Moving summer 2015 (Vancouver, Salmon Creek, Camas: apartments, rentals, house)

[TBell688]

Hey everyone,
So I might be moving to Vancouver for a new job, sometime within the next few months, income will be around $60K.
I am moving from southern California, close to LA, but live in the desert. I am fully aware of the culture change and weather change that I will encounter, but I am curious as to good areas to live in for someone that is single. I am not opposed to living in Oregon, but would like to stay in Washington, if possible.

So questions:
Where's a good, safe place for someone who is single to live? (Also have two pets, so need a pet friendly place, and considering I own a house, will need a three bedroom place)
What is the cost of living, and would it be better to rent a house or apartment?
Things to do - I have done a lot of looking online and it seems like outdoor activities are big, of course, but what else?
Cell phone carriers? I have AT&T, will I get signal up there?

Any other info anyone can give about anything, I thank you in advance!!

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by TBell688

Hey everyone,
So I might be moving to Vancouver for a new job, sometime within the next few months, income will be around $60K.
I am moving from southern California, close to LA, but live in the desert. I am fully aware of the culture change and weather change that I will encounter, but I am curious as to good areas to live in for someone that is single. I am not opposed to living in Oregon, but would like to stay in Washington, if possible.

So questions:
Where's a good, safe place for someone who is single to live? (Also have two pets, so need a pet friendly place, and considering I own a house, will need a three bedroom place)
What is the cost of living, and would it be better to rent a house or apartment?
Things to do - I have done a lot of looking online and it seems like outdoor activities are big, of course, but what else?
Cell phone carriers? I have AT&T, will I get signal up there?

Any other info anyone can give about anything, I thank you in advance!!

$60k/year for a single person is great. If your other monthly expenses are limited, you should be able to find a nice 3 bedroom home in the $225-275k range in a decent area of Vancouver. If you are working in Washington, you definitely want to live in Washington. Traffic is one consideration, but the main problem is that Oregon state income tax would be 9% for you. That's $450/month for someone with a $60k income. That's a big chunk of change. Not to mention that the Oregon properties (rental or real) are typically more expensive than Clark County properties. Pet-friendly rentals seem to be hard to come by around here. Lots of places charge large non-refundable pet fees per pet, pet rent per pet, have strict size/breed restrictions, etc, especially in apartments.

Really, nearly anywhere in the Vancouver area will be safe. Hazel Dell and Fourth Plain Village are not quite as nice as other parts of the city. East Vancouver (Cascade Park, Fisher's Landing) and Salmon Creek/Felida are pretty nice areas, though very suburban in feel and vibe. If you want an older, pre-war neighborhood you can look at the areas around and north of downtown Vancouver (Esther Short, Lincoln, Arnada, Hough, Carter Park), as well as just east of I-5 (Rose Village, Hudson's Bay). If you want a small town, maybe look at Ridgefield or Camas/Washougal.

And, yes, we are a part of a top 25 metropolitan area, not out in the boonies. So you will get a signal with AT&T just fine. I use T-Mobile and am pretty satisfied with it. I don't get reception out in the rural hills north of Washougal, but I get great reception everywhere else.

As far as activities, there isn't much else besides outdoor activities. But I am a grumpy, old geezer trapped in the body of a young person. If you head into Portland there is a big foodie culture with lots of restaurants and farmer's markets and things to enjoy. Also in Portland you can find many cultural activities of all sorts to suit whatever interests you may have.