I am moving in 3 weeks, should i visit first? (Portland: neighborhoods, living in)

[bigjojo]

I, personally, would not fork over the money to visit. If possible, try contacting those who work for your company in the Vancouver area (it sounds like this is an internal transfer/promotion?). Find out if they have any ideas.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by gillslikafish

My partner has commitments in Portland....

Use an Internet program like padmapper dot com (there are two or three of this sort) and look into NE Portland near either I-5, or I-205 (which ever is closer to where you will be working.)

On the I-205, you are a long way away from the activities that make Portland so desirable to young people.

I don't know what exactly you are looking for, suburbs, urban, starving artist, hipster & active night life, economy living, nouveau-gentrification, or other type of neighborhood. Rent a house, townhouse, apartment?

Try for now, along NE Broadway (NE Weidler for the one-way parts), out to maybe NE 39th. NE Broadway is an easy access to I-5. Might be pricey.

Don't overlook along NE Multnomah Street out to about the Fred Meyer's grocery store (Kroger by a local name) although finding an available apartment will be difficult.

[Minervah]

I do not have a first hand experience but I did have a friend who used to work at an eye clinic in Vancouver but lived in Portland. Her commute left her totally exhausted at the end of the day. It sometimes took her hours to get home crossing over the Interstate Bridge.

She paid Oregon state income tax too. She finally gave it up after a few years with a job transfer to Jacksonville Florida.

This is just one reason why it is wise to come visit a place before moving. You could run the route during rush hour and see for yourself.

It is also true that most of the decent apartments are found by landing in a neighborhood you think you would like to live in and searching for "For Rent" signs. Have cash in hand to give to the landlord. Apartments can be difficult to come by in Portland in the more desirable neighborhoods since Portland has an apartment shortage due to the number of people relocating here and those who have lost there homes through foreclosure.

Just an aside Vancouver would be cheaper for rentals.

[EnricoV]

Yeah, I'd second looking in Vancouver for housing. For a number of reasons. You'll pay less for more house. The tax situation. Your commute will be so much easier. It will be easier to travel occasionally into Portland for it's resources, than it would to commute every day for work.

[gillslikafish]

Thank you so much for the advice, we really appreciate it.

Philwithbeard, thank you, that was especially helpful.

I suppose I'd better clarify, though - we really don't want to live in Vancouver. My wife and I are young (late twenties/early thirties) and would like to have access to things like vegetarian restaurants and things to do, we'd like to avoid sprawl and suburban areas, we want to live in a progressive area (and want our daughter to as well). From what we've heard/ read, Vancouver does not exactly fit the description. Neither of us are from the U.S. and we don't have family here, either, but we do have a few friends in Portland - particularly important when you have a baby. I already do a longer commute and have higher taxes than we will regardless.

[Daisy32673]

Originally Posted by gillslikafish

My job in Vancouver is a 15 minute drive from Portland. Half the commute I currently do. Quality of life is important to us.

Whatever gave you this idea? Unless you live in Jantzen Beach your commute will be a lot longer than that. It will take you 15 minutes just to get to the bridge in rush hour and with all the construction a lot more time. Are you not commuting in rush hour?

[Minervah]

People are trying to encourage you not to take a difficult move.

But if you are determined to live in Portland, I think I would choose Sullivan's Gulch. I think it has everything you are looking for and it is not far from the Interstate Bridge. It would be one of my choices were I to consider moving from the Buckman neighborhood which you also may want to consider. But it is further from the Bridge.

http://www.portlandneighborhood.com/sullivans-gulch.html

http://www.portlandneighborhood.com/buckman.html

[Kyusa]

Originally Posted by gillslikafish

My job in Vancouver is a 15 minute drive from Portland. Half the commute I currently do. Quality of life is important to us.

..quality of life is no diffrent from portland to vancouver. if you plan to buy a house in portland be ready to big money for property taxes. renting is better in portland, but if you wanna own a home buy it in vancouver....portland people love big government & taxes!!!

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by gillslikafish

My job in Vancouver is a 15 minute drive from Portland.

I doubt that very much. If you lived at the intersection of I-84 and I-205 and drove to the intersection of Hwy 14 and I-205, then it might be 15 minutes. Anything else is going to be a longer commute. The real hang-up in commuting to work in Vancouver is once you get off the freeway - the surface streets near the freeways are VERY congested.

If you are looking at working in downtown Vancouver, the I-5 commute is ugly no matter which way you are going and you have to worry about future.

I don't say this to discourage you, just that it's something to factor in to your livability calculations. When we lived near Mt Tabor and the spouse drove in to HP, it was about a 30-40 minute commute, and HP is just off Hwy 14 (if you use the 192nd offramp and avoid 164th). Eventually we just gave up and moved back to East County Vancouver, even though we'd have rather stayed in Portland.

[peaceloveandtattoos]

We live in the NW Alphabet district, and just walking the neighborhood every day, I have seen a hand full of for rent signs. We are late 20's, and totally love our area. Safe, clean, walking distance to EVERYTHING we could possibly need. Food, shopping, fun, etc.

All of these posters just have your best interests in mind, though that can come off as discouraging.

My Husband and i moved our family here from Az just over a month ago (we have 2 kids).
We never came to visit first, as we were not willing to fork out the dough from our savings that was needed for rent.
I found our apartment on Craigslist, and was also obsessively searching anywhere else on the web I could find.
Once you figure out what area you want to be in, just type it into Google along with apartment for rent (or house, if that's what you're looking for)
If you want to commute from Portland to Vancouver, that is a choice that you fully have the right to make.
Good luck, and remember to be excited and have fun!! Moving here was the best thing we have EVER done
Message me if you have any questions for me!