Portland vs. Seattle

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by Supernova7

Seattle has better schools and more educated population. In fact I believe that 75-80% have at least a bachelor's degree.
Seattle probably feels more like a real city than Portland.
Both would be a good place to live for different people.

It's about 50% for Seattle and about 38% for Portland: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Depart...educatedcities

Having Microsoft there probably pushes the statistics up a bit.

[Dark of the Moon]

I love Portland and, while I'm temporarily stuck on the East Coast, I hope to get back there in the next couple of years. Before moving there, however, I also considered Seattle. For me, I like the smaller size and "aging hippy" vibe that still exists in parts of Portland. Seattle, from the one visit I made, feels much more "corporate."

To go off on a tangent for a moment, the Pacific Northwest is overdue for "the big one" -- a devastating earthquake -- and Seattle, especially, could find itself in real trouble when it hits.

A real "doomsday" scenario includes not just an earthquake, but also a resulting tsunami and volcano eruption. I saw a Discovery Channel film on the topic about 10 years ago and, since I have an overactive imagination, it scared the h*ll out of me. You can read about the topic in this 2002 article. Portland is inland so is, geologically speaking, somewhat safer.

Now, should you live your life in fear of this kind of event? Of course not. There's too many dangerous things in the world and there's no way we can protect ourselves from all of them. But it's something you should certainly be aware of when making a decision about where to live.

[earthmuffin]

Seattle may have the space needle, but often times when I'm visiting Seattle it's as if the gray, drab concrete and gray rain clouds are endless. I love portland because there are so many parks within the city. Also...this is really the clincher...Portland has Powells bookstore!

[roneb]

Responding to several comments and questions I've seen on this thread...

While Portland may statistically be a degree or two warmer on average, it may seem colder in the winter to the casual observer because it is significantly wetter in the winter months. Seattle benefits from a rain shadow created by the Olympic Mtns on the Olympic Penisula. In fact, some towns on the west side of Puget Sound would qualify as pretty dry! Plus Portland gets some nasty freezes at times due to cold east winds coming through the Columbia River Gorge.

The Portland School District itself has struggled for the past decade and a half (post property tax limit - and thanks to poor district management), but I would still rate Portland as a much better place to raise kids. They are more parks and green spaces within the city itself and things to do with kids are cheaper and more accessable. Most school districts in suburbs of Portland are very good!

Seattle does beat Portland for scenic setting due to the combination of Sound, Olympics, and Mt Rainier, but ACCESSING the outdoors fun is a lot easier in Portland.

Portland traffic, though still bad to me, is waaayyyy better than Seattle traffic. Both have decent public transit, though Portland is better. Both have A LOT of bicyclists, though Portland is more bike friendly.

If you're really into city life, you'll prefer Seattle. Portland definiftely has more of a funky feel to it. I liked the way one poster described it as "aging hippy".

[little peg]

Originally Posted by Syndrum

watch the elvis film, World's fair!
I have lived in both, Seatle is the sister who went to live in New York and brought back the style, Portland is the younger sister that is jelous!

[michellexm]

Originally Posted by little peg

watch the elvis film, World's fair!
I have lived in both, Seatle is the sister who went to live in New York and brought back the style, Portland is the younger sister that is jelous!

As a native Seattleite who has lived in Portland, I don't find this to be even close to an accurate description.

Seattle folks don't want their town to be like Portland and Portland folks don't want their town to turn into Seattle. They're really both very different, and though some posters on this board have summed up their differences quite well, I'd really recommend checking both places out in person. There are large differences between the two cities though they're only 3.5 hours away by Amtrak. It really comes down to personal preference -- check them both out and I'm sure you'll get a feeling for which one suits you best.

[seattlesuckspdxrocks]

Portland is a lot better. Seattle just can't even compete. There it is.