michigan to oregon: a newbie's questions (Portland, Eugene: environment, relocating, employment)

[mariatherese]

My fiance and I are from northern Michigan and are considering relocating to Oregon. we're young and looking to start a new life! possibly portland to start (all of my information is based on researching the portland area, though i'm familiar with others as well). i definitely want to stay where its green and wet. I've done a lot of research but you can only get so much info from statistical numbers. i need to talk to real people! I still have some burning questions:

1. what are the employment outlooks for our professions: graphic design and roofing? as i understand it, the construction and arts industries are booming in oregon.

2. will i be able to buy a house? i'm hoping the high cost problem isnt that much worse than the US. perhaps it will level itself out in a few years.

3. do people who relocate to oregon get treated badly by those who are true oregonians? i sense it is a touchy issue.

4. will i miss the water? i come from an area with the highest concentration of fresh water in the world. i need to see it every day, not just live an hour away from it. i'm afraid that maybe nowhere else is like northern michigan.

5. most of all, will we fit in there? we are looking for that place where we belong. we grew up in a town of less than 2,000 people in the middle of the woods- 45 minutes from the nearest wal-mart, so we love the small town atmosphere and quiet life in nature. but, we have spent some time in detroit and like the more urban, educated, liberal environment with an arts/music culture. however, the people in detroit are so terrible. they are miserable... we are miserable. we hate suburbia and the city life here. so, we are looking for the best of both worlds. more nature. more friendly people. less snobby. i used to live in boulder, colorado and i LOVED it! but the cost of living is so high and i missed the water- is oregon the answer? will the people be as friendly as in boulder?

thank you in advance for all your help! it is greatly appreciated!

[mariatherese]

even if someone had some info on just one subject, that would be cool...

[Nea1]

Lets see, I was born and raised in oregon and left 4 years ago. We left due to construction, big builders are doing great, smaller ones not so much. you will get wet!! Fresh water we have the columbia and Willamette river, both not recommended for swimming! lakes, Hagg lake in Forest grove is know as being a mexican graveyard, gross, there are a few smalled lakes in the Mt. hood area an 1 1/2 away. beach very cold and wet. Small towns well really I would recommend Washington State, if I had to go back that is where I would land. oregonians are very nice and most are welcomng unless you are from Cali!lol me I love Colorado, move there in a heartbeat!! Housing can be an issue in the better parts of Oregon, say it again think Washington. you can PM me if you want too.

[WItoMN]

Hey fellow midwesterner. I grew up in WI and currently reside in the Twin Cities. I lived in Eugene for a year while going to the University of Oregon. First off, get ready for everyone to notice your accent. I have a standard midwestern accent and everyone asked me if I was from Fargo before I could complete a sentence. (They all saw the movie I guess.) And I've been up to the UP, so your accents will really stand out. People were nice about it though, it is just that everyone found it necessary to point out my accent. Overall people were nice, not quite Minnesota nice though. And I know people are not going to like me saying it, but the students at the university who are from California really act like the world owes them something and that really goes against my midwestern values of hard work.
It is very green and lush, plenty of rivers and streams, beautiful state parks, mountains. The rain wasn't a problem for me at all, it really only rains in the winter, it just felt like November all winter long. By March, I was swiming outside in a pool. I did not bring my winter coat and didn't miss it. Just wore a sweatshirt all winter long. It did snow for the 1st time in 30 years in the Willamette valley while I was there, but it melted in 2 days.
I did not spend much time in Portland, walked around it for a day. People often compare Minneapolis and Portland and I would agree with them, so if you like Minneapolis, you will like Portland.
Oregon has a high unemployment rate, so I would be wary of that.
I could try to answer any other questions if you have them.

[Nea1]

trust me it rains all year not just winter, must have been a drier year. last winter it rained everyday for 6 weeks flooding and everything landslides it was a mess!!! lived there 32 years, we had snow quite a few times in and around portland, mostly ice storms though. it isnt cold like where you are from so that explains the sweatshirt. Unemployment is bad and still is thats why we left construction wise

[Dangerman]

Interesting, I live in Oregon but am thinking of relocating to the Upper Midwest, specifically the Marquette or Houghton area. Oregon's ok I guess and Portland is certainly a hip town for 20-and 30-somethings if you're into the urban lifestyle, music scene, etc. Good bus system and bike system for getting around sans car. Nice neighborhoods, I especially like Hawthorne and Mt. Tabor areas as they have great access to about everything. Housing is pricey compared to where you're coming from I imagine; you need at least $300K for anything in any of the older desirable neighborhoods, and that'll get you a shack. Out in suburban hell you can find things for under $200K but traffic is a problem. As for water, well what someone said about the rivers is right - not good for even partial human immersion but they look nice, I guess. And the ocean is only an hour or two away, depending on traffic. Oregon's heyday was about 30 years ago; now it's just kinda of a parody of itself. I want to get away to some real wilderness, the kind they have around where you live - those harsh, snowy winters sound nice compared to the rain and gloom of winter here - but it's the summers here I don't like, it doesn't rain for five months and the air gets real dirty. Also, the mountains here are kind of antiseptic - not a lot of wildlife anymore as it's all been pretty picked over by the RV crowd. Skiing isn't bad although snow is wet and cementy a lot due to rain and warm temps. Projections are that with global warming most of the state's low-elevation ski places will be out of business in 20 years. Anyway though, if you're into trendy restaurants, posturing artist wannabees, homeless philosophers and in general the latest and greatest of urban culture, P'land is the place to be.

[WItoMN]

I'm not saying the rain stopped come March, it just became like anywhere else where you have a chance of rain. There is wilderness in the midwest, especially up north. But if you can't handle the 5 months of gloomy rain in Oregon, I don't know how well you are going to handle 6 months of a Midwestern winter. Below zero temperatures and only slightly more sunshine than Oregon in the winter. Anyone who is thinking about moving to the Upper Midwest needs to come here for a week in January in order to understand if they can really handle it.

[Nea1]

try 9 months of rain!!! The only time we had any fun was like in July!! come October here comes the rain, have to wesr a slicker over your halloween costume! No white xmas, only had 2 in my 32 years there, it was a wet xmas, january 32 degress and raining!!! i would rather have snow!! My husband had to work outside framing in it, rather it be snow. march and April are statisticaly the wettest months of the year, brings may flowers and oh yes rain!!! I now hate rain! we true oregonians have webbed feet! lol

[WItoMN]

try 9 months of rain!!! The only time we had any fun was like in July!! come October here comes the rain, have to wesr a slicker over your halloween costume! No white xmas, only had 2 in my 32 years there, it was a wet xmas, january 32 degress and raining!!! i would rather have snow!! My husband had to work outside framing in it, rather it be snow. march and April are statisticaly the wettest months of the year, brings may flowers and oh yes rain!!! I now hate rain! we true oregonians have webbed feet! lol

I had to wear sweater turtle necks and snow pants under my Halloween costumes. And 32 degrees in the upper midwest is sweatshirt weather. I like the snow, and if it stayed 20 degrees and above, I would love winter. But the average high in Minnesota in January is 10 and with the windchill, and there is always a windchill, it almost always feels like it is below zero. I would miss white chrismas', and the weather out here is exciting since the only thing the midwest doesn't get is hurricanes. But complaining about rain? Come on, you clearly have not been experienced a Midwestern winter.

[Nea1]

No but I experienced a Montana winter several times actualy, it was 9 below once and 3 feet of snow, i love snow but come on! And yes rain is a pain in the butt if you are trying to do something and you get soaking wet and it is 40 degrees outside, try to frame in a slicker!! you get cold down to your skivvies! or trying to do anything else, I wouldrather wear something undermy costume than not be able to wear one at all , or when your candy gets soaked!!! or when your basement floods or your house slides down the hill!!!