Portland is cool...but the SUBURBS...hmm...questioning here... (Beaverton: house, neighborhoods)

[Tiger Beer]

Okay, nothing against generic suburbs, as they are everywhere across the United States and ever growing.

But anyways, I use to live in the Portland city limits and loved the city immensily.

Recently one of my friends got married and they bought a house out in Aloha. I went to visit him there, and Aloha is nice. But suddenly I was just in the car all the time...and Portland became MUCH bigger than I remembered when I was just in the city limits all of the time. Now, I like bigger, but it actually equated more into 'just plain spread out and bland' feel...of just being the car all the time...and what's the point of this city and its uniqueness to be way out here?

Anyways...wondering if others felt that too...and if so, if Seattle would be any different? Or same ol...or if that is just universal suburban feeling all across the United States of no real importance.

[oregonn8v]

Tiger Beer:

I have lived in Portland my entire life and I remember when Portland did not merge into Beaverton into Aloha, into Hillsboro, etc. etc. etc. This is not unusual, however and populations increase, infill occurs.

In all actuality, Portland and the surrounding cities have done a pretty good job, in cooperation with Metro to keep urban sprawl from occurring. The Urban Growth Boundary has limited where development can occur around the Tri-County (Multnomah, Clackamas & Washington) area. Think of any other metropolitan area with a population of 1.5 Million and driving out from the city center for 30 minutes (traffic being semi-normal).

North: Into Washington past Vancouver and heading towards Woodland
South: Past Tualatin/Wilsonville and now towards Woodburn and farm land
East: Out I-84 into the unspoiled Gorge
West: Past Aloha/Hillsboro and looking at farmland as you head towards Forest Grove and the coast.
Southwest: Past Sherwood and into Newberg/Dundee and the vineyards.

I would say we are pretty well dialed in. Is it perfect...absolutely not. I think that Hwy 26 west of the city is deplorable and you would not find me living out that direction but for people who work for Nike, Intel, etc. it makes sense to live closer to work.

I, like you have always lived in the city limits; first growing up in close in SW by Burlingame/Lewis & Clark, and now close in SE near Reed College. I love being in the action and knowing that my family can ride our bikes to church, the market, OMSI, downtown, etc and we can walk to ten different parks with in 3 miles of our house.

I am a city guy and will stay here as long as I can. If you don't like the feel of being in a car, get out of it and find a place to live where you can rely more on foot/bike/public transportations to get around. Aloha is, after all, a suburb and will tend to have more housing tracts with the occasional strip mall for everyone’s convenience. I mean, heaven forbid you don't have a Safeway, Blockbuster, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Target all crammed together. How would you ever survive???

[sayulita]

I've lived in close-in SW Portland for the last 20 years, but right now (long story) I'm living in Aloha temporarily until I can move back. And I completely agree! It feels like such a long way into downtown. It used to be that I would just jump in the car and be wherever I needed to be in minutes. Now I feel like I need to pack a lunch before I head out anywhere! I'm a city girl at heart and the 'burbs are just not for me. Can't wait until September when I can move back.

[looopson]

Yeah, suburbs suck. It's all about the city, baby.

[John Shaft]

While I sit in my quiet backyard enjoying food I grilled on my porch, I will think about all of you living in your overpriced shoeboxes with the homeless puking and shooting up on your doorsteps, and I'm sure I will be insanely jealous.

[sayulita]

Boy do you have a warped view of the 'burbs vs. close-in! Have you ever been to any of the neighborhoods that are within 5 miles on the city center? Or do you just stay home - grillin' and bitchin'? I have a 1500 sq.ft. house that I bought for $123m. It has a porch AND a deck AND a yard. Surrounded by trees and great neighbors. Not a homeless person in sight.
You might try taking your blinders off once in a while and get a dose of reality.

[backdrifter]

Suburbs are suburbs no matter where you go in North America. They're not going to be any different whether they're the suburbs of Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Fe, San Antonio, or Scranton, Pennsylvania. They're all soulless places full of strip malls and cookie cutter housing tracts that rely totally on the automobile.

Oregon is not immune to suburbia, sadly.

[sayulita]

Just to clarify backdrifter, I was replying to John Shaft and his jabs about "overpriced shoeboxes" and puking homeless". I live in Hillsdale (which is very close to downtown) but am temporarily living out here in the suburbs. What you say is pretty spot on, but still a lot of nice folks live in the "burbs. But I guess some a pretty judgemental as well.

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Okay, nothing against generic suburbs, as they are everywhere across the United States and ever growing.

But anyways, I use to live in the Portland city limits and loved the city immensily.

Recently one of my friends got married and they bought a house out in Aloha. I went to visit him there, and Aloha is nice. But suddenly I was just in the car all the time...and Portland became MUCH bigger than I remembered when I was just in the city limits all of the time. Now, I like bigger, but it actually equated more into 'just plain spread out and bland' feel...of just being the car all the time...and what's the point of this city and its uniqueness to be way out here?

Anyways...wondering if others felt that too...and if so, if Seattle would be any different? Or same ol...or if that is just universal suburban feeling all across the United States of no real importance.

Aloha huh ...

About the only suburb I would never live in. What spot in Washington County could be more trapped.

It's sort of drab area all-in-all.

Probably the worst area to keep in mind when judging the west side.

[John Shaft]

Originally Posted by sayulita

Boy do you have a warped view of the 'burbs vs. close-in! Have you ever been to any of the neighborhoods that are within 5 miles on the city center? Or do you just stay home - grillin' and bitchin'? I have a 1500 sq.ft. house that I bought for $123m. It has a porch AND a deck AND a yard. Surrounded by trees and great neighbors. Not a homeless person in sight.
You might try taking your blinders off once in a while and get a dose of reality.

So in other words, it's perfectly acceptable for you to stereotype suburb life, but it's NOT okay for me to stereotype city life?