Seattle to Portland a better fit? (Gresham, Redmond: fit in, to rent, how much)

[JezebelG]

My husband and I are seriously considering a move from Seattle area (Bellevue to be specific) to Portland. We have been to Portland a lot this past year due to a new hobby and we have really liked the city. My husband says he feels like he will fit in much better in Portland than where we are now and I am excited about the idea of moving somewhere differant. We both grew up in Seattle areas and lived here all our lives. My husband will be completing graduate school and than he will look for a better job and we want to buy a house. So this would be the perfect time to relocate. We are tired of the Seattle and surrounding area and all the snobby unfriendly people who only care about having the most money, highest success, nicest car, biggest house, and nicest clothes ect ect. This is not us at all. My husband is very into the rock/metal scene, is crazy about his bikes, we live like moderate people, I am very into health and earth friendly, live a simple life and we have two elementary age children. We have found the people in Portland to generally be much friendlier, not fake and trying to make a big impression like the east side of Seattle area. We are so sick of this social class that seems to be where we live. We would like to be somewhere more free minded where how much you earn does not define your worth and people are more accepting. I know Seattle is a little more laid back than the East of seattle cities but we don't like Seattle as we find it dirty and run down. Does Portland sound like a better fit for us?

[EnricoV]

I'd say yes. I think you've grasped my feelings of differences in the two cities well -- though I've never lived in Seattle. So my impressions are just superficial.

[Apathizer]

Portland would almost certainly be a better fit, but I think your view of Seattle is more characteristic of Bellevue/Redmond than the actual city of Seattle. Have you considered moving from the 'east-side' to Seattle? I think Seattle and the surrounding neighborhoods would be fine for you.

That said, I still think Portland might fit your lifestyle better: While Seattle is significantly less materialistic/yuppy-ish than Bellevue, overall Portland is more casual and eccentric.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Appetizer

Portland would almost certainly be a better fit, but I think your view of Seattle is more characteristic of Bellevue/Redmond than the actual city of Seattle. Have you considered moving from the 'east-side' to Seattle? I think Seattle and the surrounding neighborhoods would be fine for you.

That said, I still think Portland might fit your lifestyle better: While Seattle is significantly less materialistic/hippie-ish than Bellevue, overall Portland is more casual and eccentric.

I was thinking the same. I have had some very nice down-to-earth friends who lived in Seattle and were not the least bit pretentious.

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I was thinking the same. I have had some very nice down-to-earth friends who lived in Seattle and were not the least bit pretentious.

[First, I meant to write "Seattle is less materialistic/Yuppie-ish", not hippie-ish. I guess that was a Freudian slip ]

Right now I work in Bellevue, and live in the Eastlake neighborhood (a few long blocks S or the University bridge), and in many ways the east side seems like a completely different world: Very few things are within walking distance, and there just isn't much worth doing after about 9pm. From where I live there plenty of restaurants, cafes, groceries, movie theaters, etc, within easy walking distance, or a fairly quick bus ride. While most Seattlites keep to themselves, we're generally very polite, and easy-going.

While I do love downtown Portland (the surrounding areas not so much) and considered moving there a few years ago, I ultimately decided it's so similar to Seattle that relocating just isn't worth it. If I were moving to the PNW from another region entirely, I might opt for Portland, but if you're already established in one city or the other, I just don't think it's worth it.

[davemess10]

Originally Posted by Apathizer

Portland would almost certainly be a better fit, but I think your view of Seattle is more characteristic of Bellevue/Redmond than the actual city of Seattle. Have you considered moving from the 'east-side' to Seattle? I think Seattle and the surrounding neighborhoods would be fine for you.

That said, I still think Portland might fit your lifestyle better: While Seattle is significantly less materialistic/yuppy-ish than Bellevue, overall Portland is more casual and eccentric.

I will third this comment. Exactly what I was thinking.

I've lived both places. And Portland is very much like a combination of the Greenlake area mixed with Cap hill. (well minus the prices somewhat).

Get out of the east side!!!

My friend (who works at microsoft) owns a house about a mile from the main campus in Redmond. He just bought a town house in capital hill, and was fine with bumping his commute from 3 minutes to 40, just so he could live in seattle and enjoy his life there.

[HonuMan]

I moved from Atlanta to Seattle 15 years ago after vacationing in Washington state and being overwhelmed by the scenic beauty of the PNW. While there was much I loved about Seattle, I found it to be too big, sprawling, congested, and expensive -- i.e., too much like what I'd left behind in Atlanta. Several people suggested I check out Portland. I did, and it felt right to me. I made the move and have never regretted it. I do miss Puget Sound, proximity to the high Cascades, and other aspects of Seattle, but I find the quality of day-to-day life to be better in Portland. I'll add that I lived in Renton, rather than Seattle proper. Had I been able to afford to live in one of the areas closer to downtown Seattle, I might not have left. It seemed that, every time I went into the city, I got stuck in a major traffic jam, so my forays into downtown Seattle became less and less frequent.

[davemess10]

Originally Posted by HonuMan

I moved from Atlanta to Seattle 15 years ago after vacationing in Washington state and being overwhelmed by the scenic beauty of the PNW. While there was much I loved about Seattle, I found it to be too big, sprawling, congested, and expensive -- i.e., too much like what I'd left behind in Atlanta. Several people suggested I check out Portland. I did, and it felt right to me. I made the move and have never regretted it. I do miss Puget Sound, proximity to the high Cascades, and other aspects of Seattle, but I find the quality of day-to-day life to be better in Portland. I'll add that I lived in Renton, rather than Seattle proper. Had I been able to afford to live in one of the areas closer to downtown Seattle, I might not have left. It seemed that, every time I went into the city, I got stuck in a major traffic jam, so my forays into downtown Seattle became less and less frequent.

yeah Renton is kind of like living in Gresham and then forming an opinion about Portland.

Do a lot of people associate Atlanta with expensive?

[urbanlife78]

I will add a yes to this, it sounds like you guys would fit in well here.

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by HonuMan

I moved from Atlanta to Seattle 15 years ago after vacationing in Washington state and being overwhelmed by the scenic beauty of the PNW. While there was much I loved about Seattle, I found it to be too big, sprawling, congested, and expensive -- i.e., too much like what I'd left behind in Atlanta. Several people suggested I check out Portland. I did, and it felt right to me. I made the move and have never regretted it. I do miss Puget Sound, proximity to the high Cascades, and other aspects of Seattle, but I find the quality of day-to-day life to be better in Portland. I'll add that I lived in Renton, rather than Seattle proper. Had I been able to afford to live in one of the areas closer to downtown Seattle, I might not have left. It seemed that, every time I went into the city, I got stuck in a major traffic jam, so my forays into downtown Seattle became less and less frequent.

That's one of the many reasons I don't have a car. If one lives and works in Seattle, reasonably close to downtown, it's very easy to live without a car. I live on Eastlake, about 1/2 mile south of the U-dist. Every place I need to go on a regular basis is within 5 miles of where I live - most are easily reached walking, bus, or a combination.

Being car-free enables me to completely avoid virtually every negative aspect of living in Seattle: Traffic/stress, expense, living in suburbia, etc. I've never understood why anyone who lives & works in a densely populated, compact land area with decent public transit would own a car: All the expense and hassle just doesn't seem worth it to me, especially since it's so easy to rent one when it's needed.

While I'm sure Portland is a good city to be car-free in, it's land area is larger, and it's less densely populated than Seattle. If you aren't an a car-a-holic, life in Seattle is very good.