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My girlfriend and I are currently located in the bay area of California and are contemplating relocation our business/lives to the Portland area, specifically Beaverton. Our business is ecommerce based, so aren't tied to a certain location. We are planning a trip up Labor day weekend and will also be checking out Eugene, but from our research so far it looks like Beaverton is where we want to be.
We are looking at commercial unit at the Parkside Business center off Nimbus and Hall. How is this area? Does anyone have any other recommendations? We are looking for a office/warehouse setup with at least 2000 sq ft in the $1500 price range.
We are also looking for an apartment/home in the area in the $1500 price range. 2 bedroom preferred but must have a patio or yard as we have 1 small dog and 2 indoor cats. A garage would also be preferred. Can anyone recommend any complex's close to the Parkside Business center? Are there any Live/Work type units in the area?
Are there any other local sites other than craigslist to look for units?
Can anyone recommend movers/helpers? We just need labor to help unload the truck. We will be renting a Penske truck and driving it up.
Nimbus/Hall area is fine. No huge problems there. It's pretty much a pass through to everything else, gets backed up due to traffic during rush hour. A few OK dining options within walking distance, and a couple of the food carts are setting up during lunch.
There aren't a lot of apartment complexes in that area, there are a few buried in residential areas. Most are good, none are really bad until you get up onto Allen. Apartments in that area are in high demand though due to easy access to a major bus line that has some great links to other lines. $1500 should be enough for a house if you can find one though, it's a lot for apartments though.
PadMapper is your friend, you can see where the places are on a map.
Location: Winter nightime low 60,summer daytime high 85, sunny 300 days/year, no hablamos ingles aquÃ
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You've picked a good area, that should work well for your purposes. I happen to live nearby (about 1 mile to the east, on the other side of RedTail Golf Course), and I also worked in the nearby office complex on Nimbus Ave.
Here are the pros:
1. Central location - easy access to most places in PDX area, especially on the west side.
2. Safe and orderly - I've never seen anything to the contrary, not even graffiti.
3. Reasonably priced
4. A lot of amenities nearby - many stores and restaurants, Crunch Fitness gym and the large Washington Square Mall.
5. You can also have a nice selection of (still) reasonably priced houses and apartments. Look to the west\southwest of the Parkside Business center. Try not to rent-buy on the other side of 217 because it is hard to get to due to traffic. There are only a few roads that cross 217 east-west, and they tend to be choke-points.
6. All in all, Beaverton is great place to live and do business. If combines a nice, safe environment with reasonable prices.
That goes for both buying a house or renting an apartment - better than almost anywhere in Multnomah County, for less $$$.
7. As far as buying a house - if you decide to do it, buy in Washington County (where Beaverton and Parkside Business Center are located). Don't buy in Multnomah County and Portland proper. You will pay 30 to 50% more in property taxes and your water bill will be substantially higher. You will get nothing in return by living in Portland, other than mystique of "hipsterity", "greenwashing" and "walkability" (which, BTW is better int the area you chose than much of Portland)
Washington County is the "best kept secret" on this forum -well run, low crime , good economy and reasonable tax burden, but hardly mentioned on this forum since most of the frequent posters live in Portland and don't know or care about WashCO.
As far as cons: the only one I can think if is the (already mentioned) traffic. If you live to the west of Hall+Nimbus however, the traffic should not be an issue.
Last edited by skiffrace; 08-22-2013 at 07:47 AM..
There are a number of apartment complexes along both Hall and Scholls Ferry Rd, and several homes for rent in the general area. You will find something in your price range for sure.
Washington County is the "best kept secret" on this forum -well run, low crime , good economy and reasonable tax burden, but hardly mentioned on this forum since most of the frequent posters live in Portland and don't know or care about WashCO.
You've been a bit unfair to a number of "frequent posters" in your enthusiasm for WashCo. I live in Washington County and never state ortherwise nor discourage anyone from taking a look. Others here can and do speak intelligently about it in numerous posts. Where have you been? Truth is, most of the people who visit this forum already have decided that they want to live in Multnomah County. Who are we to argue.
My girlfriend and I are currently located in the bay area of California and are contemplating relocation our business/lives to the Portland area, specifically Beaverton. Our business is ecommerce based, so aren't tied to a certain location. We are planning a trip up Labor day weekend and will also be checking out Eugene, but from our research so far it looks like Beaverton is where we want to be.
We are looking at commercial unit at the Parkside Business center off Nimbus and Hall. How is this area? Does anyone have any other recommendations? We are looking for a office/warehouse setup with at least 2000 sq ft in the $1500 price range.
We are also looking for an apartment/home in the area in the $1500 price range. 2 bedroom preferred but must have a patio or yard as we have 1 small dog and 2 indoor cats. A garage would also be preferred. Can anyone recommend any complex's close to the Parkside Business center? Are there any Live/Work type units in the area?
Are there any other local sites other than craigslist to look for units?
Can anyone recommend movers/helpers? We just need labor to help unload the truck. We will be renting a Penske truck and driving it up.
Thanks!
Slammed, if you PM me I can provide you with three addresses of homes in the area that are for rent. Even if you're not ready to move, it might help for you to become acquainted with the rental market.
You've been a bit unfair to a number of "frequent posters" in your enthusiasm for WashCo. I live in Washington County and never state ortherwise nor discourage anyone from taking a look. Others here can and do speak intelligently about it in numerous posts. Where have you been? Truth is, most of the people who visit this forum already have decided that they want to live in Multnomah County. Who are we to argue.
H
I know about Washington County but it's not for me. I'm not a hipster but I enjoy being in the actual city, not a suburb. I detest sitting in traffic, and pretty much any job I'll ever work is in Portland. I have a friend I regularly visit in Beaverton and while her apartment is nice and she likes it there I hate having to drive three miles to the store to get something forgotten instead of walking three blocks to the store, I don't want to spent two hours commuting, and I like small businesses. Other than that, there's nothing wrong with Washington County, but it is a suburb. And some people prefer not to live in the suburbs. I know it's close to Portland but you still have to commute to get to Portland.
Now, if I worked in Beaverton I could see more of a draw. But just because people don't share your same enthusiasm for Washington County doesn't mean we're ignorant or don't know about it.
Location: Winter nightime low 60,summer daytime high 85, sunny 300 days/year, no hablamos ingles aquÃ
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Quote:
... I enjoy being in the actual city, not a suburb. I detest sitting in traffic, and pretty much any job I'll ever work is in Portland. I have a friend I regularly visit in Beaverton ...I hate having to drive three miles to the store to get something forgotten instead of walking three blocks to the store, I don't want to spent two hours commuting. And some people prefer not to live in the suburbs. ... you still have to commute to get to Portland.
Right. When choosing where to live, the most important factor everyone should consider is the proximity to the places one needs to go often, which usually is the work. Otherwise, you will spend hours per day commuting, and contribute to the ever-increasing congestion of the area.
If you work on downtown Portland, by all means live in Hawthorn, Belmont or Brooklyn, but please don't live in Hillsboro or West Linn.
If you work in Beaverton, live in Beaverton or Hillsboro, not in Sellwood or Johnson Creek.
Quote:
... Other than that, there's nothing wrong with Washington County, but it is a suburb...
Most of Portland is not any more "walkable", or "close to stores and restaurants" than Beaverton or many other "suburban" areas. It's simply due to the geographical vastness of the East-Side Portland, which matches the areas of the West-Side suburbs. The truly "walkable" parts of the city are small and few.
Quote:
Truth is, most of the people who visit this forum already have decided that they want to live in Multnomah County
Most of the people who visit this forum have not made up their minds where to live, otherwise they would not be asking. Regrettably, they are often given bad advice that usually steers them towards the middle of Portland, regardless whether it makes sense commute-wise or not.
They often come and ask for the mythical "walkable" neighborhood.
In their own best interest, the first thing they should be told how awful the traffic is, and that the (imaginary) walkability should not be the first priority.
If you choose to locate your business at Parkside (or anywhere else in the Hall/Nimbus area) and you have housing flexibility, I'd suggest getting a place that is west of 217 so you can avoid 217 during rush hour.
Hall/Nimbus is a nice commercial office space area, good amenities nearby for a suburban location, reasonably priced, good quality (I believe most/all of it is managed by a reputable company). The only drawbacks I can think of are:
1. Transit which can be a problem if you need to recruit a lot of younger hipster type-employees who often want to live near downtown or inner east side. Given your square footage needs I don't think that will be an issue though; or
2. If being near other high tech firms is a priority, you'd be better off locating near US 26 (Sunset Highway) between Hillsboro and the Murray Road exit in Beaverton. You can find some great deals on commercial space around the Tanasbourne area (it was way overbuilt in the late 90's tech boom) and a larger pool of tech talent nearby, and better transit/light rail access, but housing costs may be higher.
Most of Portland is not any more "walkable", or "close to stores and restaurants" than Beaverton or many other "suburban" areas. It's simply due to the geographical vastness of the East-Side Portland, which matches the areas of the West-Side suburbs. The truly "walkable" parts of the city are small and few.
MOST of Portland? That's hardly accurate (especially if you don't want to only shop at big box stores). Pretty much anything that's considered "close in" Portland (most of the areas recommended on here) is walkable. I've lived in five different Portland neighborhoods, all considered "close in" and all have been very walkable. I've lived in SE, NE, SW and NW Portland. Lots of choices close in, however, yes, there are areas of Portland definitely not walkable. You rarely see them recommended on this board though as most people who want to live in Portland want a walkable more city type environment. I've never heard anyone come on here and say they want to live in Portland but don't want access to public transport, want to be tied to their car, or want to in an area that's not walkable.
Yes, east side Portland is vast, but east side Portland is only part of the city and you rarely see anyone recommend a neighborhood on the east side that would be similar in distance to amenities as the suburbs. Most of the east side areas that aren't walkable no one recommends living in anyway, unless it's a financial issue because not only aren't they walkable, they're not very pleasant in general.
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