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If you have ever watched the TV show Cops, there is a radio call at the end of every show where they are holding someone at gunpoint at 132nd and Bush.
That is the area of Portland we are talking about.
That area has always been high crime.
(And, I believe that there was a murder at 122 and Bush earlier this year?)
Check out the Wimbledon complex in southeast. Very safe area and they allow dogs. I'm not sure what the prices are these days but they've always been a relatively affordable option.
Check out the Wimbledon complex in southeast. Very safe area and they allow dogs. I'm not sure what the prices are these days but they've always been a relatively affordable option.
Thank you VelouriaPDX - I just checked out Wimbledon and this looks like a great option!
I'm moving to Portland too!!! I know, I know - you are all probably tired of reading these posts, but I must reach out to you anyway .
About me: I am a 45 year old female. I have a Bachelor's degree in Visual Art/Creative Writing. The majority of my work experience has been as an Office Manager/Administrative Assistant in non-profit environments and I would be more than happy to continue in this line of work - as long as the organization's mission aligns with my own passion. But I would also LOVE to work in a vegan kitchen!!!
My passions? I have a few: Animals (Rescue, in particular as I share my life with two amazing rescued Chihuahuas and they are everything to me), the Environment (I am a biker/walker/user of public transportation and do not own a car), Food (vegan food, in particular - as I have been vegan for over half of my life and I LOVE to cook) and Visual Art (I am a collage artist too!).
I was living in San Francisco when the financial downturn of 2008/2009 occurred and I lost my job as a result. My family is based here in St. Petersburg, FL and I decided to move here until I could find work and get my head above water again.
Well, it's 6 years later and I am planning to move once again. Florida is just NOT the place for me at all and I have felt extremely uncomfortable since my arrival here.
I know it's a bit of a ways away, but my lease is up in August of 2016 and it's then that I am planning to move - and Portland feels like the obvious choice...but I am afraid! And my fear is due to so much "do not move to Portland without a job/a lot of money, or you will wind up homeless" talk that I find here and in other places.
I will, obviously, begin seeking employment before my move and will have about $10K in savings at that time. I will also begin looking into securing an apartment before I arrive.
Based on all of what I have described here, I would really love some POSITIVE feedback:
**Is it possible to find a good job (in my case, a $46,000 a year/with good benefits Administrative position would be great!) in Portland, if one REALLY ACTIVELY seeks one?**
**Will I be able to find a decent, pet friendly one-bedroom apartment for $900.00 or under per month? An apartment that's close to public transportation AND in a good neighborhood?**
**Based on my interests/activities/political leanings (I am super-liberal!!) and my love of cool, drizzly, over-cast weather, Portland seems like a no-brainer: if you disagree, what other cities would you suggest I look into?**
I look forward to reading your responses - thanks so much!!!
Save as much money as you can. It could be very difficult to secure employment and housing from afar. It's better to pursue work and housing once you are actually in town. You could get a sublet so you have a home base to start from. Your budget is more likely for a studio in an area where living without a car would be practical. But even then, it will be very competitive to get the apartment. Everyone always says "I love the cool, gray, rainy weather." I don't buy it for most people. The weather is something to be tolerated and you need to find ways to counteract it (regular exercise, light therapy, meds, etc.) After the gray weather sets in here, you can really see the effects on people's energy, mood, countenance, etc. (lots of grumpiness and sullenness). Also, just know that Portland can be a surprisingly unfriendly, passive-aggressive, and sometimes downright rude place. Lots of snooty, self-absorbed people here. I'll admit I came here with ideas of it being a friendly, pleasant, and welcoming place, and now I'm mainly just committed to "making it work" and "making the best of it" as I have worked very hard to create a stable life for myself here. You will be hard pressed to find an administrative position that pays $46,000 right off the bat. You'll likely be making closer to $30,000. Wages can be low (except for some fields like tech, healthcare, government, etc.) and housing prices are very high compared to median local incomes. Even professionals with good jobs live in shared housing because it's so expensive.
All that being said, it is a beautiful area and there is good food, beer, coffee shops, marijuana, etc. But in my experience, it by no means lives up to the hype it receives from the national media/entertainment industry.
borntorun1180 - I just read a bunch of your other posts and you sound as if you absolutely detest living in Portland - why are you there?
I came here to visit a few years ago and thought the city would be a cool place to live, it seemed lively and interesting. Over two years here and I realized I was wrong. The people that live here are boring and this city is void of any real culture. The city wastes money on useless choo-choo trains and bike lane that only a small percentage use while neglecting it's roads that the majority of the city uses when they drive everywhere.
All the city seems to care about are drug addicts and letting lazy homeless sleep on the sidewalk while some of us try to make a living.
Had I found this site before I moved here, I would have decided otherwise. I just want to warn others not to make the same mistake I made, the only interesting people here are the tourists that visit Portland, Seattle is a much better option if you are looking to make a decent living and want a city that care more about itself than lazy bums and drug addicts.
I came here to visit a few years ago and thought the city would be a cool place to live, it seemed lively and interesting. Over two years here and I realized I was wrong. The people that live here are boring and this city is void of any real culture. The city wastes money on useless choo-choo trains and bike lane that only a small percentage use while neglecting it's roads that the majority of the city uses when they drive everywhere.
All the city seems to care about are drug addicts and letting lazy homeless sleep on the sidewalk while some of us try to make a living.
Had I found this site before I moved here, I would have decided otherwise. I just want to warn others not to make the same mistake I made, the only interesting people here are the tourists that visit Portland, Seattle is a much better option if you are looking to make a decent living and want a city that care more about itself than lazy bums and drug addicts.
Thank you for offering that perspective.
Seattle: sure - the jobs are plentiful and pay more, but talk about expensive apartments!! What they are calling "apodments" (a closet with a sink and bathroom, really) for $900 a month!!! I imagine the chances of becoming homeless are MUCH greater in Seattle than in Portland. Who can afford those rents! I realize it rents in Portland are also climbing, but chances of finding SOMETHING in the $900 - $1,200 range seem (from this distance, at least) to be greater.
Someone else mentioned Eugene, which I have also been looking into: from the Google Street View scenes that I have been looking at, Eugene looks almost EXACTLY like St. Petersburg FL - where I am now. And that looks like backwater sprawl and an unemployment rate that's higher (4.8%) than Portland (current rate 4.4%) AND St. Petersburg (4.6%)...
do not move to Portland without a job/a lot of money, or you will wind up homeless
I'd like to know the C-D forum where people do not say that. That is said about almost every city on this entire site, but particularly true for the hip places in the country, which Portland is at this time.
For those people suggesting Seattle.... really?
There are more jobs there because it's a bigger city with a stronger economic base, but there are also higher housing prices - a lot higher. What's $1400 in Portland would be $1800 in Seattle, etc...
Quote:
Will I be able to find a decent, pet friendly one-bedroom apartment for $900.00 or under per month? An apartment that's close to public transportation AND in a good neighborhood?
Well, that's the trifecta, isn't it? That's hard to find anywhere to tell the truth. Florida real estate is cheap ---- I'm sure you know why.
Quote:
Is it possible to find a good job (in my case, a $46,000 a year/with good benefits Administrative position would be great!
Again, we all want good jobs don't we? I would say you can find a job like that in your general field in the Portland area. As others said, if you want it to be more of a sure thing, I'd like to see you have 20-25K in savings at least (preferably 30+) instead of 10K so you can put in a dedicated search for at least 6-8 months. There are jobs in Oregon but sometimes you have to wait longer than usual for them. With 10K I'd be concerned you'd burn through that in 3 months when you're on the cusp of building the networks you need to find your job but not quite, run out of money and in desperation end up having to go live with your family in whatever place they are.
If you're willing to work crappy service jobs for 6 to 18 months to barely pay the bills in the process of searching for a better job (or perhaps just slow down the burn of your savings), that's more of an option. Plenty of crappy service jobs in Oregon.
Based on your interests and weather preferences, I think it rules out most southern locales. I might suggest the Washington DC area, certain parts of PA...Pittsburgh might be an option, Madison, WI, Minneapolis MN, Sacramento, CA.
You might look for liberal pockets in more conservative places. There are parts of Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin and Houston for example that would offer what you're looking for (ie: public trans in Houston and DFW is getting better, they've been putting down more light rail, etc...), but then they have warm/hot weather, but not as humid as Florida. Also, Salt Lake City, I know it sounds crazy - but it does have fairly decent public trans and is liberal in the city center with vegan places, etc... and Utah has a lot of outdoor activity & natural beauty like Oregon. I don't know much about Colorado, but there might be locales there that could fit you too. I would say Boston is good for what you want - great place for being car-free, but it's very expensive there. New Hampshire or Vermont might have some options too but in smaller-town settings, probably need a car.
The biggest downside of Oregon is the job situation. It IS worse than other places. Oregon has one of the more sluggish economies in the country for average people. There are some niche markets taking off, but for the median person things are tough. If you want to make it here, it WILL be harder than the states that have hotter economies and better CoL right now. However, we're not so bad that things are depressing like Mississippi or Rhode Island. You can make it here with some persistence. Portland or Eugene could work, maybe Salem but Salem is to Oregon what the Toyota Camry is to cars. Not sure how much you like smaller towns, but Ashland or Bend would have some of the vibe you're looking for in small-town context. Would need a car for those, though.
Tl;dr I don't think there is one place that will fit all your criteria at your price range anywhere in the country, but if you're flexible on one or more of those criteria, there are a number of options.
Last edited by redguard57; 10-08-2015 at 02:36 PM..
Why do I want to move to Portland? Well, I think I described why in my original post, but I will reiterate:
* I live car-less and need to live in a town/city with great public transportation, which is also bike-able/walkable.
* I have been vegan for most of my life and want to live in a place where that is acceptable, common and where I can find plentiful food options.
* I enjoy the outdoors and want to live in a place that does NOT have extreme weather - where I live now, I have endured 6 years of HORRIBLY hot/humid weather 7 months out of the year and that is pure misery for me. I was also born in NY and live all over the state until I was 25 - including Albany, NY - where the winters were brutal, snowy and miserable - I do not want to do that again. I know that Portland is grey and drizzly for a good portion of the year - I am thrilled by the prospect!!
* I am an artist and want to live in a place where I can befriend/become part of a community with other artists/like-minded people.
* I am a huge animal welfare proponent and I want to live in a place where this is acceptable - heck, even "normal". Here in the south, this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case...and I don't want to get into an Animal Welfare discussion here, so that's all I'll say about that.
* I am an Atheist - nuff' said there too!!
Also, I am not a "20 something" coming to Portland with a duffle bag and a dream of becoming famous.
I am 45 years old and looking for a place that I love in which to settle. I have been sober (no drugs/no alcohol) for the past 10 years, have much work/life experience/education, the drive and tenacity to make things happen in my own life (meaning I will take a job in retail/a restaurant/temping/etc. if necessary, if that's what pays the bills until I find what I am looking for).
Does that answer your question?
Investigate the sober community BEFORE moving here. The term "mildly alcoholic" is a common term in Portland because it seems the majority of the population self medicates. It is also difficult to meet people of a certain age without kids in school. I am from SF originally and have lived on the East coast and abroad briefly, mostly NYC was home base. If I were sober... Portland would be my last choice.
Investigate the sober community BEFORE moving here. The term "mildly alcoholic" is a common term in Portland because it seems the majority of the population self medicates. It is also difficult to meet people of a certain age without kids in school. I am from SF originally and have lived on the East coast and abroad briefly, mostly NYC was home base. If I were sober... Portland would be my last choice.
This is so true, the amount of alcoholics and drug addicts are just nauseating in this town.
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