Is Portland a good fit for me? (rent, employment)

[specficer]

I will be getting a Master's degree either Dec. '09 or May '10 in Creative Writing and will be moving out of Michigan after that. I am sick of the weather and want to move somewhere warmer. I am thinking of moving to Portland or Seattle as the weather is mild and they have forests and mountains, which I love.

I want to go to a place where I can get outdoor exercise year round. Hopefully I would be able to get into a safe neighborhood that I can walk to some local shops, etc.

For outdoor activities, I enjoy swimming, going to the beach, hiking, biking, and walking.

For city life stuff, I like to go to clubs, go to the movies, go to the bookstore, and go window shopping (especially at malls).

I am a straight white male. I am 25yo, and I am a liberal atheist.

As I am very single, it is important that I am in a neighborhood where I can easily find attractive single women to date of a similar background to me.

So is Portland a good fit for me?

[Lee151]

Sounds like it. Look into the Pearl District.

[specficer]

Originally Posted by Lee151

Sounds like it. Look into the Pearl District.

Looks a bit too "hip" or "ritzy" to me. I am looking for somewhere that is a bit more middle class and collegiate atmosphere. I will probably only be making mid-30s to lower 40s as I don't have much job experience and I will be just starting out in a career-type job after graduating.

[Minervah]

What line of work are you in? Do you have a job already confirmed?

[specficer]

Originally Posted by Minervah

What line of work are you in? Do you have a job already confirmed?

Not in any right now. I have worked in education, but I am not interested in that anymore. I would like to do something in an office (preferably writing) or to work in a creative capacity (for a TV station or something similar). No, I am just getting some preferred cities lined up so I can narrow down my job search.

[subsound]

Good luck finding anything here.

[specficer]

Originally Posted by subsound

Good luck finding anything here.

Well, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation right now; so anyplace else will give me better opportunities.

[Wicked Felina]

Yeah, I read that a city in Michigan has over a 15.5% unemployment rate. I think ours is around 10% - and closing.

Try checking out the neighborhoods around Reed College, Hollywood District, Hawthorne, Brooklyn neighborhoods (more expensive, though). You may even check out Bremerton or western Olympia, Washington. There are lots of areas in the Pacific Northwest which seem to me to have the "vibe" you are looking for.

Good luck in your search.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by specficer

Well, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation right now; so anyplace else will give me better opportunities.

That sounds like "I'll jump off this 40 foot cliff because it's closer to the ground than the 60 foot cliff next to it." If you are concerned about employment, and you should be, there are other places that have better employment rates than both states.

[Nell Plotts]

First line up a job, then move. If you have friends in either community see if they will put you up during your job hunt. Then rent a cell phone with a local number during your search. That way your resume will have both a local addres and phone number.