Portland/Forbes Best Place to Retire?? (house, allergies, quality of life)

[rhodan653]

Originally Posted by Dual Citizen CA-OR

I have to dispute your claim, for many if not most average Americans, not seeing the sun or walking on dry ground for 9 months of the year is quite extreme.

Nonsense. Anyone who has lived in the South, Northeast or Midwest for any length of time will consider the winters EXTREMELY mild, which they are.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, minus 20 degree winter weather, blizzards, 95% summer humidity with temps over 100 degrees and severe thunderstorms could be labeled extreme. Portland's "extreme" is when the news outlets talk about the "Arctic Blast" for weeks on end with temperatures dipping below 30 degrees. Laughable but I will take it after living much of my life in the alternatives.

[Bluesmama]

Retirees could be content here if:

You are of comfortable financial means. Taxes are high here, as are gas and cost of living.

You have no medical/health issues that require lots of warm/drier weather. Asthma could be an issue, too, depending on what triggers it. (Warning: Willamette Valley is the worst spot in the nation for allergies ~ grass seed.)

Need good medical services, and there is a lot here even in the burbs.

Like lots and lots of different things to do in the Portland-Metro area between June'ish and end of September.

Like to spend time at the coast and the gorge (short drives, although I stay away from the gorge during winter).

You like lots of cultural, literary, and art'sy things to enjoy (as already pointed out by a few posters). I am very partial to Powell's Bookstore.

Like to ski or go boating. Hiking is plentiful, too.

Like road trips to various 'scapes. The BIG GREEN that people assume is ALL Oregon is only west of the Cascades. The east side is desert and a whole different ballgame. But it has a LOT of early Oregon history and appeal.

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I agree with the poster that, if you're an avid golfer, you will likely get frustrated. Same with astronomy buffs. Swimming ~ forget it, unless you don't mind public pools.

[Dual Citizen CA-OR]

Originally Posted by Dual Citizen CA-OR

I have to dispute your claim, for many if not most average Americans, not seeing the sun or walking on dry ground for 9 months of the year is quite extreme.

Originally Posted by EnricoV

You might have a point, if that ever happened ... which it doesn't.

It may be a bit of a stretch, but not by much.

Originally Posted by rhodan653

Nonsense. Anyone who has lived in the South, Northeast or Midwest for any length of time will consider the winters EXTREMELY mild, which they are.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, minus 20 degree winter weather, blizzards, 95% summer humidity with temps over 100 degrees and severe thunderstorms could be labeled extreme. Portland's "extreme" is when the news outlets talk about the "Arctic Blast" for weeks on end with temperatures dipping below 30 degrees. Laughable but I will take it after living much of my life in the alternatives.

I’ve never heard people from anywhere else in the entire western US rant and rave so much about the summers, or heard the term 'sun break', until I moved to Portland. But after living here through two ‘dark periods’ (I don’t call them winters because they essentially last three seasons), I now know why.

I suppose it’s understandable why people from the PNW or newly arrived citizens seem to downplay the dark periods, but people who’re considering retiring or moving here need to hear about its possible effects. However extreme hurricanes, tornadoes, temperatures, blizzards, humidity or thunderstorms can get, I’ve never heard any of them causing a mental disorder, or am I missing something?

[wanderbygrace]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Sure go right ahead. Because you have lived there and you know the lay of the land. I just get annoyed when people say CELVELAND!!!!??? WHY??!! But are going only by hearsay and not personal observation. In other words, criticizing without ever having been there because they believe the negative hype they see on TV or read in the newspapers and think they are experts on the subject.

I am not fond of hot humid weather either but then again anything over 70 is too hot for me. As long as there is air conditioning I will survive the summers.

I also know the other draw-backs. My Cleveland friends are life-long residents and though they love their city, they also know the down side. And I have been forewarned! Switch from the Cubs to the Indians!

On the last comment, the plus side is that the Indians are #1 in baseball right now. How they got there still defies all logic - I would've never expected them to be in first place at this point lol.

PS: I brought the sun with me on Thursday & Friday when I was in the PDX.

[Pretzelogik]

Originally Posted by urbanlover85

portland is where young people go to retire

lol

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by Urbanlover85

Portland is where young people go to retire

Originally Posted by Pretzelogik

lol

Pretzelogik:
Just so you know (and you may already know) that line comes from this video and a cable TV show Portlandia:


YouTube - ‪Portlandia - Dream of the 90s‬‏

[Nell Plotts]

A good retirement community is so much a matter of taste and budget. Would I like to retire in San Francisco, or Los Altos? Absolutely, but I can't afford to.

My parents had a home in Portland and a condo in Honolulu when they retired. That worked great until they couldn't travel seasonally across the Pacific.

How about the Villages in Florida or a retirement community in Australia.. would go if I had family there.

Any place is a great place to retire if you can afford the community and family are near.

FYI, many of my high school classmates have returned to Portland in retirement.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by wanderbygrace

On the last comment, the plus side is that the Indians are #1 in baseball right now. How they got there still defies all logic -I would've never expected them to be in first place at this point lol.

PS: I brought the sun with me on Thursday & Friday when I was in the PDX.

And my Cleveland friends are over the moon about it!

[370z]

[quote=Bluesmama;19242098]Retirees could be content here if:



You have no medical/health issues that require lots of warm/drier weather. Asthma could be an issue, too, depending on what triggers it. (Warning: Willamette Valley is the worst spot in the nation for allergies ~ grass seed.)




I recently heard on the news that Oregon was one of the better places to live with asthma/allergies & places in the south, Knoxville #1, were the worst. Who know??!!

[hamellr]

If you're all worried about natural disasters in Portland area, I have good news for you. The odds of surviving the next one aren't that great so you won't have to worry about it too much.