Vancouver, WA (Seattle, Mill Plain, Stevenson: apartments, condos, how much)

[Imperial1904]

What's Vancouver like for a mid-20's single guy? I found a great place to live but not sure at this point. None of the areas in Downtown Portland interested me any or it was overpriced.

Basically, I'll be living in Vancouver and commute to work in Portland. I do know about the whole income tax issue. I'm hoping to stay in Vancouver for a year and work my way up to Seattle, which was my first choice but can't afford it right away.

I've read that Downtown Vancouver is a ghost town. Are there no restaurants in Downtown? How about movie theaters, shopping malls, bars, clubs? I don't usually go out at nights (rather rest up than go out) but would like to have the option in case I feel up for it.

Also, the pictures I've seen of Vancouver aren't that great, I was hoping to find some good pics of the Downtown area.

Thanks.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Imperial1904

What's Vancouver like for a mid-20's single guy? I found a great place to live but not sure at this point. None of the areas in Downtown Portland interested me any or it was overpriced.

Basically, I'll be living in Vancouver and commute to work in Portland. I do know about the whole income tax issue. I'm hoping to stay in Vancouver for a year and work my way up to Seattle, which was my first choice but can't afford it right away.

I've read that Downtown Vancouver is a ghost town. Are there no restaurants in Downtown? How about movie theaters, shopping malls, bars, clubs? I don't usually go out at nights (rather rest up than go out) but would like to have the option in case I feel up for it.

Also, the pictures I've seen of Vancouver aren't that great, I was hoping to find some good pics of the Downtown area.

Thanks.

Downtown is slowly being built up from what it had slid down into (pawnshops and the like), but it's not all that lively yet. If a hopping nightlife is really important to you, it's not there yet. I like the Saturday Farmer's Market, but that may not be something you care about.

There are some nice new condos (right in downtown) and some smaller, older neighborhoods right in the downtown area.

There is a good theater (part of a chain, but it tends to play the smaller-release movies) and a revival house (that's at least cheap). There are some good restaurants (Thai Orchid is one of my favorite Thai places). I'm not much into the bar/nightclub scene, so I can't comment on that, but the waterfront area has some restaurant/bars (Beaches, McMenamins, Joe's Crab Shack and a couple others) that are open late.

The only shopping mall is one of the ubiquitous "Westfield's" (everyone used to call it "The Vancouver Mall" but Westfields insisted that it's now "Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver" which made everyone roll their eyes) - the stores are a little smaller than their larger counterparts down in Clackamas or downtown. I'm not much of a mall person and haven't been there is a year or so, but they have the standard stuff. It's maybe 4-5 miles away from downtown, toward the east.

[Imperial1904]

In the Westfield mall, do they have a Best Buy? Any Wal-Mart or Target stores? Those are the shopping places I'm interested in.

[PNW-type-gal]

Vancouver has 2 Best Buys, an insane number of WalMarts (I think we currently have 5 and a plan to build another one), the home-grown version of WalMart called Fred Meyer (which I vastly prefer to WalMart, even though it's Kroger-owned),a Costco (similar to Sam's Club), a couple of Target stores (3? 4?). All of that's been built up in the last 7 years or so.

The Jantzen Beach shopping center, in Oregon right across the I-5 bridge from downtown (maybe less than a mile from downtown Vancouver) has a huge Barnes and Noble, Target, and a host of other big-box type stuff. There's even an IKEA going in by the airport, which is still over in Oregon but very close to Vancouver.

You said you'd already found somewhere to live - what part of town?

[Imperial1904]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

You said you'd already found somewhere to live - what part of town?

It's next to Esther Short Park.

[PNW-type-gal]

Yep; know the condos and apartments, the ones that ring the park. I enjoy the Farmer's Market right there, too. You won't have to make yourself food on Saturdays from April through October. The year-round indoor market is pretty small, but the outdoor market is good.

There's a good Thai restaurant in those blocks (I think the same block as the Subway). An Italian place about 2-3 blocks away that's not bad, too. Plus a couple small delis and a good Greek place over in a converted brick house (next to a church).

[StealthRabbit]

Your downtown location will be pretty quiet, (there is a McMenniman's and Beaches on Columbia Way (along river, ~ .5 miles to east of I-5 bridge) ) most is happening out on 164th and Mill Plain, but it is mainly 'family', not single. Probably will want to stay in Portland on the nights you plan to party, as there are many choices there.

while in downtown Vanc, enjoy the area around the Fort Vancouver barracks, it is nice, quiet and scenic, and plan day / evening trips out east in columbia gorge. Good hiking and maybe take up wind and kite surfing, as it is good as close as Stevenson, and it stays light till 10 PM in summer. Skiing is close during winter. Trips to beach are ~ 1.5 hrs and you can go after work to catch a sunset + great seafood dinner. Of course check out a dinner in Portland at Jake's, and spend time nearby at Powell's Books for some true Portland Culture. Check out the schedule for free concerts in the parks, and Washington Park has daily concerts for ~ 6 weeks. Grab some eats at Fred Meyer store on Burnside, and come up to park for leisurely evening. If you get to PDX in May, Check out Crystal Springs park (next to Reed College). Free 'Chamber music' rehersals during July at Reed College.

[trezents]

I'm going to moving to Vancouver in about two weeks and I'm going to working in and out of Oregon. I haven been told that I will have to pay Oregon taxes and that they will get sucked out of my paychecks. My boss has agreed to compensate me for the paycut that I will be taking, but I am wanting to know how much money I should be expecting to ask for. What percentage will I give to Oregon for working there even though I will be living in WA?

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by trezents

...
What percentage will I give to Oregon for working there even though I will be living in WA?

rates are listed as 5 - 9%

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by trezents

I'm going to moving to Vancouver in about two weeks and I'm going to working in and out of Oregon. I haven been told that I will have to pay Oregon taxes and that they will get sucked out of my paychecks. My boss has agreed to compensate me for the paycut that I will be taking, but I am wanting to know how much money I should be expecting to ask for. What percentage will I give to Oregon for working there even though I will be living in WA?

At least 9% - round it off to 10% for the annoyance of the I-5 commute in the morning. There are exemption provisos for people who work for a company based in Washington but also do some work in Oregon - I'm not a tax expert and suggest you might want to talk to one, but it depends on where your check is coming from.