Commute Time between Beaverton and Vancouver (Portland, Hillsboro: new home, find a job, theater)

[DolceBeatrix]

Hello,

I've been scouring the forums and hope I'm not repeating the same question, but heard there is construction going on I-5 so the answer might have changed anyway.

We are relocating from Illinois this summer (husband will be working at Intel.) One of the jobs I just applied for is in Vancouver and looks really great for my interests, but want to know how bad the commute would be if we lived in the Beaverton area.

Also, is there any other easy way to get up to Vancouver? Or is there any better place to live with us working in these two locations? I'm not sure if we want to do downtown... we have 2 beagles and 3 cats and are used to a bit of a yard. I don't want to be too far away from Hillsboro, as my DH will be on call a lot.

I've commuted to work before having a 45-60 minutes each way....lots of audio books got listened to...

Thanks in advance!

[philwithbeard]

The building of the replacement I-5 bridge across the Columbia river has not started yet, as far as I know. The replacement bridge will take years to complete. The current bridge is old and narrow. By Portland standards, the rush hour commute across the Columbia is as horrendous as it gets.

There is a lot of Politics involved, Left-Coast Liberal types (like myself) don't want a large new bridge build as that would only encourage and promote urban sprawl. Naturally, developers in the State of Washington who stand to make millions and millions in new home construction, are pushing with everything they got for an ultra wide bridge paid for by Oregon and Federal Taxpayers. People like myself point to this new bridge and shout "Cut the Federal Budget", and I presume conservatives point to the proposed new MAX bridge across the Willamette river and shout the same thing.

Your only other option is the far East side I-205 bridge. I may be wrong, but there is only the two bridges within an hour drive either upstream or downstream across the Columbia River. Quite fast flowing river, makes building bridges very expensive.

Commuting across the Columbia river can be done, however, almost everyone who regularly posts on this forum agrees that newbies to Portland should not do it. (For tax reasons, if nothing else.)

[hamellr]

Plan on 60-90 minutes. You'll be driving along two out of the three busiest commuting stretches.

As phil says, it's highly recommended that you do not live in Oregon and commute to Washington. Or the other way around.

What kind of jobs are you looking for?

[Rob Allen]

Aren't there more people commuting from Washington into Portland than the other way? She'd be going against the main flow of commuters.

You could consider living somewhere near the St. Johns Bridge. There are back roads from there to Hillsboro and you don't have to drive thru downtown to get to the Interstate Bridge.

[Nell Plotts]

It would take a job made in heaven for me to commute to Vancouver.

[figmalt]

Originally Posted by Rob Allen

Aren't there more people commuting from Washington into Portland than the other way? She'd be going against the main flow of commuters.

You could consider living somewhere near the St. Johns Bridge. There are back roads from there to Hillsboro and you don't have to drive thru downtown to get to the Interstate Bridge.

If her husband is on call, taking Germantown late at night would be no fun. Cornelius Pass would be better, but not much, and not in the rain or winter. But then again, if he's going late at night he could always take the major freeways with no problem. It's definitely a possibility. It has taken me 45 minutes to an hour to get from Hillsboro (by Intel) to the Portland Airport via Germantown or Cornelius Pass.

[DolceBeatrix]

Originally Posted by hamellr

Plan on 60-90 minutes. You'll be driving along two out of the three busiest commuting stretches.

As phil says, it's highly recommended that you do not live in Oregon and commute to Washington. Or the other way around.

What kind of jobs are you looking for?

This job is working at a performing arts center as a theater director/instructor. I am thinking that I would not be commuting during normal morning and evening rush hours, and there are Saturday classes as well (where perhaps the commute is a bit lower?) I used to commute 45min-60 minutes teaching for 3 years .... I'm not sure yet if I want to revisit those days.... I'd have to REALLY love this job.

Anyway, I have been teaching music and choir in public schools for the last 10 years and have a strong theater background. As even I know already, public school music teaching jobs are rare in Portland Metro, and honestly, I feel like I need a break from teaching in the public system anyway so this comes at a good time.

I have a masters in music so applied at Portland Community College for part time faculty but am not sure of their time frame and if any sections will be available to interview for.

Another option I am looking at is working at a music studio or giving private voice and piano lessons from home.

If anyone has any ideas of job vacancies up my alley, I'd love to hear them...CraigsList and Oregon Live don't beat folks who actually hear of the great word of mouth jobs

Thanks for the advice on some areas to look. Relocating is hard....but this is a great forum!

[DolceBeatrix]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

It would take a job made in heaven for me to commute to Vancouver.

Ok...the job I'm looking at looks less and less attractive after each post I read like this

[Leisesturm]

Get the job first, then worry about the commute. I can't tell you how many times I get a lead and start working on logistics and the lead pans out or the job was never available in the first place. This 'job' may never have been yours to begin with. Fuel prices are very uncertain and I for one don't think it prudent to look for a commute situation. Your husband won the coin toss. His job should determine the commute. Ideally, no commute at all up to 30, maybe 45 min. If you decided to live in Beaverton, Hillsboro... Forest Grove and said I will only consider employment in those cities (and Portland) and meant it. You would eventually find a job in one of those cities. Guaranteed. Maybe not the one you outlined... you have to know that hundreds of jobs have been cut from the school districts governing those cities. But Hillsboro has a theater, so does Forest Grove and likely Beaverton... there's a passel of suburbs on this side of the Columbia river there must be possible opportunities in them as well. There is simply no earthly reason to consider Vancouver for a commute.

H

[DolceBeatrix]

Thank you, Leisesturm. Great post. He did win the coin toss lol. I've been the breadwinner for a number of years while he's been in school so it's hard to let go and not have something lined up before we actually move.

Letting go...moving on...