How expensive is it to live in Portland or Vancouver (WA)?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by pepsik

Which place (neighborhood) is better to live around the Portland? Beverton? Hillsborro? Sherwood?

Very different areas...

Do you want vintage homes or suburbia?
Do you desire a 'walkable' neighborhood?
Job, school, recreation, food, access?
How close to 'rural' ?

Or do you prefer city / mass transit.

Price range?

Need culture?

How do you feel about sitting in traffic, or enduring pollution?

Do you like 'wine-events'?

[pepsik]

[quote=StealthRabbit;43640371]Very different areas...

Do you want vintage homes or suburbia?
I`d like rather suburb with green area includ. playgruond

Do you desire a 'walkable' neighborhood?

What does it mean - the walkable neighborhood? Is where i would be able to move with no using a car?

Job, school, recreation, food, access?
School isn`t necessary (my kid is 1,5 years) but recreation is very need. Food - if you mean restaurant either cafe - then it doesn`t matter. If the store is close to me it`ll be nice!

How close to 'rural' ?
Or do you prefer city / mass transit.
I`d like to live seeng a nature. So close to rural is possible

Price range?
Not above 1300-1500$ per month for 2br

Need culture?
Nope, only decent & intelligent people around me. I`m family man with a kid =)

How do you feel about sitting in traffic, or enduring pollution?
Is there really terrible traffic in Portland? I think a little of anyone loves traffic. But i can`t imagine how it awful? I've watched the movies on youtube to understand what the horrible traffic jam there. But all that i `ve found is slowly cars moving with no stop. It`s not traffic jam for my understanding.. One hour from home to DT is OK for me. I`m used to staying in traffic about 2-3 h.

Do you like 'wine-events'?
Nope again)

[Minervah]

How are your job skills? You haven't mentioned that. Do you have have some good ones to offer? There is a lot of competition for jobs in Portland unless you have really good employment credentials. That's something to be aware of.

[pepsik]

I could say the same about all cities in USA)) But i`ll consider it. Actually i`m just finding out...
PS: i`m an environmental engineer (ecologist).

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by pepsik

PS: i`m an environmental engineer (ecologist).

Self employed?
Planning to work for a municipality?
Private industry?

Commercial focus (Industrial mitigation/ compilance), or ...
parks / water quality / conservation focus?

Do you have potential locations / companies where you want to work?

I agree that 'close to home' is best for family.(i.e. Able to Walk home for lunch)

Where do you plan to be living / working in 5 yrs? (When kid is school age?)

With enough info from U, we can save you a lot of trouble and expense.

Your career field is well staffed and a desired job in PNW, so you will need some differentiation from our normal 'Greenies' in public sector. (Helps to be LGBT and of minority race).
If you are seeking private sector, you just have to be good and have serious and very profitable verifiable contributions in previous work history. As with most technical engineering, it helps if you have published technical papers and findings. I did several international environmental engineering and stewardship presentations and white papers, and that keeps the head hunters knocking. I really dislike this type of a career in my manf sector, so I only do it less than 10% of my time (when employed... Not this year, I'm living traveling RTW for fun).

I have a few places / employers / gov positions in mind for you, but some of them are from the state to the north, so I can't post those in OR forum. There are several eco eng companies / testing / compliance in Portland. As well as a few great companies piloting new designs / products in the eco eng sector.

[pepsik]

I`ve been working in civil engineering (noise protection, air pollution). The best i would like to work at the laboratory making a sound measurements from cars/airplane, air quality test, etc. I dont know where i plan to work) I`ve got a conversation with people from INCE who do the same work as i do. But they assured me that i have to take some courses to realize "how does it work in USA"..
But really i`m not choosing the place due my work! I`ve tired to work in the places which i hate. Even good salary is not cost it because usually it not bring a good quality of life. Ex. NY - many people there (i sure) don`t enjoy their life but many of them have the high salary. Due to my career field i`ve lived in many awfull large cities, with worst ecology, noise problems, very packed! I had quite high salary but i hated this places, i didn`t enjoy of my life there. That`s why i wish avoid it. Although i understand that my job field is more Important exactly in large cities. I`ll be trying to find myself in smaller cities or change the job field)
So now i`m choosing not by work, but climate/quality of life. I want my son will be raised with a better conditions of life that we had) My child is 1.5 years old so he doesn`t need a school yet.
Also by reason of my problems with my knees i can`t work in office sitting down on a chair for an 8 h. I have to move))

[Nell Plotts]

Most cities in the Pacific NW would meet your environmental needs (except around Richland, WA).

Apply for jobs, come out for an interview and judge for yourself.

[BlueMare1967]

Originally Posted by pepsik

Which place (neighborhood) is better to live around the Portland? Beverton? Hillsborro? Sherwood?

Depends! Do you need good schools? Then don't choose Portland. More info please.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by pepsik

I`ve been working in civil engineering (noise protection, air pollution). The best i would like to work at the laboratory making a sound measurements from cars/airplane, air quality test, etc. I dont know where i plan to work) I`ve got a conversation with people from INCE who do the same work as i do. But they assured me that i have to take some courses to realize "how does it work in USA"..
But really i`m not choosing the place due my work! I`ve tired to work in the places which i hate. Even good salary is not cost it because usually it not bring a good quality of life. Ex. NY - many people there (i sure) don`t enjoy their life but many of them have the high salary. Due to my career field i`ve lived in many awfull large cities, with worst ecology, noise problems, very packed! I had quite high salary but i hated this places, i didn`t enjoy of my life there. That`s why i wish avoid it. Although i understand that my job field is more Important exactly in large cities. I`ll be trying to find myself in smaller cities or change the job field)
So now i`m choosing not by work, but climate/quality of life. I want my son will be raised with a better conditions of life that we had) My child is 1.5 years old so he doesn`t need a school yet.
Also by reason of my problems with my knees i can`t work in office sitting down on a chair for an 8 h. I have to move))

The size of the city isn't going to make a difference. You are much better off sticking to your experienced field or you might not be able to earn enough to make a decent living in Portland and your quality of life will suffer trying to support a family.

What other line of work did you specifically have in mind if you decided to go out of your line of work?