Portland -- Raising kids in the city vs. the suburbs (Lake Oswego: 2013, rental)

[oldtintype]

PPS keeps changing the boundaries as they closed a bunch of schools years back and now have problems with either too many kids in a boundary, or not enough in a boundary (and because of the stupid transfer policy that will hopefully be changing as it just causes inequity). There are fantastic schools in Portland, and there are struggling ones. But you really can't tell everything from test scores alone and some of the schools with the best test scores aren't necessarily the one your child will feel happy in. I think it's always best to look at the individual schools, take a tour, meet the principal and get a feel for things. And check for a school PTA Facebook page. Those can tell you a lot about how active parents are. Another factor is Title One schools often have smaller class sizes than the schools with the "best test scores" which tends to equal "richest parents." If your child needs a smaller classroom test scores aren't really going to help your child do well. For example, Grout has an average of 20-22 kids and Alameda has more like 30-35 per class. For many kids being one of 35, even though the school has excellent ratings, would be too much.

[oldtintype]

And yes, I have a child in PPS.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by dent_arthur_dent

Anyone in the SE neighbourhoods? Some of them look nice. I was looking near Grout Elementary, for example, but I read some pretty mixed things about the school. Also, if you're in the city, does the natural beauty and outdoorsy stuff feel quite far away? How long would it take to get from the SE to a nice woodland running trail?

Best trail in the SE is the Springwater Corridor. It's not as "deep" forest as Forest Park is, but it's nice. It begins near the Hawthorne bridge, runs south along the river through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Oaks Park, and at Sellwood turns east goes out to Gresham, basically along Johnson Creek. Some parts are more urban than others.

But pretty much anywhere you are in Portland, you have a natural and outdoorsy feel. There are lots of parks, and most of the streets are tree-lined.

I live in SE, but not in that neighborhood. Up along SE Stark and along SE 39th/Cesar Chavez and west of SE 28th, it's a bit dicey in that there are lots of cheap apartments ... and the tenants that come with that. But it's a lovely neighborhood away from the boundaries. Can't speak to the school. Or whether crime is a large problem. You can check that at PortlandMaps

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Best trail in the SE is the Springwater Corridor. It's not as "deep" forest as Forest Park is, but it's nice. It begins near the Hawthorne bridge, runs south along the river through Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Oaks Park, and at Sellwood turns east goes out to Gresham, basically along Johnson Creek. Some parts are more urban than others.

It has gone all the way out to Boring for decades, and was just recently extended past that all the way down to Barton on the Clackamas River. In another year or two it's going to run the entire length of the Portland Railroad, Power and Light Company out to Estacada and Cazadero. The old Boring Railroad Station has been made into a county park, and the trail is paved a all the way out there now.

[Nell Plotts]

I am a data person, look at school test scores to winnow them down to a manageable number. Then visit the school, although at this time they are shutting down for the summer break. If you can't visit the schools then you are stuck with data, home price/availability, parks and neighborhood services.

If you are interested in NW Portland send me a pm. I grew up in the neighborhood, raised my family there and currently live just a few blocks south near Washington Park. There isn't a crack in the sidewalk I don't know.

[dent_arthur_dent]

NW does look nice -- I really like the idea of being close to Forest Park, but the Japanese Garden looks amazing too. Is that near you? How old are your kids, and what has your experience of raising them in Portland been like? How has it changed since you were a kid?

[Nell Plotts]

My kids are now in their 30s. The Japanese Garden is walking distance. Actually all of the city side of NW Portland and close in SW is walking distance.

In my youth (the late 40s & 50s) the flat areas of NW Portland was Bohemian, neighbors included academics displaced by WWII who worked any job they could find. Some opened local markets and, hard to believe, they can be found behind the counter today. The Chapman grade school was a babble of languages, a student's parents often didn't speak English. Sir-names included Lolich, Simich, Brajkavich. Up on the hill lived well-to-do families. I learned that knowledge is the definition of success, not your parent's assets. In high school I was a geek, didn't participate in the social scene.

I raised my family in a house on the hill above Chapman. The neighborhood was cohesive socially, again no one cared a fig about someone else's wealth. Lincoln High School does have a clique culture. Son hated that, daughter managed quite well.

In case you are wondering, after college I worked in NYC, and lived for 15 years on Bainbridge Island.

[dent_arthur_dent]

Side question: would a family be able to have a decent quality of life in Portland with an income of $50,000/yr?

[Sondeera]

We're moving to PDX with an income of $60,000K plus my Etsy shop income (a few hundred a month now, hopefully more later) and with three kids we are going to have to budget quite tightly to make it. If we were able to buy now, things would be better since housing prices are so low, but rents much higher. Still, we will be able to squeak by on the $60K to start while paying off old debts little by little and saving bit by bit for a home, mostly by buying healthfully but in bulk and season, and cook ahead and freeze meals as much as possible. Here in California, I carry the family's health insurance, minus my husband, but when we move he will have to carry all of it, which is going to be quite costly.

[christiner81]

Originally Posted by dent_arthur_dent

Side question: would a family be able to have a decent quality of life in Portland with an income of $50,000/yr?

I think it depends on your other expenses and how you define quality of life for your family. With rent/mortgage likely being the biggest expense you'd have, i'd say it depends on how much you want to spend on housing, rather than how much you take home in a year.