What can you tell me about SW?

[davemess10]

Yes, you can walk next to noisy 5 lane "highways", which in many sections don't have sidewalks (oh wait there is Bertha), and bike on the two designated bike routes in the entire area. I run and bike in the SW (hillsdale and Multnomah) daily, and I know how poorly it is set up for either of these things, especially when you compare it Portland as a whole. Yes there are some cute little "town centers" in both Hillsdale and Multnomah, but are you really going to base your entire moving decision on two blocks of shops that most people drive too anyway?

Biking into down town is really not much fun (though doable), again we're talking about a bike lane on 5 lane mega roads with high speed limits and lots of cars. The ride back is the one that will kill you (try doing that in 20 mins!). Going up hill on super sketchy sections of Naito to Barbur where there is merging traffic and a disappearing bike lane.

Anyway, the OP was asking about a place to live for young people and I can't possibly recommend the SW, it is pretty suburban (even Hillsdale and Multnomah, which are mainly populated with older couples and families). The OP will make friends and invite them to hang in the SW and they will either refuse or not know what she is talking about.

The SW does have some nice things to it. The hills are nice, as well as Gabriel park, some decent trails around, and lots of grocery stores. But I really wouldn't recommend it for a younger person, esp. with the way I am kind of embarrassed to tell people where I live. And I'm not trying to attack you, I just wish someone had told me more about the SW before I moved here.

[philwithbeard]

SW Portland area is, from my perspective, the heart of the wild blackberry country. Stuff can grow like 10' in a few days, taking over much of your back yard. ***AND** you will learn, up close and very personal, all about heavy thick work gloves and the nasty thorns on the blackberry canes; trust me this is a self-home-study schooling (about the nasty thorns on these wild blackberry canes) if you have to do any cutting and disposing of the canes in July and August.

Nothing larger than microscope sized organism should be able to grow like Portland's SW side wild blackberry.

But on the other hand, anyone who lives on the SW side of town will have great stories for Halloween about joggers who strayed too close to a wooded area along side the road and blackberry canes attacking the jogger; hey, it's just Halloween stories, right?

[roneb]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

SW Portland area is, from my perspective, the heart of the wild blackberry country. Stuff can grow like 10' in a few days, taking over much of your back yard. ***AND** you will learn, up close and very personal, all about heavy thick work gloves and the nasty thorns on the blackberry canes; trust me this is a self-home-study schooling (about the nasty thorns on these wild blackberry canes) if you have to do any cutting and disposing of the canes in July and August.

Nothing larger than microscope sized organism should be able to grow like Portland's SW side wild blackberry.

But on the other hand, anyone who lives on the SW side of town will have great stories for Halloween about joggers who strayed too close to a wooded area along side the road and blackberry canes attacking the jogger; hey, it's just Halloween stories, right?

This is great! And unfortunately true. If your property back up to any undeveloped land, clearing the fence line of blackberries MUST be done annually at the least or you will lose your fence and yard completely!

[Katyblue]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Definitely something to think about. So many differing viewpoints too! I don't want to live where there aren't any sidewalks or bike paths, and crazy killer hills too, although it sounds like it would make for some great cardio... but I also don't want a crazy commute to school! Hmm. See what I mean?

[ffffffaaaaa1]

Originally Posted by davemess10

Yes, you can walk next to noisy 5 lane "highways", which in many sections don't have sidewalks (oh wait there is Bertha), and bike on the two designated bike routes in the entire area. I run and bike in the SW (hillsdale and Multnomah) daily, and I know how poorly it is set up for either of these things, especially when you compare it Portland as a whole. Yes there are some cute little "town centers" in both Hillsdale and Multnomah, but are you really going to base your entire moving decision on two blocks of shops that most people drive too anyway?

Biking into down town is really not much fun (though doable), again we're talking about a bike lane on 5 lane mega roads with high speed limits and lots of cars. The ride back is the one that will kill you (try doing that in 20 mins!). Going up hill on super sketchy sections of Naito to Barbur where there is merging traffic and a disappearing bike lane.

Anyway, the OP was asking about a place to live for young people and I can't possibly recommend the SW, it is pretty suburban (even Hillsdale and Multnomah, which are mainly populated with older couples and families). The OP will make friends and invite them to hang in the SW and they will either refuse or not know what she is talking about.

The SW does have some nice things to it. The hills are nice, as well as Gabriel park, some decent trails around, and lots of grocery stores. But I really wouldn't recommend it for a younger person, esp. with the way I am kind of embarrassed to tell people where I live. And I'm not trying to attack you, I just wish someone had told me more about the SW before I moved here.

It sounds like you are managing to bike and run daily in that area in SW. Maybe it's not so bad? Anyways, was wondering, where else would you live now that you know what you do about the SW? Also, where would you suggest a person such as the OP attending PCC Sylvania live? Thanks

[davemess10]

That's a good question. I don't know that there is an ideal location for her. It's going to be a bit of a commute from anywhere I would want to live.

One place to consider would be John's Landing, down on the river. It's a pretty easy and flat ride into down town, and is pretty close to the street car line. Also one of the cheaper area's. And if she doesn't mind the 'burbs she'll get some good deals on housing in Tigard.

I do ride to work every day and run most days. But it is definitely not ideal. I run the same two or three routes ALL the time, and the will usually include sections with no sidewalk on busy streets, which I will do, but won't be happy about or feel completely safe. The only cyclists you'll see in my neighborhood are very hard core commuters. You will never see the more casual folks on cruisers, just going to the bar (that is kind of what I think of when I think of Portland). So yes I make due, but I also grew up in Ohio so have put up with really crappy roads before. My wife and I lament the fact that we can't just go for an evening walk around the neighborhood without yelling to each other over the traffic noise on the one or two streets that we could walk on (esp. in the winter where there is so little day light).

We're definitely moving to the east side in a few months. We're looking to buy a small house, so we'll be out a little further then I would have liked if we were to keep renting. I was a little hesitant of going across the bridges every day before I moved here. But after living here and riding them a good bit, I have no more worries about living on the other side of the river and commuting over to OHSU in the SW.

I am just saying that most of the people I know lived in the SW a year or two and then moved somewhere else. It doesn't seem to attract and retain younger people, just not that kind of scene.

[Hans64]

I live in SW (Raleigh Hills) and really like it. Quick hop to downtown yet wooded, rolling. Nice housing stock and neighbors. I know the East Side is very trendy but frankly a lot of it looks very humdrum like some rain soaked Midwestern town. I'm not really interested in some mildewy Craftsman house but to each his own. Belying it's super liberal image I've actually had a lot of friends that report run-ins with rednecky neighbors on the East Side and I'm not talking about outside 205.

[Katyblue]

Hmm I could give up some of the conveniences of the close-in areas to enjoy rolling, wooded beauty. Living in an area like that would make me happy, despite the inconveniences.

[Hans64]

Until fairly recently Portland's entire east side has been identified as the working class side of town (though there are definitely pockets of longstanding affluence like Alameda Ridge). Now that close-in east side neighborhoods are trendy, the influx of young, well-educated people has pushed many lower income residents out to outer SE and NE. There are some very real tensions surrounding gentrification on the east side. I'm neutral about this but it is something that is worth keeping in mind as you look at various aspects of each quadrant of Portland. The west side has traditionally been known as the wealthier, white collar side of town, which in Portland doesn't necessarily mean conservative. My own SW neighborhood is very liberal. Moving in to the area with my partner (also male) was a complete non-issue. I have gay friends in SE whose neighbors have made them feel quite unwelcome, and these are very masculine, outdoorsy guys that don't conform to gay stereotypes at all.