Here's an easy answer to all your Portland questions... DON'T BOTHER MOVING HERE!! (Detroit: 2015)

[TKO1068]

First, there is NO family friendly place in Portland. PDX is the most disgusting, dirty, unfriendly, unkempt, rainy, boring, uninspired, dreary, ugly city in America. Do you really want to move to Portland? If so, I would suggest you use a big chunk of your vacation time (2 weeks will do) and stay anywhere in the city of Portland (downtown specifically) and see if you still want to live there.

Better yet, I encourage you to do so anytime between late September and May.

We were unfortunate enough to move here in August of 2006. I live in probably one of the nicest areas in all of metro Portland, the Bethany area. All homes are $450k to $1 million+. Still, they are all overpriced for what you get, and no matter if they were nice or not, nothing can relieve you of having to watch it rain 6 out of 7 days for months or grey skies the rest of the days!

I work downtown and everyday I'm subjected to the rudest, dirtiest, most poorly dressed, over pierced and tattooed, smelly, lazy, homeless, foul mouthed and depressing people I've EVER seen. And, I've lived in Denver, SLC, Orlando, Minneapolis and even Detroit! There is no close second to the misery and depression that is Portland.

My poor wife cries everyday, begging me to get her out of this hole. It absolutely amazes me there are actually websites that tout moving here! I actually have a photo album I've taken with my cell phone camera of the bums, beggars and homeless I see everyday on the Max, on the street, at Pioneer Square and anywhere else downtown. But, I know, Portland wants to "Keep Portland Weird". Well, they have succeeded!

Portland is no place for families and certainly no place for children. I have two daughters, ages 11 and 2. In 8 months, I've never taken them downtown, nor will I ever. I don't want them to have to listen to 14 year old, pierced, scruffy, dirty little demons use 8 "F" words in an 11 word sentence or have to watch two 13 year old tattooed lesbians making out and talking about how "cool" it is that they're gay (these two lovely ladies are also part of my photo collection).

I think that's all I can say! If you're going to sell your home, leave your family and friends and your LIFE to move to Portland (like we unfortunately did), you will only regret it and soon be looking for your way out, like we are.

[skypros]

Sorry to hear that Portland is not for you and your family.
I found Oregon folks to be very friendly.... Of course the closer to the "metro" area of Portland were less friendly, probably because of all the traffic (it stinks in, but hopefully it will change soon).
If you are unhappy.... Move (and it sounds like you and your wife are very unhappy).

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by TKO1068

I live in probably one of the nicest areas in all of metro Portland, the Bethany area.

If you live in Bethany, you do realize that you DON'T actually live in Portland. You live in the burbs man.. Wa County Burbs on top of that. You might work in downtown, but don't judge the entire city by downtown or PORTLAND by what is happening in the burbs. There are plenty of family friendly neighborhoods in this city. Pick up the April Portland Monthly Magazine for a few.

I live in a close in neighborhood and have friends in many different close in neighborhoods. The people... especially families, are EXTREMELY friendly and welcoming. Usually you get back what you put out into the world.

BTW, sorry you don't like it here. But what is making you stay if you are so miserable?

[lilypad]

It is too bad you and your wife have had such bad experiences in Portland. I have fond memories there, as I still have family and friends I visit in the summer. Portland has allowed too many n'eer do wells to inhabit the streets, but that is what liberal places do, "live and let live", ie San Francisco. Compared to SF, Portland a pretty nice place still, but do agree it is on the downhill slide unfortunately.

I still appreciate the mostly friendly people there, but you do have to go out of the city proper for that. As you know the city is basically divided into four areas, and my favorite area is SE and Mt. Tabor.

Too bad it is becoming more unlivable, as it is such a beautiful area. But will be up to the people of Portland to make it more livable and pleasant for the mostly decent folks there. Too many outsiders (not the kind that are wanted) have come in and is made too easy for them to stay.

I just had to move due to NO SUN, or would probably still be there.

[OREGONRAIN]

I can understand how the originator of this post feels, I think there is probably many in the area, that move here, and then say its pretty, but no thanks. I have lived here just shy of 2 years, and will leave the area later this year. I did not like how I felt here, I found every day as I went about daily buisiness, and it seemed much worse when I took the transit or went thru the east side to downtown, a huge chunk of Portland right there. The feeling of dislike for the dirty unkept people the amount of drugs, and filthy language became too much for this guy from Massachusetts. I think what really did it was always hearing from locals OH THIS IS EVERYWHERE. or that is what liberal thinking does to a place. Well I have a news flash for everyone one here, if liberal is what caused the Portland area to become this dirty and lackidasical to everything except light rail, then Massachusetts would look like this, and it doesn't. Everyplace has urban plight, but it is how a area deals with it, and the vibe it gives off to people of its interest in creating a atmosphere one would want to live in. I only see a vibe in this area of condo construction and light rail projects, and letting the down and out ride free thru all of it, while I get to pay full fare. Yes Mr TKO1068 and myself do not belong in this area, and decided to fix it and leave, Im sorry if this sounds harsh, I think Portland in itself is a beautiful area, but publications that tout the liveability of Portland need to give an honest portrayal of it. It is way to small to have the social problems of a metro area much much larger than it is.

[NativePortlander54]

This is an old thread, but I've decided to respond because guess what. This guy was right in 2007 and what he said is even truer in 2015. . It didn't used to be this way, but the influx of the indigent and perhaps growth in general (not sure) has created this problem in the downtown area and it is spreading. The gray skies and the rain I can live with, since I've known it all my life, and it used to annoy me when people moved here and then griped about the weather. The street punks and rudeness and foul language, however, have tainted my city. It is not the average person I hear screaming obscenities, it is the street people. the junkies, and the some of the youth.

Portland did not used to be a filthy city, but if you drive along a freeway corridor now there is garbage dumped all down the sides, places very difficult to get to for the average person. I remember as a teen on my first trip to Nevada being appalled at all the garbage on the roadside. I had never seen anything like it in Oregon. Now it seems we are moving that direction in Portland. People just don't care where they dump their garbage apparently. Again, it's hard to imagine that this isn't a by-product of the growing homeless population, since most homeowners or renters have a garbage service.

It is also interesting to me that as the restaurant scene has gotten really hot in Portland, (Portland has actually been a good food city since the 1980s), that the attitude of food servers has gotten ruder. The Portland weird thing is relatively new, and it is really a shame that we have gotten that reputation, because the city seems to attract those now who would make it weirder. Rudeness seems to have become fashionable. This used to be a friendly city, but the original poster is right in that seems to be changing. Long time residents really aren't all thrilled with all the changes, but we may be becoming the minority.

[AndyAMG]

I farted