Best places to live in Oregon or Washington. (Portland, Beaverton: sales, rentals)

[jezpur22]

Hello, I have been doing research for a bit now and reading alot of threads. I come to the conclusion that it it better to live and work in the same state rather than traveling. Like many say the stand still traffic from Portland to Vancouver is terrible. Being a New Yorker it may not ruffle my feathers much.

But I am tired of NY and suburbs, looking for a place to live that is beautiful, laid back (only at home work is work and you make money with a busier area) , has rentals as well as homes with acreage when ready to take that plunge. I would love to one day have horses and possibly an animal rescue farm as well as some agricultural land. Just herbs and veggies. I would prefer if possible a small town that is in driving distance to a bigger city that has jobs. I am very Sales oriented so that will be important. Oh and I am considering opening a retail store so cheap rent and good traffic/tourist locations would be a good thing too.

I love the aspects of coastal Or and WA but I am open to going inland. One thing I'd like to stay away from is any possibility of hot lava rolling thru in the near future Problem is, is that I am all over the place with the areas I like and would love to narrow it down. I love both sides of city life as well as country life. Any suggestions would be great. And keeping my animals with me is the most important thing. There's been a flood of people losing homeowners insurance cause they don't want to insure homes with larger dogs. Only 20 lbs and under Such nice people they are..Sure there's a ton of homeless animals in NY shelters now. Well here's the areas I have been looking at:
Leavenwoth, WA
Portland, Or
Brookings, Or
Vancouver, Wa -Heard just beautiful!
Port Orford, Or
Port Orchard, Wa
Sammamish,Wa etc... See what I mean and that's not all of it, lol Ty any ideas would be wonderful!

[NWbyNW]

Seems like you really need to narrow it down. If you want real laid back life in rural countryside, I recommend looking at Whidbey Island in Washington State. Small quaint costal towns. Oak Harbor is the hub of Whidbey Island, and they have modern shopping, but close by are the other small towns of Coupeville and Langley, further south. This island is connected by bridge at the north end, across beautiful Deception Pass, and connected to the south by ferry boat to quaint lighthouse town of Mukilteo. In the center of the island by lovely Coupeville is a ferry to the victorian town of Port Townsend. Whidbey Island is rural in many areas, but has so much natural beauty with views of the Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains and Cascade Mountains. From nearly any direction on the island, you get island views.

San Juans are even more laid back the Whidbey Island and is broken up by island names. Very few towns dot this large chain of islands that can only be reached by ferry. Might want to look up Friday Harbor, Roche Harbor, or Eastsound. These might be too remote though.

Try looking at Whatcom County in Washington for a very strong local vibe. They promote local farms here, and Bellingham is a cultural hub of music, video, and the arts. A very urban downtown, but with a small town feel. Easy access to boating, with the cities great marina and waterfront parks. Many lakes and rivers within minutes of the city, and close to Mount Baker skiing.

Check our Sammamish and Issaquah. Nearby to the commercial hubs of Bellevue and Seattle. Many job opportunities and becoming very popular for middle class and high class residents.

Vancouver, Washington and Clark County as a whole is a very nice area, with a good mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas. Look into the suburbs of Camas, Woodland, Ridgefield, and Battle Ground.

There are so many options I didn't mention, but maybe those five can be a nice little staring off point.

In Oregon, you got many communities to choose from as well. May I recommend looking into the coastal town of Astoria? It is a Victorian community with some shopping that can be done at a few chain stores across the bridge in Warrenton. It is near beaches and states parks in both Oregon and across the Columbia River in Washington. Many beaches and forests to explore. Historic downtown.

For a more suburban vibe, possibly look around the Portland metro, or into Vancouver, Washington. Out west you got Hillsboro and Beaverton. Beaverton is growing and has plans to become more urban downtown, and Hillsboro has a charming downtown and farmer market. They are both within driving distance to Portland. The eastern suburbs, such as Troutdale can be charming. A nice downtown, and on the verge of leaving the metro area. Just a bit further east, you can find yourself in rural countryside, and still be just ten minutes from the Portland metro area. Easy access to the freeway can make this ideal

OUT OF YOUR CHOICES

Leavenwoth, WA - Very quaint, small, but isolated with little job opportunities unless you want to work in farming or the tourist industry. Sort of nearby to shopping in Wenatchee. Beautiful surroundings.
Portland, Or - Very urban, medium sized city feel. Expensive, but lower job prospects then Seattle, high unemployment.
Brookings, Or - Remote, far from any larger cities with shopping, which you seem to want. Very mild all year round, with temps in the 60s even during winter. Great views. Close to rural California.
Vancouver, Wa - Close to Portland, and has a better economic forecast then Portland currently. Lots of big downtown plans for densifying, and many great suburbs to choose from. Right on the Columbia river, and lots of recreation opportunities.
Port Orford, Or - Remote. Nice location, but no job prospects, and too far away from any place with major shopping.
Port Orchard, Wa - Has some nice areas. Good waterfront, nice small downtown. Close to jobs and shopping in Bremerton, but I would not keep it on my list. Look at Gig Harbor if you had to choose a town in this region.
Sammamish,Wa - Residential, middle class,high class, close to Bellevue and good schools. Some shopping.

[sorupaa]

gladstone and happy valley in the portland metro area

[jezpur22]

WOW! Thank you that helps tremendously! I do like Astoia but while doing research found really no land there. I have been trying to narrow it down by my job hunt. Seeing where the jobs are and then checking out the area. You are a wealth of information! I will check out Whatcom County as well. Trying to find a happy medium. I did read that Whidbey Island and those surrounding areas it's expensive and difficult at times for shipping for retailers. But like the small town feel. The land I would be interested in getting would be anywhere from 3-10 acres eventually and if able to do what I wanted with the land starting hopefully would not break the bank. Once I narrow it down a little more can I ask you about some areas again? I would appreciate it, Thank you

[jezpur22]

Thank you drum bro, I will check those out too!

[NWbyNW]

I would be happy to answer. For the money, you can find a lot of land in Whatcom and Skagit County, both in Washington. For the same money, you can find even more land and more house in Eastern Washington and parts of Eastern Oregon. Bend, Oregon is nice, but going to cost you more. The Tri-Cities in Washington are a very nice and inexpensive area. Lots of land, but it feels like one giant suburb, even though it is technically four towns, all with distinctive downtowns separate from each other.

You would probably get more help from the Washington forum. It is more active and more members using it.

[jezpur22]

One giant suburb? lol No thanks! Been there done that...Thank you will check in the Wa forum too. And going to check on Brookings area again.

[NWbyNW]

Good luck. I will be around throughout the day at various times if you have further questions.

Just note that Brookings is a beautiful location with lots of natural beauty. But there are no chain stores in or around Brookings, and very limited job choices. Their downtown hugs Highway 101 and curves with the landscape. The nearest hospital is located 28 miles away at the county seat of Curry County, unless you travel 25 miles south to Crescent City, CA. Brookings has a municipal police department, and fire department.

The town is isolated from major highways and far away from towns with 20,000 people or more. The nearest city with 100,000 people is over 150 miles away. Road networks to Brookings are extremely limited, with only 101 going in and out of the town. For example, the nearest Wal mart or chain store store like it, is located Coos Bay or Medford, both extremely far away from Brookings, and would take a winding road route to get too.

Harris Beach State Park is a nice park at the north end of town. The weather in the city is very mild, with warm temperatures (Relatively) all year round. Though there are times winds can hit the unprotected community harshly. There are some Pacific storms.

[jamielynn81]

Originally Posted by jezpur22

WOW! Thank you that helps tremendously! I do like Astoia but while doing research found really no land there. I have been trying to narrow it down by my job hunt. Seeing where the jobs are and then checking out the area. You are a wealth of information! I will check out Whatcom County as well. Trying to find a happy medium. I did read that Whidbey Island and those surrounding areas it's expensive and difficult at times for shipping for retailers. But like the small town feel. The land I would be interested in getting would be anywhere from 3-10 acres eventually and if able to do what I wanted with the land starting hopefully would not break the bank. Once I narrow it down a little more can I ask you about some areas again? I would appreciate it, Thank you

I love life in Astoria. Most of the properties in town don't have much land with them, but if you look just south of town around Young's River or Mile's Crossing there are some small farms. Also out Lewis and Clark. If you have any specific questions about Astoria, ask away.

[pepagirl2000]

Originally Posted by jezpur22

... I did read that Whidbey Island and those surrounding areas it's expensive and difficult at times for shipping for retailers. But like the small town feel...

Just to add my 2 cents here, Whidbey is very beautiful, but you will not be raking in the bucks selling retail there. Burlington is the closest place to Whidbey that you could set up a decent shop at about 45 minutes across the bridge. There are a lot of rural areas between Whidbey and burlington in Skagit county, but still it wouldn't be my top choice. Whatcom is a better bet IMHO, good luck!
(Lived in Oak Harbor for 2 years)