What do I need to know about Portland? (Burns: sales, affordable apartments)

[Necrohomocon]

I am a 19 year old girl looking to attend art school in Portland, but I am currently living in Alaska, and therefore don't consider myself knowledgeable enough to know what questions I need to ask about living there, but I'll try.

I'm used to paying about 600 dollars a month for rent, with fixed water and electric. Is that enough to live in a decent part of town? Or should I just live in the student housing? (if I even get accepted :T)
I know about the gas pump stuff, and that there isn't sales tax in Oregon. AK doesn't have sales tax either.
Regarding bicycles, does one bike in the road or on the sidewalk? In Alaska generally you bike where ever you want and as long as you don't get run over it's fine.
Are there any peculiarities as far as public transport or traffic are concerned, and would it be safe for me to travel around after dark? (Here it is not advised to travel on foot after the sun has set.)
When does it get dark? (Here, the sun sets approx 3PM in the winter and 10PM in the summer)

Uhm, the art school I was hoping to get into is in the Pearl district. So.... Should I try to find somewhere nearby to live, or should I commute by bike or rail?

Everything in AK is so far apart that it's hard for me to grasp the scale of actual.... cities...... :I
If there's anything I missed, feel free to bring it up.

Anyway, thank you for your help.

[Rob Allen]

The Pearl district is expensive. If they have student housing there, take it! If you don't get into student housing, your budget will get you something with a roommate or two.

It gets dark around 4:30 near the winter solstice and around 9 near the summer solstice. Walking after dark is fine; the streets have lights.

Bicycles go on the streets, not the sidewalks.

Good luck!

[Squidlo]

600$ a month means roommates. Cruise craigslist to get an idea of costs for shared housing. I don't know how you intend on funding school, you can borrow to fund some living expense. Depending on your flexibility and tolerance for people public transport is inexpensive and goes to most schools.

Portland is pretty bike friendly. I consider it far safer than any other city I have been in. I would not consider biking in either place I've lived in the last 5-7 yrs.


Good luck with your career!

[Necrohomocon]

My parents maintain that they'll fund all of my education, so I don't need to worry about that. I just don't want to overstep their boundaries and like, make them have second thoughts, since I intend to get another degree in something a little more practical than art once I graduate.

I was looking on craigslist for rentals/apartments, but the different sections of Portland are listed in a way that makes it really hard for me to tell.... where they are? Like, they have the names of the areas but there's not a map that shows what the names correspond to and I know that prices vary a lot depending on what neighborhood the place is in.

I was hoping to share an apt with my lady-friend, if she wants to move down with me right away, so finding an apartment with 2 bedrooms would be easier, but I really don't like being around strangers or talking to them or looking at them or anything like that. I'm kind of a shut in, actually, but I'm working on it.

I'm currently in a situation with 3 roommates and I am kinda trapped in my room most of the time, and that's something I would like to avoid, if only because it means I haven't had a couch to my own for like, 4 months.

[kyled]

I completely understand what you mean when you say you've been trapped in your room. I'm the same way. For most of college my life was pretty much in classes or in my room because I just didn't want to deal with my roommates. Near the end though I had some roommates that I clicked with and it turned out to be pretty fun (well, compared to staying in my room).

What you should really do is check with the student housing department for the school. They often have some sort of list of affordable apartments, sometimes they'll have billboards for people to post available rooms in apartments.

[Nell Plotts]

The Pearl District is well served by transit, the most popular is the NS (north-south) streetcar line. Streetcar Route Map | Portland Streetcar

The only 'neighborhood' on the west side you should avoid is called "Old Town", basically between Broadway & NW 2nd, Glisan & Burnside streets. Close-in NE & SE neighborhoods would be fine too particularly around the Lloyd Center. Notice that the CL streetcar line serves that area and your school. Note that this line does not have frequent service.

Last year an apartment building specifically marketing to students was built close to Portland State. Ask your school if they can give you the name of the leasing agency and give them a call.

[Steve Pickering]

You need to think more in the $1,200 a month area and that would be a minimum with utilities. You need furniture, first, last, and security deposit also. Plus utility deposits since you are out of state now. Is the art school residential or a small private school? It's roomates and trapped as you say, or spend some money. Also if bringing a car don't expect a lot of parking. In Portland Downtown (Pearl District, ETC.) car ownership can be an issue.

Good luck and welcome to Oregon.

[Nell Plotts]

Steve, you are oh so kind. Let me be a 'One Tough Mother' for a moment. Husband & I are university grads, as are both of our kids. None had a private bedroom during college. Oh we would have preferred that, but it just wasn't in the budget. Get over it! $600/mo, even $1,200/mo for a 2 br, isn't enough particularly when you add the cost of wi-fi & utilities let alone furnishing a place. Oh, and will you need to pay for it over the summer too.

My husband graduated from the U of O School of Arts & Architecture. As he has described his years at the U his time was not spent hanging out in his dorm room or the fraternity, it was spent in the library or in studio (or working to pay for his education). Arts majors typically have a project work space at the school, you will be spending a lot of time there. A bedroom is for sleeping, storing & securing your stuff. If you need 'private time' rent a hotel room.

You live in Alaska. Don't bring a car, you can rent one when you need one.

my $0.02.

[Necrohomocon]

@Steve: I read that the most common crime in the Portland area is theft from cars, of cars, etc. So I don't intend to get a car right away unless my parents pay for it. I have a nice bike that I wouldn't mind using, and public transit is ok with me.

@Kyled: I wouldn't mind student housing, and it looks like they are going to have a really nice new facility starting in the fall, but I'm concerned that it will be designed more for extroverts, which I am not, and have shared rooms and like, kitchens with everyone's food all labeled and common spaces that you can't help using and all. My last student housing experience pretty much was not good.

@Nell: I know that as an art student I'm probably going to spend more time in the studio than I do at home, but I am the kind of person who really needs her personal space and quiet time. Because I am mentally ill, I can't just "get over it," and in fact it hurt my feelings when you said that. I shared a dorm room in fall of 2011 (out of state), but it was not a healthy situation for me and I opted to be sent home for like, therapy and stuff. I am getting better but I'm still kinda shaky about this kinda stuff.



I think I know all I really need to right now. Thank you all for your help.

[Nell Plotts]

Did you share that you have a mental illness? If so, I apologize. That said, $600/mo housing budget is inadequate