Albuquerque to Portland? (allergies, living in, vs)

[cglore]

Hi out there,
In a year or two I expect my family business here in Albuquerque to be completed, and am thinking of Portland as the next place to live --- I'm a single 50s guy with dogs and wondering if anyone there has done the move from Albq and if so, what are your opinions and observations?

[HonuMan]

A good friend of mine did that. He's really big into outdoor activities, and he loved that aspect of the PNW. What he disliked was the rain and gloom. He eventually moved back to Albuquerque to be close to his dad, who was in declining health. He says he loves Portland and the PNW in general, but he prefers Albuquerque because of the weather. He also missed New-Mexico-style Mexican food, which is very hard to find in Portland, although we have other Mexican regional cuisine. I visited him for a week in Albuquerque. I really liked the vibe there, and I like Hispanic and Native American culture, so I thought it was a place I might enjoy living. I'm used to lush greenery, though, and I think the barren desert outside the city might get to me. It's personal preference.

[Minervah]

I am not from Albuquerque either but I have visited and really like it. The problem for me is I have a pretty strong disliking for constant sunshine. Healthwise it doesn't agree with me either. So the reverse may be true when someone from there comes here.

Each person will react differently. I have met people from sunny climates who didn't mind Portland's overcast skies at all but also some who did.

Come for a visit during the late fall or winter months. See if the weather will be okay for you. You will find that the weather never stops people from getting around here.

[SETabor]

I lived in NM for a few years and much prefer the PNW. The lack of sun in the winter is a mark against the PNW but I couldn't stand living in the desert and had allergies there. My desert aversion isn't due to the sun amount but the lack of water. When I look back on my time there, I still get thirsty.

There are similarities - outdoor culture, diy culture, etc. And there are significant differences beyond just brown scenery vs green scenery. NM is much more car culture and big vistas. NM is even more live and let live than PNW, which is saying something. I also think that NM is much more culturally traditional with the pueblos and missions, etc.

Oregon is much more pioneer frontier while New Mexico is still a little wild west.

I did like the altitude in NM because when I went other places, I felt super fit. I truly miss green chiles.

[carrob]

cglore, Just curious why you want to leave ABQ? Fron a previous post on another thread, I had thought ABQ was a good fit for you?

[cglore]

When I had been here a short time I thought it would be a decent fit but now that I've been here longer (1 year) I realize that I was mistaken; it isn't a good fit for me, long term.