Should I be scared???? (Portland, Lake Oswego: where to buy, middle school, landlord) - Oregon (OR) - Page 6 - City-Data Forum

btheferrett · 08-06-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aroseinrain

To the OP:

I was worried about the diversity too since I am moving there with my Filipino husband and our two mixed (or hapa haole) kids very soon. Well, we just got back from our vacation/investigation (or as my husband who grew up in Hawaii would say, we went to spock the area) and I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it's just that we were in the right places, but we saw all sorts of people of all colors and styles wherever we went. EVEN in Tigard and bordering Lake Oswego.

BTW: since the kids are half filipino and half white (..or "haole" if your from Hawaii-it sounds like howlie) we call them haole-pino's.

LMAO...funny! Sounds like something I would make up. I called my oldest when she was a baby "round-brown" because she was very fat and pretty dark for a mixed baby.

Update: Was in Portland earlier this week. STILL do not have a house (let's not talk about it)
When I was house shopping, I was in this little circle of homes in Lake O. This older gentlemen approached me as I was waiting for the realtor to show up. We got into a conversation and I was talking about the great schools. His exact quote was: "We have great schools in this area because we don't have THOSE BLACKS and THOSE MIXED PEOPLE"
I just smiled and walked away when the realtor got there. I did tell him that I loved the house and would rent it right now except for that.
PS- My husband told me I should have definitely rented it-- in either defiance, or one might say, in a silent anti-racial announcement. I felt I just couldn't do that to my kids, or to the old man who clearly would have been uncomfortable.
No different from anything in DFW though....or any city....

Yankeemama · 08-06-2010, 02:32 PM

Do you know the nick name for Lake Oswego? Google Lake Oswego and you will see...

btheferrett · 08-06-2010, 03:45 PM

Found it!
Well, there's at least one in every metro area I guess.

Thank Goodness I talked to that gentleman. What if I had not known...and signed a year lease?!?!?! God was looking out for me that day.

aroseinrain · 08-06-2010, 04:24 PM

That's just plain scary.

Artisanediting · 08-07-2010, 01:01 AM

Just my take, and I'm a Caucasian, native Oregonian (though I will be moving soon)--Portland "pretends" to be friendly, but we really aren't that friendly. I live in NW Portland--supposed to be very liberal, and all that "stuff" , but it really is about how much money you have, and it is "really" snobby, here in the NW part of the city. You "must" shop at the "right" stores and be so "green" you bleed green when you cut yourself accidentally peeling the (over-priced) organic vegetables that you just bought at the "correct" store, or you just won't belong. I've traveled a lot, and by far, though I would never live there because of the crime rate, the most diverse city I've ever been to is Baltimore, MD. I've never seen so many cultures all living together within the same block and just not paying any mind to it. Anyway, just thought I'd weigh in on these comments (as I pack my stuff to leave for a job on the East Coast). And, by the way, there are "no" jobs here--but good luck all the same!!

Sprightly · 08-07-2010, 01:04 AM

Btheferret, I haven't read the whole thread but I'm glad for you that you found out about that neighbor before you signed a lease! While making a statement is all good and well, living next to someone like that would be unpleasant. I've always had the impression that Lake Oswego was the most conservative town in the whole PDX area. Have you considered SE Portland? Mt Tabor?

puerco · 08-07-2010, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artisanediting

Just my take, and I'm a Caucasian, native Oregonian (though I will be moving soon)--Portland "pretends" to be friendly, but we really aren't that friendly. I live in NW Portland--supposed to be very liberal, and all that "stuff" , but it really is about how much money you have, and it is "really" snobby, here in the NW part of the city. You "must" shop at the "right" stores and be so "green" you bleed green when you cut yourself accidentally peeling the (over-priced) organic vegetables that you just bought at the "correct" store, or you just won't belong. I've traveled a lot, and by far, though I would never live there because of the crime rate, the most diverse city I've ever been to is Baltimore, MD. I've never seen so many cultures all living together within the same block and just not paying any mind to it. Anyway, just thought I'd weigh in on these comments (as I pack my stuff to leave for a job on the East Coast). And, by the way, there are "no" jobs here--but good luck all the same!!

It sounds like you care way too much what you percieve your neighbors to be thinking. I hope NW hasn't become the neighborhood you describe. It's always been my favorite part of the city. Are you talking NW 21-23rd? Or the Pearl?

Artisanediting · 08-07-2010, 01:19 PM

No, see, that's the problem--I don't care at all what my neighbors think! I proudly carry my "plastic" bag with groceries from a discount grocery store that I shop at once in awhile (instead of the politically correct reusable tote bag, up to my apartment (and I'm talking about the Nob Hill area, around Chapman school--where the two or three bedroom cottages, when put up for sale, all go for around a million dollars--unbelievable in my view). Anyway, you should see the looks I get from my neighbors--it's very amusing to me--it's they who care. The owner of the five-plex where I live actually told me once that "we like to support the local businesses" in an effort, I could only perceive as telling me how things are done while I live in her building. She also goes through the trash to make sure everything is recycled correctly--I'm all for recycling, but that's just taking it a little too far in my view (and, honestly, it almost feels like an invasion of privacy in a way--I don't want people knowing every little thing I throw away). And once, I had a neighbor stop and tell me, "well I see you finally got some decent clothes"! All I could do was laugh because it just was so out-of-line. There was nothing indecent about my clothing to begin with as far as a could tell. I love that the neighborhood is safe, clean, near the hiking trails, etc., and that's why I'm here, but it is "snobby", and I could never afford to buy one of those two bedroom, million dollar cottages that come up for sale once in awhile, so I need to move somewhere where home ownership is truly an option for me. And, where, hopefully, where people have a live and let live philosophy. But I wish the original poster luck in finding happiness here!

aroseinrain · 08-07-2010, 01:34 PM

man, I'm all for recycling, but I can't abide by snobby! And to have people tell me which clothes I should be wearing and where to buy my groceries? -- that's just too much. What is this, middle school?

puerco · 08-07-2010, 01:42 PM

It sounds like you do, indeed, have some very odd neighbors. I really hope they're the exception.
As for your landlady going thru your trash...I manage the building I live in & we have compost, recycle & trash bins. I have signs all over saying plastic bags can only be put into the trash bins. But there always seems to be a tenant or two who could care less. Our recycling is simply not picked up if they see plastic bags in the containers. Same with the compost bin. So I have no choice but to go thru & properly sort their discards. I'm not at all interested in who's throwing away what.