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Old 10-11-2015, 02:37 AM
 
190 posts, read 178,924 times
Reputation: 101

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Quote:
Originally Posted by SyraBrian View Post
Portland's economy is okay. The Bureau of labor Statistics ranked Portland's metro in its top 10 for both year to year percentage wage increase and year to year percentage job growth.

Housing is a struggle as people kept moving to Portland during the recession. Operating under the assumption that domestic migrants would behave rationally, developers stopped building.

Plus, since Portland is well known for its urban growth boundary area, it mostly attracts people who want to live as close in as possible. They're pretty much like the driver who circles the parking lot until the space right next to the store opens up.
Which takes the exact amount of ambition at least to me as living in a fast paced East coast city like D.C.. the energy is just not worth it to try to live in the best spot in town and try to make it. Nobody should come to Portland what should be a laid back city to compete.. isn't this supposed to be a calm retirement kinda city with a cool vibe? but with some jobs if people do need them? So I thought. I thought Portland had it all, up all night places to go w/street food all day and night, possible job opportunities if I hooked up with the right employment counselor.. I saw people getting jobs and even met a few people from MA so I had a good feeling on my visit. Living there 3 yrs later though, not the case. Portland in 2008 seems just based on what I been hearing today like it was a much calmer relaxed place and kept getting worse. This is 3 yrs later now from when I was last living in Portland too.. it must have filled up like mad since. The difference looks huge now since Obama first won the presidency just by all I'm hearing. If it was bad in 2012, I cant imagine now. Its almost 2016.
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Old 10-11-2015, 02:48 AM
 
190 posts, read 178,924 times
Reputation: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by borntorun1180 View Post
Bellevue is more of a real city than Portland, they care about what is important. Their streets aren't full of lazy junkies, people are there to actually make money, and the feel of the city is much better.

Unfortunately if I wanted to move there I would have to leave my current job and I always hate having to start over sewing how far I have come with the company I work for now.
Yea man that sounds like some parts of FL like in the suburbs with decent housing. I cant name a city in Massachusetts like that though as other than Boston, the big towns are mostly old mill towns that are depressed or factory towns. It might be like Nashua NH though which is a city I LOVE. Its normal, good schools, job economy probably not like Bellevue but everything else probably is about it though.. that's if there a quaint downtown with coffee shops, malls, stores, and general calm people although with some traffic too because of malls. Its like what Portland would be if Portland were normal and of course 1/7th the size in population. More libertarian influence too and some people move to that area if they're into grassroots movements although people are not moving in droves crazy either so it has similar energy to Portland just without the insane aspects with overcrowdedness other than MA people moving there or homeless running around everywhere. A lot looks fresh and new too along with the old they try to preserve so as I get older, I got re reminded why I like places like this more when Portland failed for me. It also doesn't feel as 1955 as St Pete either like Murray describes haha. I find that so funny though because that is true, but I am also not sympathetic to heavy leftism either or rabid nuts and I like to go to places with less of those kinds of people. I am not an atheist, but am an agnostic catholic I'd say and believe in 1st and 2nd amendment the most in the constitution.
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Old 10-11-2015, 02:56 AM
 
190 posts, read 178,924 times
Reputation: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayOlive View Post
I don't understand the "requires going out all the time, spending money at bars..." thing
Ya didn't you hear.. Portland is high on alcoholism as borntorun had stated. Even if its craft beer, they drink a lot of that AND PBR AND Liquor! So getting out and going to bars (Like in St Pete BTW) is what you have to do. in St Pete if you have money to go to bars a lot again (like Portland) its a good place and that means you can afford the true Central Ave lifestyle. Its turning into Portland and you say St Pete feels like 1955 ok.. that's true its still VERY behind. They just got a Trader Joes in not long ago. Even Sarasota got theirs before St Pete. BUT BUT.. Portland area is also very behind.. just leave Portland city limits just a little bit and it turns into the 30s-50s easily. The boundaries from downtown also are not too far where that happens too, again like St Pete.. just warning you. St Pete is just more southern, that's what you don't like more than likely and if you claim animal rights issues aren't being addressed or homosexuality, blame the blacks in town or hardcore rednecks as they either don't care for humanity or minorities, and will vote against homosexuality (blacks mostly for that one) more than whites do on the whole. St Pete has a good black %. Again though like St Pete, Portland also does.. they are getting gentrified but some are still around too. They're the same thing kind of, St Pete just has half the population and beaches.
My take is Pinellas County regardless has some of the most ruthless idiots I've ever seen, right up there with Portland and the drivers are just as lousy. Even if we don't agree on a lot, I can at least say this.

Ok I am done ranting now.. these kind of threads bring out a side of me where I can go on and on.
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Old 10-11-2015, 06:30 AM
 
Location: Brevard County - For now
30 posts, read 56,212 times
Reputation: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayOlive View Post
Why do I want to move to Portland? Well, I think I described why in my original post, but I will reiterate:

* I live car-less and need to live in a town/city with great public transportation, which is also bike-able/walkable.
* I have been vegan for most of my life and want to live in a place where that is acceptable, common and where I can find plentiful food options.
* I enjoy the outdoors and want to live in a place that does NOT have extreme weather - where I live now, I have endured 6 years of HORRIBLY hot/humid weather 7 months out of the year and that is pure misery for me. I was also born in NY and live all over the state until I was 25 - including Albany, NY - where the winters were brutal, snowy and miserable - I do not want to do that again. I know that Portland is grey and drizzly for a good portion of the year - I am thrilled by the prospect!!
* I am an artist and want to live in a place where I can befriend/become part of a community with other artists/like-minded people.
* I am a huge animal welfare proponent and I want to live in a place where this is acceptable - heck, even "normal". Here in the south, this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case...and I don't want to get into an Animal Welfare discussion here, so that's all I'll say about that.
* I am an Atheist - nuff' said there too!!

Also, I am not a "20 something" coming to Portland with a duffle bag and a dream of becoming famous.

I am 45 years old and looking for a place that I love in which to settle. I have been sober (no drugs/no alcohol) for the past 10 years, have much work/life experience/education, the drive and tenacity to make things happen in my own life (meaning I will take a job in retail/a restaurant/temping/etc. if necessary, if that's what pays the bills until I find what I am looking for).

Does that answer your question?

I wonder if Asheville, NC might be another viable option for you? I think it is maybe cheaper than Portland, still pricey though. Huge arts and DT vibe. Not much snow. Lots of overcast days thanks to the high elevation / mountains... no where near as nasty-hot as FL (I am a central Floridian).
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Old 10-11-2015, 07:08 AM
 
76 posts, read 67,851 times
Reputation: 87
Quote:
Originally Posted by FSU2016 View Post
I wonder if Asheville, NC might be another viable option for you? I think it is maybe cheaper than Portland, still pricey though. Huge arts and DT vibe. Not much snow. Lots of overcast days thanks to the high elevation / mountains... no where near as nasty-hot as FL (I am a central Floridian).
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think you really need a car there.
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Old 10-11-2015, 08:17 AM
 
166 posts, read 132,716 times
Reputation: 99
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayOlive View Post
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think you really need a car there.
You will need a car in Portland too, the only city I didn't need a car in was New York.
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Old 10-11-2015, 08:59 AM
 
76 posts, read 67,851 times
Reputation: 87
Quote:
Originally Posted by borntorun1180 View Post
You will need a car in Portland too, the only city I didn't need a car in was New York.
I have lived in San Francisco, Oakland, NYC, Austin and spent lots of time in Boston - I was fine without a car in all circumstances, so will you please stop now? The way you are chiming in so negatively about everything, just to be negative - even if what you are saying is not true - is just silly.

You hate Portland and you think everyone else should too and no one else should move there because they will be just as miserable, drunk, heroin-addicted, homeless and disillusioned as everyone else who has ever moved there - I got it, OK - are you happy now?
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Old 10-11-2015, 09:51 AM
 
Location: Syracuse, New York
3,121 posts, read 3,080,263 times
Reputation: 2311
Quote:
Originally Posted by GiovanniTheGreat View Post
Which takes the exact amount of ambition at least to me as living in a fast paced East coast city like D.C.. the energy is just not worth it to try to live in the best spot in town and try to make it. Nobody should come to Portland what should be a laid back city to compete.. isn't this supposed to be a calm retirement kinda city with a cool vibe? but with some jobs if people do need them? So I thought. I thought Portland had it all, up all night places to go w/street food all day and night, possible job opportunities if I hooked up with the right employment counselor.. I saw people getting jobs and even met a few people from MA so I had a good feeling on my visit. Living there 3 yrs later though, not the case. Portland in 2008 seems just based on what I been hearing today like it was a much calmer relaxed place and kept getting worse. This is 3 yrs later now from when I was last living in Portland too.. it must have filled up like mad since. The difference looks huge now since Obama first won the presidency just by all I'm hearing. If it was bad in 2012, I cant imagine now. Its almost 2016.
Portland doesn't have a nationally recognized "fashionable" suburb. The Washington County and Clackamas suburbs are nice but people don't initially move to the Portland area to live out there.

Because of this, Mayor Hales thinks Portland should be allowed to handle the influx of newbies by itself. That's not feasible. Portland doesn't have enough land.

The better solution is for Milwaulkie to take advantage of the Orange Line by building up and becoming a satisfactory "release valve" for those types who want urban living.

Of course, it would also have helped if that third bridge to Vancouver had happened. Bridges are cool!
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Old 10-11-2015, 10:00 AM
 
Location: Portlandia "burbs"
10,229 posts, read 16,247,444 times
Reputation: 26005
Quote:
Originally Posted by SyraBrian View Post
The Washington County and Clackamas suburbs are nice but people don't initially move to the Portland area to live out there.
Well, I did 37 years ago, and I'm still here. Never had a desire to live in Portland. It's short enough travel to go there when I want to.
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Old 10-11-2015, 10:21 AM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,334,589 times
Reputation: 35862
A car is definitely needed in Portland if one plans to get around anywhere besides the commute downtown. I know because I lived in Portland for nearly four decades and watched a once excellent bus system that went everywhere disappear in favor of MAX lines installed for downtown commuters. The one exception is to live in the more expensive trendy neighborhoods close in where the bus service is halfway decent.

What I am seeing here is a person pinning her hopes on hearsay. One who has never been to a city who is defending her notions of what that city is against those who actually live there. Discounting the actual malcontents, there is some very real and honest information being given here but I think the OP, like many others who have developed a "grass is greener" approach is not going to listen to the negatives and only support the positives.

If she comes here with only $10,000 her pocket, no job, no apartment, expects to be able to support a costly vegan lifestyle, live in a neighborhood of like minded people filled with "diversity and progressiveness" I don't think Portland is the place for her. Those things are either going to be too expensive or they don't exist.

But I don't think she will find that until she actually sees for herself like so many others who had these same expectations about Portland and moved there solely for those reasons and completely unprepared to support them. So I say come on down and good luck to her.
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