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Um, libraries are typically not the place one would go for chatting with other people and making lots of noise. Libraries are more for people who are working on projects and being quiet.
Um, she made a simile. A figure of speech. A comparison. She could have said quiet as a tomb, etc. No suggestion was made about socializing in a library (or a tomb).
Um, she made a simile. A figure of speech. A comparison. She could have said quiet as a tomb, etc. No suggestion was made about socializing in a library (or a tomb).
Yes, I saw that I missed that the poster was referring to a bus stop.
Yes, I am Glad I moved to PDX; it is a good city to live in and I enjoy many things here. This is my second time in PDX and I've enjoyed the two distinct neighborhoods I've lived in (Goose Hollow and Multnomah Village). I plan on living here for the next 3 to 7 years before retirement.
I do plan on moving down the road; it is the high cost of living and taxes /costs that will make me move. Until then I plan on enjoying all of the area's outdoors and cultural events.
I'm sure that was important for you to mention, thanks! Noted!
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtintype
You're dragging up a three year old post.
Moving forward, I haven't had a lot of time to keep up with all the forums, etc, in the past few years, either because they seemed to serve no purpose in my life (such as facebook, or other so-called "social networking tools"), or I simply forgot about them - like this forum. Chalk that up to having an active life, family matters, etc... none of which are really relevant in this discussion. The discussion itself, though, seems relevant as long as there are people who have opinions on the subject. It seems that there was a lag in this thread; but since "dragging it up" again, it seems that new opinions are being exchanged, so it must be relevant to a few people at least.
When I recently stumbled upon some old logins, I became curious as to what direction this discussion might have taken since I first registered here in 2008 - the year my wife and I moved to Portland. I have certainly had a few years to think about my own impressions of moving to Portland in 2008; suffice it to say that my initial impressions have all but become obscured by many of the things we've experienced here in the past 6-1/2 years.
Personally, I miss the Midwest that I left behind. It wasn't perfect, but it made sense to me, and I did well there for many years. My wife loves it here, however, which leaves us with something of a conundrum that I've seen many couples experience in similar situations. We both enjoy the nature in the PacNW region, but I miss the kind of community spirit I felt in the Midwest, which wasn't exclusively for reserved for young parents with similarly-aged children, for example (yes, we have encountered quite a lot of that here).
I'm still mulling over my thoughts about living here, and I don't like to post things before I've considered the way in which my words may be construed by others. That said, the subsequent posts by KJoe11 (post #86) pdxMIKEpdx (#87), and bluecarebear (#99) address a bit of what is on my mind these days, as well as anything I might have posted. After I've given these matters a bit more thought, perhaps I'll share them here as well, if only for the sake of contributing a balanced view to the conversation.
As for the traffic-related posts, that took far less thought. Simply stated, the infrastructure in Portland isn't equipped for the amount of multiple-mode traffic it currently has to support.
I haven't driven a motor vehicle in about 15 years, due to a nearly-fatal collision in Minneapolis, involving someone in a car, my bicycle, and my body. After a few years, thousands of dollars and multiple surgeries, I could walk again, ride a bike, and drive a car - although I learned that I had developed severe anxieties about being in a car, behind the wheel or otherwise. Fortunately, Mpls was a pretty easy city to get around in by public transit and bicycle - after all, I had been bike-commuting in that city since my teens, so the one incident I experienced was the exception, not the rule. As such, both my wife and I continued to commute to our respective downtown jobs by bike, with no further incident.
Moving to Portland, however, had me giving up the bicycle as a form of commuting in the city, because the anxieties came back rather quickly. The odd thing is, though, it wasn't because of motor vehicles, but other people on bicycles. For a little while, I was hauling a bicycle cargo trailer on regular trips to the co-op, the gardening center, etc, and I found that the majority of motor vehicle drivers I encountered to be observant and respectful. There are always going to be exceptions, but this was my experience, at least when I rode a bicycle in town. When we were out and about in a car, that became a different story. It seems that many motor vehicle drivers we encounter - even those who are considerate about sharing the road with bicyclists - behave with a lesser degree of courtesy towards other people driving cars.
I hear a lot of cheerleading here about how "bike-friendly" Portland is, but I haven't seen any real evidence from many bicyclists themselves to support that notion. What I do see most of the time is a general free-for-all, and a lot of folks on bicycles who seem to make up their own traffic rules as they go. Then again, I also see very little effort being made to enforce traffic laws as they pertain to bicyclists (or cars, for that matter).
In the first year we lived in Portland, I was literally struck on two separate occasions by other bicyclists. On several different occasions, my wife and I have both been run off the road by other bicyclists who behaved as though the bike lanes were their own personal racetrack. On one such occasion, my wife suffered injuries to her knee, as the only options available to her were to either veer into traffic, or toward the curb.
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but yes, after living in Portland for a few years, I do have some thoughts about the move. I'm mostly thankful thank we didn't just buy a house as soon as we moved here, when we had a very different picture of Portland. We already have agreed that we will be moving in the near future; the bigger decision at this point is where.
I'm sure that was important for you to mention, thanks! Noted!
Moving forward, I haven't had a lot of time to keep up with all the forums, etc, in the past few years, either because they seemed to serve no purpose in my life (such as facebook, or other so-called "social networking tools"), or I simply forgot about them - like this forum. Chalk that up to having an active life, family matters, etc... none of which are really relevant in this discussion. The discussion itself, though, seems relevant as long as there are people who have opinions on the subject. It seems that there was a lag in this thread; but since "dragging it up" again, it seems that new opinions are being exchanged, so it must be relevant to a few people at least.
When I recently stumbled upon some old logins, I became curious as to what direction this discussion might have taken since I first registered here in 2008 - the year my wife and I moved to Portland. I have certainly had a few years to think about my own impressions of moving to Portland in 2008; suffice it to say that my initial impressions have all but become obscured by many of the things we've experienced here in the past 6-1/2 years.
Personally, I miss the Midwest that I left behind. It wasn't perfect, but it made sense to me, and I did well there for many years. My wife loves it here, however, which leaves us with something of a conundrum that I've seen many couples experience in similar situations. We both enjoy the nature in the PacNW region, but I miss the kind of community spirit I felt in the Midwest, which wasn't exclusively for reserved for young parents with similarly-aged children, for example (yes, we have encountered quite a lot of that here).
I'm still mulling over my thoughts about living here, and I don't like to post things before I've considered the way in which my words may be construed by others. That said, the subsequent posts by KJoe11 (post #86) pdxMIKEpdx (#87), and bluecarebear (#99) address a bit of what is on my mind these days, as well as anything I might have posted. After I've given these matters a bit more thought, perhaps I'll share them here as well, if only for the sake of contributing a balanced view to the conversation.
As for the traffic-related posts, that took far less thought. Simply stated, the infrastructure in Portland isn't equipped for the amount of multiple-mode traffic it currently has to support.
I haven't driven a motor vehicle in about 15 years, due to a nearly-fatal collision in Minneapolis, involving someone in a car, my bicycle, and my body. After a few years, thousands of dollars and multiple surgeries, I could walk again, ride a bike, and drive a car - although I learned that I had developed severe anxieties about being in a car, behind the wheel or otherwise. Fortunately, Mpls was a pretty easy city to get around in by public transit and bicycle - after all, I had been bike-commuting in that city since my teens, so the one incident I experienced was the exception, not the rule. As such, both my wife and I continued to commute to our respective downtown jobs by bike, with no further incident.
Moving to Portland, however, had me giving up the bicycle as a form of commuting in the city, because the anxieties came back rather quickly. The odd thing is, though, it wasn't because of motor vehicles, but other people on bicycles. For a little while, I was hauling a bicycle cargo trailer on regular trips to the co-op, the gardening center, etc, and I found that the majority of motor vehicle drivers I encountered to be observant and respectful. There are always going to be exceptions, but this was my experience, at least when I rode a bicycle in town. When we were out and about in a car, that became a different story. It seems that many motor vehicle drivers we encounter - even those who are considerate about sharing the road with bicyclists - behave with a lesser degree of courtesy towards other people driving cars.
I hear a lot of cheerleading here about how "bike-friendly" Portland is, but I haven't seen any real evidence from many bicyclists themselves to support that notion. What I do see most of the time is a general free-for-all, and a lot of folks on bicycles who seem to make up their own traffic rules as they go. Then again, I also see very little effort being made to enforce traffic laws as they pertain to bicyclists (or cars, for that matter).
In the first year we lived in Portland, I was literally struck on two separate occasions by other bicyclists. On several different occasions, my wife and I have both been run off the road by other bicyclists who behaved as though the bike lanes were their own personal racetrack. On one such occasion, my wife suffered injuries to her knee, as the only options available to her were to either veer into traffic, or toward the curb.
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but yes, after living in Portland for a few years, I do have some thoughts about the move. I'm mostly enthusiasts thankful thank we didn't just buy a house as soon as we moved here, when we had a very different picture of Portland. We already have agreed that we will be moving in the near future; the bigger decision at this point is where.
if you are a bike enthusiast may I suggest a city that actually has bike paths and not some line painted on a road? Denver has paths throughout the city where they are not shared with vehicles. Most Denver -ites use "on your left" when coming up behind you. I found riding the bike paths not only enjoyable but very safe.
50 years ago, if there was a bridge needed built, they built it. If a dedicated pike was required? I am confident it would have been completed quickly and efficiently . It was an American "can do" attitude. Today, we have "can sue".
For me yes and no. I was always in love with Seattle, so this is where my bias starts. I could not transfer in my job to Seattle so I ended up in Portland. Turns out by listing for Portland, they meant Vancouver. So yeah. I'm about 2 cities removed from my ideal location but anything is better than my last location. I find this area.. slower than I thought it would be. When living on the east coast, I always thought of the west coast as fast paced and party-isn but I guess that's just the southwest. Anyway like I said it's better than my last location but not my ideal location.
Also in my experience the people here are kinda.. secluded. It's very tough to make friends. People here are nice, but like casual nice. Like when you go to a store and find a clerk that is polite and helps you out but you're not going to exchange numbers or head out as pals with anyone here. I feel like I'll never actually be someone's friend here, they'll smile and be polite but that's about it. I just stay in my house when I'm done with work and class for the most part, got tired of looking like an idiot when I thought people were going to be long term friends. I've talked to people for hours before then have them later do their best to avoid eye contact by the next week. On the east coast you're practically friends at first sight which is about one of the only few positives they have compare to the west in my experience.
I find this area.. slower than I thought it would be. When living on the east coast, I always thought of the west coast as fast paced and party-isn but I guess that's just the southwest. Anyway like I said it's better than my last location but not my ideal location.
...On the east coast you're practically friends at first sight which is about one of the only few positives they have compare to the west in my experience.
That's only because everyone is partying and drunk all the time
But more seriously, I think "instant-friends" is an easier trick to pull off when you're either 20-28 or so, or 60+. In between everyone is generally too busy working and/or raising kids.
For me yes and no. I was always in love with Seattle, so this is where my bias starts. I could not transfer in my job to Seattle so I ended up in Portland. Turns out by listing for Portland, they meant Vancouver. So yeah. I'm about 2 cities removed from my ideal location but anything is better than my last location. I find this area.. slower than I thought it would be. When living on the east coast, I always thought of the west coast as fast paced and party-isn but I guess that's just the southwest. Anyway like I said it's better than my last location but not my ideal location.
Also in my experience the people here are kinda.. secluded. It's very tough to make friends. People here are nice, but like casual nice. Like when you go to a store and find a clerk that is polite and helps you out but you're not going to exchange numbers or head out as pals with anyone here. I feel like I'll never actually be someone's friend here, they'll smile and be polite but that's about it. I just stay in my house when I'm done with work and class for the most part, got tired of looking like an idiot when I thought people were going to be long term friends. I've talked to people for hours before then have them later do their best to avoid eye contact by the next week. On the east coast you're practically friends at first sight which is about one of the only few positives they have compare to the west in my experience.
When you say people are secluded -- are you speaking of Portland, or the PNW in general? I noticed you said you preferred Seattle, so I was wondering if you felt the same way about people in Seattle. I'm also because curious because I'm new to Portland as well and I've noticed the same thing. I moved from Arizona, and Arizonans are outright flamboyant compared to people here. Not a criticism, just a difference that I've observed. Back in AZ I was considered to be the quiet one; out here I feel down right gregarious
My husband and I are seriously considering moving to the PNW in the next few years. We already took a trip to Portland in March 2010. We also went to Bend in March 2011, and to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula in August of this year. We enjoyed Bend, loved Seattle, but are leaning toward Portland. We both couldn't get over the beauty there! I love the lush green scenery, the crisp cool clean air and the overall feel of the area. The cost of living is so much more affordable then where we live now. I love all the farmers markets and that it just seems to be a healthier environment. You can actually drink the tap water!? When I went there it just felt like home My biggest concern is my husband being able to adjust to the weather. I personally LOVE the weather. And we both agree that living there would provide a better quality of life for our family.
We are planning another trip to Portland with our kids next summer to further explore the area.
So my question is for all of you that moved to Portland from another state...
Are you glad you did it?
What was the hardest thing to adjust to?
I moved to Beaverton, Oregon from Sacramento, California in 1977. It was very green and pretty in the Portland area, and it smelled like pine trees. However, the weather sucked, and Oregonians were generally suspicious of Californians - some were downright unfriendly for no reason whatsoever. I moved back to the Sacramento area one year later.
I love the friendliness, even if it is from New Season's cashiers who are paid to make conversation.
I love the neighborhoods and accessibility.
I love the grid pattern streets which make it easy for me to find my way.
I love the way people drive slow and no one tails me and flicks me off for driving too slow.
I love being able to bike with my children everywhere.
I love that my kids can walk to and school on their own bc it is so safe here.
I love the resources for artists/music lovers/chefs/poets/filmmakers.
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