Moving To PDX in February (Portland, Beaverton: extended stay, apartment, to rent)

[amandap]

Hey so I'm moving to PDX in February and i'm looking for a place to live. i'd love to look for something temporary until i get there and look for a more permanent solution, but i live 4 hours away right now. I'm working down town and would love to spend like $700 a month or less in rent. ideally i would love 2 bedrooms but 1 would work. any ideas? any help? all the places i can afford seem to be come income restricted. thanks for your help.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by amandap

Hey so I'm moving to PDX in February and i'm looking for a place to live. i'd love to look for something temporary until i get there and look for a more permanent solution, but i live 4 hours away right now. I'm working down town and would love to spend like $700 a month or less in rent. ideally i would love 2 bedrooms but 1 would work. any ideas? any help? all the places i can afford seem to be come income restricted. thanks for your help.

You best solution may be to rent along the Max line out in east Portland. There are a large number of places of varying prices. The only thing I would add is to avoit the Rockwood area in east Portland.

[amandap]

So any ideas on how i can do that? i'm great with landmarks, but not with street names. i'm a small town girl and haven't lived in pdx since 2001, and that was in a dorm. i'm excited about my job but not the anxiety causing move... thanks for any help.

[Leisesturm]

I don't know why but Amanda just doesn't sound like an East PDX type to me. But I just noticed she lived in PDX before. Perhaps a little amplification on what is desired in terms of neighborhood feel would help nail down a direction - East or West of downtown.

H

[amandap]

Haha well that's a fine point. and i really don't know, i live in S.E. before on division. East or West eh? I'm not sure. i want something safe and like i said much better with landmarks, then streets. i'm familiar with hawthorne, my job is on 6th and oak. i suppose has far as neighborhood feel, i'd love to live in a neighborhood of young professionals (20-30s). I'm a social worker, so i really don't want anything trashy, but wouldn't fit with people who go to Europe every spring or some such nonsense. i'm rambling. young professionals starting ot make their way, have fun, be responsible, make decent money, but can't blow it all because they have stuff to pay for. haha is that any more helpful? i love night life and don't have to be in the country, i go with the flow, hate traffic... probably more information then you wanted, and not at all a direct answer.

[Leisesturm]

Round one to Blazer Prophet. So, Amanda, did you like living on Division before? I doubt it has changed much in eight years, except for the rents. For seven bills you are looking at one bedroom I think. I doubt you will be driving to 6th and Oak so, yes, that means MAX and I definitely think the ride west of downtown (toward Beaverton) is nicer than the ride east of downtown. If you were going to really live far out it would be a deal breaker I think, for a few stops, probably too close to call. Try both and see. You will be safe enough in the area you mentioned: Hawthorne. Also some close by ones you didn't: Mt. Tabor. Laurelhurst, Sellwood, Brooklyn, Hollywood. I don't really like traffic (who does) but I don't drive much anymore. I'm hanged though, if I have experienced anything I'd call 'traffic' in PDX and I have driven here. Many times, at all hours. I84 into downtown, I84 to the Airport, 26 east and west, all hours, all days of the week. Even when it takes several minutes to get a green into 26, once you slot in it keeps rolling at 55+, I think the main congestion is north and west of the city. Nothing you will have to deal with daily. Maybe you can start work and find out where the majority of your new co-workers live? For a start.

H

[amandap]

All good advice, i'll check it out. i'll check out those streets, it's just hard to be 4 hours away searching for a place.

[EnricoV]

Okay. Here's my suggestion. I went to the Tri-Met webpage, and looked at the bus situation. I'd find the best commute I could to work, and start in that neighborhood.

The closest major bus stop to 6th & Oak is at 4th & Oak. LOTS of buses stop there. The ones headed to SE are the Division Street bus, and then several going south, towards Milwaukie/Oregon City. One of those includes an express (#99) that stops only 3 times after leaving Oregon City. That option would make a fast trip to downtown.

On the westside, there's also an express headed out Pacific Hiway (#94). And other lines to other neighborhoods.

The further out you go, the more you're likely to get for your dollar in an apartment.

[figmalt]

You might try farther west along the MAX and look at places like Orenco and Tanasbourne (East side of Hillsboro). They're close to public transit, and a lot of things are within walking distance. You should be able to find something nice around $700, maybe not two bedroom, but nice and safe.

[Leisesturm]

Busses are very vulnerable to weather and traffic irregularities. I wouldn't even want to rely on bus transport for a commute from the Mt. Tabor area downtown, for a commute from Tanasbourne it would have to be MAX or nothing. That said, Tanasbourne, Orenco, even further west are fine, safe areas but the o.p. said she was still a hard charging party girl (kidding!) and suburbia might be too sleepy. Note to o.p. you actually shouldn't be searching too hard for a place right now. The time to really put the pedal to the metal is once you have arrived here. For now you want to line up an extended stay hotel room or some kind of temporary living situation that will allow you to do up close and personal inspections and interviews with your prospective landlord. Good luck.

H