Are you LEAVING Portland? Why? (Lake Oswego, Tualatin: best cities, 2014, apartments)

[joe_obody999]

Are you leaving Portland, or have you recently moved away from Portland, and if so why?

As someone planning on moving to Portland (90%, not 100%, so I could change my mind), I would love to hear from from anybody leaving or who recently left, might give me a certain perspective on any negatives to consider before pulling the switch and moving to Portland. And if you are leaving or have left, where are you or did you move to?

[Śebb]

Girls not attractive enough.

Too small.

[topaz420]

I'm about to head to Portland from Los Angeles (a city I generally dislike in nearly every way)

The only thing I feel like I'd miss would be the cultural and/or touristic attractions: The Getty, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Disneyland, etc., etc. (even though i'm born and raised in LA, i still find places like Disney and Universal magical)

Portland feels like a country village in comparison when it comes to that type of thing

But just about everything else about Los Angeles is no fun for me: horrifying traffic (20 miles in 2.5 hours -- i've done that), 11 1/2 months of summer, superficiality, ridiculous cost of living, air quality, etc, etc.

[Śebb]

^LA has always felt really lonely to me, you're never quite 'in the city' but rather on the road or in a specific establishment isolated from others. Portland's more walkable and more people on the streets, but it's true there are no real international cultural destinations like the Getty, everybody in Portland is pretty similar.

[topaz420]

Originally Posted by Śebb

^LA has always felt really lonely to me, you're never quite 'in the city' but rather on the road or in a specific establishment isolated from others. Portland's more walkable and more people on the streets, but it's true there are no real international cultural destinations like the Getty, everybody in Portland is pretty similar.

Interesting you should say that, because as an introvert who recharges my batteries by being alone, Portland always shows up on the lists of "best cities for introverts" because of the multitude of places where you can go and not be bothered

[bler144]

It's important to remember that nowhere is 'perfect.' In my opinion the things to be wary of with Portland (in no order):

1) increasing cost of housing relative to local incomes (if you don't work in tech/med/Nike). If you're moving in with significant assets or high fixed income, this may be a non-concern

2) Winter gloom - personally I don't mind it and with the right gear it's easy to be active outdoors year round, but it does scare off many

3) air quality - despite the outdoors reputation, we actually have a pretty high number of allergens and certain pollutants. Not as bad as the southeast/northeast US generally, but depending on what gets you, it can still be pretty rough.

4) schools are hit and miss - not universal, but in general getting into a good school district requires really ponying up for housing.

5) traffic is getting up there - the afternoon peak is pretty bad on lots of routes, but even off-peak some routes/spots are increasingly congested.

But the metro does have a lot to offer - arts, sports, outdoors, dining (and often quite affordably for the quality), beer/wine.

[doggiemama]

The people I've known who have left Portland have left because they were laid off, or couldn't find a permanent job, or couldn't find a job that paid enough. It can be deceptively expensive to live here.

[Leisesturm]

I've noticed that gay men have pretty high, maybe even unreasonable beauty standards in women, even if they are the kind of gay man who does not have unreasonable beauty standards in men. Hmmmm. I don't really think I am anywhere close to having a reasonable sample size but I am willing to go out on a limb and assert with some degree of accuracy that a guy who doesn't think Portland's women are attractive enough might have some latent ... erm...homosexual inclinations. That's hardly a crime, especially in 2014, but I for one think life is too short, and relocation too expensive, to waste any of it fishing for the wrong kind of fish. Don't try a different river. Try a different kind of fish. FWIW.

H

[SyraBrian]

I came and I'll probably leave. I'm not sociable enough to live in shared housing and I don't earn enough to live by myself.

In fact, I'd already be back home if the landlord of the fifty buck a week East Syracuse flophouse I live in would accept my $200 bribe to evict the problem drunk tenant who serves as the building's de facto superintendent.

[pandaundercover]

Rent is going up. Kinda makes me want to leave, but then, not really. I live in Lake Oswego and really love it here. I also like Tualatin, and that it's a solid 1.5/2 hr drive to the coast. The views of Hood and Helen's make me happy every day. Environmentally, I freaking love this place.

Plus, I just remind myself of CA and it also makes me want to stay. While my families may be in CA, I'm making more income here AND paying lower rent than I would be for either in CA. So, economically, it's still better here, than... CA.... but we are trying to find a bigger place to rent that's not trashy for under $900 in the far SW... it's proving a major struggle.

What I don't like, is the general lack of fans in all rooms, considering almost all apartments out here don't have AC.