Vancouver Livability Question (apartment, buy, living)

[silibran]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk4440

Silibran:
Well, if the 'Seattle Freeze' described anywhere else, it wouldn't apply only to Seattle. . . .

I've gone through a lot of websites about activities and amenities in Vancouver, and it does look like it has many good venues to get involved in. I don't think making friends there would be much of a problem.

I was not meaning to argue with you. I did not experience my home town a overly friendly and welcoming either. Whether it is called the "seattle freeze" or people being only outwardly friendly, I think this exits in other places.

If you think Van would work for you, it probably will.

[MASTERPC]

Hi StealthRabbit (and everyone),

I'm new to this forum so if I do something without the etiquette you're used to, constructive criticism is always welcome.

Ok, I decided yesterday that the Vancouver/Battle Ground areas (and more, once I discover what they are) are where I'm considering in the next couple of years. I'm an east coast dweller but have a remote job working from home except when flying out to client sites about 25% of the time so the no income tax in WA, close enough proximity to PDX and Oregon for shopping might be the perfect blend for me.

You mentioned the weather and having been to Oregon and southern WA twice this year in March and April, I'm ok with the wet season however, is it more precipitous on the north side of the Columbia River?

I'll dive into where to move by reading first, then asking later if I still have outstanding questions. Will rent for a year then buy.

Thank you!

[StealthRabbit]

The river does not change the rain amounts... both sides get SOAKED!

Weather in this particular region is very dependent on 2 things:

1. Elevation (more rain at higher elevations)The wet front is HEAVY so must dump it's rain to get over the mtns.
2. How close you are to Columbia River Gorge (in the winter, cold air from Eastern OR and WA and parts of ID and MT flow out through the Gorge, right through Downtown Troutdale, Oregon and Washougal WA.) Burrrrrr and Windy at times (including freezing rain (often))

There are some very specific weather / precip maps to help you find the best region within the county for you. (County Varies from 35" - 120" annual rainfall). Generally less rain only means less intense drizzle, as it is wet and gray most of the area, most of the winter. (As is most of western WA and OR), Follow Pat Timm a long time Vancouver weather reporter for Columbian Newspaper. Patrick Timm | Staff | The Columbian

If you have indoor hobbies, and don't mind doing your outdoor ones in the drizzle, you will be fine.

DO NOT MOVE into a house / apartment sheltered in the trees. SOUTH facing windows are essential for good health. Trees are BIG they can blow over and smash your house.

From your suggestions of places... I would look at Manor, Glenwood, Pleasant Valley, and Brush Prairie areas. (all North and North East of Vancouver)

What are your hobbies, do you need quick access to roads, or do you prefer some seclusion?

Do you need reliable HS internet to work from home?

I fly frequently and LUV PDX. Schedule your flights so you can get a $0.99 breakfast at Ikea! (9.30 - 11AM)

Or if east-coast-bound.... take the red-eyes. (usually to Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, or Newark) (choke-choke... smoking in eastern USA Airports)

You should quite enjoy the Left Coast. Not better, just different! (I enjoy both, but prefer to visit the east and live on the left (or mtn states).)

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

I would like to know why you left Nevada, as I am considering moving there from Western Washington!

Me too. but isn't Nevada like one big giant desert? Is it always hot there?

[MASTERPC]

Wow! Thanks SR! Wasn't expecting such a generous and detailed response. Very appreciative and I've saved your response and sent to myself as I didn't get an email notification and made sure I selected "immediate" and from "any forum member" etc. and checked my junk folder.

Anyhoozle, great advice (and I'll be checking out Pat's info too so thank you as I'm a bit of a weather geek myself)!
Right now, I travel wherever I'm assigned in the lower 48 however, they're doing a restructure as I write where it's supposed to be more regional by the end of the summer. We shall see.

The hobbies question is a sore subject as I used to have three until everything was "thrown away". Long story.
Not married and no kids and know a few folk in the Seattle and northern Cali area and one in Gresham.

A bit of seclusion would be nice. At 49 and having lived in NOLA for college and years after graduating, I got the "party me" out of my system years ago". ;^> When there in April I drove around Battle Ground as there was a house I was curious about and I have to say, that area is a cornucopia of just about everything including llama (or alpaca?) "farms"? It was bizarre and I was rather intrigued.

IKEA breakfast? Check.
Neighborhoods you suggested? Checking.

What are your thoughts on Camas and Ridgefield? I'll search for those on this forum too.

Thanks again and I'm back to visit around Thanksgiving so will be scoping things out more intently than my March and April visits since I'm sure I want to move out there now.

Oh! HS internet for work is a necessity. I have DSL now and am living in bear country here in Front Royal, VA and although I miss Verizon FiOS when in Arlington, VA, it's suitable out here for what I need to do. Just please tell me I won't have to sign up with Comcast! I'll have to do some meditating and soul-searching if you tell me they have a monopoly going on out there.

[skiffrace]

DO NOT MOVE into a house / apartment sheltered in the trees. ....[/u] Trees are BIG they can blow over and smash your house.

Most of the posts on CD are helpful and informative, but once in a while a sheer nonsense is posted.
The above is example of such a post.
There are millions of people in hundreds of thousands of houses living on the rainy side of the Cascade Mountains. The trees are everywhere around here, and most of the houses are directly underneath, or in direct proximity of some trees.
While I do believe that "tree blowing and smashing your house" does indeed happen, it happens about as often as you finding a diamond-studded golden ring on your front lawn.



The image above shows parts of Portland, with Lake Oswego, the most expensive and exclusive place in Oregon shown in the middle. What color dominates the image? What do you think is all that green? Lake Oswego is in reality a forest with houses sprinkled in-between and underneath trees. In my 20 years here I can't recall a single case of "tree smashing the house"
People live happily below big trees their whole lives, with only problem being the necessity to rake the leaves and needles.

[hml1976]

I have two friends who in the last year have had Leland Cypress fall on their homes. Evergreens have notoriously weak root systems. Stealth isn't saying don't have them in your yard, he's saying don't buy a house underneath a bunch of evergreens. It's a better idea anyway for light, moss avoidance, and debris.

[hml1976]

Originally Posted by MASTERPC

What are your thoughts on Camas and Ridgefield? I'll search for those on this forum too.

Thanks again and I'm back to visit around Thanksgiving so will be scoping things out more intently than my March and April visits since I'm sure I want to move out there now.

Oh! HS internet for work is a necessity. I have DSL now and am living in bear country here in Front Royal, VA and although I miss Verizon FiOS when in Arlington, VA, it's suitable out here for what I need to do. Just please tell me I won't have to sign up with Comcast! I'll have to do some meditating and soul-searching if you tell me they have a monopoly going on out there.

We live in Camas and love it. And we have both Fios (through Frontier) and the dreaded Comcast so you have a choice

I got my only speeding ticket ever in Front Royal, VA. I had to go to court so I spent a lovely afternoon as a college student in your town .

[StealthRabbit]

Having watched more than 50 families transfer to PNW, and all but 3 return to Colorado.

They offered ONE piece of advice for my transfer 32 yrs ago:

DO NOT MOVE into a house / apartment sheltered in the trees. SOUTH facing windows are essential for good health. Trees are BIG they can blow over and smash your house.

I didn't listen due to restricted availability of homes. The first 2 yrs in PNW were absolutely miserable with sick family, damp living, and much home repair, maint, and danger. 30 yrs ago we changed our living situation to get out of the trees. (Our) Life has been much better ever since.

The health issues of living in dark, damp, drafty house was significant for us, I didn't lose sleep over crashing trees, but several neighbors lost more than sleep..

YMMV.



BTW, I do tree / vegetative overgrowth mitigation work and it is a good business. So is home repair! You can get some dramatic images of trees falling on houses. Last yr 2 homes in Portland were sheared directly behind the facade by trees falling through 3 stories of HOUSE. From the road the house looks normal, except for a 100' long tree passing thru it like a spear.
https://www.google.co.th/search?q=fi...w=1086&bih=660

[silibran]

Yes on the evergreens towering over some homes here. So dreary and a hazard in a storm. And you'll have to be doubly conscientious about keeping moss off the roof.

On the weather, I did some research and found that USDA interactive map showed a line between zones 8a and 8b running through S Vancouver. I live slightly north of this "line." (Other USDA info says that I am in planting zone 6b.) Whichever it is, you can expect most of the Portland area to be slightly warmer than most of Vancouver. I visit SE Portland throughout the school year, and I can attest that everything springs into bloom there about 1-2 weeks before bloom time in Van. However, I see the same stuff growing in Tacoma that I see in Van, although obviously later than in Van. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how green everything is here. Weather in general is close to Portland weather.

Of course Van gets periodic bursts of Gorge winds, which much of Portland does not get. These winds feel worse in the winter to me.

You might be used to drier times in the winter, and muggy times in a hot summer. Here the humidity is present in the winter, and much less in the summer.

There are plenty of apartments here, in all areas of the Vancouver and Camas. I think renting for a year is a good plan.

If you visit here in the summer, you may never want to go back home.