Portland or Salt Lake City? (ski resorts, rent, crime)

[Strummer83]

I know this is a long shot thread, that possibly won't get any responses..but I am looking to make a move out west and have narrowed it down to two places. I've been to both cities, but haven't spent enough time in either to be able to make a strong comparison. So, my questions are:

Which city would have more nightlife options for a single 24 year old female that likes to go out once in a while?

Which city has a better music scene? (I'm gonna go with Portland, but I figured I'd ask anyway).

What is the comparison on crime and overall affordability?

Which has more diverse food options?

What are the locals like? For those of you who have lived in either place..


Coming from Richmond, a diverse southern city with a strong art scene and good walkability..I would prefer to move someplace with these familiar aspects. I would also prefer to go someplace with a good film scene, if that's possible with these two choices.

Thanks ahead of time for any impending responses!



I was teeter tottering between LA and Portland for awhile, but am thinking I'd rather go somewhere unfamiliar..and Los Angeles is like a second home to me. Looking for a new experience! I hope ya'll can help :-)

[FoxyKnox]

This is a funny thread...I have a cousin who is very outdoorsy (alaska boy) and got assigned half his residency here in Portland and the other half in SLC! And they have loved both places.

Nightlife and music are MUCH better in Portland...SLC is run by the Mormon church (no matter what the "non-Mormon" newspaper they publish wishes you to believe), so there are fairly strict laws on alcohol. The various shots in a normal long island iced tea are all mixed into one shot glass, so you only get one shot per drink for instance. The only thing full-strength there is wine.

Both PDX and SLC have good food, but PDX is more organic, local, sustainable, so if that matters to you... (SLC has Safeway, Wild Oats, and Costco...PDX has Trader Joe's, New Seasons, and Safeway for instance). Also PDX has much better quality, fresher produce and seafood.

Overall cost of living, I'm not sure of...I know three years ago SLC was cheaper than PDX, but I know the SLC housing market has been doing very well and PDX not so good...

The Mormon influence is good on things like crime and family togetherness. SLC feels very safe and family friendly. The parks are well utilized. Many businesses are closed on Sunday to encourage family time.

In Portland, people mostly don't care too much if you are different--different is encouraged! In Salt Lake, the non-Mormons are friendly, but the Mormons may not be as welcoming if you don't share their views...Being a single 24 year old woman, they may wonder what is wrong with you that you are not married yet, although you'll probably find that more outside of the actual city...Plastic surgery is the number one high school graduation gift so that girls are more marryable.

One other thing, Park City (expensive) is pretty anti-mormon and does have a good scene. They host the film festival each year and have lots of bars and eateries...and ski-in/out if you are a snowbunny.

Based upon what you've said, if you're looking to settle down SLC is for you. If you want to enjoy being single and having fun, Portland is your place. BTW, Portland does have a film scene...not sure about SLC except for the big annual festival.

[Tesaje]

I've had to travel quite a lot to SLC. They have relaxed the liquor laws quite a bit. You no longer have to pay a club fee to get a drink normally or get a glass of wine in a restaurant. I always thought that you had to go thru such hoops to get a drink in SLC, then when you finally got it, it was stronger than any other place. They do have brew pubs now.

When I was young, I had opportunities to live in SLC and didn't want to because of the strong Mormon influence. In SLC, about half the population is not Mormon, but they still have a strong influence and control the politics. There are still polygamist enclaves and you will get constant attempts at conversion.

Male skiers tend to love it as the ski resorts are world class and very close. My impression is it is a better place for non-Mormon young males than females. A lot of Mormon women don't mind marrying outside their faith because they look at it as an opportunity to convert after the fact and will promise almost anything to close the marriage deal (some personal family experience here).

There's a lot more sun and a lot less precipitation in SLC than PDX.

[GucciLittlePiggie]

i am kind of curious how you came down to these two choices. slc would be good if you were a mindless drone who wanted to be controlled and led around and live in a backwards society and have no fun. i don't understand how closemindedness is a family value. conversely, portland is about enjoying life: the food, the wine/beer, the outdoors, etc. liberal, fun place with all kinds of silly weirdos. for the record, i'm a liberal, atheist 25 year old guy and engaged, so i realize my perspective may be different than those who might like slc. but i'm figuring that i've got another 5+ years before i have to "settle down and have a family," but i plan to move to portland for the young person fun, and to have a family. i'd rather have a vasectomy than raise kids in slc.

[Strummer83]

Thank you for all the responses! I've been drawn to Portland for some time now, and am thinking that may be an easier transition for me. I really like visiting SLC though, mostly because of all the friendly people and for snowboarding. I would like to settle down, but haven't met anyone worth the commitment..SO, I suppose I will continue to have some fun til then and try my luck in Portland. Does anyone know what the economy is like? Would I be okay waiting tables for a little while? Cost of living here in Richmond is incredibly low, but I make a lot of money serving here..so that would be another concern . I'd like to be able to have the same comfortable lifestyle I have here..

[FoxyKnox]

Strummer, I'm a student and not currently in the working world so I'm no where near an expert on the cost of living. I can tell you just don't plan to live downtown or in the Pearl district. North Portland is fairly inexpensive but the houses are all older so utilities are pricey. Check around on craigslist.org to get more specific numbers about what rent will cost you in each area.

GucciLittlePiggie, you may rather raise your kids in SLC once you actually have kids. You may not agree with the politics, but there is no other place in this country that values their children as much as SLCers. The Children's hospital is phenomenal, the parks are fabulous, and the school system is really good. Plus the general family values that seem to be lacking in many cities are still instilled in children in SLC.

[oldtintype]

There are plenty of affordable places to live downtown, especially when you factor in utilities (i.e. some old buildings include them) and transportation time/costs.

I have a child and have found Portland to be a great place for kids. Wouldn't do it anywhere else! As for family values...diversity is great in my book--all types. Portland is great for that.

[Tesaje]

As for SLC's touted family values, they have an appallingly high rate of incest and they also have a high divorce rate. The family values only apply if they match your own values. There is a distinct autocratic Mormon influence that runs counter to lots of people's values. It's fine if they match, but can be difficult if they clash.

[zilfondel]

I would think this decision should be based on whether you want to be around Mormons or a more secularized society. Colorado has better mountains.

Otherwise... 2 whitest cities in the USA. Hmm!

[OldLatrobe]

Originally Posted by GucciLittlePiggie

slc would be good if you were a mindless drone who wanted to be controlled and led around and live in a backwards society and have no fun. i don't understand how closemindedness is a family value.

and;

Originally Posted by Tesaje

As for SLC's touted family values, they have an appallingly high rate of incest and they also have a high divorce rate. The family values only apply if they match your own values. There is a distinct autocratic Mormon influence that runs counter to lots of people's values. It's fine if they match, but can be difficult if they clash.

I've lived in Utah, in the Salt Lake City metro area, for over 15 years now. I am not a Mormon - have no real interest in religion. The above statements couldn't be further from the truth.

Utah is a nice, safe place to live. There's plenty of things to keep oneself, or your family/children, occupied and entertained.