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My wife and I think we're ready to make the move, partly because we're sick of all the snow down here in Prescott (especially as of late) and partly because we LOVE the Pacific Northwest! We are both avid hikers, backpackers, bicyclist and motorcyclist so I think the area would suit us well in that sense. In a sick way, I'm kind of looking forward to all the moisture... not quite sure how we'll handle it for 9 months straight though.
A little background on us...
I'm currently a partner in an online business, but will be selling my portion before the move to start all over again in near Portland. She is currently a meat cutter for a national grocer and is also going to school working on her bachelors degree (CPA). We have no kids and will be moving with zero debt.
Here are some of my questions...
-I do not want to live in Portland as I'm not a big city guy, but we'd like to be within 30 miles of the city center and have close access to a college/university. What are some good, affordable, low crime towns in that radius that have typical shopping amenities, parks, close proximity trails, etc...?
-I've done some research and it seems I can find 2-3 bedroom single family home's for rent on Craigslist around $800 pretty regularly, does this seem accurate? it also seems that Vancouver is a bit cheaper. If so, why?
-I'm looking forward to living in a place with some artistic and musical culture. What is Portland's music scene like?
-Is there anybody here from Prescott, or Flagstaff that can comment on what else I should expect or be aware of, cost of living comparison, etc..?
......it also seems that Vancouver is a bit cheaper. If so, why?
Commute to Portland is the worst there is in the Portland area. Two bridges across the Columbia River, and both are bottle-necks for traffic. Work in Washington, live in Washington; Work in Oregon, live in Oregon is the mantra. There is also a tax advantage for the above mantra.
Quote:
Originally Posted by inderocker
-I'm looking forward to living in a place with some artistic and musical culture. What is Portland's music scene like?
From the standpoint of an old retired guy... Great for audience, very intense competition for band members. (Well except for C&W and Western music that is, not much call for live C&W bands.) Mostly Indie, Rock, and talented classical musicians. Neighbor in my apartment building claims there is lot of room for more Salsa and Latino type dance bands (emphasis on DANCE.) West Coast Swing dancing is somewhat common here, I don't know if they use live or DJ for the music.
I want to know where you are finding 2-3 bed single family homes for $800! I am also getting ready to move for a job in Tualatin. Looking daily on CL for homes in that range. Not really anything... some duplexes, fourplexes. LOTS of apartments, uggg. We are looking as far south as Salem, west to Aloha, east to Milwaukie, and downtown. Lots of restrictions from landlords, high cost of moving in with deposits, etc. The wisdom I've gleamed from the folks here is that you pretty much have to be in town to have any luck finding anything. We are considering doing a roommate situation or subletting for a couple months until we can find somewhere to call home. Seriously though, where are you finding the $800 homes?
30 miles out you're looking at Hillsboro, Wilsonville, Sherwood, Canby and Vancouver Wa. Depending on where you work you may not want to consider Vancouver because the commute across the river is a nightmare and they are doing bridge construction. What areas are you finding houses for $800 (all I see are apartments)? That will help us tell you if its safe/not safe or a decent area. If you want to live close to culture then you will have to live in close proximity to downtown. Otherwise 30 miles out all you're living in is urban sprawl/ suburbs.
I want to know where you are finding 2-3 bed single family homes for $800! I am also getting ready to move for a job in Tualatin. Looking daily on CL for homes in that range. Not really anything... some duplexes, fourplexes. LOTS of apartments, uggg. We are looking as far south as Salem, west to Aloha, east to Milwaukie, and downtown. Lots of restrictions from landlords, high cost of moving in with deposits, etc. The wisdom I've gleamed from the folks here is that you pretty much have to be in town to have any luck finding anything. We are considering doing a roommate situation or subletting for a couple months until we can find somewhere to call home. Seriously though, where are you finding the $800 homes?
They dont exist unless you dont mind a small, dumpy place in a sketchy neighborhood.
The trouble with these cheap rental units is that often the worst of the worst appears on Craig's List because they have a bad reputation and no one who is in the know would rent them.
There is a huge rental shortage all throughout Oregon. The closer to Portland the worse it becomes. The best way to find a place is to scour the neighborhoods and jump on a landlord the minute he puts up his "For Rent" sign. Have money in hand for all the deposits. Or know someone who has a decent rental and ask to be informed when there is a vacancy.
Realistically, many potential transplants cannot do this. So another recommendation would be for them to rent in an extended living complex or hotel when first moving here and then do your scouting for a more permanent rental.
I do not want to live in Portland as I'm not a big city guy, but we'd like to be within 30 miles of the city center and have close access to a college/university. What are some good, affordable, low crime towns in that radius that have typical shopping amenities, parks, close proximity trails, etc...?
The bad news: 30 miles would be a very long commute in the Portland area, especially if you are traveling to Portland State University (which is downtown) for school. I would stay within 10 miles of the city if your wife is attending college. Commute times are a lot longer here than they are in Phoenix or Prescott. A five-mile commute usually takes about 30 minutes in the mornings when the traffic is busy.
The good news: You can find low-key suburbs within 5-10 miles of Portland with no problem. Would you be okay living in the suburbs? Or are you really looking to live outside of town?
If you really don't want to live in a large city, have you considered Eugene (metro population of ~350,000) or Corvallis (population 54,000)? Two of our largest state universities are in small cities (both good schools). The University of Oregon is in Eugene, and Oregon State University is in Corvallis. If you are looking for more of a small town feel while your wife is attending college, these might suit you better than Portland.
If you really want to be closer to Portland, I think that the Vancouver area would be a good choice for you, as long as you aren't working or attending school in Portland. There are several smaller towns near Vancouver. Your wife could attend Washington State University rather than having to commute to downtown Portland for school. Vancouver has a much more rural feel than Portland does. The houses are more spread out, with larger yards, and generally more space. So if that's what you're into, I would go that route. The rent is cheaper, and you can still commute to Portland easily at nighttime (after rush hour) for arts and entertainment. It's not a bad commute outside of rush hour. Awful during the hours of 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. though. Go to the Vancouver forum to get more info about Vancouver.
Alternatively, Oregon also has several small-town private colleges, such as Pacific University in Forest Grove, but those can get very expensive (http://www.pacificu.edu/admissions/undergrad/finaid/ - broken link) and are more limited in the programs they offer. For example, I believe Pacific University offers a business administration degree, but not accounting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by inderocker
I'm looking forward to living in a place with some artistic and musical culture. What is Portland's music scene like?
Check out the Willamette Week (WW) for local music listings. Portland has nearly everything in terms of music. And, unlike most cities, we have a free local weekly paper (the WW) that lists every music event that is submitted. Eugene also has plenty of music, especially for a city of its size.
Quote:
Originally Posted by inderocker
In a sick way, I'm kind of looking forward to all the moisture... not quite sure how we'll handle it for 9 months straight though.
OP, the Portland Weather Facts thread should provide you with a thorough overview of Portland weather. Please read it before you move here. Portland is ranked #6 in the contiguous United States for overcast weather. For comparison purposes, Chicago has 176 cloudy days per year (on average), while Portland has 222 cloudy days per year. Flagstaff has 102. (Weather Today).
I had a friend who moved here from Phoenix saying that she "hated the sun" and that she "loved the rain". It turned out that she loved the beautiful rainstorms of the southwest, but she hated the monotonous overcast skies and drizzle that she found here (think Ireland). She simply hadn't done her research into what people really mean when they talk about Portland weather. She was thinking that a rainy week in Portland would be similar to a rainy week in Phoenix. She was wrong. They are completely different experiences. She moved back to Phoenix after a year because of the weather. So just be aware, it can be a rough transition for some people. The only way to know how it really will affect you is to try it.
Let me just add that personally I would choose Portland over Vancouver, Eugene, or Corvallis any day. But that's because I prefer large cities to small ones.
I hope this helps!
Last edited by sunscribble; 05-15-2011 at 04:50 PM..
My wife and I think we're ready to make the move, partly because we're sick of all the snow down here in Prescott (especially as of late) and partly because we LOVE the Pacific Northwest! We are both avid hikers, backpackers, bicyclist and motorcyclist so I think the area would suit us well in that sense. In a sick way, I'm kind of looking forward to all the moisture... not quite sure how we'll handle it for 9 months straight though.
A little background on us...
I'm currently a partner in an online business, but will be selling my portion before the move to start all over again in near Portland. She is currently a meat cutter for a national grocer and is also going to school working on her bachelors degree (CPA). We have no kids and will be moving with zero debt.
Here are some of my questions...
-I do not want to live in Portland as I'm not a big city guy, but we'd like to be within 30 miles of the city center and have close access to a college/university. What are some good, affordable, low crime towns in that radius that have typical shopping amenities, parks, close proximity trails, etc...?
-I've done some research and it seems I can find 2-3 bedroom single family home's for rent on Craigslist around $800 pretty regularly, does this seem accurate? it also seems that Vancouver is a bit cheaper. If so, why?
-I'm looking forward to living in a place with some artistic and musical culture. What is Portland's music scene like?
-Is there anybody here from Prescott, or Flagstaff that can comment on what else I should expect or be aware of, cost of living comparison, etc..?
Thanks,
Daniel
Just curious, why do you say "in a 'sick' way?" Do you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Just curious, why do you say "in a 'sick' way?" Do you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder?
No, just my demented lust for greenery. Every time I take a ride up to the PNW and the mist rolls in, I love it. I suppose I really won't know how much I'll like it until I've spent a sason there.
I just moved to Chandler Az from Portland... I lived in Portland for 35+ years and have lived all over the city. I grew up in Canby which is about 20-30" south of Portland. It was a GREAT place to grow up - very small town feel. After I got married I lived for 10yrs. in Camas Washington which is just across the Columbia river next to Vancouver Wa. I worked in Portland and made the commute 3 days a week. It IS a bad commute IF you're going to travel during the peak traffic times - otherwise it's not that bad. Camas is a GREAT little town located in the gorge and has AWESOME schools. Forest Grove is on the west side of town... about 30". I haven't lived there but I know people who do and really like it. I would stay away from Gresham .... it's becoming very sketchy. Just so you know... Portland IS beautiful...but we moved because we just couldn't take the rain/ cloudy days any longer. You can't plan to do ANYTHING outside because you never know if it's going to rain or not.... My son loves baseball and 8 of his games were rained out and he ALWAYS had to practice in mud. I LOVE hiking, biking and the great outdoors too but you just can't enjoy them that much in the rain.... food for thought.. good luck with the move!
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