Thoughts on relocating to Oregon from Colorado (Portland, Hillsboro: apartments, renting)

[Verdigris]

Hi all,

I apologize in advance for this being so long, but I'm hoping the background information will provide a good understanding of why I'm interested in moving to Oregon and what I'd hope to find there. And for what it's worth, I'm male, 34 and single.

I've been living in the Boulder/Louisville area of Colorado for about 2.5 years now. Before this, I lived in Northern Virginia for 6 years and I grew up in Florida. I can't stand Florida and would never live there again, but all of my family is there (save for my sister in Atlanta). Northern Virginia winters sucked and the east coast is incredibly Type-A. I do miss the trees and trails, though.

I moved to Colorado since I had some friends here (though an hour's drive from me) and only based on a single visit. I've found that I don't like it here for many reasons, but the two biggest reasons are the snow and the barren-ness. It just feels...bland.

Colorado gets a LOT of sun. I like the sun, though I realize that having ~300 sunny days a year can easily make one take them for granted. I've been told by many people that Oregon, esp. the Portland area, doesn't get a lot of sun, especially in the winter. I think I'd be fine, but more opinions are always valuable.

My passion is trail running and I especially love tree-covered dirt trails. In fact, I'm going to Oregon twice this year for my first ever races, a 20K in Forest Park in May and a marathon at Mt. Hood in September. I've only been to Oregon once, and that time I got the chance to go running at Forest Park. The trails I've seen in my area just don't cut it for me, and I've got a healthy respect for (read: fear of) bears and mountain lions. At any rate, what I miss most is green, especially lush, green forests with great trails.

Also, I don't really care for the Florida beaches, but from what I've seen and read of the Oregon coast and beaches, they are diametrically opposite: rocky, cold, even green in places, and that IS appealing to me.

Finally, I am a Unix system administrator, so I've heard that the general Portland area is a good area for tech. However, I'm also not a city person (and "culture and the arts" don't really do anything for me, either), though having access to a decent-size city without having to live too close would be ideal. Oh, and I wouldn't want to have to drive 2 hours to get to an airport for occasional flights to Florida (e.g. holidays).

So that all being said, I would really appreciate any thoughts you all might have on whether Oregon might be a good move for me, and if so, are there areas other than directly in Portland that might meet my preferences.

And whether or not you reply, THANK YOU for at least having read this far.

Regards,
Verdigris
(I doubt if any of my co-workers would read this, and they'd probably know it's me, but I'll use the alias anyway. Feel free to PM me as well.)

[Wicked Felina]

Trust those people who tell you there's not a lot of sun during the winter, spring, and fall. Think grey skies and rain, with short-lived breaks of sunshine.

You'll find trails like you've described all over Oregon and Washington, to some extent. They're around the coastal areas, along the Columbia Gorge (Washington and Oregon), on the Olympic Penninsula, and including the rain forest. Pretty wide area to cover, so you'd have to narrow it down a bit.

From what I can gather, you sound like you'd really like Portland. Trails, Mt. Hood, beaches are all close, and you can get out into the country relatively fast.

If you venture anywhere near Portland, you'll have to deal with an area that is growing & wildly sprawling at an alarming (IMHO!) rate. Probably nothing like what you're used to, though. Where were you thinking of looking for work?

A two-hour travel to an airport doesn't seem like an inconvenience to me, especially if you do it infrequently, and don't want to live in a city. Friends who live near Seattle willingly travel the two-hour plus trip to Portland to catch a flight, rather than dealing with Seattle traffic and the Sea-Tac airport labyrinth (plus, flights are cheaper!).

Sorry, no clue re tech jobs.

All said given you want to be near forest trails. And, if you don't mind the rain, the Pacific Northwest might just be your cup of tea!

Best of luck to you in the Timberline Run (guessing that's the marathon you'll be running).

[bobmulk]

The sun shines more than people realize. There's a lot of gray in the winter, but we've also had several days in a row of sunshine, too. We have glorious summers and autumn is magnificent with the Indian summers. It will stay sunny into November (with occasional rain, of course). Spring gets what would be called showers, but we also get lots of sun. Oregon weather can be downright weird sometimes.

Trails? You've picked a good state for them. Since you don't want to live in Portland, there are anyone of a million places within two hours of Portland where you could live. Please note that most high tech jobs are in Washington County on the western edge of the metro area. Although, I'm assuming a Unix developer probably doesn't necessarily have to work for a high tech company. I think you will find it relatively easy to find work.

Good luck and welcome.

[Venusian_Artist]

Weather is an issue. Check here for more discussion.

[Patti LeBlanc]

Good luck in your upcoming races. Hopefully you can take a couple extra days & check out Oregon while you are here. I think you will find it very agreeable. It sounds like the smaller towns around Portland may work best for you. Hillsboro, Sandy, maybe even McMinnville. Smaller towns, with more of a rural feel, although close to Portland. Enjoy your stay!

[Silverfall]

Actually I think Portland would be a great place for you. There are several outdoor clubs and running clubs up there that would be great for you to get plugged into. Even if you don't do the "culture" thing, Portland has a great low-key vibe. I came from the Chicago area, so I have a different view of "culture." I love Chicago for everything it offers, but I really LOVE Portland. I like that it is more low-key.

Yes, our coast is...a coast...There is sand for sand castles, but the water is COLD. Not too many bathing suits up here. I think the coast is gorgeous.

Yes, Portland would be your best bet for work. I actually think that you should check out some of the neighborhoods in Portland. Many of them don't feel very "cityish." The Pearl has a great vibe and is downtown (expensive), Belmont, Laurelhurst, Sellwood, and East Moreland are all great.

[Verdigris]

Hi again,

First of all, I'd like to say THANK YOU to the wonderful responses provided so far, including the weather thread VA referenced. I'd like to respond to many of the individual points, and I will, but I only have a couple of minutes right now.

I did just send an email off to someone I know at a company that I'd be very interested in working at that has two offices (out of its very large number of offices) in great locations: one that is about 2 miles from me and the other is in Hillsboro (just off 26, not far from the airport)!

So to help narrow down my original post even more, what thoughts can you all provide, aside from the great info so far, regarding living within say a 15-20 minute drive to Hillsboro?

Thanks,
Verdigris

[Silverfall]

I know you aren't wanting a city feel, but Orenco Station is a very cool area and it is right off the Max.

Forest Grove and Banks are pretty much all that is out there. Banks is a great small town, but not sure if it is too small for you. There is some great bicycle riding out there if you are into that. The Portland Wheelman (my hubby's old club) have some great rides.

If you come out some other time, you should hit the Larch Mountain trails. They are really nice as well. Also, we have the Hood to Coast Relay every year up in Portland, which I forgot to mention. It is fun, in an intense way...

[Verdigris]

Silverfall,

I've always been a renter, so I would be fine with finding a nice little city (compared to Portland) with some decent apartments. I would probably wait a couple of years or so until I found the place that is right for me before finally making the plunge into finally buying my own place. (The hard thing for me is that I take up very little space, so buying a house has always seemed excessive. My 880 sqft apartment is a bit big for me and, once I can sell my big bedroom set, I'd even consider downsizing to a nice studio.)

Orenco Station looks nicely positioned. I'm curious: the Google Maps satellite view of the city looks "manicured". Is that a good description or is the picture just deceiving?

Forest Grove and Banks might be a little further than I'd like to drive (maybe not). Can you describe them a little more or point me to a good reference (the cities' web sites are probably a bit biased, but I'll look those up as well)? They could make for good settling down areas, though ideally I'd get an acre or two (with as many trees as possible) to build on.

I'll look up the trails and the relay. The relay sounds fun just from the name!

Thanks,
Verdigris

[Silverfall]

We have a lot of requirements for trees here, so maybe that is the manicured look?? We have trees in the city in the sidewalks.

I really don't know a lot about Forest Grove or Banks. I have had friends live in both towns and they were happy there. I would suggest that you consider renting a condo in Orenco. I sold one there a couple of years ago, and they range from 650-1500 sq feet or so.

As for land...you better make some money. We have really strict zoning laws and the UGB (Urban Growth Boundary). All Oregon cities have one. They prevent sprawl by requiring cities to built within the boundary limits to a certain point before allowing expansion. Outside the boundaries, land tends to come in larger parcels. It will be really hard to find a 1-2 acre unbuilt parcel. Don't know if that impacts your wanting to move here, but just something to consider...