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I just got hired at OHSU for a clinical position! I am very excited to move to Portland! It has always been on places to live/experience. I will be moving in June/July of 2014!!
*I am single, no kids, and have the opportunity for a "prestigious" clinical opportunity at OHSU x 3-4 years. I currently own a decent car.
I am starting to do some research about where to live - rent vs. buy? Etc.
- I will be working at OHSU - somewhat of a regular schedule - 5/6 am to 6/7 pm. Rarely, I will be on call and will need to come to the hospital late at night or early in the morning/def weekends. (I anticipate working a lot).
I feel as though there are a few options to get to "pill hill" ?
- Drive? I hear parking is a bear, but I do believe that I will be given parking for a discount price. I would like to keep my car
- Bus? I see the #8 bus goes up to the hospital? I could live near/on the line that this bus travels?
- Sky tram? I could either walk/bike to the tram. Or of course take the street car? That extends my living options I feel like - could street car it from the pearl district to the tram to work?
I have only been to Portland once in the past and read a lot of these message boards and other sites. Any advice on where to consider living/how to commute would be appreciated. I am thinking about living in the NW district or the Pearl district - however, I do realize it will be expensive to live there. I would like to keep my car - I like to travel and see local area.
Thanks! I am sure I will have more questions, but this is a good start.
Keeping your car and trying to find parking for it in NW or the Pearl will be a big challenge. The streetcar moves verrrry slowly and it could be a rather long commute. I'd suggest living in Hillsdale, Multnomah Village or the Burlingame area, then either bus it or drive if you manage to get an assigned spot.
How much will you be able to spend on rent and what kind of living space are you looking for?
Heck, there are lovely apartments in the vicinity of the tram base. Look there. Check the tram hours of operation, I think OHSU employees receive a pass. If you are called in when it isn't operating you can still drive to the hospital. Parking in the middle of the night and on weekends isn't a problem in my experience (as a patient).
There are neighborhoods to the north and south of the tram where a biking to the base of the tram is a practical option. The distance is short and the terrain flat.
There are also apartments traditionally occupied by medical students on the hill, walking distance from the hospital. They may be well worn but you can't beat the convenience.
Heck, there are lovely apartments in the vicinity of the tram base. Look there. Check the tram hours of operation, I think OHSU employees receive a pass. If you are called in when it isn't operating you can still drive to the hospital. Parking in the middle of the night and on weekends isn't a problem in my experience (as a patient).
There are neighborhoods to the north and south of the tram where a biking to the base of the tram is a practical option. The distance is short and the terrain flat.
There are also apartments traditionally occupied by medical students on the hill, walking distance from the hospital. They may be well worn but you can't beat the convenience.
But they are mostly high rises and the area is pretty much devoid of amenities as the high rises were built just prior to the housing crash. The OP might have better luck in Johns Landing where she could bike to the tram, but still have some semblance of neighborhood life around.
Keeping your car and trying to find parking for it in NW or the Pearl will be a big challenge. The streetcar moves verrrry slowly and it could be a rather long commute. I'd suggest living in Hillsdale, Multnomah Village or the Burlingame area, then either bus it or drive if you manage to get an assigned spot.
How much will you be able to spend on rent and what kind of living space are you looking for?
Thanks for the response!
Hillsdale, Multnomah, and Burlingame look really practical! But they seem to be out of the cultural center of the city! Or is it a pretty easy access to downtown/Pearl? I want to be able to enjoy the restaurant/cultural amenities of the city also - I am single, no kids.
They will be offering parking for a fairly steep rate - $95/month.
I should be making around $50K-55K and again, single and no kids. Fairly low maintenance. Minimalistic. But also enjoy the finer things - food, concerts, etc.
Yeah, I considered right by the tram - but I read some posts that it was kinda boring around there. John's landing also seems far away from the youth and energy of Portland?
Well, let me give you an overview of my day so you can get an idea of how accessing downtown, the Pearl and NW is. I live in Hillsdale and had an appointment at Good Sam Hospital in NW. It took me about 20 minutes to get there. To get there I had to drive through downtown which took me about 12 minutes. I often go downtown to see movies with friends and it's 12-15 minutes away and I park in a Smart Park. For years I commuted to downtown via Barbur Blvd. and even at rush hour it rarely took me more than 15 minutes to get to and from work. What I'm saying is that's it's fast and easy to get downtown for the activities and culture.
Hillsdale, which is adjacent to Multnomah Village has a very nice town center that is almost entirely non-chain stores. Ditto Multnomah Village. We have a wonderful Farmer's Market and are close (driving distance) to any big box or grocery stores you might need. There are at least three brew-pubs in the area that I know of and I see lots of young professionals hanging out there.
Here's a link to the Hillsdale Newsletter which can kind of give you a feel for the area. Hillsdale News
With the kind of long days you will be working, be kind to yourself and make your commute as fast and direct as you are able. From Hillsdale or Multnomah, you could bike to Terwilliger and catch the bus up the hill.
Hillsdale, Multnomah, and Burlingame look really practical! But they seem to be out of the cultural center of the city! Or is it a pretty easy access to downtown/Pearl? I want to be able to enjoy the restaurant/cultural amenities of the city also - I am single, no kids.
They will be offering parking for a fairly steep rate - $95/month.
I should be making around $50K-55K and again, single and no kids. Fairly low maintenance. Minimalistic. But also enjoy the finer things - food, concerts, etc.
Yeah, I considered right by the tram - but I read some posts that it was kinda boring around there. John's landing also seems far away from the youth and energy of Portland?
I love the advice! Thanks for the help!
If it were me, I think I would look right around the tram. It's a streetcar ride to downtown, for whatever entertainment you're looking for. I find that the looking for entertainment happens less often than commuting to work. So go for the easiest commute, and commute for entertainment.
The tram's free for employees and runs 5:30 - 9:30, by the way.
Keeping your car and trying to find parking for it in NW or the Pearl will be a big challenge. The streetcar moves verrrry slowly and it could be a rather long commute. I'd suggest living in Hillsdale, Multnomah Village or the Burlingame area, then either bus it or drive if you manage to get an assigned spot.
How much will you be able to spend on rent and what kind of living space are you looking for?
Most Pearl apartments have parking. The streetcar ride from the Pearl to the tram would be about 30 min. It's also possible to just get off at PSU and hop on the 8.
Goose Hollow is a great area too and there is a direct bus to OHSU from there. The South Waterfront area has lots of apartments but very little in the way of amenities at this point. There are also a variety of apartments right up around OHSU, which would be walking distance if you're working a lot. Then on your time off you'd have easy access to the city if you keep your car. If I was working a lot I'd consider the apartments on the hill. Or I'd probably look in Goose Hollow or somewhere around PSU, unless you're OK with the 30 min streetcar ride. It's a painless ride. I ride it everyday from the pearl but I get off closer in than south waterfront.
While you mention being able to pay for parking I know that it's not that easy to get spaces and they really encourage staff to take public transportation. For that reason I'd avoid places like Multnomah Village/Hillsdale as the buses seem to shut down early. I'd live in an area where you can find a parking spot for your car but also with easy public transport to OHSU, especially because if we get any snow at all it's really hard to get up there. Whether you plan to drive or not it's nice to have the option of both.
Most Pearl apartments have parking. The streetcar ride from the Pearl to the tram would be about 30 min. It's also possible to just get off at PSU and hop on the 8.
Goose Hollow is a great area too and there is a direct bus to OHSU from there. The South Waterfront area has lots of apartments but very little in the way of amenities at this point. There are also a variety of apartments right up around OHSU, which would be walking distance if you're working a lot. Then on your time off you'd have easy access to the city if you keep your car. If I was working a lot I'd consider the apartments on the hill. Or I'd probably look in Goose Hollow or somewhere around PSU, unless you're OK with the 30 min streetcar ride. It's a painless ride. I ride it everyday from the pearl but I get off closer in than south waterfront.
While you mention being able to pay for parking I know that it's not that easy to get spaces and they really encourage staff to take public transportation. For that reason I'd avoid places like Multnomah Village/Hillsdale as the buses seem to shut down early. I'd live in an area where you can find a parking spot for your car but also with easy public transport to OHSU, especially because if we get any snow at all it's really hard to get up there. Whether you plan to drive or not it's nice to have the option of both.
Thanks for the great advice! Also, thank you for the other poster also - 5:30-9:30 sounds pretty damn great for the tram.
It would be nice to not have to pay 100 bucks/month if I did not need to. So if I could have a reliable way to get to the hospital, I would just park my car at my house/storage and take public transport every day.
And if I am not mistaken, the street car goes to the south waterfront - where the tram is - so theoretically if I lived in the Pearl District - 30 minutes to the south waterfront + 5 minutes up the tram? If I left at 5 am, I should be into work by 5:45 at the latest? What if I needed to be at work around 5 am?
I am greedy and want it all...haha! I love the orchestra and hear that Portland has a great orchestra, art exhibits, etc. And definitely want to experience the food scene also. So I feel like if I lived in Goose Hollow, I would miss out on the "scene"?
Thanks for all the help! I feel like a naive hick! Ha!
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You got excellent advice so far: live nearby, use public transit instead of the car etc.
This however, is incorrect:
Quote:
I love the orchestra and hear that Portland has a great orchestra, art exhibits, etc. And definitely want to experience the food scene also. So I feel like if I lived in Goose Hollow, I would miss out on the "scene"?
You have to get to work 5 (6....?) days a week.
Anything else will be an occasional treat, so being in immediate proximity does not matter. Portland is a very compact city, and any of the residential areas mentioned so far are very close to downtown and all the attractions anyway, though not necessarily within walking distance.
So again, choose a nice place with the quickest, most convenient work commute you can find - that's where the big time savings are.
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