Thinking of moving from Lake Oswego to Camas (Vancouver: house, neighborhoods)

[svp3b]

Hello. I see there was some discussion on lake oswego vs camas but the most recent posts were so long ago i suspect both towns have changed considerably since then. Here is our situation. We have lived in lake oswego for 6 years, we have elementary school aged boys and an infant boy. Things we love about lake oswego include...the schools, our friends, our church, great restaurants nearby that don't require us to deal with downtown parking or freeways, great sport programs for our boys, community feeling (everyone knows everyone etc), it is not a typical suburb with cookie cutter homes and developments, only 15 min to downtown portland if we actually want to go Things we do not like...cost of housing, we do not have a "boat easement" for the lake, and lake oswego is a "private" lake...which means we do not have access unless a friend invites us, difficult to describe but country club attitude, the fact that we make a decent living and will most likely always feel like we are at the bottom of the barrel among so many wealthy people here in LO. My concerns about Camas...restaurants, things to do? schools? sports programs? do people SUP on the lake? churches? What neighborhoods are best for young families with active boys? (we would ideally like to buy in the high 200's -low $400) What type of community feeling is there in Camas? I should also note that my husband has recently accepted what is to be a long term job in Camas, and the commute is killing him! Any feedback is appreciated.

[hml1976]

We moved from a very LO kind of suburb to Camas about 6yrs ago, so I think I probably can give you a good idea of what the differences would be, with the caveat that we really love Camas so I might be a little biased

The good: Camas has a great community feel. It's a small town and feels that way still, in 6yrs I feel like we are very well connected in the community and know people everywhere in town. The schools are excellent. There's no traffic. You're close to the gorge, Lacamas Lake (with its public dock), and lots of other nature opportunities. Downtown Camas is cute and really thriving in the last few years. Housing is affordable but getting more expensive. You're close to the airport and not that far from Portland.

The challenges: clothing shopping sucks, it just does. We've gotten over it and order online or drive to Washington Square mall a few times a year. Good restaurants are rare but becoming more common, we don't go into Portland that often to eat...a few good restaurants are all we really need (note we are ex NYCers so we like good food).

Finally neither a positive or a negative, camas is more rural than LO, so you'll encounter things like chickens in your front yard (this morning!), more RVs and vegetable gardens...the feel is different. We like it better than our old ritzy suburb but some people wouldn't.

Honestly I would move just for the finances. You'll save on income tax, gas, and emotional headaches, you can always "commute" to Portland for good restaurants and shopping. Meanwhile you'll save money, have a nice community and and schools and Daddy will be home for dinner

[hml1976]

I'll write a second post on neighborhoods. My advice would just be not to buy something on the side of a cliff there are flat areas of Camas and I think they're more conducive to meeting your neighbors and letting your boys ride their bikes to the park. I live in the older (that's the 1990s in Camas)development area of Lake Heights, Lake Pointe, and Sunningdale Gardens, and it's very family friendly. Some other area in your price range are Drewfs Farm and the new development Hills at Round Lake which I know nothing about but it's going to be a big one. Another older development very close to 192nd is Parker Estates, they tend to have larger lots but the house may need some work.

Oh and the Parks and Rec is good for sports in Camas, I'm sure they have everything you're looking for, our kids have played on all kinds of teams.

Best of luck!

[StealthRabbit]

I will 2nd the notion above.
1) Daddy can be home for lunch AND dinner if you live and work in Camas. (this is more important that sitting in a commute 2hrs / day)
2) WA tax situation is a bonus during your earning yrs. (DH will like that especially if he is working for Fisher Inv ) They are adding a lot of people in Camas.
3) Public boating is a choice of river or lake, hiking and fishing is 10 - 20 min away.
4) Churches... YMMV. Been a REAL struggle for 30+ yrs for me, but... there are many good ones, just not as many and as good as LO./ Beaverton area. Camas has some active, solid, growing churches for growing families and that is great. We had a blast and grew well within a Camas Church when our kids were school age. Week long camping trips were very good (and we did a few times / yr)

Come over on a Saturday night and stay (with a local family) through a Sunday and you can visit about 4 per weekend.
start from this list...
https://www.google.com/search?q=chur...J8jIuATs_YKgCQ

I have a friends at Journey, Journey Community Church / Home
River Rock, River Rock Church - Camas, WA
Camas Calvary, Grace 4 Sqr, and most others. City Harvest, New Heights, and Imago Dei have nearby satellite churches. East Vancouver has plenty of Churches, including Crossroads which has k-12 school and frequently hosts Mission Connextion. Portland Church reaches the World

When visiting Camas... Do be aware of the parking restrictions (2 hrs) !! Great revenue generator for the city.

Downtown Portland can be reached in 20 Minutes (off hours).