Moving to Portland in September with $8,000, no car, no job. What should I do?
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Yeah, I'm getting a little nervous about the move as the time draws closer but I'm also excited about the opportunity in a new city. Yeah, I think I'm going to have to find a roomate. I have already been looking on craigslist and it seems to be my best bet. According to some posters on here, it appears that it will be difficult to find a landlord willing to rent to me without proof of unemployment. Which side of town offers the cheapest rent and is it safe to live there? Can I get to PSU from all of those areas you mentioned?
Unfortunately, and anyone feel free to correct me if you think this is wrong, I think the cheapest part of town will be the farther SW side along Beaverton Hillsdale Highway area. The reason I say "unfortunately" is because it has lousy bus service. It's there, but barely. You can, however, live across the street from a grocery store and other shops if you postition yourself right. I did for a couple of years.
There are also studio apartments in the NW part of town with great public transportation that sometimes can be had for around $700 maybe less. It all depends what is available at any given time. Most neighborhoods in general will cost more but with a roommate, most will be affordable.
It isn't necessarily the side of town that will be more expensive than the rest but rather the blocks you are in. The rule of thumb usually is the closer the neighborhood to downtown, the more expensive it will be.
Always be certain to check bus or MAX service before you go apartment hunting in a neighborhood if you will be heavily depending upon either one of those. Public transportation in Portland is not what you are used to in Chicago. Some areas are great; some not so much. You can look online or go to the TriMet office downtown. One word of advice. Do not ask someone who does not frequently use it. Often people who never ride the bus or MAX will tell you how wonderful it is because they pass a bus stop sign every day on their way to work. You want an actual schedule that will tell you how often they run: quarter hour, half hour, hourly; early morning, late night; weekends or not. Not like the good old CTA.
There are a couple of buildings in NW that rent studios for under 600, but one building is super small -- the studios are literally smaller than dorms and the other has shared bathrooms. I lived in the one w/ the super small studios -- near NW 22nd and Hoyt -- it had a private bath and the kitchen was super tiny and had a fridge and hotplate. Nice floors, though and good light fixtures (little touches made up for it)... It was tiny living, but it was a great location and my friends were all super jealous of my address -- lol, they always wondered why I never invited them over, though.
I'm getting roommates in August -- 3 of them -- and will pay less than 400 for my share of rent. I absolutely did not want roommates, but I think I lucked out and found some cool people. Plus, I just can't afford the rent in Portland anymore, not in my desired neighborhoods, anyway.
There are a couple of buildings in NW that rent studios for under 600, but one building is super small -- the studios are literally smaller than dorms and the other has shared bathrooms. I lived in the one w/ the super small studios -- near NW 22nd and Hoyt -- it had a private bath and the kitchen was super tiny and had a fridge and hotplate. Nice floors, though and good light fixtures (little touches made up for it)... It was tiny living, but it was a great location and my friends were all super jealous of my address -- lol, they always wondered why I never invited them over, though.
I'm getting roommates in August -- 3 of them -- and will pay less than 400 for my share of rent. I absolutely did not want roommates, but I think I lucked out and found some cool people. Plus, I just can't afford the rent in Portland anymore, not in my desired neighborhoods, anyway.
Yeah I wanted to stay away from the roomate thing but it looks like it may be absolutely necessary. If I could find one of those really tiny apartments in a decent location that would be great although the amount of living space sounds like it may be a bit disconcerting. Roomates will allow me to split the costs for rent and prolong my stay in Portland until I find a decent job.
I too will likely take the same route. I want to try to make a few friends online before I go, then maybe I might be able to couch surf for a few months. Personally that's all I'll need.
I'd get a cheap car. They can be found. Relying on public transportation sucks. It might work in big metro areas like Chicago and NYC where things are close but Portland not so much. Just the amount of time you spend waiting on the bus would be the deal killer. That's time that could better be spent working, studying or picking up women. Seriously, you meet a nice gal at the club and she wants to go back to your place. Telling her you gotta catch the bus back is gonna kill that mood. Chicks want guys with their own wheels.
I'd get a cheap car. They can be found. Relying on public transportation sucks. It might work in big metro areas like Chicago and NYC where things are close but Portland not so much. Just the amount of time you spend waiting on the bus would be the deal killer. That's time that could better be spent working, studying or picking up women. Seriously, you meet a nice gal at the club and she wants to go back to your place. Telling her you gotta catch the bus back is gonna kill that mood. Chicks want guys with their own wheels.
Ok so I guess I should'nt expect the buses to run every 5 mins like in Chicago? I was hoping I wouldn't need a car that's why I'm looking to live close in around areas that will allow me to use public transportation or atleast bike to school or work. I guess you're right. I would hate to meet a woman at a club only to have the sexual mood killed from standing on a bus stop for an hour. I would love to buy a car but I really don't think its in the budget. I only have 8,000 to live on until I find a job so I figure most of that will be going to rent, food and other expenses. A car and the high prices for gas does not factor into the equation at this time. I suppose I need to date women who have a car of their own. LOL
I'd get a cheap car. They can be found. Relying on public transportation sucks. It might work in big metro areas like Chicago and NYC where things are close but Portland not so much. Just the amount of time you spend waiting on the bus would be the deal killer. That's time that could better be spent working, studying or picking up women. Seriously, you meet a nice gal at the club and she wants to go back to your place. Telling her you gotta catch the bus back is gonna kill that mood. Chicks want guys with their own wheels.
As a single woman, I have to admit this is true for me. I live in Vancouver and I want a man that can come to me without me having to pick him up somewhere along the way. Plus, the metro area is pretty spread out and in addition to waiting an hour for the bus, you could easily spend 30 minutes or more on the bus. Quietly, as another poster pointed out.
The transit system here is called TriMet. You can look up the schedules online (being new to the forums, I can't post a link yet). The light rail is also known as MAX and I believe runs about every 7 minutes during the weekdays, 10-15 in the evenings/weekends, and from my experience, randomly after 10. The other thing about the bus is some lines don't run as late as others.
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