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I am trying to determine which of these cities I would enjoy living in more.
Im 29 single male, looking for a city to love and settle on.
Heres an idea of the things Im interested in.
Walkable downtown, Pedestrian trails, Good public transportation.
Central places, Public Parks.
Points of interest not overly spread out.
Not overly congested people and traffic.
Green and beautiful, fountains, river walks, boardwalks, piers.
Enjoyable squares you can visit and meet people.
Cool spots that are unique to the city.
Good Malls. Movie theaters, Drive In theaters, Bowling Alleys, Ice Skating, Gardens, water and theme parks.
Not over populated or overran by tourist.
I love beaches but I also love nature and exploring.
Streets with nice local shops and local restaurants, beach shops a welcomed plus.
A city with a good community feeling or sense of pride for its city.
Affordable rental prices.
Warm.
The Positives I see in Portland are;
Lots of lush Greenery, I love green healthy scenery.
(Florida is green but burnt green, it has hard, hot, pointy grass that is awful.
Portland looks nice and lush like Bluegrass Kentucky.)
Points of Interests
Keller Fountain Park, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Pioneer Place, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, Zoo, Washington City Park, Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling, Voodoo Doughnuts and local shops like that, Lloyd Center Mall, Aerial Tram, Multnomah Falls, cannon beach, oceanside beach, Crystal Springs. And the many nature parks.
Traffic seems to be way better, rent cost might be better, and maybe less congestion of people at any store or street.
The Bad
The coast is about an hour too far. Cold beach and it seems its never lively with shops, and beach activities.
I hate cold weather, Im in Florida now and I absolutely love not having to hardly wear winter clothing.
I like rain, but i hear scary talk about how long the rain lasts and how little you can see the sun for months.
Portland has cool hangout areas but doesnt seem to be as nice as say Balboa Park, sea port village, or mission beach. No big theme parks either. All those SD places seem you could easily meet new people and have fun. Seems like most of Portlands spots are more about just walking through, more focused on private intimate enjoyment.
I love alot of what I see about Portland, it looks beautiful. But it seems like more a place to wander with your loved ones and, I dont see places I feel I could wander in by myself and make a new friend circle. Im also worried about freezing there. If I cant go enjoy outdoors for several months, it seems like a waste of valuable time.
My thoughts of San Diego...
Positives
Beaches, Beach shops, Palm Trees, weather, areas to hangout and walk around the beach
Points of Interest
Balboa Park, Zoo, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, Reading Cinemas Gaslamp, Balboa Theater, East Village Tavern and Bowl, Convention Center, Sea world, Aquatica, Sleep Train Amphitheater, Mission Fashion Valley Malls, Chargers, Petco Park. Old Town, Presidio Park, Sunset Cliffs, Tecolote Canyon, La Jolla.
San Diego seems much more open to public fun and meeting people.
I wish it had more urban pedestrian trails and fountains.
I love how you can go to different close by beaches and have all kinds of activities even a roller coaster.
The Bad
Traffic
Congested people and cars
Brown desert lack of rain dying grass
expensive rent
Traffic and high rent are prob what worries me most about San Diego. I also hate the lack of rain and brown areas with dying vegetation.
In Portland, Cold and public gatherings worry me most. Seems like Pioneer Square is Portlands best option, but that seems to be no comparison to Balboa Park.
On the other hand the beauty of Portlands lush greenery and nature cant be matched by San Diego.
Both these places have their up side and down sides.
Sometimes I almost convince myself that I would prefer Portland bc it feels more small town and beautiful lush and green, not a headache or chore to go anywhere which is more what I am accustomed to from Kentucky.
But on the other hand, I left in pursuit of warm cool new environments like beach towns and oceans. And with all the awesome things in San Diego I almost convince myself thats hands down where I want to go, but then I start thinking about how bad I hear the traffic is, congestion of people anywhere you walk. And how much of a struggle it is to pay your rent or live in terrible housing.
Im in Orlando now, and hate it, in Orlando everything is spread out and its an absolute chore trying to compete with all the traffic to get anywhere, I hear san diego is only worst.
I may be wrong but it seems like you'll have a better quality of life in Portland vs more fun in San Diego,
and in Portland months of cold and no sun vs SD perfect weather always but no rain.
Can anyone who knows both cities well share your thoughts about each place, im torn on which place would actually be more enjoyable. Thanks.
I was born in Vancouver, Washington (across the river from Portland) and although I moved when very young down to California I am very familiar with Portland and visit and enjoy it often. My short answer is probably that Portland sounds like a better fit for you. Your love of green, lush areas, fountains and public squares and wish to avoid a congested feeling city and lots of traffic make you sound more of a Portland kind of guy. Although I will say that traffic can be a bich in Portland as well. Coming from Florida to dry, golden brown (for months) California can be shocking, but it is not so much a desert as just a dryer, different landscape that takes some getting used to, and, with irrigation you can find some green feeling areas
My San Diego "desert" garden:
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I will say that even as it is known as the Rose City life is not all wine and roses in Portland. Ive known more than a couple of people from down here that moved up there only to find it a bit stultifying, the ubiquitous street urchins begging in every downtown corner, the nine months of drizzle (hey, that's what makes it so green), and a quirky Portlandia attitude that can be maddening when you just want to hang with more driven and grounded folks. They since moved back.
It is a beautiful city though- whenever I visit (in the summers typically) I fall in love with the city all over again; the great bungalow neighborhoods that make up the core are truly wonderful, and the working class river flowing through with all the great bridges and mountains in the background make for a stunning setting. Love the Pearl District, Northwest 23rd, the Max, Biking everywhere, Washington Park and the working river running through the city defining it all.
I love San Diego and other than missing the rain find it nearly an ideal city. Even though it is a much bigger city than Portland its vibrant downtown is very compact and easy to get around in and explore and the neighborhoods surrounding Balboa Park are all as quirky charming as those that you find in Portland. Having professional sports teams (although our football team's loyalty to the city is iffy, and yes I know about Trail Blazers) with baseball and hockey brings a certain dynamism to a city. San Diego's museums and cultural presence are much greater than most folks give them credit for and the bay and 75 miles of beaches in the city can't be beat. Actually as a local you can easily discover many outdoor trails right in the middle of the city as well as nearby, they aren't going to be Portland green and lush though.
My little slice of San Diego is very Portlandesque, in fact folks who know both neighborhoods call South Park the Sellwood (where my brother lives in Portland) of San Diego and if I didn't live here I wouldn't love San Diego nearly so much. South Park, San Diego Official Website - Welcome
But honestly San Diego has become somewhat of a boutique city, its best parts available mostly only to those who can afford its heavy price. Portland is not a cheap city but anything looks cheaper than here. If you don't have to have the beach Portland should be able to provide much of what you want. You could do far worse than either city but when the bungalows in my neighborhood are pushing into $1m territory it's getting downright out of reach for newcomers to find their own little slice of paradise.
Great info thanks. Both places have great qualities. Im kinda feeling like I want to spend a couple years in san diego if i can. But maybe ultimately settle down in Portland. I feel like theres alot more fun to be had in San Diego, but Portland seems to have a cheaper easier still enjoyable quality of life.
Great info thanks. Both places have great qualities. Im kinda feeling like I want to spend a couple years in san diego if i can. But maybe ultimately settle down in Portland. I feel like theres alot more fun to be had in San Diego, but Portland seems to have a cheaper easier still enjoyable quality of life.
I don't agree that San Diego is more fun. Portland has a better all-around food and bar scene, and there's tons of quirky neighborhoods and fun things to do throughout the city. Despite being smaller, Portland has a larger more walkable downtown area. If you get an apartment near 23rd or in the Pearl District you'll have a ton of fun and there are many different places to go. San Diego has no street with as much character and soul as Hawthorne, for example, and that's not even downtown
How are you fixed for employment? That hasn't been mentioned but depending upon your job skills, that should also be a factor in choosing where you live. Where is employment if you need it in your field going to be more plentiful, Portland or San Diego?
Kycats- You mentioned something about freezing & not being able to enjoy the outdoors for months. Portland has a rainy climate but not a freezing one. Snow is rare & once you get used to the rain you will find yourself enjoying the outdoors year 'round.
Crucify me if you want for this but I honestly think Portland has the better setting, it's basically in forest near Mount Hood. If you like the outdoors then Portland is the better choice despite San Diego's climate. Portland does have a rainy season but despite that it's fairly mild with some seasonality as well, you can actually see some colors. Inland Oregon can also get very warm to hot at times in the Summer so you can get out in the heat and then during the winter you can venture out into the sometimes damp coolness. You live in Florida which has weather similar to a steam bath so it'll seem okay during those heatwaves.
San Diego is close to LA and if you are able you can road trip up to Big Sur and San Francisco and on up the coast or even go to Yosemite or Lake Tahoe or even closer to somewhere like Big Bear(Fantastic climate! Probably sunnier than most of Florida). I'd say go to both and get a feel for the atmosphere of each and then decide what you like more. You can't really go wrong with either from a certain viewpoint.
Also, some people on this site and in general in the US despise Portland for various reasons( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) so be a little careful. I don't necessarily love it or hate it but still...
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