Getting stationed in Portland (Gresham, Beaverton: sales, apartment, neighborhoods)

[uscg90]

So im getting stationed at Coast Guard Station Portland and ive never been in the city so im just looking to get some ideas about where to find an apartment or the best areas to live in.

Any suggestions would be awesome....maybe what areas are good or even if you know a good place. I really know nothing about the area.

Looking to spend up to like 800-900(tops) a month. Living alone so 1 bedroom / 1 bath is enough for me as long as it has a kitchen. Id need something thats semi-furnished with at least a bed, kitchen Table and main things like that.

Supposedly most people from the station live in these areas -
Vancouver
Beaverton
Hillsboro
Cedar hills
Gresham

Thanks for the help!

[EnricoV]

I would look first at the Alberta Arts district, just for its proximity to Swan Island, where the station is - and I assume you'll be working. The commute from each of the towns you listed (though they're in all different directions) are all going to be just about the longest one you could select. Rents there would probably be cheaper, but you have to factor in the time/expense of the commute.

Alberta Arts isn't the cheapest area, but there's lots going on there. And for a single person, I think it'd be much better than the 'burbs. I also don't know how easy it will be to find something semi-furnished.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by uscg90

Supposedly most people from the station live in these areas -
Vancouver
Beaverton
Hillsboro
Cedar hills
Gresham

Thanks for the help!

One difference you should be aware of as someone new to the region is the significant difference that come with Vancouver being just over the bridges (literally) in Washington state. My brother-in-law is a merchant marine currently based out of an Oregon port, and he's been looking at places in Vancouver for one specific reason:

It's cool that Oregon has no sales tax, but Washington has no state income tax.

For this reason, for someone who may potentially spend much less time "at home" than your average commuting worker, you might want to consider the potential benefits. For sure, at least contact some of the people from your base who have jobs similar to yours who have chosen to live in Vancouver and ask them why.

The whole "should I just live in Vancouver and commute to Portland" thing has been done to death in this forum and elsewhere, you'll find tons of threads about it. Generally, it does not make much sense for several reasons not the least of which is rush hour traffic, but your case may be far from generic norms (standard work week, 9-5 schedule, etc) so I'd actually encourage you to investigate this option.

Also, be advised that even if you don't plan to own or frequently use a car, downtown Vancouver is still very livable as the Vancouver and Portland transit systems are thoroughly connected and even honor each other's fares. It's trivially easy to take a bus from Vancouver all the way into downtown Portland, or take a bus from Vancouver to connect to a Portland bus route or the Portland light rail system. It's also really not that big of a deal to just walk across the bridge from downtown Vancouver to the "Jantzen Beach" shopping mall in Oregon (which has transit stops).

This is certainly just one of many great options, but I wanted to point it out because of the unique attributes of a lifestyle which involves "work" time spent primarily at-sea.

[Nell Plotts]

The OP will be stationed in Oregon, not Washington. He will have to pay Oregon income tax. There is NO tax advantage for him to live in Washington. Coast Guard members are rarely at sea for extended periods of time.

BTW, I know the merchant sailor tax two-step. My son & his wife are both CMA grads who "drove" tankers for several years.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

The OP will be stationed in Oregon, not Washington. He will have to pay Oregon income tax. There is NO tax advantage for him to live in Washington. Coast Guard members are rarely at sea for extended periods of time.

BTW, I know the merchant sailor tax two-step. My son & his wife are both CMA grads who "drove" tankers for several years.

Thanks for the correction, didn't realize that where/how you get taxed was a significant difference between merchant assignments and military postings.

[Nell Plotts]

The Navy sea going schedules are more like that of a merchant mariner over a year's time. A merchant mariner spends most of their time in international waters, unlike members of the Coast Guard. Oregon taxes people where they work and in the instant case the person will work in Oregon. If a person is assigned to a place of work in Oregon and if they (or their family) does not live in Oregon it is possible to pro-rate for time worked out of Oregon (my reference to the merchant mariner Oregon tax two-step).

I don't know if your relative is a Deck Officer or Engineer but today's American merchant seaman is highly educated, often multilingual, and holds at least a Bachelor's degree. The licencing exams are the equivalent of a Bar Exam. In the industry only the Norwegian seaman's licence is comparable. They also have a boat load (so to speak) of responsibility for the safety of the crew and our environment. Modern ships are highly automated, my son graduated with a business degree and a minor in computer science. A Marine Engineer is qualified to operate a steam power plant on shore. You can't call 911 at sea so they all go through (live) fire fighter training (on the west coast at Travis Air Force Base) and 2nd Officer must pass a medic's exam (although they do have a medical team available by sat phone). Even today's American seamen/stewards are well educated. Hat's off to your BIL, and his wife. Extend my sympathies if he works for ATC.