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Hey, my parents used to live walking distance from Rosehill. My dad took his daily walks there. I grew up until I was 8 in the Garfield Park area. My aunt lived near Humbolt Park.
I agree Chicago is too big a city. After living in a city the size of Portland I couldn't go back. That's why it is not on my list of places to which I want to relocate in couple of years.
Besides the cost of living factor, I never could understand when someone says a city's "too big". Even in NYC, there are parts that are less crowded and hectic. Alot of people (outside of work), don't really venture very far on a daily basis anyways. Look at NYC, it's something like 330 sq miles, but seriously, how many of those sq miles does the 'average' Ny'er travel across on any regular basis? Especially the ones who live in Mannhattan! They think that life doesn't exist West of the Hudson, or East of the East River. Mannhattan is only 24 sq miles. Now, subtract Harlem from that (Harlem's in Mannhattan, and most who don't live there, don't go there), and how really "big" is NYC? Those people in Mannhattan, are actually living in a small town with a HUGE skyline if you really think about it.
I know that is a crazy way to look at this. But if you think about it, it's true. Living in Portland, could really be the same as living in Chicago in many aspects. Now people who love the small town life, or rural, that's different. But once you start talking about major metro's, I think they are more similiar than not. I lived in Chicago for years, NEVER spent anytime in 2/3 of the city nabes (far westside and southside). So even though Chicago's 237 sq miles, how really big was it to me? Maybe like a 75 sq mile city or so? Something to think about.......
Last edited by pittsteelerfan; 03-15-2009 at 10:28 PM..
Besides the cost of living factor, I never could understand when someone says a city's "too big". Even in NYC, there are parts that are less crowded and hectic. Alot of people (outside of work), don't really venture very far on a daily basis anyways. Look at NYC, it's something like 330 sq miles, but seriously, how many of those sq miles does the 'average' Ny'er travel across on any regular basis? Especially the ones who live in Mannhattan! They think that life doesn't exist West of the Hudson, or East of the East River. Mannhattan is only 24 sq miles. Now, subtract Harlem from that (Harlem's in Mannhattan, and most who don't live there, don't go there), and how really "big" is NYC? Those people in Mannhattan, are actually living in a small town with a HUGE skyline if you really think about it.
I know that is a crazy way to look at this. But if you think about it, it's true. Living in Portland, could really be the same as living in Chicago in many aspects. Now people who love the small town life, or rural, that's different. But once you start talking about major metro's, I think they are more similiar than not. I lived in Chicago for years, NEVER spent anytime in 2/3 of the city nabes (far westside and southside). So even though Chicago's 237 sq miles, how really big was it to me? Maybe like a 75 sq mile city or so? Something to think about.......
Too many people commuting, too many in the stores, on buses and on the road, too much time taken traveling from one place to another etc. To each his or her own. I wouldn't mind a city larger than Portland but smaller than Chicago.
In NE and N Portland, there's kind of a lot of black people. In parts of Hillsboro and Beaverton, there's a lot of mexicans, but that's the suburbs. Parts of downtown and in the SE there's a lot of asians. It's not very diverse, but I don't think there's any part of the town that's really segregated, which I think should be considered a good thing.
I don't usually post here, but I have a definite opinion on this topic! I several people who moved to Portland from New York. Every last one hated it and moved back. Their complaints were the same. For them the pace was too slow, it was depressing, and they couldn't find a job or a decent slice of pizza. As a Portland native I don't agree, but it definitely isn't a place everyone likes to live.
I don't usually post here, but I have a definite opinion on this topic! I several people who moved to Portland from New York. Every last one hated it and moved back. Their complaints were the same. For them the pace was too slow, it was depressing, and they couldn't find a job or a decent slice of pizza. As a Portland native I don't agree, but it definitely isn't a place everyone likes to live.
Well I got news for them, alot parts of NYC are VERY "depressing", alot of pizza there sucks, and the jobs, for the most part, pay less when you factor in the cost of living.
Is there good pizza in NYC? Sure there is, but alot of it is lousy. Are there people there who make 'good' money in NYC? Sure, but most people in NYC standard of living is far below American standards. Are there nice parts of NYC? Sure there is, but alot of beat up parts also. Not to mention that alot of apts there are VERY "depressing" looking. Is NYC faster paced than Portland? Who would move to Portland thinking it would have the same pace as NYC?..... That's pretty much common sense if you ask me!
NY'ers love to brag about things, that alot of times are WAY off base. If they loved NYC so much, why did they leave in the first place?... Probably cause of the fact that most of them weren't living such a great life in NYC to begin with!....
I don't usually post here, but I have a definite opinion on this topic! I several people who moved to Portland from New York. Every last one hated it and moved back. Their complaints were the same. For them the pace was too slow, it was depressing, and they couldn't find a job or a decent slice of pizza. As a Portland native I don't agree, but it definitely isn't a place everyone likes to live.
That's funny because I have had the same experience regarding New Yorkers. I think many are just curious about a place so different from theirs and think they need something that is just the opposite of what they have in New York. After living here for awhile they realize how much they should have appreciated what they had and move back.
This is not a slam against Portland by any means. It just shows that not every place is for every person and the differences between one city and another can make a person realize just where he or she really belongs.
NY'ers love to brag about things, that alot of times are WAY off base. If they loved NYC so much, why did they leave in the first place?... Probably cause of the fact that most of them weren't living such a great life in NYC to begin with!....
Very well said, pittsteelerfan and Minervah!
I think Portland is a wonderful place to live, but it certainly isn't for everyone, especially for people who are accustomed to the opposite, like NY. I think we try their patience a bit too much, being all courteous to each other and such!
If I may speak for the "vast majority of the populace". It does appear when thier is all of this diversity, the schools suffer. I have been looking over the S.F. research , and thier schools are not much to speak about ! My wife and I want a good school for our daughter and L.O. seems to be the place. As I posted earlier today, our neighborhood near Chicago is diverse and the people that put a higher priority on tatoos, drinking and big pick up trucks for the short men( they must be Texas Ranger ) fans, voted down the school tax increase. Also we have the Ben Laden ones around. As an example, compare L.O. or West Linn to the river area in Portland. I don't have the school facts, as I did not research the N.E.of Portland. May I also give Catlin as a school to look up to. My daughter is picking up "bad words" from programs like Hannah Montana and Suite Life on how to be spiteful and obnoxious. If anyone can tell me any negatives about Catlin, L.O. or West Linn.... "I'm all ears", as the man from Texas one said...
My daughter is picking up "bad words" from programs like Hannah Montana and Suite Life on how to be spiteful and obnoxious. If anyone can tell me any negatives about Catlin, L.O. or West Linn.... "I'm all ears", as the man from Texas one said...
Sorry but your daughter will pick this stuff up in LO or West Linn or at Catlin Gable because kids are kids and they like to follow the popular trends. You are never going to get away from that. It's up to you as a parent to teach them what they see on TV is not real and not something to emulate. Then you show them what you think are good examples to follow. You as the parent can restrict their TV watching and so forth. You can't expect any school to teach your kids your values.
If you expect to move to a town where kids are not going to behave like kids, you won't find that anywhere. If you are looking for academic standing, LO, West Linn and Catlin Cable Schools are excellent.
Hi this is Adam, the original poster again. I've enjoyed reading the enlightening comments, and just had some other thoughts spinning around my head from reading. I didn't mention specifically before where I live in outer-borough NYC, but it's on the North Shore of Staten Island, one of the city's best-kept secrets in my opinion (shhhh...!). Anyone else familiar with Staten Island, and how it might compare with Portland?
What I love here is the combination of access to city life and proximity to nature. I live nearby the Staten Island Ferry, which will get you to downtown Manhattan in 25 minutes, for FREE. But we are also surrounded by open spaces- the borough is 25% parkland, and the Greenbelt has dozens of miles of trails through forested hills that are some of the highest on the East Coast. We're also near to the ocean, with beautiful and uncrowded beaches- I have a view of the ocean from my bedroom, in our apartment on top of one of the hills.
And I can get to all of the above-mentioned places by public transportation- it's not exactly easy and many people drive, but as an avid long-distance walker and runner I enjoy the challenges of getting around and the privileges of still having a reasonably reliable transit system. I have to travel around the Island to meet with clients on the caseload of my social service job, and I do it entirely by walking and riding buses or the train. No one else does this here, but I do (and it's wonderful!).
With all of the above-mentioned, I sometimes wonder why I would want to leave. But sometimes this place really brings me down, because it seems like there aren't too many other people enthusiastic about living here like I am. Though it can be liberating to find yourself all alone, with such peace and quiet only a few miles from Manhattan, sometimes there is also a feeling of forlornness.
And this is especially true when it comes to finding social outlets. It just bugs me that I can't find a place to hang out and meet like-minded other people with varying kinds of alternative ideas. Manhattan and Brooklyn are generally just too trendy for us, as I mentioned previously. I guess I have idealized in my mind a coffeeshop, that I used to frequent during my college years in Ohio, that was like my second living room and had a real sense of community. Staten Island does have a couple of neat independent coffeeshops, but they just don't meet the need that I am seeking. Perhaps the coffeeshop in my college town was just right for that time and place in my life, and the experience couldn't possibly be duplicated again.
So from what I can gather, Portland does seem to have much more of an active social life than that of Staten Island, including a number of coffeeshops and other "third places." But now that I'm a little more settled down in a relationship, and in the habit of not going "out" quite as much, I'm not sure that things would be any different whether I lived here, there, or anywhere. I guess I am seeking more of a community and social life, and pondering whether a change in city would have any effect on this at all.
Well, that got longer than I ever expected, sorry for being long-winded. Any reactions continuing to be appreciated- thanks.
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That's pretty much common sense if you ask me!
Diversity
