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Portland's transit is more about reputation than reality. There's a lot of rail but it's slow, and as someone just posted the bus service is lacking. Commute share is down at the LA/Denver level regardless of the city/metro metric.
SF is the gold standard for ridership in the western US, but Seattle is the clear second. It's the power of buses and bus lanes. Our buses don't give the pleasant ride of rail, but people use them in numbers that dwarf most cities outside of the obvious group. Also, the light rail we have is pretty fast for light rail, particularly in the tunnel sections, i.e. the dense parts of town. Portland's rail is fast in the outskirts and slows to a walking pace (or it seems that way) in the center of town.
Thanks for all the help guys! My heart's telling me Portland because I really like the months of constant rain and I feel like it would be a better fit for me in terms of population size and culture. But my brain is telling me to go to Chicago for more job opportunities, transportation and the fact that the apartment market is better for renters as I have read that Portland's apartment market is really bad for renters due to Portlands low vacancy rate. I do believe that I will be happier in Portland because of the rain but I don't know if the cost of potentially months of unemployment will be worth it.
Well, I'm sure we can at least agree that transit isn't as good as it should be anywhere in the US, but these 3 cities are near the top, OP.
This survey shows Chicago and Seattle on their survey of the top ten with Portland coming in at number eleven. Keep in mind that the OP stated he was not going to have a car. This survey shows mostly commute time. If public transportation is the only means of getting around, transportation to destinations other than where the job is must be considered.
This survey shows Chicago and Seattle on their survey of the top ten with Portland coming in at number eleven. Keep in mind that the OP stated he was not going to have a car. This survey shows mostly commute time. If public transportation is the only means of getting around, transportation to destinations other than where the job is must be considered.
Thanks for all the help guys! My heart's telling me Portland because I really like the months of constant rain and I feel like it would be a better fit for me in terms of population size and culture. But my brain is telling me to go to Chicago for more job opportunities, transportation and the fact that the apartment market is better for renters as I have read that Portland's apartment market is really bad for renters due to Portlands low vacancy rate. I do believe that I will be happier in Portland because of the rain but I don't know if the cost of potentially months of unemployment will be worth it.
FYI it’s not consistent rain in Portland or Seattle. They have a dry season in summer which means no significant amounts of rain for 3 or so months, just blue clear sky’s with a few puffy white clouds. Winters yes lots of rain, but the rest of the year not so much.
Seattle has a far more maritime climate than Portland and thus is considerably cooler during the summer.
Winter temperatures and average rainfall are similar. Portland has marginally more sunny days.
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