Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Heather, don't be discouraged, but do be realistic. A lot of people seem to ascribe some sort of utopian vision to Portland, then they come here and find out it's not what they thought it would be (Hello ffffffaaaaaa1). Portland has some definite negatives--the weather being the big one that can't be ignored.
So my advice would be to brush the stars out of your eyes and view things through a lens of realism with a commitment to make it work. You'll find things you don't like and things you love, and hopefully the latter will outweigh the former.
I admit I didn't visit Portland before coming here. It is ok, but it lacks some of the culture you see in Austin. Have you been to Austin? It is a fantastic place. Yes a little hot, but so much to do there.
I admit I didn't visit Portland before coming here. It is ok, but it lacks some of the culture you see in Austin. Have you been to Austin? It is a fantastic place. Yes a little hot, but so much to do there.
We visited in the beginning of March for week. Rained the whole time, but not all day. Loved it.
I've lived in Austin nearly all my life. I grew up in South Austin when it was authentically funky. Now it's fake "artsy". There is a lot to do in Austin. It's just hard to do it (or get your kids out all day) when it's over 100 degrees for weeks at a time. There is not a green spot in my yard. My trees are brown. There is a Walmart, Lowe's, Starbucks and McD's on EVERY freakin corner here. I'm trying to get away from strip mall land.
I'm not saying Austin is a horrible place. I'm saying that we fell in love with Portland, felt it was a great place to raise kids, love the PNW weather, loved the food, culture, state of mind, etc. I have read on so many posts about Portlanders being unfriendly but we didn't have that experience there. Everyone was wonderful and helpful. I'm not looking to make a bunch of best friends with the whole city!
I'm realistic about our plan. We won't move without a place to live or a job lined up or savings in the bank. I am not an irresponsible person. I started posting on this site to get REAL answers from REAL Portlanders so that I could make a realistic plan re: cost of living, budgeting, education, etc. I've gotten helpful advice from people and not so nice comments from others.
I appreciate people's opinions. I'm sorry to the transplants who haven't taken to Portland and wish they hadn't moved. Maybe that will be me a year from now, maybe not. I'm trying to do my research and learn as much as I can before the U-Haul is packed.
We visited in the beginning of March for week. Rained the whole time, but not all day. Loved it.
I've lived in Austin nearly all my life. I grew up in South Austin when it was authentically funky. Now it's fake "artsy". There is a lot to do in Austin. It's just hard to do it (or get your kids out all day) when it's over 100 degrees for weeks at a time. There is not a green spot in my yard. My trees are brown. There is a Walmart, Lowe's, Starbucks and McD's on EVERY freakin corner here. I'm trying to get away from strip mall land.
I'm not saying Austin is a horrible place. I'm saying that we fell in love with Portland, felt it was a great place to raise kids, love the PNW weather, loved the food, culture, state of mind, etc. I have read on so many posts about Portlanders being unfriendly but we didn't have that experience there. Everyone was wonderful and helpful. I'm not looking to make a bunch of best friends with the whole city!
I'm realistic about our plan. We won't move without a place to live or a job lined up or savings in the bank. I am not an irresponsible person. I started posting on this site to get REAL answers from REAL Portlanders so that I could make a realistic plan re: cost of living, budgeting, education, etc. I've gotten helpful advice from people and not so nice comments from others.
I appreciate people's opinions. I'm sorry to the transplants who haven't taken to Portland and wish they hadn't moved. Maybe that will be me a year from now, maybe not. I'm trying to do my research and learn as much as I can before the U-Haul is packed.
Good reply...you definitely know Austin more than I do.
I think Portland is cool, but some days I miss places like Austin and Mpls. But from what you say you might really like life here.
Also I think people are pretty friendly, no issues there. One thing for me is I had pretty high expectations coming here. So I set the bar pretty damn high. If I were in Austin, I would expect some of the things I see at times. I think that is something that I experienced. But the weather is better than Austin (some days I miss the heat though). You will be fine, at least you came and visited here! Wish you all the best in your move.
One other aspect, heatherinaustin, might be about the "sunshine factor". You might like rain, but can you take months of cloudiness? Others have described it in good detail (look for postings in other Oregon forums). The days are also shorter in Oregon - being that the state is far north - during many months, compared to Texas. I noticed that during the peak of winter, the daylight hours in Oregon are 1 1/2 hours shorter. So between the clouds and shorter days, you will have much less sunlight much of the year than in Texas (summer is the exception). That does take a mental toll on many newcomers (can you say the blues?) Something to keep in mind...
Just remember for any area - even Austin - you can find variation within the town. Sometimes you can better find what you want by moving to a different spot within your current area, rather than uproot to an entirely different area.
Last edited by Sunderpig2; 04-20-2011 at 03:11 PM..
Good reply...you definitely know Austin more than I do.
I think Portland is cool, but some days I miss places like Austin and Mpls. But from what you say you might really like life here.
Also I think people are pretty friendly, no issues there. One thing for me is I had pretty high expectations coming here. So I set the bar pretty damn high. If I were in Austin, I would expect some of the things I see at times. I think that is something that I experienced. But the weather is better than Austin (some days I miss the heat though). You will be fine, at least you came and visited here! Wish you all the best in your move.
Thank you! I hope you are adjusting well. What a big change from Austin to Mpls to Portland! When we visited I was just in awe of all the trees. We weren't even there when the flowers were starting to bloom. Bet it's beautiful right now. We have high expectations, but mainly of ourselves. We want to be healthier, take advantage of the parks, biking, etc. things that will improve OUR quality of life. Not having a Walmart to stop in at when I drive by is a GOOD thing for me! My kids do not need anymore flippin' happy meal toys! We have 2 within 3 miles of our house. I'm excited for the farms, fresh fruit, etc. I have been trying to make these types of positive changes for my family and it's hard to do where we live now. There are no farmers' markets. There's a couple of co-ops and small "farms" but it's limited pickings. These are the things I get "stars in my eyes" about. Making positive lifestyle changes for my family that are not impossible here, but hard to do with the lack of freshness, nature and cooler temps
My kids do not need anymore flippin' happy meal toys! We have 2 within 3 miles of our house. I'm excited for the farms, fresh fruit, etc. I have been trying to make these types of positive changes for my family and it's hard to do where we live now. There are no farmers' markets. There's a couple of co-ops and small "farms" but it's limited pickings.
Good for you. My family is also making changes in our eating habits, and seeking out healthier and fresher food. And that includes buying locally and seeking out farmer's markets. However, they DO exist around Austin and throughout Texas.
I bring this up because I have relatives who also are planning to move from Texas to Portland (this summer). Part of their reasoning seems to be like yours - that the healthy food choices here are limited - and that they MUST go to Portland to eat healthy. I think if you search around, you can find what you need for your family, and that it doesn't take moving far away to achieve that. Food for thought, eh?
Last edited by Sunderpig2; 04-20-2011 at 04:33 PM..
We visited in the beginning of March for week. Rained the whole time, but not all day. Loved it.
I've lived in Austin nearly all my life. I grew up in South Austin when it was authentically funky. Now it's fake "artsy". There is a lot to do in Austin. It's just hard to do it (or get your kids out all day) when it's over 100 degrees for weeks at a time. There is not a green spot in my yard. My trees are brown. There is a Walmart, Lowe's, Starbucks and McD's on EVERY freakin corner here. I'm trying to get away from strip mall land.
I'm not saying Austin is a horrible place. I'm saying that we fell in love with Portland, felt it was a great place to raise kids, love the PNW weather, loved the food, culture, state of mind, etc. I have read on so many posts about Portlanders being unfriendly but we didn't have that experience there. Everyone was wonderful and helpful. I'm not looking to make a bunch of best friends with the whole city!
I'm realistic about our plan. We won't move without a place to live or a job lined up or savings in the bank. I am not an irresponsible person. I started posting on this site to get REAL answers from REAL Portlanders so that I could make a realistic plan re: cost of living, budgeting, education, etc. I've gotten helpful advice from people and not so nice comments from others.
I appreciate people's opinions. I'm sorry to the transplants who haven't taken to Portland and wish they hadn't moved. Maybe that will be me a year from now, maybe not. I'm trying to do my research and learn as much as I can before the U-Haul is packed.
Good for you Heather. Sometimes I read your posts as you were going to just pack up and leave. Sorry. But if you have this plan in place, it will help you succeed. I don't think once you have successfully made the move you will be sorry.
Just for the heck of it, I chatted with my wonderful landlord today. He is the best. (His wife too). I know he will rent to recent transplants because we have a couple of recently moved people in my building. He owns different rental properties from apartments to duplexes to a house.
He doesn't have any of his larger properties available now but he said if something comes up he will let me know and I can PM you with the details.
Don't worry, everyone is different. My GF is from Austin and she has said a bunch of times she will never move back. I'm from Minneapolis. We are enjoying many of the things you described. Farmers markets, green places, all good reasons to come to Portland. You mentioned "flowers were starting to bloom".. this was yesterday:
Thank you, and I am doing my best to be realistic. The funny thing is, everyone keeps telling me that I will hate the weather. 70% of our decision to move to Portland was FOR the weather! We like the rain. We like cooler temps. I'm sure it will take some getting used to but the weather is a positive for us!
I'm not telling you you'll hate it because of the weather (though it does wear you down; you can like the rain but still reach a breaking point, and the Northwest tests this).
I'm telling you because of how the two cities (Austin and Portland) seem so much alike on the surface, but it's not until you spend a considerable amount of time there that you start to notice the differences.
You'll see the freaks in Portland and you'll go "Oh neat, hippies, just like Austin!". But after 3 or 4 months, you'll start to realize these aren't your Texas hippies. At all. They're in your face angry ecoterrorist hippies who will get up in your business at the drop of a hat as opposed to the "everybody do their own thing" hippies in Austin.
You'll go "And the normal people are so friendly!". And they will be. But after a while, you'll start to notice these little subtleties. Something will just be "off" about the interactions. You won't quite be able to put your finger on it at first. But the longer you stay, the more pronounced it becomes, and you realize that the populace is not the happy go lucky collective of individuals that you think you're interacting with if you're just visiting. They're actually very stringent, very "if you aren't exactly like I am, then you are beneath me" types that become a pain to deal with.
You'll think how nice it is that you have options other than driving - if you so choose. Right up until you realize that if you own a car, you're considered a 2nd class citizen to the anger-cyclists that infest that city, and you will come to loathe having to drive almost anywhere because of the added stress that comes with almost getting charged with involuntary manslaughter so frequently due to the bicyclists doing something stupid on the road and almost getting run over.
You'll think it's affordable. Right up until you realize the local employers are giving you pennies on the dollar for your work, and the state is going to take a big old 9% chunk out of your rear end every paycheck, which is something you haven't yet experienced as a Texan.
You'll think it's a great place to raise kids. Until you realize you're going to be fighting a constant battle with some vigilante who's going to do their damnedest to turn your kid into a grasseater while said kid is not in your possession during the day.
There are a lot of things that it's just going to take time for you to start to notice, to see. But once you start seeing them, it builds up and builds up, and you can never un-see them. Eventually, it becomes intolerable once you realize that a lot of your life is being dictated by a collective of whackjobs who have somehow gained control of a metropolitan area. And then you're gonna wanna leave.
It happened to my S/O and I (we moved to Seattle, and are thrilled with it - so it clearly wasn't a weather issue for us). It's happened to a number of my friends. Hell, there was even a Meetup support group for Texas transplants. You will hear the same things I'm saying now at these gatherings, if they're still held.
It happens. It's very real. I've seen it with my own eyes, and I know a lot of people who have experienced it.
My suggestion to you is to get IFC (Independent Film Channel), watch a few episodes of Portlandia and, exempting library tag which sadly does not happen, decide if that's the kind of environment you want to live in. Because those skits are so real they're scary.
Thanks Xanathos for bringing to the surface some very important matters that can and do often get overlooked.
Sometimes well-meaning intentions by folks in certain parts of the country can be very good and very heroic, but can result in detrimental and counterproductive outcomes (some of the problems you pointed out). By stepping back, and adding perspective of different places/approaches/outcomes, can one fully see "the big picture", and that things that shine aren't always what they seem at first. Thanks for adding clarity to this discussion.
Last edited by Sunderpig2; 04-20-2011 at 04:34 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
