Best Oregon City for Young, Artistic Couple?

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by sidni

Edit:
Now of course, 2 minutes after I typed this, I happened upon photos of homes with blue skies behind... Ha ha ha. I knew there had to be sunshine occassionally.

Those pics are Photoshopped.

(j/k)

[Durian Beach]

Originally Posted by skinem

The west side of Oregon and Washington is wet and rainy, often gray.
East side of Oregon and Washington is considerably drier and sunnier.
As an eastsider, I'm biased...if I lived on the west side I'm afraid I'd cut my wrists one winter...

I absolutely loved the gray rainy winters in Portland when I lived there, it didn't bother me one bit, I found it relaxing. What I didn't like was the fact that in the summer there is not a single cloud in the sky and you can just feel the ultraviolet radiation burning into your skin every time you step out side. Basically it rains constantly from about Halloween to St. Patricks Day. From the Fourth of July to mid September there is hardly a cloud in the sky and it is hot and bone dry. The times in between are transition periods between the two with the springs being particularly long and chilly compared to elsewhere in the US. One thing is at the high northern lattitude Portland is at in Summer it doesn't get dark until 10 o'clock and the sun is already comming up around 4:30am and you can get a little bushwhacked from lack of good sleep.

[plainbrowntabby]

Fact: It rains in Western Oregon in the fall, winter and spring. A lot and often. Washington is set up the same way, only MORE! I have lived a long time on the wet side. I love the soft luminous light, the dampness and coolness, the constant sound of water, The dark forests. It's not for everyone. Rent for a year and see if you can stand the winter before you buy.
Sunny season: July 4 - Oct 26

Originally Posted by sidni

Thanks everyone! It's all very helpful...
I've been looking at apartments to get an idea prices, sizes, etc, and I noticed that it is very gray outside in every photo. I know the NW is a rainy area, but I thought there were sunny days sometimes too?

Edit:
Now of course, 2 minutes after I typed this, I happened upon photos of homes with blue skies behind... Ha ha ha. I knew there had to be sunshine occassionally.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by Durian Beach

I didn't like was the fact that in the summer there is not a single cloud in the sky and you can just feel the ultraviolet radiation burning into your skin every time you step out side.

HA! Yep, and even more so on the east side. My wife is from the humid south and we lived in the dry, dry desert on the east side...she used to say it felt like the sun was sitting on her shoulder without the "haze of humidity" cutting its effect.

Personally, we loved it. But, I gotta admit, there were summer days when I'd just about have killed for a gray cloudy day just to break up the string of beautiful, deep blue sky, clear sunny days.

A running joke between us was one of us would get up first, look out the window , sigh deeply and in a mournful, sad voice say "Sigh...it looks like another beautiful day."

Be careful what you wish for...you just might get it!

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

Sounds like Portland or Eugene, or if you want to go really small town, Silverton.

silverton: tiny town but oh so close to PDX. waterfalls to die for in Silverton, if it's the place I've heard about. Silver Falls in Silverton??? 2005 08 - Oregon Waterfalls pictures from waterfalls photos on webshots

Welcome to Silverton Oregon - Gateway to Silver Falls State Park and the Oregon Gardens
Oregonian Article 12/19/99 (http://www.silvertonor.com/visiting/articles/eponymous.html - broken link)

Reading so much on city data makes me want to move, too. Although I have a common problem regarding that unavoidable evil: employment.

Kate

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by plainbrowntabby

Fact: It rains in Western Oregon in the fall, winter and spring. A lot and often. Washington is set up the same way, only MORE! I have lived a long time on the wet side. I love the soft luminous light, the dampness and coolness, the constant sound of water, The dark forests. It's not for everyone. Rent for a year and see if you can stand the winter before you buy.
Sunny season: July 4 - Oct 26

and yet we complain about heat! sigh: more sun is always welcome. it's already back to socks on in the house in the morning weather.

i didn't know it was still sunny here in october, though. i thought the sun went "bye" around september.

kate in the wet state

[Smiled]

Do bring work though...There are unemployed artist types all over Portland; they're very frustrated at having to compete for minimum-wage jobs, much less artistic/creative ones. Eventually this will turn around, but forewarned is forearmed.