Moving to Portland in May! Tell me it's a good idea! (Gresham: best cities, real estate)

[bingitslola]

Hello everyone!

My longtime boyfriend and I are looking to move to Portland when our lease is up in May. We're mid 20's and moved to Phoenix about 3 years ago from Vermont. We are absolutely sick of it! The living beyond your means lifestyle is just not our thing. People making 12.00$ an hour and making sure to have the latest Gucci shoes, or a BMW payment you can't afford. This city is like a giant suburb. It's amazing to me how a place known as "The Valley of the Sun" is barely pedestrian friendly. We have certainly met plenty of wonderful people here, but it's time to move on.

We are looking for a place with a (much) bigger sense of community, houses that don't all look the same, reliable public transit, and less chain everything. We like little hole in the wall restaurants, street food, and bars.

I am a little concerned with what everyone has written about the job market! It took us nearly four months to find employment in AZ (right when the housing market out here crashed). We both have solid call center/restaurant/warehouse experience. We're hoping to find something close to public transit in a younger (age wise) neighborhood. Farmers markets are a huge plus! Our rental budget is somewhere around 550-750$ a month.

Any neighborhoods that you would recommend? Are there any other cities you can think of that may meet this vague criteria? How does the weather compare with the North East? Most of all what do you like about Portland, and what do you think is overrated?

Thanks for reading!

[philwithbeard]

I will gladly tell you that moving in May to Portland will be a good idea.

However, as you well know, the Great Recession ain't over yet and don't expect too much help from federal government for quite a while. Portland employment...yada, yada, yada... (you have read all this before.) There are jobs in Portland, just a lot of other resumes for the jobs that open up.

Your price range pretty much puts you out into the Montavilla neighborhood, or out east beyond 82nd street along the Blue MAX line toward Gresham. May be even out past 122nd street along E Burnside. Don't fall for cheap housing SE Division st or south of SE Division (more for experienced Portland residences, who understand the low rent, two fisted drinking, and C&W life style out there.)

For living in City of Portland, Google: Moving to Portland
A couple of hits that will explain about Portland's neighborhoods. Web sites hosted by Real Estate ladies, and as you would expect, may be a bit Rah-Rah cheerleader-ish. but still good info.

Each neighborhood has a unique 'vibe' of feel. Some neighborhoods have a very art-snob-elitist appeal, or Hip-urban-party-nightlife single life and both do very well while another neighborhood is extremely mid-20th century (early 1960?) feel with Portland's best Hawaiian restaurant and Rocky Horror Picture show every Saturday nite still running in a 2nd tier local movie house.

There are 'burbs around Portland, not covered by the above Google hits. Out in the western suburban communities in Washington county, rents drop due to lower property taxes. (Beaverton, Hillsdale, etc.)

North of Portland, across the Columbia River, is Vancouver, WA (not to be confused with the city in Canada north of Seattle) may have some housing in your price range. Word of Warning, Vancouver WA is not a place to commute to downtown PDX. Bridge traffic during rush hours is very bad. Vancouver WA has it's own forum, and could best suggest work and cycling options in Vancouver.

Best of luck, and keep researching... Portland is great, albeit not for everyone.

Phil

[bingitslola]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the feedback =)

I was looking at Vancouver a little bit as well, although I haven't seen nearly as much about it as Portland. We've been looking a little on the east coast as well. So far from what we've seen Portland seems to have what we're looking for.

[Nell Plotts]

Finding a good job is tough even in the best of times.

[whatisacup]

Originally Posted by bingitslola

Awesome! Thanks so much for the feedback =)

I was looking at Vancouver a little bit as well, although I haven't seen nearly as much about it as Portland. We've been looking a little on the east coast as well. So far from what we've seen Portland seems to have what we're looking for.

Have you ever looked at Pittsburgh? A friend of mine now lives there (ex-portlander) and says it's an older, cheaper, slightly better job, less hipster version of Portland. Pittsburgh always rates very high in those best cities to live surveys.

[mrken]

just be aware that Portland police are a bit trigger happy compare with some other cities, Vancouver is much less so. Gresham and the East side I would recommend avoiding as gang bangers seem to like that side of the city

[Minervah]

No one can tell you relocating anywhere is a good idea without really being in your situation. However having read what your job skills and rental needs are I am sorry to say it sounds like it would be a bad idea.

It is difficult to secure a job here even in good times. Especially one that can support the high COL. You are ahead if you have some special skill that is needed. Your work experience unfortunately is pretty common in these parts. There will be lots of competition.

A little more positive note: if you come here with about a year's worth of funds with some held aside to move on if it doesn't work out, you can sort of "test the waters" to see if this is the right place for you and whether or not you will be able to earn a survivable wage.

[bingitslola]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

We (I) have been toying a bit with moving back towards the North East just to be closer to family in PA and VT. I did actually grow up in PA so Pittsburgh may be a good option for us! I have always had a soft spot for Pennsylvania. We have had our hearts set on Portland for quite a while though. The biggest thing is once we end up back on the east coast we're going to stay there, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We have a bit of a travel bug =)

As for trigger happy police, I live in Phoenix! Haha.

We are planning on driving up the Pacific highway to scope out Portland in either Feb or March. We're going to have about 7k in savings to fall back on for whatever city we choose.

[davefr]

It's a "good idea" if you have decent jobs lined up in advance.

It's a "terrible idea" if you'll be giving up existing jobs in the hope of finding something here.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by mrken

just be aware that Portland police are a bit trigger happy compare with some other cities, Vancouver is much less so. Gresham and the East side I would recommend avoiding as gang bangers seem to like that side of the city

That's a gross generalization. Only parts of Gresham are like that. Gresham is extremely diverse racially and economically. Very high-end homes down to absolute squalor and trash.

To the OP: Avoid SE 130th to SE 174th or so, between Stark and Powell unless you want "seedy character" stress and yes, danger. There are some very nice areas of Gresham that are very affordable. Yes, they are 15 miles from PDX. Yes, it can take a long time using surface streets, or extra gas on the I-84.

Anyway, it sounds like you want "hip" areas like most other young people migrating to PDX. Find a house share and you should be able to swing it financially. Renting a daylight basement in a big house within a 3-mile radius of 39th/Cesar Chavez and Hawthorne Blvd. is a great idea.

Personally, I'll take the PV Mall area and the greenway! Sick of Portland weather! Fully aware of the bad side of PHX. Just remember that PDX has its frustrating circumstances as well. They are the polar opposite of PHX, except for the economic points.