Not Fitting into Bay Area--Portland the Place? (Oakland: fit in, cliquey)

[tiredofbayarea]

Hi All,

My husband, daughter (2) and myself live in Oakland, CA and have been here several years. We nearly moved to Portland in 2005, but it didn't work out and we now have the opportunity to do so again. My husband's job is flexible, in terms of where we live, so really we are looking for a place that is great to raise a family and where we can fit in. We are an eco-conscious, gardening, cloth-diapering, backyard-chicken-keeping, beekeeping-curious family and in our neighborhood--with lawyers on either side--we just don't feel like we fit in.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that there is no magical place to "fit in" and that some people may consider the bay area to be progressive and maybe we just haven't found the right people (I swear everyone in our neighborhood has moved from the East Coast...). But we have spent a lot of time up in Portland and in my experience it seems like people there are much more approachable/friendly, more into environmentally based activites, more into backyard farming, etc. Is there anyone out there who was in a similar situation to us that has found peace in Portland?

We have a house that we bought back when we thought we could move there that is located in SE (near Clinton St.). It has been a successful rental, but the tenants are moving out soon and I thought we could move there temporarily to try it out. It does have a very small backyard, though, and we would love to have a large garden, etc. Any recommendations for areas to live that are not too far out, but might have bigger lots? I wish we could find a lovely foursquare close to Belmont/Hawthorne on a double lot, but I'm sure that is just a pipe dream :)

Thanks for your help!

[ramedud]

What part of Oakland are you from? Montclair, Piedmont and the hills are kinda pretty. Like you, I live in the Easy Bay and am tired of the Bay Area. It just isn't the same place it used to be. Most people are very unfriendly, cliquey and isolated. From what you've told us you'll fit right in to Portland. As for neighborhood recommendations I couldn't give you good advice, the other members could chime in on that one.

[Minervah]

The area around Clinton has grown and looks really good these days. Newer construction has been carefully done to blend in with the neighborhood. There are restarants and shops and, yes the Clinton Street Theater is still there and playing "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at midnight.

I think you would like living there. It's a good starting place to have a place to live in the city with housing so tight. From there you could look for a house in the Hawthorne/Belmont areas but I don't think the houses there have double lots. And who knows? You may find you like the Clinton area just fine.

[Nell Plotts]

Agreed. You won't be able to shop for the 'perfect place' from Oakland. Move into the rental, then explore.

[Mclaurin]

Mount Tabor has some large lots.

My friends came from the bay area and she is SAD all the time hates it. You know what that is like, so not a problem perhaps.

Lucky you have the rental. A nice area in my opinion.

[davemess10]

How could you not want to move into a house on Clinton? That's a great area, and Clinton being a neighborhood greenway has really put the street on the upswing. From what you described you would fit in pretty well in that area of SE. You're also pretty darn close to Hawthorne and Belmont.
As for bigger yards, you're just not going to find that in the city, unless you stumble upon a double lot, but then it's going to be REALLY expensive, as everyone is selling off their extra lot space for tall, skinny houses. My house in kind of outer SE actually has a bigger lot than many of the more inner houses. So if you want to stay close in (which most do) you're usually going to have to deal with a bit smaller lot.

Your best bet is to just rent out a plot at one of the neighborhood gardens in town (although some have a waiting list).

[jeffredo]

If you tend your animals correctly there should be nothing for your lawyer neighbors to complain about. Basically, don't keep roosters and compost any manure right (it shouldn't stink). Dogs in a backyard are smellier, noisier and more irritating than a few urban farm animals. The city you choose to do it in shouldn't matter - you'll run into grouches everywhere, but if you respect your neighbors and share your bounty with them I bet you'll have no problems in Oakland.

You may say you're sick of the Bay Area but one rainy winter 900 miles north might make you look at it in a different light. Anyway, if you're husband's job is flexible enough you can live anywhere, why not get a small acreage on the periphery of a metro area, instead of a city lot (and then try to squeeze farming in it)? Then you can do what you want with it.