Chicago to Portland -- right for me/gay-friendly? (fit in, apartments)

[Andycsoul]

I've been living in Chicago for a year, but would like to experience living in different places throughout my life. I'm gay but don't like the scene and don't participate in stereotypically gay activities, but having a population and a safe environment is important. I work in legal administration and make 33k here, but understand that's probably equal to maybe 25k in portland (just guessing). I'm 26 in March, somewhat artsy, like city living but also love the beauty of the west. I don't drive so I would be dependent on public transportation.

Would Portland be good for me? Any ideas on neighborhoods that would suit me? Thanks.

[subsound]

Yes and no, outside of employment and residence you would have a good opportunity to be happy...but earning 25k is really pretty low for inside city limits. 2k a month after taxes is a pretty good estimate on gross living expenses, of course depends on your expenses. That's assuming you can get a job. Though you're more specialized then the normal any job, there are not many at that level left in the city...and there won't be for at least 6 months.

[kander63]

I'm a gay man originally from Chicago, and have been living in Portland for five years. My life circumstances are a bit different than yours (in my 40s, partnered etc), but I certainly know both cities very well.

Interestingly, my partner are somewhat divided on how good Portland is for gay people. I think it's just fine, he thinks it is OK, but feels he does not fit in as well as in San Francisco where we moved from. We live in a pretty family-oriented neighborhood with a good sprinkling of lesbian couples, but there are not a lot of gay men in our area. That is just fine with me, as I'm not much into the "scene" either. For someone in their 20s living in the urban core of Portland, being gay is really going to be a non-issue. There is definitely a fairly large and active community here which all kinds of activities - we belong to a gay Adventure Group that sponsors hikes and all other kinds of outdoor activities. The one thing about Portland is that there is really not a "gay neighborhood" like Boystown in Chicago or the Castro in SF. There is a small cluster of gay bars downtown, but gay people live all over - to me that is a plus, because it means there are lots of different neighborhoods where we feel accepted.

I have lived in Chicago, Boston, Philly, New York, Madison, WI and San Francisco, and Portland is my favorite of all of those places. It has a kind of Midwestern feel to it, but with West Coast liberalism and natural beauty included. People here are very laid back, and things are very casual. It's very much a stroll to the farmer's market in your jeans and flannel shirt in the morning to buy your organic veggies and then hit the hiking trails in the afternoon. There are lots of twentysomethings here and it tends to be a place where become come to be creative or be close to the outdoors rather than to make big bucks or have a high-powered career. If you are outdoorsy you will love it hear - from Portland you are 1 to 1 1/2 hours away from ocean, mountains and desert! How many cities can say that!

The downsides are:

1) Weather can be gloomy. You might think being from Chicago it woudln't be an issue but it could be - it can be gray, cold and rainy for days on end in the winter. I hated my first winter, then I got used to it and now it doesn't really bother me.

2) The economy is fairly moribund, especially compared to a place like Chicago. I have had to look for work several times since moving, and can only find jobs that pay about 1/2 of what I used to make in SF. Although, houses cost lest than half what they would there and quality of life is much better so to me it is worth it.

3) It's inexpensive compared to other West Coast cities, but expensive compared to incomes. I would imagine you would probably make a little less than you in Chicago, but in the range you are talking about, perhaps not as much less as you would think. If you can afford to live in Chicago, you can afford to live here.

Portland is divided into 5 geographic sectors, Northwest, Southwest, North, Northeast and Southeast.

Inner Northwest is very young and lively - our equivalent to Lincoln Park. Probably a little on the expensvie side for you, but not out of the question if you are OK with a small studio or a roommate situation.

Southwest - suburbia, don't bother. Nothing wrong with it, just not the place for a 20-something gay guy who presumably wants a social life of some sort.

North - mixed - some areas fairly poor and gritty, much of it up and coming. The area around Mississipi street is very cool, and lots of young people. You might like that.

Northeast - where I live. Much of it is single-family homes and fairly pricey, but Irvington is gayish and has lots of rentals. Alberta Street is the new hip area - lots of art galleries, bars restaurants and again, lots of young people and reasonably affordable.

Southeast - Quintessential portland. Lots of nice old houses mixed with fairly ugly (but affordable!) 60s apartment building. A nice mix of people - Tree-hugging liberal couples with kids, lesbian couples, tattooed twentysomething barista by day, indie rocker by night types. Hawthorne, Division, and Belmont are the main commercial strips, with lots of rentals in the blocks just off of those. Try to stay West of say 60th ave if possible. The farther east you go in Southeast the more you get into meth lab territory. Most of the nightlife and vibrant commerical areas are west of 39th ave - closer to the river (and thus to downtown) is generally more desirable.

Anyway, Portland is great, though the economy is not so hot. I wouldn't come without a job unless you have six months living expenses saved up.

Good luck!

[Todd.LA]

Portland is plenty gay friendly (I met my partner there). There is no main gay neighborhood, but there is a concentration of gay bars on Stark St. downtown and in another part of Old Town (which is nearby). SE tends to be lesbian central. I would say close in NW probably has the highest concentration of young gay men.

kander63 has good neighborhood descriptions, and generally speaking the closer in you live the more liberal and gay/gay-friendly things tend to be. One neighborhood that he didn't mention was the West End of downtown, downtown proper, and Goose Hollow. These are very central neighborhoods, and they would be especially good for you as a non-driver, who will rely on public transit, because nearly all of the bus lines (and light rail lines for that matter) start from downtown. While the new Pearl District lofts and condos are absurdly expensive, the older apartment buildings can be quite reasonable. A lot of people with cars don't want to live in these apartments because they don't include parking, and the street parking is metered. But for you, this would be really good. You're close to all of the cultural stuff, if you do want to dabble in the bar scene, it's walkable, and getting to the rest of the city is very convenient on mass transit. Downtown / Goose Hollow also tend to be a bit cheaper than inner NW, with tons of studios and one bedrooms.

As far as Portland's gay scene, it's not very "stereotypical" and veers towards the crunchy granola or the hipster side of things. It's also very white (like the rest of the city). Anyway, if you can afford it, you should try to plan a visit to see the city for yourself.

The legal industry in Portland is way smaller than Chicago, with far fewer large law firms. But there are jobs out there in the field, and like everyone on this forum keeps saying, try to line up a job before you move to Portland in this economic climate, because competition for jobs is tough.

[Lilly12103]

The whole city of Portland is a gay neighborhood... and I don't mean that in a bad way. There isn't the segregation of a "gay" or "straight" areas, people are spread out and doin' their own thing all over. Hell, the mayor of Portland is a gay man (all politics aside...), it is very gay friendly and accepting, I'd say you'll have no problem.