Can someone tell me about the traffic situation in this area and... (Portland: for sale, apartments)

[Melissa E]

Ok, I am about to give about again. We were going to move to Corvalis so my boyfriend could go to school for engineering there, but looks like they have no full time work that I am eligible for (I'm an RN) ... we thought a move to Corvalis would be less complicated than trying to set things up from here in Missouri for a move to a bigger city like portland. Anywayyyyyyyyyy.... it's a long shot, but i applied for a labor and delivery job at Providence ... the one at this address
9205 SW BARNES ROAD
PORTLAND, Oregon 97225-0000
Can you tell me how the traffic is around here and maybe some decent apartments close by JUST INCASE I'd get a job call (not getting my hopes up, trust me) I want to be prepared if i do get a call to know if I should think this is a good idea. Also.... from this location can you tell me the closest smaller town or suburb (that wouldn't take forever to get to work from). I have to consider how far Mike will be from the college there, too.
Thanks

[philwithbeard]

I am very curious, Did you look for a nursing job in Salem, OR? There should be nursing jobs in the State Capitol city. A reasonable commute to Corvallis.

Include this Portland Newspaper in your job search for Salem:
The Oregonian | Oregon Online Newspaper - OregonLive.com
I think the local Salem newspaper is tied into CareerBuilder dot com
State of Oregon Employment (you may already found this)
Employment Department Job Listings

I don't think someone who does rotating shifts should even think about an hour drive (one way) or longer commute in Oregon. Personal Opinion. You are at the mercy of traffic conditions to arrive at your job on time. Iffy in Oregon at best.

Members of this board warn against commuters from Salem to Portland as being a really long and iffy with traffic on I-5.

Anyway I don't seem to responding directly to your question.

I presume you have done a Google Map, and turned on the terrain feature for a look see. Good visual info there on the Corvallis, Salem, Portland terrain for driving

Phil

[figmalt]

Most apartments in this area (Cedar Hills) should be fine. You could also look a little farther west to Tanasbourne, Bethany, or Cedar Mill neighborhoods for good apartments.

As far as traffic, if you live in the area it won't be too bad, depending on the time of day. St. V's is right off the highway, so you only have to contend with regular commuter traffic. If you want to split the difference distance-wise with your boyfriend, Salem or Wilsonville might be good middle ground.

There is still a nursing shortage in Oregon, but the real question is whether hospitals are hiring. I know that they're feeling the pinch too, and cutting hours and staffing as a result.

Another regional job website to look at is www.jobdango.com.

[Melissa E]

Hey, thanks for the replies and links. I meant to say that what we were thinking of was him going to school in Portland instead of Corvallis since the job situation in Corvallis doesn't look promising for me. No, I would never drive that far (from Portland to Corvalis!) to work, no way, lol! Yes, I did do a Google Map, which gave me a view, but it's still difficult for a person to tell who is not from there. I was googling up and down the road looking for apartments.
That's an idea, though, about applying in Salem and possibly commuting to Corvallis from Salem. I'll have to look more into that, though I do realllllly hate the idea of driving over 15 minutes to work. I did that for a year (45 minutes) and it was so tiring.
Thanks again.

[jjpop]

Melissa, I think Phil was suggesting that you live and work in Salem and your companion commutes to Corvallis for school. Actually, based on your other posts, if he is considering taking some community colleges first he could go to Chemeketa CC (Chemeketa Community College) which offers a few engineering courses.

[figmalt]

These are your best bets for schools in the Portland area. The good thing about PCC and PSU is that the programs are very closely tied with employers in the area (e.g. Intel), so even though the national rankings might not show it, they actually are very good programs.

Portland Community College: Portland State Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science | Home
Portland State: General Engineering: University Transfer | PCC

Also check out this article: Portland State University |

One of my professors in another program at PSU is working on a research project for civil engineers that basically looks at the writing conventions for civil engineering. This will be used to better tailor curriculum for students, so that when they get out in the field their writing will at the appropriate level. It's that kind of thing that I love about PSU--industries in the area talk to the university and say, "We need X, or we're not seeing X in our new employees," and the university tries to respond appropriately. (I'm sure it's like that at other schools too, but I see it a lot here). I saw the other side too, when I worked for a local manufacturing company. PCC works very hard to maintain good relationships with employers in the area, and produce the skill level in their students that those employers require.

[PDXby7]

I live in Cedar Mill, and that address is maybe two minutes from my house. I can tell you, there are a ton of apartments in the Beaverton area. You can also head west a bit to Hillsboro, Aloha, North Plains, etc.

That being said, traffic on 26 is not fun. In the mornings, it's headed east to the tunnels. In the afternoons, it's 217 going south OR north, and 26 either direction.

I think I would decide partially on where to live based on the hours I would be commuting, and which direction. It has taken me- quite literally- nearly an hour to get from my house to I-5. In fact, more than once. Traffic is a big issue in Portland in general (not as bad as Seattle though!) but it seems even worse when you have to hit hwy 26 in the afternoons.

[Melissa E]

Hey, yea that's an idea as well. I checked out Salem Hospital and didn't see any openings fit for me right now, but I will keep that in mind. Mike probably wouldn't mind the drive as much as I would after working 12 hour shifts. Thanks for the link =). Mike does have probably 2 semesters left of classes that he can take at a community college (may be able to finish in 1, but it would be a lot), but he's not really sure how much will transfer, so thinking of just starting new. We'd like to have both the community college and the 4 year pretty close together just incase.

[Melissa E]

Thanks for the links! Yep, that's where Mike is considering. Good to know that. I wish things would just fall in place for us. We'd love to make this change soon.

Originally Posted by figmalt

These are your best bets for schools in the Portland area. The good thing about PCC and PSU is that the programs are very closely tied with employers in the area (e.g. Intel), so even though the national rankings might not show it, they actually are very good programs.

Portland Community College: Portland State Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science | Home
Portland State: General Engineering: University Transfer | PCC

Also check out this article: Portland State University |

One of my professors in another program at PSU is working on a research project for civil engineers that basically looks at the writing conventions for civil engineering. This will be used to better tailor curriculum for students, so that when they get out in the field their writing will at the appropriate level. It's that kind of thing that I love about PSU--industries in the area talk to the university and say, "We need X, or we're not seeing X in our new employees," and the university tries to respond appropriately. (I'm sure it's like that at other schools too, but I see it a lot here). I saw the other side too, when I worked for a local manufacturing company. PCC works very hard to maintain good relationships with employers in the area, and produce the skill level in their students that those employers require.

[Melissa E]

Hey, with you being so close there you're a great resource! So .. when you say traffic on 26 ... is that right there? Actually I'll pull up the Google Map again and see. How close are Beaverton & Hillsbro (I'm wanting to be like 15 mins from work - I do understand at times there'd be traffic I'd be stuck in )? I think I remember North Plains ... hmm, isn't that that little town?? If so, I think we'd like that. From what I remember it is really quite and peaceful but really close to downtown, but if it's where I'm thinking of I don't know about finding apartments there. I will be working Fri, Sat., and Sunday 7pm-0730 if I do get a job there. Also, we did really seem to like Hillsbro vibe, too.

Originally Posted by PDXby7

I live in Cedar Mill, and that address is maybe two minutes from my house. I can tell you, there are a ton of apartments in the Beaverton area. You can also head west a bit to Hillsboro, Aloha, North Plains, etc.

That being said, traffic on 26 is not fun. In the mornings, it's headed east to the tunnels. In the afternoons, it's 217 going south OR north, and 26 either direction.

I think I would decide partially on where to live based on the hours I would be commuting, and which direction. It has taken me- quite literally- nearly an hour to get from my house to I-5. In fact, more than once. Traffic is a big issue in Portland in general (not as bad as Seattle though!) but it seems even worse when you have to hit hwy 26 in the afternoons.