Moving from Austin to Portland this summer (Gresham, Beaverton: hardwood floors, homes)

[kotkoda]

I am moving to Portland from the Midwest and excited to hear that you can actually go do something outdoors in the winter without putting your life in danger!

Originally Posted by Daisy32673

This is a key difference b/w Portland and other bigger cities. Especially if you have children. While the summers are fantastic and yes, there are a couple weeks of A/C weather, the winter and spring can be downright miserable especially when it comes to getting the kids out for something to do. Portland hasnt really picked up on the indoor playground concept yet (yes there are a couple) and when its raining and cold for months on end it gets really old.

[ffffffaaaaa1]

Originally Posted by Ryant

Lol Xanathos, the Texas support group and the "Texas 9". How you were trying to be strong and only made it 8 months.. You should write a book about it : )

Recently I've had two good friends from Texas. One seems to love it she was a traveling nurse, did her 6 month contract here, and decided to stay. I hear nothing except how pretty it is out here, the restaurants, etc. The other, my girlfriend, I was talking to last night about this post. She has been here for more then a year too. She says the thing that bothers her is the cold in the winter. On the other hand she said the main reason she moved from Texas was to escape the heat. It's hard to do anything physical outdoors when it's 90+. It's easy here with the mild weather year around. But she likes to wear/misses wearing "cute" clothes.

One thing is we're very outdoorsy. To be honest when I was dying to move back, it was probably 80% for the outdoors. I'm not really a city person but love the friendly people here. When I moved away, after being here for 2 years, I was dying to get back..

must agree w/your girlfriend--winters in TX are pretty awesome. Summers are another story. But one thing I remember is it cools off at night. You can go for a run, etc.

[Ryant]

Originally Posted by ffffffaaaaa1

must agree w/your girlfriend--winters in TX are pretty awesome. Summers are another story. But one thing I remember is it cools off at night. You can go for a run, etc.

I want to visit there sometime!

[heatherinaustin]

Originally Posted by Ryant

I want to visit there sometime!

Come in late October! It's the closest thing to Fall we get here. It's going to be 95 here today

[Ryant]

Originally Posted by heatherinaustin

Come in late October! It's the closest thing to Fall we get here. It's going to be 95 here today

Lol I know, I saw that.

[ffffffaaaaa1]

Originally Posted by Ryant

I want to visit there sometime!

you will enjoy it! The lakes, hill country, downtown, etc. It's a great city. I can understand though someone wanting to move here.

[Creativeguy504]

I haven't read the entire 9 page thread yet, so I apologize if this has already been mentioned.

Portland is a great city, no doubt. Beautiful, with lots of cultural activities and more outdoor activities at your fingertip than you can imagine. By far, my favorite city in the country.

That said, you really have to go there prepared to deal with grey skies that seem to last an eternity. It usually doesn't rain non stop day and night (though the city gets its fair share of those days), but it's the cloudy, grey skies that tends to get to people.

It usually lasts from October/November, until June -- with April/May and early June being less intense than the other months, with more sunshine. Sure, you have your sunny days here and there, but it's not uncommon to have 4-5 grey days in a row, with a break of sun here and there.

Not trying to scare you, but I've seen many a transplant leave (and more than a fair share of born and raised types too), because the grey weather gets them.

I live in New Orleans during the Fall and Winter months, but get to enjoy Portland during the Summer.

Best of luck to you!

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by heatherinaustin

A town for of my mother-in-law. I'm not walking out my front door

Thanks for the perspective. Trust me, I'm no stranger to pissing people off for saying the "wrong" thing. We've lived in our house for 3 years, pissed the neighbors off the very first day we moved in and no one has talked to us since then! Same thing with the shunning of my kids. And all we did was pass on their "welcome" bbq because my husband's father had died THE WEEK BEFORE so needless to say we were in no mood for socializing.


Anywhoo, do you have kids? How did they take to moving to Seattle? How'd the job market in Seattle? Housing? Cost of living?

No kids (but if I did, they'd have more to do up here). Job market is great, but I'm in IT so it's great for me in most cities. Had no trouble finding good housing. Cost of living is actually less than it was in Portland (I know diehard Oregonians will call BS on this, but it's true - aside from the higher cost of housing and slightly higher fuel, the lack of an income tax actually results in a lower cost of living up here than down there).

[heatherinaustin]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

No kids (but if I did, they'd have more to do up here). Job market is great, but I'm in IT so it's great for me in most cities. Had no trouble finding good housing. Cost of living is actually less than it was in Portland (I know diehard Oregonians will call BS on this, but it's true - aside from the higher cost of housing and slightly higher fuel, the lack of an income tax actually results in a lower cost of living up here than down there).

How do you feel about Portland's surrounding areas? I didn't want to live in the 'burbs but am looking at SOME of them as an alternative. Did you just not like Portland or Oregon in general? Another poster told me all the "holier than thou" people were on the eastside of Portland, which is of course where I was looking to live (wanted Sellwood/Moreland/Reed). I didn't care for SW and can't afford NW. I think Gresham is too East and didn't care too much for Beaverton/Hillsboro.

What's your opinion on other towns like Sherwood or Milwaukie & Oregon City? Nicer people? More accepting of people with their own opinions?

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by heatherinaustin

How do you feel about Portland's surrounding areas? I didn't want to live in the 'burbs but am looking at SOME of them as an alternative. Did you just not like Portland or Oregon in general? Another poster told me all the "holier than thou" people were on the eastside of Portland, which is of course where I was looking to live (wanted Sellwood/Moreland/Reed). I didn't care for SW and can't afford NW. I think Gresham is too East and didn't care too much for Beaverton/Hillsboro.

What's your opinion on other towns like Sherwood or Milwaukie & Oregon City? Nicer people? More accepting of people with their own opinions?

Many down to earth and perfectly nice people live on the SE side of town including me and I don't know anyone living here who I would call "holier than thou." That person is painting a whole lot of people with one brush stroke.

One thing you may find as I did, where you land may not necessarily be the place you stay in reference to neighborhoods. I lived all over Portland before finding the area I really felt good in. I have lived there for over 20 years now. You just have to test the waters and see for yourself.