Leaving Portland: my thoughts on the city (Eugene, Bend: purchasing, pros and cons)

[PNW-type-gal]

I see this constantly - the complaint that Washington property taxes are ridiculous. When I last lived in Clark County (2006), my tax rate was $11 per assessed thousand, and my house in an upper middle class neighborhood was assessed at $290,000 (actual value around $350,000), for a total of $3190.00. A similar house in Multnomah County was assessed at $280,000 (actual value around $425,000) and the rate was $17.50 per assessed thousand for a total of $4900. Yes, Washington's assessed value was closer to the actual value, but the Portland house we had was much more expensive for a similar property on a smaller lot.

[Minervah]

Rose Cityzen's post is spot on. Maybe not for all but certainly for me. I earn well under $50,000 and it's a constant struggle. I have lost count of the times I have had to move because I could no longer afford the rent increases I was getting. Luckily I don't drive but if I did I wouldn't be able to afford a car. The bus system here is awful for those who seriously need it all the time; not just to go one way to and from work.

I particularly like Rose Cityzen's statement about economics destroying the city's diversity. We are rapidly becoming a city of "haves" and "have-nots." If it were only a case of economics, I would be sad to leave when the day finally comes because there are good things here. But since there are also so many other negative factors when it comes to day-to-day living, I don't think I will be unhappy to say goodbye. Portland is simply not the place for a low-income person any longer. The "haves" can have it.

[Wicked Felina]

As an aside, I went down to Union Gospel Mission today to donate clothing. For as long as I've lived here, I was surprised at the number of homeless people in the surrounding blocks. And more than a few were completely unhinged, mentally. This year I saw the largest group of homeless people I have ever seen there...it's just sad.

The scene actually reminded me of NYC, when they ran out of money for the mentally ill, and just dumped them on the street to fend for themselves.

I have a low-income too, but I came home to a warm apartment, and plenty of food in cupboards.

As Rose Cityzen pointed out, there's got to be a middle ground somewhere, and I'm afraid we've lost it here in Portland. And that's a very bad sign for the survival of a city, IMO.

Our landlord raises the rents every years, but minimally. I don't know how much longer he can do that, because this is after all a business to him. Like he said, he has to make the choice between keeping the rents low and keeping good tenants, or raising the rents and gambling on the next person.

My neighbors attend New Hope Community Church. New Hope has a very effective outreach program for those in need. This week alone they gave out over 35,000 lbs of food for needy people. That's never happened before.

Not trying to bum anybody out here, but when people on this board try to impress upon others wanting to move here that the job market "really is that bad", we are not kidding.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by Minervah

The bus system here is awful for those who seriously need it all the time; not just to go one way to and from work.

Would you mind expanding a bit on what you mean by this? I'm genuinely curious, as transit is a big deal to me and during my exploratory visits to Portland thus far I've been completely amazed and impressed by the transit available, including the buses. What perspective am I missing?

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by khyron

Would you mind expanding a bit on what you mean by this? I'm genuinely curious, as transit is a big deal to me and during my exploratory visits to Portland thus far I've been completely amazed and impressed by the transit available, including the buses. What perspective am I missing?

Sure, what I mean is all but a very few bus routes lead to downtown. So if your aim is to go somewhere other than to and away from downtown it can be tricky. Cross town buses go from one end of the city to the other and take forever to do it. For example, I live on a great bus line if I want to go downtown which I do every day. But if I want to travel in the other direction that is not in a straight line I would have to take three buses to zig-zag where I want to go. Or I can go downtown and back track.

Service is being cut back a great deal too. Sellwood for example, has lost some service as has the Fremont area to name the two I know of first hand.

If you want to depend upon buses to get you everywhere as I do, you have to live on a frequent running line. Mine goes every 15 minutes during off rush-hours and usually 7 minutes on. Many buses especially those on the SW part of town either don't run on weekends or run every 30-60 minutes or more.

It could be worse because I realize some cities don't even have what we do. But if you want to go completely car-less and you don't want to live downtown you just have to plan very carefully as to where you live in relation to what bus if any run through the area.

[philwithbeard]

Which brings up an odd ball question:
In the last 3 cities I lived in, there were something called "gypsy cabs". Basically un-licensed taxi cabs (basically driver's personal car), a dispatch office (some lady's dining room table with computer and a couple of phones.) Drivers pay the dispatch lady a fee when they go on duty, and get calls on their cell phones. Fees and fares are flat rate cash only. Illegal as all get out, but it usually works out for anyone who would need 3 or 4 bus transfers to get to where they want to go.

Yet I have not heard of any gypsy cabs in Portland. Do they exist?

Phil

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Which brings up an odd ball question:
In the last 3 cities I lived in, there were something called "gypsy cabs". Basically un-licensed taxi cabs (basically driver's personal car), a dispatch office (some lady's dining room table with computer and a couple of phones.) Drivers pay the dispatch lady a fee when they go on duty, and get calls on their cell phones. Fees and fares are flat rate cash only. Illegal as all get out, but it usually works out for anyone who would need 3 or 4 bus transfers to get to where they want to go.

Yet I have not heard of any gypsy cabs in Portland. Do they exist?

Phil

I have heard of these. I don't think there are any in Portland though.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Which brings up an odd ball question:
In the last 3 cities I lived in, there were something called "gypsy cabs". Basically un-licensed taxi cabs (basically driver's personal car), a dispatch office (some lady's dining room table with computer and a couple of phones.) Drivers pay the dispatch lady a fee when they go on duty, and get calls on their cell phones. Fees and fares are flat rate cash only. Illegal as all get out, but it usually works out for anyone who would need 3 or 4 bus transfers to get to where they want to go.

Yet I have not heard of any gypsy cabs in Portland. Do they exist?

Phil

I never saw them when we lived in Portland at the airport. Took one when I lived in LA...was a flat $40 fee to get home...proably wasn't too smart of me but I was waiting for a cab at LAX and a guy approached me...and decided what the heck...this was several years ago...don't know if I would be so trusting nowadays.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

I never saw them when we lived in Portland at the airport. Took one when I lived in LA...was a flat $40 fee to get home...proably wasn't too smart of me but I was waiting for a cab at LAX and a guy approached me...and decided what the heck...this was several years ago...don't know if I would be so trusting nowadays.

Now back in Detroit, a gypsy cab would be busted in a heart beat at the airport. Way too many licensed cabs fighting for fares for licensed cab drivers to allow a gypsy driver to steal their fares.

In Detroit the gypsy cabs would be more likely to drive someone to visit a friend at a local hospital, grocery shopping pick up, or bar drunk duty.

Even heard of a buddy riding along with gypsy driver, buddy drives drunk home in drunk's own car (in case of getting sick) and gypsy follows behind to drunk's home. Drunk left in car in driveway. Driver and buddy go back for next drunk.

Maybe you're correct though, not a safe idea.

Phil

[Yoni777]

I havent read all the posts yet, but I will say to sunnydaysmile.. YOU TRAITOR how could you leave and insult the GREAT PORTLAND.. It is a liberal, green, hip, cool, progressive city. blah blah blah



IN case you didn't realize I am joking.

You hit the donkey on the tail.. Bravo!!1

I also am an ex-Portlander and I am glad I left the dark cloudy, not-so-hip, filithy, drug addicted, traffic-ridden and overhyped city of Portland. I have lived on and off in Portland for a period of 8 years. It seems to me you are a Hawthorne/Belmont/Alberta/Downtown girl or living somewhere in the vicinity. The retro, hip crowd you talk about sounds like the poeple I knew in when I lived in the SE hawthorne area.

Portland really only contains 10-15% of its population in that category. I would say a good number of Portlanders vary widely. There is also a huge yuppie/California transplant population there that give it a totally different vibe. If you go to NW 23rd, you will see lot of your stuck-up, snobby , superficial southern california types walking around, shopping at their overpriced designer stores. If you go to Outer NE or Outer SE Portland you will see totally different city altogether! Living in Outer SE or Outer NE in the last few years is starting to feel more and more like living in a Southern Californian ghetto mixed with more traditional conservative Oregonian types. Vancouver, is still the more conservative and bland sister of Portland, but its changing. Its crime rate is also going up and up, as the thugs from the once crime ridden Pearl and Inner NE are moving away to cheaper areas.


Anyhow, your right on about attitudes of POrtland. They claim there city is so green and clean, but about 50% of Portland is filthy, polluted, drug-infested (not talking the green stuff) and crime-ridden. I lived in Felony Flats for a year and it didn't get that name for nothing. Drive bys, armed rooberies , theft are common in the area. Portland rivals many other more dangerous cities in burgarlies and theft. Armed robberies are getting out of control too. Most of the hip, green cool people won't even make a single mention of the outer eastside (72 and beyond) of town. They just focus on their confined upscale areas and forget the other half of the city exists.

BTW.. Despite the minorities who live in the area ( who are slowly becoming the majority), the majority of native white Oregonians who still have a majority in Outer East portland are very conservative, not green conscious and not so hip, either. But, they are ignored by all the hipsters, transplants and yupsters in the westside.

Tigard, Beaverton, Hillsboro are not particularly hip or eco-friendly cities either. Its true Southern California suburbia in the heart of Oregon.. Sometimes I think a few prominent neighborhoods in Portland give people an overall misconception of most of Portland. Yes, its true about 50% of people in Portland live in downtown, Inner SE, NW and NE.