found what im looking for (Portland, Eugene: high crime, home, job market)

[epmiacttiaa]

Hello Everyone.
Well I just got back from an amazing trip to the pacific northwest. Drove out for a bit to see how it would
fit. Man, i have to tell you, what one is looking for in a town, i definitely got from visiting those areas.
Currently I live in Colorado. Colorado is a very beautiful state. It offers tons of amenities and activities
galore to occupy your time. Winter time is just beautiful. For me personally, it just doesn't fit with a comfortable fit. I love the mountains, as they
are an amazing way to find comfort and peace. The weather is comfortable but drier. Most of the vegetation (with exception of spruces and similar trees) dies off at the start of winter and returns after. I prefer more trees, flowers, grass, etc. The people can tend to be more cold than most cities i've been to. And i do prefer more community environment. One thing i definitely miss is the ocean. I spent many years
living around the gulf coast and definitely love and adore the culture that marine communities tend to bring.
From doing research the job market on books is definitely better here in Colorado than Oregon. One would ask
why would you wanna leave a secure job and a stable economic situation. I say good call, but everyone finds
happiness in something different. Me and my girlfriend being a young starting family, need a place that fits
our needs. Me being a musician and my girl pursuing an arts degree, we need an environment that is conducive to
the arts as well as not overcrowded or overpriced. During our visit we ventured to many different cities in the state.
We definitely enjoyed the Eugene/Springfield area. Portland is definitely an option, but being as were looking to
move out of a major metropolitan (Denver), were looking for something a little smaller. Oregon as a whole
definitely fit what were looking for. The culture portion of the area definitely fit with what were looking for.
One then begins considering where they will work. My job history has allowed me
to build a diverse and more experienced resume. I could find work doing many a thing. Its just a scary
thing to read such horror stories about the area and its employment issues. I would be relocating with my
girlfriend who will pursue further education shortly down the line. We would both be working and hopefully
fulltime. The question that gets brought up is the job situation. If anyone is willing to share i would
definitely be interested in hearing from others' their experiences of getting employed in the eugene area. Anyone else
have similar experiences of trying to obtain employment from another state around that area. Ive definitely done the whole
move without a job scenario and get employed when arrive move. However, those cities unemployment rates were
no where near as high, for what those are worth. Currently we are working in retail management. What seems to be the average fields of employment for the area? Any feedback at all would be helpful.
Having traveled many places in the us, we definitely have our
eyes on Oregon. Just gotta find some work.

[buzzpost]

Try the job search engine Indeed (Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed.com). It aggregates all of the other job sites (monster, yahoo hotjobs, etc). I'm not from Oregon, nor do I live there but I wish you and your girlfriend lots of luck.

[epmiacttiaa]

awesome, thanks. Ill check it out.

[zitsky]

Do NOT move to Eugene until/unless you have a job lined up. Eugene is a great city, but the job market is not good. I lived there for 2 years and went to school with people from Eugene. Most of them had to find jobs outside of the area. I know you said you're a musician but it sounds like that won't pay the bills, exactly. Will she be transferring to a new school, or will she finish her program before you move? What job skills do you have?

[haggardhouseelf]

Portland feels way smaller than Denver, and way less yuppie. You still have the hipsters, but at least in Portland they're a bit more genuine. Might want to check the population density stats on both cities. I haven't, but my guess is that it's better in Portland. I have relatives in Denver and it's really outgrown its pants. Used to be a cool place, though. And besides... Colorado doesn't have the Pacific Ocean...

Portland would have more in the way of jobs, too.

We moved to Eugene for my husbands job. He works for a telecommunications company. He was already working with the company in another state. None of the local (Eugene) applicants for the position were certified, qualified, or even remotely experienced for what the Eugene office needed to have done, so they began looking outside the area. Word spread through the company grapevine... When my husband was offered the position, he gladly accepted it. We'd never heard of Eugene at the time, but we figured it had to be better than where we were at the time (California... we'd been there for one long, hot, rainless year)...

Anyway, that was our experience in how we got here.

Good luck with your adventures!

P.S. - wanted to add - the arts and music are huge in Portland (as they are in most of Oregon)... if you can, try to watch the OPB show "Art Beat"... it'll give you a little snapshot. http://www.opb.org/programs/artbeat/ You also might want to get Sunset Magazines Pacific Northwest edition... has lots of fun local stuff in it. They have different editions for the different zones. The one that covers Oregon is always worth the buy. We've found really good camping spots in that magazine, and really fun day trips, too. I even found where to buy really good home made soup stock for when I'm lazy and don't want to make my own. Just all kinds of local tidbits.

[wohelo]

From reading your post I would say Portland would be your best choice. More jobs than in Eugene, especially in the arts. A friend's son and his girl friend move out to Portland from St. Paul and found work as an artist designing T-shirts and as a children books illustrator. His girlfriend found a gallery for her paintings and is doing very well. They live in Beaverton. So, there is a success story for you. Best of luck.

[lensgrabber]

epmiacttiaa,


So as a current Denver neighbor that is going to make a trip to PDX and Western OR in the next few weeks I would be interested in anything specific that caught your eye on your visit. Things that I should look out for (or make a point to see) during my trip. My wife and I have had enough of the Denver area and are scouting areas for the next big move. Over the past ten years I have lived here the area has changed and for me, not in a positive way. It's not about jobs but the people. Anyway, I look forward to the trip there and plan on visiting the entire coastal area (101) plus Bend, Eugene (and probably everything down I5), Portland, and Salem. Chances are I will discover what you already know.

Cheers,
Robert

[chesgold]

Would defifitely consider Portland over Eugene. Poor job market here. A college town with lots of young 18-22yo. Duck country supported by Phil Knight, Nike. West Eugene high crime. Lots of car thefts and breakins. If you are old enough to remember the 1970's you will be very at home here because that is exactly where they are stuck. Check out the demographics of Eugene. It is the Boheimian capital! A VERY LIBERAL town. I lived in Denver in the 1970's and loved it! Wish I were anywhere but here. Very expensive 110% of national average cost of living! Move to Portland! Lots of things to do, culture, not a college town, you can still visit the ocean, go skiing, hiking but will have better job prospects and multiple colleges for you girlfriend. Housing is cheaper! Beautiful city! 3hrs from Seattle! The Columbia River flows between WA and Portland OR. Closer to major airport if you like to fly and travel. Eugene airport is small and has limited flights that are usually full. GO PORTLAND!!!!