Why are so many people moving to Portland?? (Phoenix: transplants, apartment)

[msheiny]

I hear so much about the rainy, cloudy, gray depressing winters. Im reading on here about the people who need to leave to get to the sunshine. Why do you think so many people are willing to give up sun and nice weather
(california, arizona, vegas) to come to Portland? Do you think the city will soon have all the traffic, pollution and out of control growth like califonia?
Just wondering...thanks!

[lunaroth]

Well, we certainly hope not! The natural beauty here and the friendliness and the wonderful community are all reasons that a lot of us moved here, away from all the sprawl and ugliness in those other places. And not everyone gets depressed when it's cloudy and rainy all the time. But the thing I always remind myself of when I've had just one day too much grey is that THAT is why it's so green and beautiful here. And the forward-thinking community planning and controlled growth is why, at least for now, it's still more of a paradise than not.

[lucero32]

First off, I guess it all depends on what you consider nice weather. Personally, I can't think of many places worst to live than Vegas and Arizona. It's 110 in the day and 99 at night...awful. As for California, well, yes parts of L.A. and San Diego have great weather. But what about Fresno, Bakersfield, the Inland Empire, etc... Is there any city with worse weather than Redding?

As for Portland, of course growth is an issue. But growth is the sign of a strong economy. And I actually think of the weather as an asset. If the weather in Portland was any less gray, it would already be overcrowded. As a recent transplant from L.A., I actually think this whole weather thing is blown way out of proportion. I find the cool, misty, wet weather quite relaxing. I guess it all boils down to taste.

[surveyorusa]

People are moving to Portland for many reasons. Some people see Portland's terrific urban neighborhoods (and I mean, more than one) as a huge asset. If you want a home in a classic older neighborhood, not just a cookie-cutter house in an endless array of housing developments, Portland has many choices for that. The city's urban growth boundary prevents sprawl from getting out of control. 20 minutes from downtown and you can be in farm land. (And if you really like sprawl, you can get that, too, across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington.)

Portland is also progressive about things like transportation. The Metro government is investing heavily in expanding Portland's light rail system. The state in general is very bike friendly. Lots of bike lanes have been added in Portland in recent years. Tons of bikes in Portland. It is quite possible to live in Portland without a car. Can you imagine doing that realistically in LA, San Diego, or Phoenix?

The car traffic is getting worse, like everywhere else, but it's not as bad as many other cities - yet. Still, as said above, you can always ride your bike or take public transit instead of driving.

Portland just feels like a progressive, interesting city, which has a REAL core downtown, not just some place people go for jury duty. It's far from perfect but it's got a neat feel. It feels clean for a city. It's a neat place to live.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by surveyorusa

People are moving to Portland for many reasons. Some people see Portland's terrific urban neighborhoods (and I mean, more than one) as a huge asset. If you want a home in a classic older neighborhood, not just a cookie-cutter house in an endless array of housing developments, Portland has many choices for that. The city's urban growth boundary prevents sprawl from getting out of control. 20 minutes from downtown and you can be in farm land. (And if you really like sprawl, you can get that, too, across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington.)

Portland is also progressive about things like transportation. The Metro government is investing heavily in expanding Portland's light rail system. The state in general is very bike friendly. Lots of bike lanes have been added in Portland in recent years. Tons of bikes in Portland. It is quite possible to live in Portland without a car. Can you imagine doing that realistically in LA, San Diego, or Phoenix?

The car traffic is getting worse, like everywhere else, but it's not as bad as many other cities - yet. Still, as said above, you can always ride your bike or take public transit instead of driving.

Portland just feels like a progressive, interesting city, which has a REAL core downtown, not just some place people go for jury duty. It's far from perfect but it's got a neat feel. It feels clean for a city. It's a neat place to live.

Well Stated! Plus you have the Pacific Ocean 2 hours to the West and Mt Hood 1 hour to the East. The best of both worlds! But it's mostly the people that make Portland special. Even transplants are very protective of their city and environment. People love it here and activly work to make Portland a better place for everyone!

[wi1ey]

I was born in Portland and live in New Mexico now and I know why people are moving to portland.....There is NOTHING TO DO IN THE SOUTHWEST!!! I hate it here and miss portland soo much. I just moved to New Mexico and Iwant to come back!

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by wi1ey

I was born in Portland and live in New Mexico now and I know why people are moving to portland.....There is NOTHING TO DO IN THE SOUTHWEST!!! I hate it here and miss portland soo much. I just moved to New Mexico and Iwant to come back!

Well to be fair, you do live in New Mexico. LOL

I think people from California move to Portland for less traffic, less pollution, less crime, more house for less money. I don't think it's limited to just Portland though.

I grew up in Southern Cali and I always loved when it rained, so if they're like me, they want to experience the different weather also. Most people in California have to drive miles and miles to see snow, but in Oregon you can just walk outside your house (depending on where you live of course).

[K33K5]

The cost of housing in California is sinful. A young adult just starting out on their own has to hold a full time job just to afford an apartment with two other roommates. They spend so much on rent that their town seems boring because they can't afford to do anything fun. And to be frank, a day at the beach gets old really quick. Crime is definitely a problem here, and as a mere observation, it's kind of hard to get by in some parts of the state when you don't speak spanish.
I say all this from experience (both mine and my friends'). This is exactly why Portland is looking mighty good right about now.

[58rhodes]

I think Portland is pretty much one of the Model Cities Of the US.It has an urban feel without too high of density which keeps housing reasonable,a very diverse economy,small town vibe,decent education and arts,great mass transit and its not a corporate type of town. After travelling the US I can say that the region is among the most beautiful places in North America.

[gavigan]

In terms of what effect the movers (like myself - sorry!) will have, Portland seems to be light years ahead of many cities in terms of its urban planning. I'm from Seattle, and I love my city, but we've really suffered since the population boomed a few years ago because our urban planning department is toothless. You can pretty much put up whatever you want, wherever you want, without design review or sensible zoning regulations. We also made the mistake of putting in mass transit *after* the growth began, rather than before...I look forward to Portland because I can still afford to pay rent, which hopefully will let me save up a little so I can move home eventually. Although I do hear it's hard to leave once you arrive.