. or even a rental home? We hope to buy after getting our bearings. We're open to downtown or in the hinterlands. Any/all advice (yes, even "don't come!") much appreciated.

I'll close with a great passage by David Lamb:

"Maybe what always mattered most was not Rt. 66 itself but the dream that lay at journey's end. It was our road of escape, the route the disenfranchised traveled in search of a new and better life that awaited just over the next hill. Old 66 lingers in the mind's eye as the symbol of our love affair with going instaed of just being. It is the road that transformed me from an Easterner into a Westerner."

For me, it was I-10/I-8 in 1994, taking me from D.C. to San Diego, and I eventually went so far west that I woke up in the Orient! But the road never stops for the spiritually disenfranchised.

Cheers

[Waterlily]

Here's the local newspaper http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
Maybe someone who lives there can tell you more about the good areas of town. It's been a while since I spent any time there.

[oregon_mom7]

i live in salem and i live in ne which is close close to everything but if you want a more quiet are look to s are se area

[Nakadai]

Thanks W-lily & O-Mom,

Just checked out the Journal's apt. finder feature, and it's helpful. O-Mom, are you in Silverton or Woodburn? So, Salem is in Marion Co., but W. Salem is in Polk? The paper's map makes it look like Yamhill, Benton & Linn Co's are fairly closeby as well, but the scale is questionable. Obviously, when we have a firmer date in mind, I'll ask more specific questions. Hoping to arrange everything from here in FL, and even ship much of our stuff to an apt. or home. Think UPS will place it in the home/apt. as long as someone's there to receive it. What about downtown Salem? Are there a lot of rentals?

[oregon_mom7]

i live in ne salem but s and sw is downtown woodburn is 20 min away if you want i can send all the infor you want to help you emai me at cannon5224@msn.com with you address and i will send all the infor you will need

[bobmulk]

I live in NE Salem. There's not many rentals in downtown Salem. They're trying to bring more housing downtown but it's slow going. There's new apartment complexes going up in West Salem and South Salem.

You're right, West Salem is located in Polk County. The rest of the city is located in Marion County. Yamhill and Linn counties are close by but I would avoid moving there because the commute is not great. It's easily half an hour or more by freeway from Linn County (Albany) and more than that from Yamhill County since there's no direct freeway route between Yamhill and Marion.

Are you looking for homes or apartments?

[Nakadai]

Thanks Bob, a month late. Missed this when you first posted. And, my wife and I have decided on Portland--larger job market, public transport. After a year (perhaps less) renting, we'll see where we can afford to buy.