City living with a family (Portland, Clackamas: real estate market, apartments, renters)

[crystalblue]

With all the talk of Portland being a super dense city, how does it work for families?

Kids and pets can be super noisy, and that just seems like it would drive neighbors nuts! ( I have had 2 neighbors back to back that are very noisy, and the apartment managers don't seem to care that much...)

From what I have been reading, Portland wants to do all of their growth in mid-rises, and that just seems like it would cause alot of frustration.

Or not?

[philwithbeard]

Hi, Crystal Blue:

Don't misunderstand... Most of Portland is single detached homes. Only specific areas in specific neighborhoods are high density. This ain't NYC or city of SF. House lots are small in most places within the Urban Growth Boundary, but most places have parks and such. Don't forget it rains a lot in Portland for 8 or 9 months a year; so yard work get done in the misting drizzle, a small yard sometimes is all you want / need.

But here is the thing, city of Portland (and Multnomah county) have high taxes, and while the 'burbs in the two adjoining counties offer fewer county services, the taxes are lower. Washington and Clackamas counties are mostly rural farming counties,

If you were to view the City of Portland on Google Maps with Satellite View, I would guess that 70% of the land mass would be single detached homes built on their own small parcel of land.

On the other hand, the City of Portland has lots of young adults, many of whom are single, who live in condo's and apartments. There is lots and lots of housing for them in Portland. And maybe, population wise, it could be a 50/50 split between homeowners and renters in the City. (of course much higher in the 'burbs, as everyone expects.) Of the mid-rise condos I have viewed, I would not consider them to be "Kid" friendly since the sound proofing is not so great; and you already know about kids and quiet.

Take your own best shot at this.....
If the City of Portland attracts a lot of childless people, but still charges the same school property taxes, isn't the Portland Public Schools getting a break on the expense of actually dealing with lots more students in the school system for the money collected? Renters don't pay school taxes directly, but Landlords have to charge more in rent to pay the taxes.

I hope this wondering around in all kinds of directions helps. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Phil

[docwatson]

I agree with Phil on this one - I've done some house searching in anticipation of a move, and Portland has great neighborhoods full of reasonably-priced single-family homes, often pre-war bungalows etc. - hardly super-dense, just compact. Also the compact growth policies have allowed townhomes to be built - unfortunately the one's I've seen advertised aren't too pretty.

All depends what is considered kid-friendly. I've seen people post here or tell me that a family simply can't live in less than 2000 sq. ft with a 2-car garage. That's just hard to find in a city - unless you've got enough money. On the other hand, in a city there are all sorts of amenities from public transit to parks and places to bike to museums, educational programs, etc. The proximity can save parents time, and older kids can get around by bicycle or bus - we've all heard of the phenomenon of today's parents (usually the mother) feeling like a chauffeur. I find it's often easier to lead an active life in a city like Portland than in a suburb specifically designed so you have to drive everywhere.

[Yankeemama]

My family of four uses one car, walks neighborhood to neighborhood in the NE area part of town, and takes Public Transportation. We moved here, in part, because though it is a medium sized city, the public transportation options are very good. We are lucky because we recently bought in this real estate market and have over 2500 Square feet of living space. There are some great deals out there right now so check with a realtor first before getting discouraged. We chose our house because of the school, of course, and are very happy with the elementary school so far. PM me if you like. Good luck to you.