I have a job waiting for me with my company, which location would be ideal? (Portland: middle-class, employment)

[NorthColoradoLove]

Hello! I was suggested this specific forum by a friend. I am a food-service manager with a certain major chain here in Colorado and have been offered a chance to transfer to the area through my employer and because I've been with them for so long they are willing to give me the pick of where I want to go in the region. So far my possible store options are Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Clackamas, Gresham, Portland (Hazelwood area) or a couple locations in Vancouver, WA. I would have the same job title in every location so pay is standard all around. This is strictly about which area would be best to WORK in for my particular industry. I don't have my living arrangements set in stone yet, but I'm willing to commute by car or public transit.

I'm not asking which area I should move to or raise a family in. It's just my wife and I. Most of my job centers around customer service and suffice to say over my career I have worked in some bad areas. The location of the store is everything, it can make working a dream or a nightmare.

So basically, in your opinion, of the areas I have listed which one do you think is in the "best" (however you want to classify that) area? I'm also taking a trip out there soon and going to be driving around to the area myself. I was just curious about what people think about these areas that I might not catch on to or see when I'm visiting.

Thank you for your time and honest opinion. Hope to be moving to your beautiful city in a few months.

[Rob Allen]

Taking the Oregon options from best to worst:

1. Lake Oswego
2. Beaverton
3. Clackamas
4. Hazelwood
5. Gresham

There could be some variation in nos. 3-5 depending on exactly where your employer is located. Lake O is the old-money suburb of the Portland area.

[EnricoV]

Hazlewood or Gresham are probably the locations I would least want. Lake Oswego is the most upscale. Beaverton & Clackamas, or Vancouver, are middle-class suburbs. Of course, the specific location and situation could change those factors.

It might matter to you (though over-all tax burdens are equal ... Washington being slightly higher) that if you're working (and living) in Vancouver, there is no income tax. Oregon has income tax.

[Nell Plotts]

Would locating in an area where other employment opportunities are highest be important to you? In that case Beaverton is a good choice.

I don't know Hazelwood, Gresham and Clackamas are out of my stomping grounds. Lake Oswego, as EnricoV said, may be more expensive from a housing standpoint.

[NorthColoradoLove]

Wow, great input! Thank you everyone!!!

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Would locating in an area where other employment opportunities are highest be important to you? In that case Beaverton is a good choice.

She has a job now, but wont when we move there. She is a museum professional with an M. A. and does all sorts of different things within the museum life. I realize getting a job for her will take a little longer but her professional contacts have said the area is decent for that field, it'll just take some patience. She plans to volunteer/intern until she can find a paid gig. Until then we're okay living off of one income. We've been pretty smart about finances since way before we were even married. (Doesn't hurt being frugal) Until then I just want to make sure I'm in a store in a decent area. With these suggestions, I think we'll look west of town so I could commute into Lake Oswego or Beaverton.

Again, thank you so much and any other suggestions/input would be greatly appreciated.

[bler144]

Now I'm curious which chain. The only grocers that come to mind in Hazelwood would be Fred Meyer or Winco. FWIW, I've shopped at both of those and they're fine. Seem fairly high traffic, but I wouldn't worry too much about safety there.

Hazelwood has some pros in that it's relatively easy to get to from almost anywhere east of the river, and if your spouse were to work downtown, it's got good access to 84 and the MAX at the TC.

Lake Oswego would certainly be the nicest, but that also comes with highest local COL, and personally as your spouse I wouldn't want to commute downtown from there, though it's doable.

Your dollar would go furthest in Vancouver (if you're earning 60k, you could do fairly well in Vanc. as a couple just on that), and arguably that would be my first choice in a vacuum, though you mentioned there were several possible sites.

Beaverton has significant traffic congestion due to location (plus Nike, etc.) and road layout, but it's got good MAX access, and I'd say it has the best restaurants of any of those areas - though from the Hazelwood area it's quite easy to get over to the bounty of Asian cuisine on 82nd (the newly dubbed 'Jade District') or Sandy.

Without knowing specifically which store/site, personally I don't think any of these sound like bad choices. Gresham would probably be last on my list (though the Wood Village site in Gresham would be fine if you're talking about FredM)

If you want to optimize, it would help to know specifically what you want (SFH or apt - what price range/size, length of commute, do you boat?), but personally I'd say it would be hard to go too wrong.

Edit - without knowing site details, here's my rankings:
1) Vancouver (best bang for buck)
2) Hazelwood (decent bang for buck, pretty good transpo and neighborhood options)
3T) Beaverton
3T) Clackamas
5) LO (very nice area but you pay for it or would have to commute over and they aren't giving you a COL bump)
6) Gresham

[EnricoV]

I don't know if I'm looking at it differently, but I assumed it's a restaurant we're talking about. Not a grocery. I'd be looking at the clientele of the restaurant, rather than my own personal situation. I could live anywhere. I'd want to work where the business has more opportunity to thrive, via more customers buying more food, and leaving higher tips.

But like I say, maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

If your wife will be looking at a museum job, I wouldn't locate west of the Tualatin Mountains. There will be more museums downtown and to the east (and north), than there will be in the western part of town.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

But like I say, maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

Maybe we're both wrong

If it is a restaurant, managers typically don't earn tips, and re-reading it his concern seems to be about handling complaints/angry customers. Which seems pretty hard to judge. (he could work in the prepared food section of a grocer) LO would be upper-middle to upper class, Hazelwood and Clackamas would largely be transitional working class to middle class.

Beaverton or particularly Vanc. are harder to pigeonhole because they're fairly diverse areas. Raleigh Hills draws a different crowd even from Tanasbourne. RH is a bit more upscale, but honestly from shopping over there I'd expect the clientele to be more of a PITA

[Metlakatla]

I also got the feeling it's a restaurant, though. I've never heard anyone who works in a supermarket say that they work in the "food service" industry.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by bler144

Maybe we're both wrong

If it is a restaurant, managers typically don't earn tips, and re-reading it his concern seems to be about handling complaints/angry customers. Which seems pretty hard to judge. (he could work in the prepared food section of a grocer) LO would be upper-middle to upper class, Hazelwood and Clackamas would largely be transitional working class to middle class.

Beaverton or particularly Vanc. are harder to pigeonhole because they're fairly diverse areas. Raleigh Hills draws a different crowd even from Tanasbourne. RH is a bit more upscale, but honestly from shopping over there I'd expect the clientele to be more of a PITA

I disagree about Clackamas. If we're talking a restaurant at Town Center (which is where most of the chains are), a good number of the customers there are Happy Valley residents. Which is pretty much mid- to upper-class.

And while a manager may not directly benefit from higher tips, those folks they're managing do. And that makes happier employees. And employees who stick around. Which directly affects the manager's job.