Boise vs. Portland for a single and looking 54-year old lady

[Flavia84]

Once again, thanks to everyone for replies and helpful information. This forum is great!

I personally like Boise and fit right in, outdoorsy rugged individual type. My mom on the other hand is like my complete opposite. I do agree that the vibe in Portland may be more in line with her character and personality (save the piercings and tattoos )

We're going up to PNW next week to check out Portland and possibly Vancouver area (I heard Couv a bit cheaper than Portland)

Hopefully she'll feel better about the area than she does about Phoenix.

P.S. PNW is wonderful and if she decides to settle in there I will too get to enjoy everything it has to offer. I hear dance schools are top notch in Portland-right on

[PinkFlowerGarden]

Originally Posted by Flavia84

Once again, thanks to everyone for replies and helpful information. This forum is great!

I personally like Boise and fit right in, outdoorsy rugged individual type. My mom on the other hand is like my complete opposite. I do agree that the vibe in Portland may be more in line with her character and personality (save the piercings and tattoos )

We're going up to PNW next week to check out Portland and possibly Vancouver area (I heard Couv a bit cheaper than Portland)

Hopefully she'll feel better about the area than she does about Phoenix.

P.S. PNW is wonderful and if she decides to settle in there I will too get to enjoy everything it has to offer. I hear dance schools are top notch in Portland-right on

I will be interested to read your reviews of Vancouver. I have never visited but I have only heard the best things about the city.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Perhaps if you were to tell us what language she speaks, maybe someone will know where there is a community that speaks the same language?

On the other hand, English as a second language classes are a good way to meet people.

[Hawk J]

Sprechen sie Deutsch??.........

Polly vu Francais??

Comprende Americano??

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Oh right, now mom's supposed to go online and hook up with total strangers or plane fare? LOL. You're about as bad as Pickering and his little fantasy of most 25 year olds running after old men for money. Maybe mom can pay for her own flights and would prefer to do so.

Well... if mom wants to meet a man, that is what she should do. I met my sweetheart of eight years online. If she had the idea that dating online amounted to hooking up with total strangers (which is what we were, eight years ago) where would we be? But... as usual, there is more to the story... mom's situation is not cut and dried, there is a language and culture issue... complicates things. I'm out of my depth. But not completely. If the o.p.'s mom finds Phoenix too hot, then Boise in summer won't win any prizes. The climate of the PNW should prevail in that area. Cost of living between the PNW and any other similarly livable areq of the U.S. will be exactly the same! You are NOT going to find some wondrous place with a COL index of 75 or 80. It's not going to happen. Cost of living for areas where the o.p.'s mom will want to be all have a COL around 100. Period. So... it comes down to intrinsics of weather, geography and not much else. People are the same wherever you go. There are only two flavors: big city people (NYC, LA, etc.) and everybody else. But, I'm like most that are reacting to the new, supplemental information that has come in. The priority intrinsic of a relocation destination will be one where a community of the same nationality as the o.p.'s mother has already decided to settle. Might also reduce/eliminate the need to search online for companionship.

H

[Metlakatla]

There's a difference between meeting people online and expecting them to pay for tickets and moving expenses, as you suggested.

[Steve Pickering]

Salem has a large Slavic speaking community.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Flavia 84

Thanks to all for the replies!

Yeah, I know it's kind of odd for a child to be acting on behalf of their parent looking for the best place for them to relocate to.

Unfortunately, in my situation I have to take on this weird role

My mom came over from Eastern Europe a couple of years ago and it's been tough finding a place to live where she'd feel somewhat comfortable. She doesn't drive and her English is pretty basic. Writing or typing is even harder. She's working on it but it's a slow and painful process. She is a nice, honest, super hard working person but her English is a major obstacle in her way.

She lives in Phoenix now and it's hard for her. It's too hot, too sprawling and just not her cup of tea.

So I'm trying to figure out where she would be most comfortable and have a decent quality of life without me constantly being around.
And once she settles in, improves her English and gets a life it would be good for her to start forming some sort of a social circle, that's why I'm trying to find a place where she could meet like-minded folks.

Hence this topic.

Right now I'm leaning towards Boise because of the high cost of living in the PNW. I think she'd prefer Portland because of it's public transport and gardening opportunities, but when I was looking at rents in the area I was shocked how expensive it is to live there, especially compared to Arizona.

This was a very important piece of information for us to know. It does explain why you are helping her out and her shyness. What part of Eastern Europe is she from? My own grandparents hailed from Lithuania and Latvia. If you could find an Eastern European church group in Portland and she could join them. I think that would be a great place for her to begin a nice social life. I know some used to exist I would imagine one or two still does.

I used to work with a young man who lived with his entire family and assorted relatives in a kind of neighborhood conclave in the suburb of Hillsboro. They have a community garden and do community gardening, are college educated and very outgoing. The older folks I believe are from the Ukraine.

Best of luck to your mom wherever she settles.

[Hopes]

I'm going to change direction and recommend Pittsburgh. We have a large eastern european population. The majority of our immigrant population is highly educated. Lots of gardening to be had here. There's a full four seasons. I'd classify it as a moderate city politically and socially. People are very friendly and outgoing and tollerant. I can't say peircings and tatoos are the norm here. People have them, but it's fairly rare in her age group. I'm sure you're mother would feel comfortable here. Pittsburgh reminds many europeans of home. I'm sure she will find many people who speak her language too. Post a thread in the Pittsburgh forum and get opinions from other locals.