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The housing bust REALLY soured Oregonians on the California transplants. The home prices in Oregon would've been steady if not for the destruction of the market in California caused those with 2nd homes in Ore or those moving to Oregon to default when they couldn't sell/re-fi their Cali homes.
Californians and Eastcoasters are totally blamed for what Oregon is today: high priced hippy and high tech state. Back in 1982, it was down to earth and so cheap. It remained cheap with 1 bd apt. going for only 285 a month until 1997 when a bunch of Californian and East Coast transplants having flocked there for nearly 10 years at that time, driving the real estate prices sky high and radically changed the culture from down to earth, peaceful nature loving to crazy hippy and high techie yuppies. Nice job, transplant pinheads!
I have to disagree with you. From my experience as a native East Coaster who lived in Portland for 5 years, I met literally 2 other East Coast transplants there. Not saying there aren't some more, but it's hard for East Coast people in a place like Portland, and I believe they come there and give up pretty quickly and move back home. There are, however, Californians EVERYWHERE in Portland - they are the ones to blame for the spotted owls, the high real estate, etc. If East Coast people had more of an influence over Portland, the city would actually have some business sense and a more thriving economy instead of MIT graduates working at Starbucks and hovering near 10% unemployment pretty much all the time. When I walk into a professional office, I don't want to see a teenager behind the front desk with blue hair and a pin through her nose, and that's what you get in Portland, which is why they aren't a financial force to reckon with.
I should also say that as an East Coaster, I moved to Portland with the best of intentions - seeking a new life among open-minded people in a clean city, etc. What I found was the opposite. The city is immaculately clean, but the people? Some of the nastiest, close-minded people I'd ever encountered in my life. I was told from the first week I was there not to tell anyone I was from Philadelphia because people will hate me. My answer? "Aw, pishaw!" Well, don't you know, all I ever heard from people out there who knew where I was from was how much they hate people from the East Coast (hey, so do I sometimes!) and every morning my idiot boss would come in and throw some stupid Sopranos reference at me. My favorite is how Portlanders call themselves unique and tolerant - I never experienced any tolerance on my end and I'm sorry, but if everyone in the city believes exactly the same things, have the same bad tattoos and piercings, and preach tolerance when there are barely any blacks in the city, they're not exactly unique or tolerant in my book.
That being said, I'm trading in my East Coast roots to settle down as - you guessed it - a Californian soon. Portland's a fabulous place to visit, but I'd never want to live there again.
I have to disagree with you. From my experience as a native East Coaster who lived in Portland for 5 years, I met literally 2 other East Coast transplants there. Not saying there aren't some more, but it's hard for East Coast people in a place like Portland, and I believe they come there and give up pretty quickly and move back home. There are, however, Californians EVERYWHERE in Portland - they are the ones to blame for the spotted owls, the high real estate, etc. If East Coast people had more of an influence over Portland, the city would actually have some business sense and a more thriving economy instead of MIT graduates working at Starbucks and hovering near 10% unemployment pretty much all the time. When I walk into a professional office, I don't want to see a teenager behind the front desk with blue hair and a pin through her nose, and that's what you get in Portland, which is why they aren't a financial force to reckon with.
Not sure what social circles you hung out in while in Portland, but there are a good number of transplanted east coasters here. Both in recent times but also historically Portland has had a number of people from the east coast who've settled here permanently (former Mayor Vera Katz for example). At least from my experiences, where I currently work probably about 20 percent of the people are originally from the Northeast US.
But of course it's only the Californian transplants who've ruined Portland--sure. It's not as if Intel isn't a company founded in and based in California, that's contributed to the Oregon economy for years now. On the other hand look out where the former mayors and city council members of Portland are from or former governors of Oregon are from. The people of influence in the government deciding policy, weren't from California. And much of the reason for Oregon's crap economy, is in part a reliance historically on the timber industry and then high tech--it's not the most economically diverse state as well as the fact that the location is fairly distant from the rest of the US(it's not a hub or centrally located), doesn't have oil or natural gas resources like some other western states, as well as never investing much in higher education to the level to compete with California or Washington as being a source of innovation.
I can understand how transplants from California have played a part in a lot of the changes to neighboring western states(higher real estate and more liberal policies)--just as transplants from other areas have. And I can understand the frustration--though you can't blame every single fricking problem in Oregon on one group of transplants. Especially if you're a transplant yourself.
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I should also say that as an East Coaster, I moved to Portland with the best of intentions - seeking a new life among open-minded people in a clean city, etc. What I found was the opposite. The city is immaculately clean, but the people? Some of the nastiest, close-minded people I'd ever encountered in my life. I was told from the first week I was there not to tell anyone I was from Philadelphia because people will hate me. My answer? "Aw, pishaw!" Well, don't you know, all I ever heard from people out there who knew where I was from was how much they hate people from the East Coast (hey, so do I sometimes!) and every morning my idiot boss would come in and throw some stupid Sopranos reference at me. My favorite is how Portlanders call themselves unique and tolerant - I never experienced any tolerance on my end and I'm sorry, but if everyone in the city believes exactly the same things, have the same bad tattoos and piercings, and preach tolerance when there are barely any blacks in the city, they're not exactly unique or tolerant in my book.
Most of those mythical stereotypical Portlanders who brag about how unique and tolerant they are most likely transplants themselves...Probably from the Midwest, Northeast, or --uh oh-- California. You're free to just blame it on the Californians though. Native Portlanders or Oregonians are a different breed for the most part. But anyhow, despite the pretentious nature of some transplants, I rarely run into people who actually brag about how "unique" and "tolerant" it is here. I hear more people just complaining about hipsters and laughing at the Portlandia stereotypes.
As far as the lack of black people, well partly that's a result of historical policy, but also a case of geography. It's a long way from the South and until the 1940s and World War II there wasn't a big migration by blacks to the West Coast. But of all the eastern/midwestern transplants I've met who equate diversity solely with the number of blacks in a city and likewise complain about Portland not being diverse for that reason alone, I've met very few who seem to want to go actually meet members of and hang out with Portland's black community. But it just seems to be a talking point for newcomers to talk down Portland.
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That being said, I'm trading in my East Coast roots to settle down as - you guessed it - a Californian soon. Portland's a fabulous place to visit, but I'd never want to live there again
Oh so, Californians ruined Oregon, but now you're going to move to California with good intentions and expect to be welcomed with open arms? I guess if you're born in California you're not allowed to move out of state, but it's fine for some whiney east coaster to pull up shop and move wherever they please.
I don't much get the Californian hate, certainly never to the extent of feeling that way myself. Probably at least half of them migrate up here from SF/The Bay, which is an almost universally agreeable region of the country to your average Multnomah County left leaner anyway right?
I don't know about that.
The SOCAL transplants that I have met seem to be very appreciative of what Portland and Oregon have to offer.
I've heard plenty of first hand horror stories about living in the LA area.
No wonder they want to escape.
Most of the Californians from the Bay Area/Sacramento that I've met come across as the Californians everyone loves to hate.
Either way, it's an eye-roller to me when people get all huffy puffy about Californians. It doesn't suggest anything flattering about our own personality as a city or region, rather, it strikes me as people celebrating just how ignorant/intolerant and bumblef**ck they can be, which is a little depressing. (This isn't Sarah Palin's Alaska for christ sakes.)
I have to disagree with you. From my experience as a native East Coaster who lived in Portland for 5 years, I met literally 2 other East Coast transplants there. Not saying there aren't some more, but it's hard for East Coast people in a place like Portland, and I believe they come there and give up pretty quickly and move back home. There are, however, Californians EVERYWHERE in Portland - they are the ones to blame for the spotted owls, the high real estate, etc. If East Coast people had more of an influence over Portland, the city would actually have some business sense and a more thriving economy instead of MIT graduates working at Starbucks and hovering near 10% unemployment pretty much all the time. When I walk into a professional office, I don't want to see a teenager behind the front desk with blue hair and a pin through her nose, and that's what you get in Portland, which is why they aren't a financial force to reckon with.
I should also say that as an East Coaster, I moved to Portland with the best of intentions - seeking a new life among open-minded people in a clean city, etc. What I found was the opposite. The city is immaculately clean, but the people? Some of the nastiest, close-minded people I'd ever encountered in my life. I was told from the first week I was there not to tell anyone I was from Philadelphia because people will hate me. My answer? "Aw, pishaw!" Well, don't you know, all I ever heard from people out there who knew where I was from was how much they hate people from the East Coast (hey, so do I sometimes!) and every morning my idiot boss would come in and throw some stupid Sopranos reference at me. My favorite is how Portlanders call themselves unique and tolerant - I never experienced any tolerance on my end and I'm sorry, but if everyone in the city believes exactly the same things, have the same bad tattoos and piercings, and preach tolerance when there are barely any blacks in the city, they're not exactly unique or tolerant in my book.
That being said, I'm trading in my East Coast roots to settle down as - you guessed it - a Californian soon. Portland's a fabulous place to visit, but I'd never want to live there again.
Nice to get an opinion on our intolerance from someone who displays such tolerance themselves.
This thread is so funny. Same old crap with some exceptions. Thanks UrbanAdventurer for the nice shout out to Native Bay Area Peeps! I have lived all over and really could give two hoots if people judge me because I am a PROUD Native San Franciscan! California has had some serious problems in recent years which is unfortunate. I left over 15 years ago so I haven't been as affected by all it's crap but to see my home state have so much crime, crappy k-12 education, laws that make little sense... I could go on but... well, we have enough problems in Oregon to worry about. I have made many Native Oregonian friends in less than two years and count my blessings. Sometimes kindness begets kindness... and sometimes, as some on this forum frequently express hate, it does NOT. I do not concern myself with the latter.
Man, you sure have a serious grudge against Nor Cal! Oh well, can't please everyone all of the time.
QUOTE=pdxMIKEpdx;19970277]I don't know about that.
The SOCAL transplants that I have met seem to be very appreciative of what Portland and Oregon have to offer.
I've heard plenty of first hand horror stories about living in the LA area.
No wonder they want to escape.
Most of the Californians from the Bay Area/Sacramento that I've met come across as the Californians everyone loves to hate.[/quote]
This cracks me up. I feel as if I'm back in Oakland and a race riot is about to break out. It's kind of a silly question regardless...who hates someone because of what state they are from? The cast of Jersey Shore, maybe, but I expect most people to be operating at a much higher level then those idiots.
Californians move EVERYWHERE for cheaper housing - not just Portland! Look in all 50 states and you'll find us. Oregon just happens to be one of the closest. Reno is actually inundated with Californians looking for cheaper living. Why is California constantly getting brought up, it is like there is a mass exodus that I don't know about? If there's anyone that deserves to be picked on, it's those goddamned Canadians for being all nice and safe and friendly and ****!
I don't feel like anyone in Portland hates or even mildly dislikes somebody because they are from another state or particularly California. It is blown out of proportion.
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