Thoughts on Oregon... (Portland, Eugene, Salem: home, job market, theatre)

[DouxSoleil]

Hello all,

I've been contemplating a move to Raleigh, NC (as I visited the triangle area years ago on my way to Nagshead, NC, and loved it - and have wanted to move there since!!) but recently began to ponder what life would be like in WA or OR, Seattle (or Olympia ?), or Portland (or Eugene or Salem?).

I am currently on a temporary assignment in Sunnyvale, CA (just few minutes south of Palo Alto, CA, in the South Bay area), but prior to CA, spent 10+ years in Minneapolis, MN. Didn't enjoy the frigid weather. :-(

I'm progressive, open-minded, participate in green/eco/environmental causes, am vegetarian, a health & exercise enthusiast (yoga, pilates, tennis, walking/hiking, tennis etc), love the outdoors (and would greatly enjoy weekend excursions to the ocean as well as mountains & forests, etc), and hope to live in a place with cultural opportunities (broadway series plays, live theatre & music, plays), museums and local festivals. I am a technical writer but have an 18-yr-old son who will accompany me so I'm concerned about jobs and work opportunities. I hope to live in a place with affordable housing and at least a moderate cost of living. I love the Pacific Northwest but am concerned about cost of living in WA as well as the lack of sunshine. I do enjoy a good rain, though, which is something I don't experience too often here in Sunnyvale, CA (just few minutes south of Palo Alto, CA, in the South Bay area).

Would love to hear thoughts about Portland (or Eugene or Salem) OR, in comparison to places in WA (Seattle, Olympia…), or even Raleigh (Triangle park area), if anyone reading is familiar with NC...…

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Nell Plotts]

Well, if you are in Sunnyvale you know all about the housing costs.

The issue, IMHO, is the ratio between the cost of living vs wages for your particular skill set. At one time my DD and her husband were considering the Triangle Park area but she had an offer they could not refuse in the Silicon Valley.

Seattle is a much larger IT (particularly software) market while Portland's technology employment market is smaller.

I don't think any of those metro areas are a bad choice, you just need to figure out who will offer you the best deal.

[DouxSoleil]

Agreed, Nell. The ratio between cost of living vs wages is a real consideration. I am a technical writer, and my son is interested in finding work in financial analysis (graduated early, took college classes during high school, and is more than halfway through his BS in finance).

Guess I'll do some research on the job market in both areas!

[Tuffys Mom]

With your lifestyle and liberal bend, you would be SO at home in Portland. Vancouver is more conservative, but also a lot cheaper to live there. The wonderful thing about Washington (and Oregon) is that in a four hour drive you have such diversity of landscape. You can have High Desert, Pacific Ocean, Rain Forest, or Mountain tops. Seattle is very expensive. I would pick Portland over Seattle, and Vancouver over Portland. The problem with Democratic (Liberal) run areas is that they do tend to be poorly managed fiscally, hence the high expense of living. In more conservative (Republican) controlled areas you will almost universally find better fiscal management, better stewardship of your tax dollar, and hence lower costs of living. Full disclaimer... I am neither Republican or Democrat, just aware of the facts.

[Chubsworth]

Portland is chill but bay area is about 20x better for tech jobs. It is way more expensive but you can always stay employed. Not so sure about Portland. I have a good friend in PDX who got laid off in the mid 2000s and had to commute to Corvallis for a year and a half until Portland's tech scene picked back up again.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Tuffys Mom

In more conservative (Republican) controlled areas you will almost universally find better fiscal management, better stewardship of your tax dollar, and hence lower costs of living.

And it will look like it, feel like it, and sometimes smell like it. When tightwads run a city nothing gets done, because no one wants to pay for it, that's why those poorly managed Blue states aren't vast empty wastelands, but often have people in them. Living pretty well (or not) as people will anywhere else.

H

[Tuffys Mom]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

And it will look like it, feel like it, and sometimes smell like it. When tightwads run a city nothing gets done, because no one wants to pay for it, that's why those poorly managed Blue states aren't vast empty wastelands, but often have people in them. Living pretty well (or not) as people will anywhere else.

H

Point taken... However, the poorly managed Blue States are sucking Federal dollars to stay afloat and, as the Iron Lady once said, the problem with spending other people's money is that eventually they run out of it.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by Tuffys Mom

Point taken... However, the poorly managed Blue States are sucking Federal dollars to stay afloat and, as the Iron Lady once said, the problem with spending other people's money is that eventually they run out of it.

[rzzzz]

It's actually the poorly run red states that absorb the most federal dollars.

[zitsky]

I've lived in Mountain View, CA, Eugene, OR, and now Raleigh, NC. I think you'd be happiest in Raleigh. You have better weather overall. Sure it's humid in summer but winters are short and you see the sun more. I assume you want to move to Portland where the jobs are. Living in a place like Eugene is nice but jobs are hard to find. If you move to Oregon you won't see the sun for half the year.