Typical Commute Time and Area Advice (Portland, Gresham: apartments, rentals, houses) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

psichick · 05-08-2013, 03:23 AM

This is the typical, "I am thinking about moving, what will my commute be like", with a twist.

I don't have a job, don't have a place to live. Most jobs, so far, that I'm seeing online, outside of downtown are in Hillsboro/Beaverton. However, I really don't want to live there.

I'm going to come up soon to a little reconnaissance. The times I've been to OR, I've only been to downtown and Hillsboro/Beaverton areas, so I plan to check out Tigard/Tualatin and West Linn/Oregon City areas. Although I like the idea of surburbia, from a couple of people I spoke to, they feel I'd like the areas I listed more so, because they're not so cookie cutter, much more lush greenery, etc. I have no clue, obviously, but will soon enough.

So, let's assume I get a job in the Hillsboro/Beaverton areas. What would the commutes be like from the areas I listed above? Or even someplace further south, like Wilsonville?

I don't know a lot of the cities, so any suggestions would be great. Honestly, I'll be living in an apartment with my two dogs. Price really isn't a huge issue (under $1k would be nice, but let's be real, I'm from SoCal and paying almost $1500 for a 1bdrm). I'm more interested in w/d in the unit and assigned parking. I do like big box stores somewhat, can't live w/o a Target, but it's not like it has to be down the road.

At this point, I'm trying to figure out where to visit, drive through, stop and have lunch, experience the city, etc. I'll be in the area for 2 weeks to really get a feel for each of the areas and try to narrow it down. I like places with nice views (I don't expect spectacular, but I'd rather not stare at the backside of said big box stores). Love the greenery (do we even have that in SoCal?), but hate the bugs, oh well. I would like a quieter area where I don't have to hear freeway traffic (or very busy main streets/highways).

Obviously since I have no clue where I'd work, at this point, I'm just trying to find a place I'd be happy at, that can be more central. I have seen jobs everywhere, from Wilsonville, to Gresham, to Beaverton/Hillsboro. I guess that's why I asked about commute time. If you tell me West Linn would be a horrible commute for all those cities, then I'd cross it off my list.

Thanks everyone. I know this gets really repetitive. When I go up, I'd like to concentrate on a few cities. Not the entire SW/SE area.

If you need clarification, ask away. I was trying to keep this short. Obviously it's not.

Copsgirl73 · 05-08-2013, 07:26 AM

As ar as renting youll do fine. Coming from SoCal you will enjoy what you can get for much cheaper as far as rentals go. And there are plenty of apartments that take pets.

Commute from Tigard/Tualatin : not bad, 15-20 mins depending on where you work exactly and traffic. Lots of back ways to get into Beaverton/Hillsboro from here but that adds commute time by a little bit.

Commute from West Linn/Wilsonville: long. 25 -30 mins to Beaverton and even longer to Hillsboro. The highways (217 and 26) to get you there are jam packed during rush hour commutes and really busy during off times too. Not much wiggle room for alternative routes either..will just add more commute time. Personally I wouldnt look farther out than Tualatin, SW Portland (Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, Sylvan) if you work in Beaverton or Hillsboro. Or why not just live where you work?

psichick · 05-08-2013, 08:32 AM

Thanks copsgirl73. That helps a lot. I would live where I work however I need to move there first before I can find a job. I can start applying now, but I'm thinking for my type of work (I'm an admin assist), no one would want to hire someone from out of state unless they really can't find what they're looking for. But seeing as how my job isn't specialized, it's good and bad. Good because I can take a job almost anywhere. Bad because so many other people can do the job.

Alas, I'd rather not make the big move, then have to move again. I suppose I could look into taking necessities and putting the rest in storage, rent an apt for 3-6 months and assuming I find a job within that time, move again to where the job is. That way, I'm not commuting for a long time, and obviously 30+ mins for me wouldn't be too big of a deal, but who wants to sit in traffic anyways.

I'll check out the other cities you listed online and in person. I guess, if I absolutely fall in love with the SE side, I'll have to ask myself if it's worth the commute. These are all assumptions, but I'm trying to get a grip on the area and what it's really like to live there.

Thanks again.

hamellr · 05-08-2013, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psichick

I don't have a job, don't have a place to live. Most jobs, so far, that I'm seeing online, outside of downtown are in Hillsboro/Beaverton. However, I really don't want to live there.

I'm going to come up soon to a little reconnaissance. The times I've been to OR, I've only been to downtown and Hillsboro/Beaverton areas, so I plan to check out Tigard/Tualatin and West Linn/Oregon City areas. Although I like the idea of surburbia, from a couple of people I spoke to, they feel I'd like the areas I listed more so, because they're not so cookie cutter, much more lush greenery, etc. I have no clue, obviously, but will soon enough.

If anything Tigard/Tualatin are going to be as or MORE cookie cutter then Beaverton/Hillsboro. Much of the development there is newer then Beaverton/Hillsboro. Worse, neither Tigard or Tualatin really has a down town area like Beaverton and Hillsboro do. But either way, all four cities have grown drastically in the past decade due to spill over from Portland, this leads to the dreaded suburban sprawl, houses that are about six feet apart from each other and strip malls on every major intersection.

Since you're looking at Admin positions, you may find that West Linn is to expensive to live in. That has always been Lake Oswego's slightly poorer cousin. Oregon City is a nice historic town, but most of the rentals are up on the bluff, and you'll find yourself going into Clackamas for just about anything you need.

Your commute is really going to depend on where you find a job though. Beaverton is well served by Highway 217 and 26, but the interchange between the two is one of the worse traffic areas in the Portland area. If you're in Hillsboro and living in West Linn you'll have to deal with the I-205/I-5 Merge, the I-5/217 Split (not as bad as it used to be,) then the Highway 26/217 merge, THEN, all the Highway 26 Commuters going to Nike, Intel, etc. I could see this trip taking an hour pretty easily.

psichick · 05-09-2013, 02:31 AM

Thanks hamellr.

I didn't realize that about Tigard/Tualatin. And the reason I want to go up there and check it out for myself. And yikes about the highways. 30 min commute I can do, probably not more than that. Yuck.

Anyone else, what are your thoughts on Lake Oswego? I have always heard negative things about it from people who live there. Is it really that bad? Even if you live in an apt? I mean, it seems the most "central" for someone who has no idea where they'll be working.

My friend suggested looking into Clackamas and then maybe finding a job downtown and taking the MAX. Is that realistic? I'm trying to keep away from jobs in downtown, just so I don't have to go.

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm starting to create my itinerary of where to go. And just so I don't kid myself, I'll probably hit the freeways at peak times to get a feel for it.

Copsgirl73 · 05-09-2013, 07:15 AM

Lake Oswego is great! Very walkable downtown area with shops, restaurants, farmers market and the lake (private though). Lake Oswego is like San Marino in the LA area...small, upper class, established. But you can get an apartment in your budget (it might not be newer though). Curious to know the "bad things" youve heard. Thing about living here is you arent right off a major freeway, unless you live over off of Kruse Way, Carmen Drive area which is right off I-5. Commute from here to Beaverton is about 20 mins in traffic give or take. Add on 15 mins for Hillsboro.

sezzam · 05-09-2013, 08:58 AM

Downtown Portland is a great place to work. You should at least evaluate working there while commuting on Trimet bus/train.

I never found Tigard or Tualatin appealing. I recommend the Tanasbourne area in Beaverton/Hillsboro. Most apartments there have W/D in the unit. You can live 2-3 miles from Max line and do a Park & Ride; or choose an apartment just off Max line. (Although I don't know if the latter apartments have in-unit W/D).

jjpop · 05-09-2013, 10:41 AM

This is a really tough question to answer. It sounds like you are open to taking a job anywhere from Gresham to Wilsonville to Hillsboro (and points in between), but you don't want a hell commute. So where you take the job really should dictate where you live... but you want to move first (which I think is actually a good idea).

As an Administrative Assistant, you should be able to find jobs almost anywhere in the Metro area. I think you could focus your apartment search around the Central Beaverton area because then you would be in a central location along the I-5/OR-217/US-26 corridor from Wilsonville to Hillsboro. Then when you move, maybe you wouldn't even consider applying for jobs in Oregon City or Clackamas or Gresham and just focus on the area around your home.

Pay for your line of work is probably best in downtown Portland, but I'm guessing that wages will be better in the area I'm recommending vs. the I-205 corridor (West Linn/Oregon City up to Gresham). Somebody can school me if I'm totally wrong on that.

Good luck!

Nell Plotts · 05-09-2013, 01:44 PM

I agree with jjpop.

psichick · 05-11-2013, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Copsgirl73

Lake Oswego is great! Very walkable downtown area with shops, restaurants, farmers market and the lake (private though). Lake Oswego is like San Marino in the LA area...small, upper class, established. But you can get an apartment in your budget (it might not be newer though). Curious to know the "bad things" youve heard. Thing about living here is you arent right off a major freeway, unless you live over off of Kruse Way, Carmen Drive area which is right off I-5. Commute from here to Beaverton is about 20 mins in traffic give or take. Add on 15 mins for Hillsboro.

The bad things I've heard from residents are that the people don't like "new" people. That it's more "old money". So I would take that as people who have lived there a very long time, don't like the new people who buy houses (younger people? out of staters? who knows). I've also heard they're um, racist more so there. No clue. Just passing on what a couple of asian friends have told me, who were born/raised in OR. I've heard about the typical don't like newcomers in schools (but I'm not in HS, nor do I have or want kids so I don't care).

If only one person told me that, fine. But I have heard it from a few residents who were born/raised in the Portland area. And others who have moved there. Granted, they're from CA, so that alone could have been an issue. Unfortunately, it seems we're still hated.