looking to move to Portland from Denver (Eugene: relocating, insurance)

[Wish26]

Are there any other Denverites who are thinking of relocating to Portland or who already have relocated? What are the similarities and differences between the two cities?

[robertpolyglot]

Well, the dissimilarities are that, here in PDX, there are 300 days of gray skier to your 300 days of sunshine (more than San Diego or Miami, if I recall Denver promo literature).

The similarities are that granolas like both cities and the college towns that hold our mother campuses (we have Eugene and you have Boulder).

I've only been through your area and it seemed nice in that newer, intermountain West kind of way. What's irking you about Denver that you want to move to the NW? Just curious.

[Wish26]

The job market is terrible and the Denver metro area is getting way too congested. I don't like how far Denver is from other major cities. You miss out on a lot of things living in Denver because it's farther away from other major cities than Portland is. You can get to Seattle in 4 hours and San Fran in 8 or so from Portland. So concerts that are passing through Seattle, Vancouver, LA and San Fran will often stop by Portland on the way. Shows will sometimes skip over Denver because it's not worth the stop unless they're also going to Salt Lake City.

Denver is kind of liberal, but most of the suburbs and the rest of the state (other than Boulder) is mostly conservative. Denver's population is also a lot older than Portland's. Basically, Portland offers more to a liberal twenty something, like myself.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Wish26

I don't like how far Denver is from other major cities.

You can get to Seattle in 4 hours and San Fran in 8 or so from Portland.

Basically, Portland offers more to a liberal twenty something, like myself.

Point 1: I agree with that. It's pretty much an "oasis"

Point 2: Seattle is actually 2:40 if going 65 and w/o stops -- San Francisco is easily 10 and the drive over the Siskiyous in winter may make that longer; I just did Sac to PDX last week

Point 3: Liberals like Portland. While I'm not conservative, I don't like the "granola" factor. Most liberals can deal with the granolas better than I can.

[esya]

I lived in Portland a long time ago. I have lived in Denver a lot of years, in between Illinois and before that, Ohio. Denver is high, dry and sunny. Portland is low, damp and cloudy. This is major. However, that difference also means that Portland has a milder steadier temp range, whereas Denver's temp range is a total roller coaster--one day it's shirtsleeves and the next, 3 feet of snow. Forget the rain, you never get it here anymore.
Portland is more down to earth and more like the midwest in terms of people involving themselves in others around them. Denver is a very wild west town--if you are new to town you think the friendliness is deep down, but it is not. Westerners are loners to the core, even in the city. I can count on my 3 fingers the number of people I have been able to develop a "drop in" type friendship with here in decades, and those were easterners or my relatives. Everyone else, you wait for an invitation and those are few and far between. The socializers tend to get used as reliable party givers, and over the years it gets old. If you like being out on your own, like outdoor recreation, like having casual meet ups at restaurants or for a couple of hours in the evening, then it works fine. Or, if you plant yourself in a cul de sac and do the young parent thing. But as far as urban life, it has a different style than many other places. And the politics--yes it is very polarizing bec much of the conservatism is rooted in churches and if you do not do that you are on the outs. Unlike what I read about Portland where churchgoing is not as big of a part of community life. Lots of people love it here, depending on their comparisons. I find that the growing traffic is causing a lot of noise pollution--no plant life to soften the sounds. But it is not like LA or southern calif in terms of traffic, cost of housing, or commute time. Portland, has a well developed public transportation system way older and better than Denver's. The job situation in Portland I hear is worse than Denver's but how can anyone really compare unless they look for a job both places? Portland has lots of jobs in the insurance industry.

[Wish26]

I work for the federal government. So, luckily Portland has almost as many federal jobs as Denver. And given their hiring process, I'll be able to wait to move til Portland until I have a job offer in hand.

[Minervah]

Portland has lots of jobs in the insurance industry.

I agree with all you have said but I have to ask you about this comment. I work for the largest insurance company in Portland, Standard, and because of downsizing had to take a different job with lessor pay within the company. Unless one is in sales, I think the jobs in the insurance industry are waining.

Interestingly, a former co-worker in Underwriting transfered to the Denver office and will be in sales. He is hoping to gain enough experience and salary to be able to move back to Portland in a sales position.

[MtnSurfer]

I am looking to move from Colorado Springs to Portland with my family. And we will gladly trade 300 days of sun for 300 days of clouds. Up in the mile high cities you not only get a lot of 'intense' sun but because of the altitude it is much more harmfull.

And both places have their trade offs that is for sure. My reasons for wanting to move are moslty different from Wish26. I was born near the coast and don't like that I can't get in my car and DRIVE to the ocean. It is just too darn far.

I am conservative, but wouldn't really move somewhere based on political persuasions. I like variety and don't mind if I live somewhere where folks might think differently than I do. Not to concerned about concerts. LOL... But being closer to Seattle and SF and Yosemite are big pluses! I love the outdoors and there is no shortage of Mtns. and coastlines to explore. The cascades offer a lot of cool mtn. activities.

The job market is much better overall in Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs than anywhere in Oregon for my profession - software engineering. But there are still jobs in Portland. I was even contacted by several recruiters there. Aerospace work is basically non-existant. I worked for Northrop Grumman before and they have a miniscule presence in Portland. Fortunately I have been doing some commericial work lately with Verizon. So that should increase my marketability once I start the hunt.

Lastly it is hard to take my young kids (2-6) out to play in the winter here when it is in the single digits out. I love to hike even in the snow and do landscape photography. But it gets *really* cold up in the mtns in the Winter. I was out shooting a couple of weeks ago in sub zero temps. That is just no fun for young children. They seem to have an aversion to pain of this kind. Even with all the gear on it is still really too cold for them. So that is the time when I would like to just put them in the car and drive to the coast. I like having more outdoor options year around.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Lastly it is hard to take my young kids (2-6) out to play in the winter here when it is in the single digits out. I love to hike even in the snow and do landscape photography. But it gets *really* cold up in the mtns in the Winter. I was out shooting a couple of weeks ago in sub zero temps. That is just no fun for young children. They seem to have an aversion to pain of this kind. Even with all the gear on it is still really too cold for them. So that is the time when I would like to just put them in the car and drive to the coast. I like having more outdoor options year around.

Wow, I guess kids are a lot different now than when I was growing up. I was a child in the Colorado Front Range and really loved the wild weather. My most memorable excursions were in the mountains at all times of the year and the variable weather was part of the fun. We used to laugh at the touristas who froze in the summer at altitude - we always wore our winter coats. One time in Co. Spgs, we got a very cold late spring blizzard that trapped my mother at work. We waited for 2 hours for our school bus that we later learned had its engine frozen - entertaining ourselves by shoe skating on the road then spent the rest of the day playing in the snow that piled up to 4 feet. Fabulous fun and who cared it was so cold! We were young and tough. It was a lot harder on my mother since she had all the responsibility and worried about us (unnecessarily).

Now that I'm much older, I don't want the dry, high altitude sun and the urban areas have not grown gracefully in Co. So I'm looking forward to the cool, green mild climate with plenty of rain once I'm free to retire and live wherever I like. And in PDX, I can always go find as much snow as I want with a short drive.

[MtnSurfer]

Well,

Maybe when kids get a little older this might apply for 'some.' But when I am hiking to Dream Lake in the winter or any other place for that matter when it is near Zero I normally 'never' see children or families out 'playing.' So while your experience sounded fun for you in a nastalgic sort of way, the majority of young children on the Front Range are playing indoors or near their home when it gets that cold. They are not up in the mountains romping about like they do during the other seasons when it is warmer.

Most 'adults' won't even venture into the Mtns. much when it gets this cold. Maybe once things warm up a bit into the 20s-30s. But 0-teens, not very common. Also young children do not maintain there core bodies temperatures as well as teenagers or adults. So things like frostbite and hypothermia are real concerns for most parents. I am not necessarily doubting what you are saying. And of course there will always be exceptions to the norm. But how often were you really playing in the mtns. in the winter when it was 5 degrees out and snowing? And did your parents really let you run around up there when you were a 3 y/o? LOL...

Ok, kids go run around and have fun! And remember not to get frostibite and watch out for avalanches. Oh ya, and don't walk on those partially frozen lakes. LOL... I can pictue it now.