Portland and other artsy cities

[Port Pitt Ash]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Don't be a sheeple. Think outside the box. You don't have to go where everyone else is flocking to. My new city of Cleveland has a thriving arts community. It also has affordable housing and jobs.

Knowing Cleveland as well as I do it has a lot of things going for it, but a few very big problems that could be deal breakers for a lot of people.

Although the more I see the more I believe that most good places that are left will have at least one major deal breaker. It's just up to you to decide if that particular issue sours it for you specifically.

[CanuckInPortland]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

Madison- South neighborhood is the next gentrified neighborhood IMO. The main reason I think this is that PPS is figuring out school boundaries right now and if Madison feed is reconfigured the way I think it will then Madison High will become as desirable as Grant High. That will affect the desirability of the schools that feed into Madison like Lee School which is in the Madison High feed. So posters looking for an affordable place to buy that is close to Tri-Met, the airport and the freeways...look into Madison South BEFORE it becomes too expensive.

Roseway and Montavilla are already getting gentrified, so yeah Madison South could be next. One place that's interesting to me is that huge vacant lot just across the street from Madison High on 82nd. I always wonder what's the deal with that property. It seems like that could be a sizable area for re-development(housing and commercial). The Rocky Butte area could become more desirable as time goes on(the Butte itself has nice houses, but down below could change in time also).

I drive around 82nd and to the east occasionally, and I've already noticed some changes--there's some areas just in between 82nd and 205 that are already sort of changing.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by CanuckInPortland

Roseway and Montavilla are already getting gentrified, so yeah Madison South could be next. One place that's interesting to me is that huge vacant lot just across the street from Madison High on 82nd. I always wonder what's the deal with that property. It seems like that could be a sizable area for re-development(housing and commercial). The Rocky Butte area could become more desirable as time goes on(the Butte itself has nice houses, but down below could change in time also).

I drive around 82nd and to the east occasionally, and I've already noticed some changes--there's some areas just in between 82nd and 205 that are already sort of changing.

The area across from Madison has been purchased by a local Buddhist group. I believe all the skanky semi-porn shops located near the school will move once Madison becomes a middle class school. Crime will relocate and Rocky Butte is going to be very desirable once Madison South gentrifies. I pulled out my crystal ball.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Port Pitt Ash

Knowing Cleveland as well as I do it has a lot of things going for it, but a few very big problems that could be deal breakers for a lot of people.

Although the more I see the more I believe that most good places that are left will have at least one major deal breaker. It's just up to you to decide if that particular issue sours it for you specifically.

That's a fair comment. Every place has a deal breaker. For some, it's a high COL. For others, it's a perceived reputation of an entire city.

At one time Portland certainly had its share of poverty and crime when I moved there in the late 70's. No one at that time would have ever dreamed it would become what it's become. I think there are people who believe Portland was always the way it is today. I can remember neighborhoods with shacks and slums that weren't all that much different from some of Cleveland's worst. I remember comparing them to what I had seen in Chicago where I grew up. Those no longer exist in Portland.

This is the time to move to cities that are in transition. If someone wants a growing arts community with a reasonable COL and the opportunity to thrive, they should take a chance on places that were once in Portland's situation. They have to be willing to grow as the city works to solve its problems as people were willing to do with Portland back in the day. If Portland and other successful cities are too expensive for some, that's the choice. You can't have it both ways.

Just as an example of what Cleveland is doing to improve its lot, here's a video. This could be any city in transition. Of course it's only the downtown area. There are other areas that are trendy and those that need fixing. Many of the blighted areas are being worked on just as those in Portland have been. From what I understand the same is happening in Detroit. I think it's only out of ignorance that people believe only the more popular, trendy, expensive cities are where artists can thrive. If you look at other cities in the Midwest and South, you can find others.

I am not trying to sell anyone on Cleveland, I am just trying to give an example of how mistaken people can be in their total perception of other cities can be.

http://youtu.be/__5xpeffexs

[brianbar]

At what point will the markets prices not be sustainable, and how far can the prices in Portland be pushed- as high as LA and SFO with the lack of jobs to support such prices?

One complaint with Portland has always been the income vs cost of living "jobs don't pay much in Portland" is the common phrase.

I was never an artist, but in my early twenties I lived in the Alphabet District; This is in the late 2000s and decent apartments could be found, albeit small, for 650.00/ month. I think most of those units are closer to 800 or more now which I wouldn't pay. It makes me wonder who would and where people in that rental price point are employed? Has the job scene evolved significantly for Portland in the past five or so years?

[brianbar]

Originally Posted by Minervah

That's a fair comment. Every place has a deal breaker. For some, it's a high COL. For others, it's a perceived reputation of an entire city.

At one time Portland certainly had its share of poverty and crime when I moved there in the late 70's. No one at that time would have ever dreamed it would become what it's become. I think there are people who believe Portland was always the way it is today. I can remember neighborhoods with shacks and slums that weren't all that much different from some of Cleveland's worst. I remember comparing them to what I had seen in Chicago where I grew up. Those no longer exist in Portland.

This is the time to move to cities that are in transition. If someone wants a growing arts community with a reasonable COL and the opportunity to thrive, they should take a chance on places that were once in Portland's situation. They have to be willing to grow as the city works to solve its problems as people were willing to do with Portland back in the day. If Portland and other successful cities are too expensive for some, that's the choice. You can't have it both ways.

Just as an example of what Cleveland is doing to improve its lot, here's a video. This could be any city in transition. Of course it's only the downtown area. There are other areas that are trendy and those that need fixing. Many of the blighted areas are being worked on just as those in Portland have been. From what I understand the same is happening in Detroit. I think it's only out of ignorance that people believe only the more popular, trendy, expensive cities are where artists can thrive. If you look at other cities in the Midwest and South, you can find others.

I am not trying to sell anyone on Cleveland, I am just trying to give an example of how mistaken people can be in their total perception of other cities can be.

http://youtu.be/__5xpeffexs

I agree to an extent, but overall I think Ohio's image as a deeply conservative place, with some relatively "rough" influences as far as crime in major cities won't be conducive to the rate of gentrification Portland has.

I have to admit I'm a huge fan of the Midwest, I lived in Indy for a couple years and found it quite charming.

[SyraBrian]

Personally, I don't know why people who flee gentrification would urge the type of people who started the process to move to their new town.