It seems that everyone is moving to Portland these days. (Beaverton: transplants, house)

[HowGoesIt]

I'm originally from a small city in Pennsylvania and I know about 10 people that have relocated to your city over the past 2 years. Some had jobs lined up, but I think few are just 'wingin it'. When I graduated college, EVERYBODY wanted to move to New York City, now it seems that a lot of people want to move to the PNW. Is this a new phenomena or has Portland always been a magnet for young folks?

On a side note, I visited your fine city last year on a business trip. I had a wonderful time exploring neighborhoods, trying out microbrews, and meeting the locals. I could definitely understand the draw for people to move there.

I've heard that Portland can be slightly provincial. How are the newcomers viewed by the locals?

After college, I moved to Boston and had no issues with being an 'outsider' from a mid-Atlantic state. I know a lot of cities struggle with social issues these days, such as jobs, housing, and overcrowding. Sometimes these problems put a strain on groups of people, newcomers vs. locals, minority vs. majority, rich vs. poor, etc etc..

How does Portland fair?

[Minervah]

Winging it? Very bad idea unless they have a lot of money to live on while trying to find a job keeping aside enough on which to return home if they don't succeed. In the 70's when I moved here provincial would have been a very apt description. Now it's more liberal. Struggling with jobs, housing etc is definitely an issue here.
You don't have to worry about locals because most people here are transplants from other areas. Here's the bottom line the way I see it. If people are flocking to a place in large numbers, you are going to have tremendous competition for the things you mention. You have to be very prepared ideally having a job before you move here and a good deal of savings to fall back on if you don't with enough set aside to get back home.
And be sure to visit before you move. That is the best way to see if you think a place is right for you.

[philwithbeard]

From my own experiences, which may not translate to what you may find:

Portlanders are very courteous to strangers in Public. You can start a conversation with almost anyone anywhere in Public. The conversation will last about 30 to 60 seconds, and you get the feel you have overstayed your welcome after 90 seconds or so; in-line at bank, grocery store, waiting for a bus, or even 3 times for me just looking in the display window of a downtown store. Just about anywhere.

Other threads on this board have people reporting that, in Portland, it takes a long time to transition from courteous to friend, and even longer to transition to close friend. I cannot verify those claims. But it appears to have some truth behind it for adults past age 30 or so.

Provincialism is a good term. Covers a lot of ground, in a simple word. My take is yes they are, .... in some parts of Portland... Not true in all parts of Portland metro area.

Phil
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[seain dublin]

We lived in Portland for two years and I agree about the friendly strangers. People are very polite but there is nothing beyond that. Very hard to get to know people.

People have their little social groups and that is the way it is. We became very good friends with another couple only because they were in the same boat we were.

The dreaded California people....LOL. We both arrived in Portland around the same time.

I think Portland is a beautiful city, and the most courteous drivers you will ever find, but it is "surface friendly".

Being originally from NY( Long Island) it reminded me how you are treated in upstate NY. by the locals, your an outsider.

I remember my father considered moving the family from Long Island to a small town in upstate NY. He was told by someone who did that "I have lived here 20 years and I am still an outsider". We didn't move.

Portland has that same mindset. Polite but distant.

[bentstrider]

I stopped there about five times during '06-'07 while driving with an OTR trucking outfit.
Parked the rig over in Troutdale and pulled the bicycle out from the cab.

After cycling around the area and taking advantage of the MAX and such, I found that the stories about being "Car-free" were as close to the truth as one could get.
One thing I also liked about the city was that it seemed large enough to suit any needs, but not too big and fast-moving to where you need to pop an excedrin every couple of hours.

Anywho, I was even thinking of making the move to live up there for awhile and get paramedic training at one of the local colleges in the area.

Where I live in California used to be small and relaxed, but now the fast-paced, over-crowdiness of the LA/OC areas has pretty much spilled over the San Gabriel mountains in search of cheap housing.

Not to mention that while I'm not vehemently anti-car, the love-affair for customization down here has gotten to that point where if you don't have a car, you're a bum.

From what I experienced in Portland, car-drivers and cyclists seemed to treat each other equally for the most part.

[backdrifter]

Locals? What locals? There are 2 native Portlanders in the whole metro area left and one of them lives in Beaverton.

[Barleysoda]

More than likely the majority of the people you will meet in Portland will not be native Portlanders but transplants themselves trying to make friends with new people, Can't fault anyone for that.

Philwithbeard is right, and pretty much said it all, but the only thing about that, is it sounds like us locals think we are better than transplants, and that's not true. there are different reasons for everyone here why locals seem that way. But for me, it seems like that whenever I meet a transplant somewhere and get to talking to them that after awhile they want to go hang out or meet up and have a beer, or dinner, or whatever and thats totally cool with me, I'll have a beer and hang with anyone. but after that it seems that they want you to go hang out all the time, start calling every day like your their best friend and when you make other plans with other friends and don't make time for them then they get offended, feel bad and left out, or get pissy with you. I don't know why that is, but I don't like doing that to anyone so I just keep my distance now. I have better friends that I've known since grade school that I don't always have time for as it is.
On a couple different occasions I've met people from somewhere else that are into mt biking that I met on a trail somewhere that I ended up briefly hanging out with and all it seemed like was that they wanted to know where all the bike trails are that aren't in the books you buy at REI, or where I go ride at, or if I have any secret riding places to show them, or whatever it is, it's always about doing something for them and if they don't get what they want they act all pissy towards you like you owe them something, and thats not cool at all. they can keep their attitude.

I don't know why, but it always seems like these new people want to get into outdoorsy things like biking, or hiking, and not one time have I ever met a transplant that wanted to know where all the good hunting spots are. I have no idea why that is. there is some of the best hunting in the cascades and in the coast range that isn't far from here, and that kinda tells me that the same type of people are coming here and they aren't anything like the true locals.

no offense to anyone, just my perspective.

[Minervah]

One observation regarding locals and transplants. When I first moved here my friends were all transplants like me. Gradually as the years went by that shifted. Now just about all my friends are natives. One reason may be because most of my transplanted friends have moved on due to job loss or just wanting someplace better to live. Another could be because the longer I lived here the more accepted I become amongst the natives I would meet.

[HowGoesIt]

I think society as a whole is much more mobile these days. There are few people stay in one place their entire lives anymore. A lot of companies have offices throughout the U.S. (and abroad), making it very easy to move. My experiences with living in Boston and Miami sounds pretty familiar to what newcomers in Portland might feel.

You would be very hardpressed to find an original Miamian these days (most moved to North Carolina). Boston still has a lot of natives. But, being a major hub for biotech, hospitals, and universities, there's still an enormous transitory population. I've made friends w/ both the locals and the newbies, but I have found out that I've had more in common with the transplants, partially because we're in the same situation.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by Barleysoda

More than likely the majority of the people you will meet in Portland will not be native Portlanders but transplants themselves trying to make friends with new people, Can't fault anyone for that.

Philwithbeard is right, and pretty much said it all, but the only thing about that, is it sounds like us locals think we are better than transplants, and that's not true. there are different reasons for everyone here why locals seem that way. But for me, it seems like that whenever I meet a transplant somewhere and get to talking to them that after awhile they want to go hang out or meet up and have a beer, or dinner, or whatever and thats totally cool with me, I'll have a beer and hang with anyone. but after that it seems that they want you to go hang out all the time, start calling every day like your their best friend and when you make other plans with other friends and don't make time for them then they get offended, feel bad and left out, or get pissy with you. I don't know why that is, but I don't like doing that to anyone so I just keep my distance now. I have better friends that I've known since grade school that I don't always have time for as it is.
On a couple different occasions I've met people from somewhere else that are into mt biking that I met on a trail somewhere that I ended up briefly hanging out with and all it seemed like was that they wanted to know where all the bike trails are that aren't in the books you buy at REI, or where I go ride at, or if I have any secret riding places to show them, or whatever it is, it's always about doing something for them and if they don't get what they want they act all pissy towards you like you owe them something, and thats not cool at all. they can keep their attitude.

I don't know why, but it always seems like these new people want to get into outdoorsy things like biking, or hiking, and not one time have I ever met a transplant that wanted to know where all the good hunting spots are. I have no idea why that is. there is some of the best hunting in the cascades and in the coast range that isn't far from here, and that kinda tells me that the same type of people are coming here and they aren't anything like the true locals.

no offense to anyone, just my perspective.

LOL...sorry but you just reinforced the belief that many in Portland have their own groups and don't take new members.

Maybe you did find some "clingy" types but at the same time it would have never occurred to you to include new people in with your existing friends.

When someone moves to a new place it is never easy to make friends, but Portland is really hard. I remember we had a guy who spent two weeks doing some painting to the house we rented. Nice guy, had a lot in common with him. He was also a transplant but had been in Portland for many years.

We had some great conversations and shared many of the same views.

He also commented on how difficult it was to meet people. Anyway even though we got along very well, it was clear he had no interest in staying in contact. Just kind of the way it is there.

Kind of like it took me 5 yrs to find friends, go find your own...LOL.

It reminded me of towns you find in uptstate NY. You are viewed as an outsider.

And with all due respect, someone like yourself who has only lived in one place has no idea what it is like to move somewhere new and not know many people.

You don't have an understanding of what it is like. It is nice you still have friends from grade school but you also end up limiting yourself when the only people you know have the same background and upbringing that you do.

Portland is known for being very xenophobic.