Lake Oswego vs West Linn

[forestpixey]

Originally Posted by RambleOn

Hi All,

We've been reading a lot about Oregon. We have lots of family in Bend and in the Portland area and are thinking of moving to one or the other. We are very familiar with Bend but here's the real question.

We've heard a lot about Lake Oswego being great for a family; lots of community feel with a nice down town area, great schools, restaraunts and shops and of course, the lake.

We have also heard about West Linn being a 'similar' type of community but everyone seems to say that Lake Oswego is 'better' and West Linn not as nice. I can see by the house prices that West Linn would offer us a nicer home for the money so what would we be giving up if anything?

We are hoping to hear from folks who live in one or the other and this is NOT an attempt to start a fight,,,but we just want to know from some locals what the two are like and what separates them in honest terms. This is a huge decision...and of course we will visit before deciding but even a week long vacation is not enough to really make an informed decision.

We appreciate your comments.

All the best...

Ramble on,
My family and I just moved to Lake Oswego from central california. We were looking for a place like you. Something close to all the outdoor activities, with lots of trees and good schools. We are renters, and don't drive BMW's or Hummers and we feel just fine here. I feels to be a safe place. If I leave my car unlocked i'm not worried about it. Neighbors are friendly, you take a walk and others are doing the same, you actually say "hello" or "good evening". I was affraid to do the in california. I just feels like your in the past where you could open your doors, your kids can play in the front yard, leave your bike out front and not have to worry. We have heard there are a lot of snobs here, we haven't really seen that. People drive all the nice cars you can tell they have money but everybody has been pretty friendly. We have friends in West Linn and have spent time there and we love Lake Oswego much better. It just seems the surroundings are more serene here in LO. And LO is close to both the 5 and 205. I think it is great for commuting.

Good Luck