SW/N/SE locations (Portland: condo, how much, school)

[oldtintype]

Goose Hollow is an area that is fairly large. Part of it is more ritzy and borders NW 23rd, part of it (where I live) is less than .5 mile away from PSU, the downtown library, etc. When you hear these descriptions of areas you have to stop and remember they're generalizations. Alberta and Miss are getting ridiculously expensive though they're still "bohemian" right now. If I was trying to go to school at Cascade and PSU I'd simply move somewhere on the yellow line (close to Alberta and Miss) or downtown.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

I would be looking for a condo in the $350k range. I am not a young person and would rather be with people who are a little older than twenty -somethings. Is there a place for me?

It's too bad you're not here right now as a I just looked at condos with a friend of mine (he's 45) moving up from SF who is looking in your range. He ended up really liking a place really close to us ( in Goose Hollow) called Clay Street Commons. I don't think I can post the link? but you can google it. They were ranging in the $250,000-275 range for a 1 or 2 bedroom and they were really nice (there's only a few left). Not huge places, but decent sized, two blocks from the max train, walking distance to all the downtown stuff, etc. He was ecstatic as he wasn't expecting to find something he really liked for under 400k. I think if you're looking in the downtown area but don't have to live in the Pearl or a fancy loft building there are tons of options for you. So many units have been converted to condos in the last 5 years that there are a lot of things out there (in the downtown area at least).

[Supernova7]

Nancy- I agree with oldintype (I think you'll be very happy in "Goose Hollow"
I heard nothing but good things about the area and it's close to everything.

[Supernova7]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Goose Hollow is an area that is fairly large. Part of it is more ritzy and borders NW 23rd, part of it (where I live) is less than .5 mile away from PSU, the downtown library, etc. When you hear these descriptions of areas you have to stop and remember they're generalizations. Alberta and Miss are getting ridiculously expensive though they're still "bohemian" right now. If I was trying to go to school at Cascade and PSU I'd simply move somewhere on the yellow line (close to Alberta and Miss) or downtown.

So, Goose Hollow is on the Yellow Line right?
I agree, that's what I've been thinking as well. How far apart is Goose Hollow from Old Town/China Town? Old Town has piqued my interest and it's close to the library and PSU which is a big plus. Do you get the bohemian feel from Old Town, thrift stores, cheap movie theaters, grocery stores, entertainment and dining variety? Of course, the cheaper the better, nothing upscale/trendy.

I'll be very upset if Alberta and Mississippi become another Pearl. Speaking of costs, is there RENT CONTROL in Portland or can the landlords price you out at their choosing?

[oldtintype]

Goose Hollow is not on the yellow line. It's on the red and blue. The yellow line starts at the SW 10th/Central Library area, which is about a half mile away from Goose Hollow, so it's walking distance to the yellow line.

[Supernova7]

Can the blue and red line from Goose Hollow transport you to the yellow line or must you walk it?

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by Supernova7

As a Portlander how would you describe these areas by their similarities and differences? Which area has the greatest multi-ethnic mix of people, and low cost housing/shopping/entertainment etc...

Each of these areas of Portland have pretty different neighborhoods within each one... especially SE. While both Eastmoreland and Lents are in SE they are worlds apart in so many ways. You have to look at neighborhoods within each section then you can compare.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by Supernova7

Can the blue and red line from Goose Hollow transport you to the yellow line or must you walk it?

They're all on the same track. The yellow line starts 1-3 stops after the Goose Hollow stations (there are three stops within the official Goose Hollow area). You can transfer or walk.

[nancy thereader]

Wow. Thank you both Supernova and Oldtintype. Your advice and ideas are always great. I am so glad that I discovered this forum. It makes the time pass until I can actually be there.

[Supernova7]

Your welcome Nancy.

Thanks Mom- Portland seems quite unique in comparison to other cities because each "area" N/S/NW/ has little sections with different flavors to them. I wish I could get away from work and school to visit but I can't. So I will make the most of what I can with suggestions from the locals. If I choose to live downtown I'll probably go with Old Town/PSU campus area or Goose Hollow (They all appear to be connected neighborhoods) with a few minutes walk to each. If I choose N. Portland I'll go with Alberta or Mississippi area. I'm very flexible when it comes to apartments/living arrangements. What's most important is getting in to the right neighborhood with the right feel/vibe to it.

Something tells me Downtown would have more resources than NoPo but I'm not sure? Really all I need is to be close (walking distance) to main/central library, PSU or Cascade, be near Movie Theaters, small cafe's, thrift stores, and most important public transportation (being right there) Anywhere it's cheap to live with some cultural diversity. Since I'm not going to be driving and want to save on time, the more accessibility to stores/resources the better. Also, Goose Hollow sounds like a nice "quiet" area to lay your head down. Oldin Type-appears to be happy there.

I'm very quiet and not in to the whole party club scene. I just want to be close to everything and tune it all out when I come home.