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Old 12-21-2011, 04:16 PM
 
Location: BORING SEBRING
4 posts, read 31,702 times
Reputation: 11

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Hi everyone!! My family and I are moving out there in June of next year. I have been reading lots of posts and articles about varies locations and to be honest I'm over whelmed. So I have come up with a new plan instead of renting a house when we arrive we plan to stay at an rv park until we find the right location to settle down. My boyfriend is a chef so we will need to be some what close(commute no longer than 40min.)to fine dining. Preferably james beard nominee restaurants. Our ultimate goal is to buy 4 acres of land and be able to farm(aquaponics,animals etc.) so weather isnt a concern though my son does want to live where it snows. So I guess what Im asking is what area would be best?

MUST HAVE
-Good schools is a must
-Fine dinning within driving distance
-Low crime neighborhood
-Lots of recreational activities
-houses not on top of each other/room to breathe(dont wanna look out my window right into someone else's.)
-Not the pricest neighborhood as we are a one income family.
-We are not a materialistic family so living in a neighborhood that is wouldnt fit at all.
-Like I said before weather isnt really a problem(though I do not want to live in a dessert like atmosphere).
-Dog friendly/pet friendly (we are animal lovers) also in the future we want to have our own chickens so that would be a must have too.



I have heard portlands schools arent the greatest. Is this the truth? Finding a great school for my son is very important so if thats the case about portland I will have to count it out But then where does that leave me with fine dinning?? Or is it even possible to stay at an rv park with my son and dog for a few months or maybe even a year if need be? I looked into a few parks with low monthly rates but that concerns me a little bit( are they full of elderly people, weirdo's, druggies? Please I really need some advice from people who actually live in Oregon. Im excited about making this change I just dont wanna jump into buying any property until I've looked around for my self. You guys will help me to single out places that just arent for us. Thank you so much for reading my long post.
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Old 12-22-2011, 08:19 AM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,607,247 times
Reputation: 25231
I can't help with your fine dining. If you are in the business, you should look that up yourself.

Oregon schools are pretty mediocre. That doesn't mean individual children can't get a decent education, but the basic graduation requirements are pretty low. If you settle near a community college, many high school seniors take college level courses and have 20 or 30 term credits by the time they graduate from high school. The high school will pay their tuititon. If your kid is the kind who just skates by, he can be astonishingly ignorant by the time he graduates.

Low crime is everywhere. It's not a concern, unless you settle in a slum.

Recreation is everywhere, if you mean outdoor recreation. I have never heard anyone in Oregon complain that there is no outdoor recreation. If your idea of recreation is going to a ball game, you may be out of luck unless you like high school sports.

Lots of land and inexpensive don't go together in Oregon unless you are willing to be really rural. State land use laws prohibit the kind of urban sprawl that you find in other areas. Oregon cities are compact and lots are small.

You might try applying at some of the Indian casinos. I know Seven Feathers in Canyonville has the Camas Room, a well regarded restaurant as well as a buffet for the gourmands.
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Old 12-22-2011, 09:24 AM
 
Location: the Beaver State
6,464 posts, read 13,401,924 times
Reputation: 3581
Hopefully your boyfriend has a job before getting here. Portland has two fantastic chefs schools, and a lot of the graduates end up staying in Portland, so chef jobs are

The only recent James Beard nominated restaurant I know of went out of business two years ago. We do have quite a few chefs who were nominated though.

Portland Food Group: Restaurant, Bar, Market & Cooking Reviews & Discussion is the place for Portlanders who are in the industry and interested in it. There is also an employment forum there, but it's a bit sparse in actual jobs. I'd say that chef is probably among the top five most over saturated job positions in Portland right now.

Backyard Chickens are on a city by city basis. Portland and Beaverton allow them. Gresham and Hillsboro don't. Multnomah County technically doesn't allow them, but Washington and Clackamas do.

Another thing to know, snow in the Portland area is rare and usually melts within a couple of hours. You'll need to look at Bend for such, or just realize you'll need to travel up to one of the mountains to see snow.

Portland is extremely pet friendly, too much so, which is coming from someone who's dog is my child.
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Old 12-27-2011, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,280,558 times
Reputation: 2866
Like every "I want to move to Oregon" post, Have a Job Carved in Stone first. Otherwise don't bother. Most with your husbands skill do not make a living wage in any part of Oregon.

As to your list. Do not expect to meet more than 50% of your goals in any part of the state. Your Utopia does not exist here.
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Old 12-27-2011, 11:14 PM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,523 posts, read 40,276,452 times
Reputation: 17402
Portland is really your best bet for a shot at a job. It has the most fine dining by far. So the problems that you will have with your ideal plan...

1) Land is at a premium due to urban growth boundaries. Those small acre parcels within 40 minutes of a decent sized city...pricey. Probably not going to happen one one income.

2) Oregon schools in general are average. They have really low state standards here compared to mid-west and east coast states. Good schools are generally in wealthier areas like Lake Oswego and West Linn.

3) Loads of dogs in Oregon. Ashland is the only non pet friendly city.

4) Depending on how you define low crime and where you come from, there are plenty of places I would consider low crime. You can see crimes on the map at CrimeReports.com

5) Oregon is all about recreational activities so if there is something specific you want to be near, you'll need to mention that.
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Old 12-29-2011, 01:23 PM
 
Location: Pacific NW
6,413 posts, read 12,107,910 times
Reputation: 5860
If I were a young chef looking to relocate in Oregon/Portland ... I'd look at opening a foodcart, and go into business for myself.
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Old 12-30-2011, 03:18 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Oregon & Sunsites Arizona
8,000 posts, read 17,280,558 times
Reputation: 2866
A Chef with a food cart..... Now that is funny. But sadly it says a lot about the job availability in Oregon. I think the guy is serious.
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Old 12-30-2011, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,607,247 times
Reputation: 25231
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
A Chef with a food cart..... Now that is funny. But sadly it says a lot about the job availability in Oregon. I think the guy is serious.
Hey, I went to college with a girl who started with a push cart in Portland and ended up with a batch of them. Judy's Pushcarts. She sold out in the '90s and I lost track of her after that, but she turned it into a thriving business. The Korean taco truck in LA has gotten national press and advertises through social media. Even Mexicans like kimchi on their tacos. There's an opportunity for the right person with talent and motivation.
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Old 12-30-2011, 04:21 PM
 
247 posts, read 743,076 times
Reputation: 124
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
A Chef with a food cart..... Now that is funny. But sadly it says a lot about the job availability in Oregon. I think the guy is serious.
I hope you're kidding. Do you know how popular food trucks/carts are right now? It's not a bad idea for someone with restaurant experience.
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Old 12-30-2011, 05:06 PM
 
9,961 posts, read 17,466,866 times
Reputation: 9193
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Pickering View Post
A Chef with a food cart..... Now that is funny. But sadly it says a lot about the job availability in Oregon. I think the guy is serious.
Not really... Opening a foodcart is a good way to get started in the restaurant business in this area. There's several brick and morter restaurants in Portland that were originally food carts. There's plenty of young cooks in Portland who've gotten national attention based on what they are cooking at food carts in Portland. There's sort of an oversaturated market for carts in Portland, however there's a high failure rate for new restaurants as well in most places.

The food cart and food truck business has taken off in all the major west coast cities like Seattle and San Francisco as well. It's not as if it's some sort of joke. With the high price of real estate in gentrifried cities, a food cart is a much easier investment to start up--plus with a good location you can pretty good crowds for lunch willing to pay for the cheaper prices that come with a cart vs. a full service restaurant.
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