Schools, shopping, gymnastics (Vancouver, Camas, Washougal: sales, rentals, consignment)

[suzyk]

Hello! There is so much helpful info on this site. We are moving from sunny Colorado to the PDX area. My husband is in sales, so he travels, meaning we can live anywhere in the area. I'm considering Camas vs. the SW Portland suburbs (Tualatin/Tigard area). For tax reasons and airport proximity, WA is obviously better. I have three daughters (preK, 3rd grade, 6th grade). Here are a few questions:

Would you choose Camas over Tualatin/Tigard?
Can you recommend good schools/neighborhoods in Camas?
We currently go to a Catholic school, but the Camas/OR public schools seem good??? What do you think? Does anyone have an opinion on the local Catholic schools?
My eldest is a competitive gymnast. Is there a good gymnastics program in Camas?
Currently, we live in a far-out suburb that means I drive a TON to school, shopping, activities, etc. and I'm tired of it! It's important to me that I don't spend as much time in the car. Is shopping convenient to Camas, e.g. Target, a mall, etc.
Are rentals readily available? We've always been homeowners, but I would like to rent for a year, until we get a feel for the area and know where to buy and settle down.

Thank you!!!

[hml1976]

We love Camas (you can search through all my pro Camas posts) and would pick it every time over anywhere else in the PDX area. Yes, we have a Target right in East Vancouver, there is a crappy mall (although it has a Nordstroms) in Vancouver but a lot of shopping right over the 205 bridge (15 min) in Cascade Center.

There are rentals available although the rents are going up. We rented for awhile before buying, I think it's a smart idea. Vega Gymnastics is good as is Nadenov in Vancouver.

I sent you a pm regarding schools but while I don't know the exact situation of the schools in Tigard etc. a lot of Oregon schools are in big trouble with their budgets. Just something to look into.

Good luck!

[StealthRabbit]

Yes, Schools are good and competitive Gymnastics are close and EZ to commute to. Target 10 min, Costco 7 min, food within 10 min (New Seasons, Safeway, Fred Meyer). Winco is 13 min, but very close to Gymnastics. Catholic Schools are fine also, but Public is excellent (stay engaged with either choice).

Airport is VERY close and nice to NOT have to fight OR traffic to get there. I use PDX airport several times / month for west coast, TX, Colorado, and Asia flights. SO nice to be a few minutes from airport. VERY nice to be income tax free in WA. (I got a HUGE raise when I moved from Colorado ~ 30 yrs ago) Both regional wages and taxes helped during my income yrs. Best to rent, did that ourselves, and SHOULD still be doing, while keeping realestate $$ working on Commercial rentals. Very little investment sense to own a home. (But a home does make a nice 3% bank for commercial properties ).

I always spent plenty of $$ on travel, I am not keen on rain, grandparents and cousins were 1100 - 11,000 miles away.. Flying with kids we always booked friday and monday and ALWAYS took a bump if flight was oversold, One trip to Washington DC, (for a 12 week (home school) field trip we got bumped 4 times and had free tickets for yrs. :-)

We drove back and forth to Colorado a few times / yr. ~ 21 hrs going and 19 hrs coming home (for some reason...) We would leave each end ~ noon to 2pm, and always drove through the night (except NEVER between 4 and 6 AM... Dangerous hrs for collisions / sleeping). The driver would nap during stops for food and play during the day. Love to nap under a tree and Bridger State Park in Western WY, while kids play and RUN,,,

[silibran]

I've complained about the lack of good shopping here. The standard answer is that you should shop in OR and pay no sales tax, but for some things that isn't a good answer.

However, near Camas, there is a big center that has a Walmart, Penneys(or JCP?), Home Depot and Lowes. Across the street there is a Costco. There is a some sort of a grocer in downtown Camas, but I forget what sort it is. And as a previous poster has posted, there is more shopping on the east side of Vancouver, but farther west on Millplain.

I believe I spotted a good hardware store in downtown Camas, as well.

What the area lacks in shopping are stores with good quality merchandise. Cascade Center has some good stores but I still miss what I consider standbys in suburban shopping. I am told that many people shop at the Clackamas town center, which is south of Portland off I 205.

Oh, and Camas has a farmers' market which runs in the summer during the week.

[StealthRabbit]

Quality shopping is pretty much limited to 'downtown Portland', most of the rest of the area is 'big-box'. (Clackamas is OK if you need a Nordsrom RACK and can go midday/ midweek (on your way to or from Bob's Red Mill !!) 7-10 min away http://www.bobsredmill.com/

Hardware is good in Camas and Washougal, and at Parkrose (on 164th and NE 1st St)... parent branch is ~ 107th E Sandy BLVD in "Parkrose, OR", I like Winks, Rejuvenation, and Hippo Hardware in Portland (all quite near each other on east bank of downtown, near OMSI). Habitat RE-STORE has moved near Mall 205 (east Portland), I also use The Rebuilding Center. The ReBuilding Center | Quality Used Building and Remodeling Materials | Portland OR

and... rentals here
Yet another Vancouver school question (specifically high school)

[silibran]

We think highly of Parkrose Hardware on 164th. Yes.

Unfortunately we haven't made it to Bob's Red Mill yet. I want to, but so far we haven't done.

I really like the downtown consignment store, Divine Consign. I think over time you could furnish your digs very nicely from that store, and hang nice art on the walls as well.