Wanting to move to Portland (Beaverton, West Linn: house, job market, utilities)

[WesA]

Hi there! My job is coming to an end around summer of this year and I am tired of living in Arkansas. I want a fresh start and after researching a few choice cities around the country I think I've settled on the Portland area. Possibly one of the smaller surrounding communities like West Linn or Beaverton. Just looking for potential friends in the area that wouldn't mind lending their knowledge to me.

I don't currently have any job prospects in the area though my company has a sister site in Umatilla that is also in their closure phase, though they're 1 or 2 years behind us so it would be a job for a while longer plus be a lot closer to Portland than I am now which would make job hunting and house hunting much less of a chore.

I'm 32 and single. I don't smoke, drink, or party, nor do I take any illegal drugs. Fairly boring overall, but a safe investment if anyone would like a roomate or tennant. I have one medium-sized dog who is well mannered and friendly. I'm a dedicated worker, and a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.

Anyways, just tossing myself out there and seeing who I meet. Thanks for reading! Hope to be living in Oregon by the end of the year!

-Wes

[JimBaker488]

My very strong impression is that many, many Oregonians don't want you in thier midst ? It's not necessarily personal, they just aren't a welcoming populace when it comes to outsiders, as they seem to be very clannish, very exlusive, even elitist.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

My very strong impression is that many, many Oregonians don't want you in thier midst ? It's not necessarily personal, they just aren't a welcoming populace when it comes to outsiders, as they seem to be very clannish, very exlusive, even elitist.

What nonsense.

[SETabor]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

My very strong impression is that many, many Oregonians don't want you in thier midst ? It's not necessarily personal, they just aren't a welcoming populace when it comes to outsiders, as they seem to be very clannish, very exlusive, even elitist.

That guy thinks we're a coastal town so taken anything he says with a grain of salt.

Umatilla isn't all that close to Portland but if you can get a job lined up, it might be a good intermediate step. Umatilla is on the drier side of the state so if you've thought about Portland because of the weather, it's quite different.

Unless your a master of some trade, finding a job in the Portland area can take a long time. You'll get a lot of replies about the horrid job market.

[JimBaker488]

Originally Posted by SETabor

That guy thinks we're a coastal town so taken anything he says with a grain of salt.

I've lived in both Wasington state (Olympia) and Boise, ID in the past which gave me an opportunity to visit Portland and much of the eastern and northern part of the state of OR, an area I'd already visited several times before in the past. I found Portland to be one of the more beautiful citys and also knew that it was very much a coastal city in an economic sense because of it's sea-port, but was actually 50 to 70 miles inland of the Pacific Coast (I beleive ?).
My remark about it being anti-immigrant (irrelavant of legal status), was because of what I've read about the citys very strenous efforts to restrict rather than encourage growth. I welcome being enlightened if I'm misinformed ?

[Nell Plotts]

JimBaker488, you are misinformed.

"Growth management", "Urban Growth Boundary" is all about preventing skip land development around urban areas with the goal not only of protecting prime agricultural land but making the provision of publicly provided utilities (water, sewer, roads) less expensive in the long term. Periodically there are hearings and analysis of land utilization to assure that there is enough land available to meet economic needs. Do we want to be another Los Angeles, no.

I will not deny that there is a significant, and vocal, segment of the community who wishes to assure that human activities do not damage the environment. For policy makers there are trade-offs to be made balancing economic activities with environmental issues. The decision that actually has had the biggest impact on our economy wasn't ours.. the Spotted Owl decision that virtually shut down timber harvest in areas with old growth. The Spotted Owl numbers have been diminishing even after many years of this protection, scientists are now concluding that it is competition from an owl species migrating from the eastern US that is the Spotted Owl's problem. Nevertheless a major portion of our forests cannot be harvested and forest fires intensify because they cannot be economically thinned.

Oh, about that welcoming part. It stemmed from a comment made by a governor in the 60s while the State was putting together growth management legislation. 'Visit but don't stay' resulted from a fear that we were being loved too much. Oregonians are welcoming people but we are realistic about the current level of unemployment (which is actually almost everywhere) and fear that new arrivals will have difficulty finding a job.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by WesA

I don't currently have any job prospects in the area though my company has a sister site in Umatilla that is also in their closure phase, though they're 1 or 2 years behind us so it would be a job for a while longer plus be a lot closer to Portland than I am now which would make job hunting and house hunting much less of a chore.

You do realize that Umatilla is still quite a distance from Portland? Yes it's closer, but it's still not a quick jog down the highway? It's going to be an all day affair, if not an overnight trip, to do much of anything in Portland.

But, I would agree that it's probably your better bet. Just keep in mind that Umatilla's climate, politically, environmentally and religiously is as different from Portland as your current location is.

[WesA]

Thanks for the replies! I find it difficult to believe there are absolutely no jobs out there. I subscribe to the Oregonian, check out sites like monster.com and usajobs.gov, and I see help wanted all over the place. If nothing else I am not opposed to taking crap jobs until something better comes along. That's what I was doing when I found my current job 9 years ago. I'm not a specialist by any means, but I do have a degree in Information Technology, as well as a couple supply-chain-related certifications, and a powerful love of baking so my skill base is hopefully broad enough to net me work somewhere

I'm aware Umatilla isn't super close, but it would be much easier to schedule appointments and interviews and such living there than half the country away. I'm visiting Portland the second week in April. I hope to make a few connections when I come.

Keep the suggestions and information coming! it all helps me feel my way down this path I've chosen. Thanks so much

[Metlakatla]

It isn't that there are absolutely no jobs, just that the competition for available jobs is rather intense in most fields. "Crap" jobs seem to be the most difficult for a lot of people to find.

[Nell Plotts]

Having an address in Umatilla would open more doors than one in Arkansas. HR has a budget when they recruit, few want to spend $$ bringing in someone from Arkansas for an interview if someone with the skills they need is just up the road.