Relocation (Portland: employment, neighborhood, buy)

[lakeshasingle]

Hey, I just recently graduated from Massage School, looking to relocate to Portland. I have a husband and two children. Is this a good place to move? Need lots of information please help.

[Phrogg]

It could be good or bad, depending on what you like/dislike/want/need. What information are you looking for specifically?

[jjpop]

I think you can throw a rock into a crowd of people in Portland and have a 1 in 5 chance of hitting somebody that is a massage therapist.

[VelouriaPDX]

What does your husband do for work? I don't think one can make enough money here as a massage therapist to carry a family's financial requirements. Portland is relatively expensive and there are already plenty of massage therapists. How old are your children? What is your expected household income?

[patches403]

Originally Posted by lakeshasingle

Hey, I just recently graduated from Massage School, looking to relocate to Portland. I have a husband and two children. Is this a good place to move? Need lots of information please help.

No Portland would not be a good place for you to move unless you are a trust fund baby, or your husband has lots of work experience and a skill set capable of making him a salary of at least $100k a year.

[pdwpdx]

Your question is way too general. How about you do some of your own research, visit, and then come back with some specific questions you cannot find answers for.

Also, what patches said.

[tryagainelsewhere]

Portland is very boring and filled with judgmental people who play pretend open-minded. If you don't fix into their box expect to be talked about in public just out of earshot, and expect them to lie to your face. It kind of sucks. Why do you want to spend extra money here? Because you heard it was cool? Think about it for a second, really think, it's not a utopia, it's not even half what people say it is. Everyone is on a high horse and wants to other you asap. If only you were as cool and insightful as them. If only.

[Minervah]

Portland is a good place to move, yes. But only if you have the necessary skills to secure employment in a field that will support you and your family. Massage therapy, unfortunately, is not one of those fields; low pay and a great deal of competition.

[Yankeemama]

I think people all over the country have this idea about Portland based on its image. People here brag about New Seasons but never shop there and people brag about Stumptown but go to Starbucks every single day. People say they care about local stores but shop at H&M, which is the most throw away crap you can buy IMO. People talk about the "amazing" public transportation but never take it. People say they hate anything or anyone from CA but shop at Trader's( that's Trader Joe's) every day. Look in their pantries...they do. People say they care about "self care" but they drink way too much wine and beer. So all the people that say they believe in massage therapy... I know no one in Portland who regularly gets massage therapy... and they HAVE the time and money. Don't believe the hype, OP.

[Minervah]

At one time massage therapy was a pretty good business to get into in Portland. But that was a couple of decades ago. I had a couple of neighbors in Portland who had their own successful businesses through the 90's but about mid 2000 it began to wain. They had a few remaining loyal clients but it was getting really difficult for them to keep up with the COL as their customers also began to have to cut corners for the same reason. Extras like massage therapy are some of the first things people will cut back on.

One neighborhood moved away so I don't know what happened to her. The other was still living next door when I moved and was still struggling trying to keep up with extra work as an office temp working through a temp agency.

For those people who can afford it, it's just not the thing to do these days. I think whatever trendy health exercise methods in vogue today have replaced it.