Moving to Portland - Advice Needed! (Beaverton, Hillsboro: best city, apartment, rent)

[thefulldarby]

Hello all! I was born and raised in Hillsboro; lived there until I was almost 21. I then moved to Southern CA for
four years, then Arizona for 6 years. I will be moving back next May but I'm wanting to choose the best city/neighborhood that is right for me. While living in Hillsboro I never really went into Portland; I worked/went to school in Beaverton but that's the closest I got. I'm 30 years old; looking for a city that has some fun nightlife and good income potential (I'm an underwriter). I wanted to get an apartment and keep the rent around $800 for a decent 1 bedroom. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

[Nell Plotts]

First you need to nail down a job. First Tech has a great reputation, their office is a few blocks from the NIKE campus. Unitus is recruiting for an underwriter too, their job is downtown. Both are a bit of a walk from a MAX stop but eminently do-able.

Portland is where most of the nightlife happens in Portland Metro. With your housing budget you will be living in the suburbs. Nightlife shouldn't be a priority as you can always go into the city to attend the events that interest you. You are evidently planning to move in 10+ months, trying to find the right neighborhood/suburb now is premature.