Planning the move, Needing advice. (Portland, Eugene: apartment, how much, home)

[kevilynt]

Hello there and thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm wanting advice on where in Oregon might be best for my small family of three. We like the idea of Salem but have no hands on experience in Oregon.

Lifestyle We are very respectful and enjoy simpler things (such as staying home with a good book). I love roller derby and having the ability to safely exercise outside (where we are now there is no walking trail or side walk, and the roads are too curvy and thin to safely even walk on). We love holidays, fairs, and family activities. We are also budget friendly people, who love thrift stores.

Work My husband is sorely underpaid in one of the counties with the worst wages (so bad that it made a front page article). He works as a POS manager at the local supermarket making $9 an hour. Anywhere else he has the possibility of being paid $20-30 an hour, but that doesn't mean we want to live in a pricey area. I stay at home with our one year daughter and I'm a artist on the side.

Current living Our living conditions here in California are pretty bad, So we don't have High expectations that need to be met. Here we have no heat, no AC, No space, we barely have real walls. The home had problems that we weren't told about when we moved in such as ant infestations to a massive scale, excessive mice, a wild animal problem, high traffic, the land owner will randomly work on the water pipes without warning us and we'll suddenly lose all water, and much more. We hate the area and definitely need to move. Home wise If the price and place is right we are perfectly fine squishing into a one bedroom apartment with one bathroom and a basic kitchen.

Location wise we would like to be in a quiet area that is still close to shops and some kind of entertainment. I want us to be in the same town as a roller derby team and a school for our daughter to go to in an few years. A local park and library are always nice. A farmers market? A neighborhood that has a art appreciation, so I can continue selling my art would be nice but not needed.[B] A friendly place that is family oriented is almost a must.[/b]

Anyone have any advice?

[Silverfall]

Salem will probably work for you.

The local Roller Derby team is the Cherry City Derby Girls. Astoria, Bend, Coos Bay, Corvallis , Eugene, Hood River, Medford, Newport and Portland also have teams. I used to have an agent in my office that was part of the Roller Derby. She said Salem's was more casual. She ended up at one of the Portland teams because it was more intense and she wanted that.

I think any of those cities would be supportive of the arts. Salem has an Art Fair every year which is juried. We also have local galleries that sell art as well.

Salem is pretty family oriented I think. It is what make is boring to some people because we lack bars and nightlife here. We have farmer's markets and plenty of things to do for families around here.

[kevilynt]

Thank you. My husband and I have never really been party people who need the nightlife factor. Salem's team being casual sounds perfect, I'm still new to derby. I think Salem sounds perfect

[NWbyNW]

Give Salem some looking then. If you have further questions we can help.

Depending on how much money you have though, the choices of where you live can vary. Keep Oregon and Washington as possibilities. Oregon economy is pretty crummy right now, which is why I say keep Washington on your list too. Better pay, more opportunities, especially if your husband wants to stay in the grocery business. Fred Meyer is headquartered in Portland. Albertsons from Boise, QFC from Bellevue, WA. Haggen/Top Food from Bellingham, WA.

Salem is fairly laid back, especially in just outside of town. You can still find a modest home for a reasonable price around Salem.