Portland, OR suburbs: any nice, affordable, and safe suburb? (Beaverton: best suburbs, crime)

[Massanetd]

We (my husband, kid, and pets) are looking to relocate from Houston, TX when we both finish our Master degrees. Both degrees are in healthcare; we won't move unless we have jobs. We are trying to find a liberal city (tired of Texas conservatism - please, I don't need opinions about this!), with green areas. Also, we're looking for affordability. And by affordability, I mean an area where there are nice sized homes with decent backyards (for my dogs) for less than $250K - $300K. Would love it to be in the city, but as I know that will be extremely difficult to find, we're more than okay with living in a safe suburb. Any suggestions about Portland are welcome. Thanks.

[hamellr]

This pretty much describes most of Portland and suburbs except for a few more expensive neighborhoods.

Do you have any more requirements?

[Massanetd]

Thanks for the response.

Hmm... I haven't thought it thoroughly, just looking at our options. Do you know anything about the schools? I would like to say parks, but I just saw that Portland has tons of parks, so that's great. So basically, what are the best suburbs for families with kids?

How about the people? One thing about Houston is that everyone seems to be in a bad mood. We're Hispanics, and we don't mind being in a place with small Hispanic community, but obviously would like a place where diversity is respected.

Thanks.

[Rob Allen]

Most of Portland itself is quite suburban in character, so don't give up on living in Portland. As for suburbs, Hillsboro and Beaverton on the west side are good places to look. The schools are good, there's a new Kaiser hospital opening in Hillsboro this summer and there's a substantial Mexican community in the area.

[Massanetd]

Will look into it. We researched and on paper Portland sounds like a good option, as we are liberal and love to live near green areas, but also in a big city. I'm worried about the job situation, though, but like I said, we won't be moving unless we find a job. I also have a law degree but tried the legal profession and hated it, so I've moved to healthcare. We finish our degrees next year, so we want to plan ahead. Will visit this summer to look around. Thanks so much!

[hamellr]

Jobs are 100% the only thing that will keep you from moving here.

Second suggestion, is that no matter what, come visit here during winter and summer for at least 3-5 days each time. You need to know that you can handle the weather. Nothing in Texas can prepare you for the long fall/winter/spring that we have.

[Nell Plotts]

I took my husband to Prov urgent care and then to St. V's today. Every nursing assistant was a native Spanish speaker.

[Massanetd]

We are not nurses, but thanks for the reply. I'm doing a Master's in Healthcare Administration and my husband in Speech Pathology (he's currently a speech therapist). As I said above, we will not move unless we both have a job. Thanks for the response.

[EnricoV]

I would not choose East Portland if I was looking at a great place to raise kids. Or close-in Vancouver (closer to I-5). There's just a bit more crime there. Any other direction, and you should be fine.