Possibly Relocating to Portland Area from NJ--Advice Needed (Beaverton, Hillsboro: fit in, sales)

[JerseyGirl1987]

Hello! I am new to city-data, so I apologize in advance.

I have recently come across an amazing job opportunity in the Portland/Beaverton area and am considering relocating. My boyfriend would be moving with me (along with our dog), and I'm hoping you can offer some advice!

We would be looking to relocate in the next few months. He is actively applying for jobs. I would be based out of Vancouver, WA but would have 2 locations in Beaverton and 1 in Portland--ideally, I would much rather live in the Portland area, but would like some input on traffic commuting from Portland to Vancouver, WA.

The details:
1) We'd like to keep our rent below $1,800. We're okay in the suburbs, as it appears that public transportation is very strong in this area.

2) We enjoy hiking, running, etc. but like to be within walking distance to bars and restaurants. From what I can tell, it will be hard to stay within our budget and live downtown. We're in our late 20's and will not know anyone if [when] we move out there. We would like to be in a younger area where it is easy to network and meet new people.

3) Any additional insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Cheers,
LM

[Nell Plotts]

If either of you will be working in Beaverton do not even consider Vancouver - the commute makes the GW Bridge trek look like a piece of cake.

Look for something west of the Tualatin Ridge (the hill west of Portland's city center) or Tigard.

Housing is so tight landlords are being very picky about families with a dog. Consider getting certificate showing that your dog has been trained. Do you have a plan for doggie day care?

[Luckystrike1]

Check out Orenco area just outside of Hillsboro. It's very dense but is like its own village, with lots of vitality from mixed ages. It does rent to a lot of Intel workers, but if you can get your foot in there I think you would like it. Plus, it has the light-rail in its vicinity. Don't know about pets, though.

[EasyBeezy]

Keep in mind that if you're based in Vancouver, it would be to your advantage to live there as well. If you live in Oregon and work in Washington, your earnings would be subject to Oregon's 9%(could be more, probably not less) income tax. If you live in Washington and work in Washington (even if you have to pop over to Oregon), you will have no income tax at all.

That said, there isn't much in Vancouver for young people, and although Portland is a short drive away, the traffic going to and from is frequently terrible, and there are no public transit trains that cross over into Washington. Downtown Vancouver isn't bad, but it's not exactly lively.

[Nell Plotts]

And if you live in Washington and work in Oregon you will pay Oregon income tax.

Not only is there the interstate bridge as a pinch point, there is a tunnel through the Tualatin ridge on Hgy 26.

[Dwayne Lassiter]

The income tax is one thing, but be aware that Oregon has no sales tax. Vancouver has 6.5%. So what Vancouverites often do is pop over and buy in Oregon.

[Nell Plotts]

One way or the other the piper must be paid.

It's not just sales tax, WA zings you when you sell your home big time.

[TedW20217]

I have some additional insight. Ask yourself, are you a hippy or hipster or overtly liberal? If you answer no to the last two then you might not have many friends.

If you are mature, conservative, have a mellow personality, dress like what you would see in a standard JC Penney or Macys catalog, you might not fit in with many crowds. In this case, if you like Portland then live in the surrounding areas and keep out of the city during winter or a riot.

I lived in Northern California, passed Vacaville for many years. The place is similar to England, enjoy the greenery and the eatery then leave unless you earn a higher income, so you can live in the nicest of places in Portland, Oregon. The people can be abrupt like in the U.K. (stiff-upper-lip and British-American types combined with Oregon and Washington uptight hippies of various European-American ethnic backgrounds) as well, and I do not recommend them compared to the diplomatic and mellow personalities in CA.

They say "keep Portland weird" by making bumper stickers that many drivers put on their vehicles, but rarely define it with examples. In Portland, you will likely see hippies dressed similar to the 60's but combined dress styles with the 90's grunge movements, the area is as if Humboldt County California grew into a metropolitan; and you will see European-Americans wearing dread locks, smell marijuana in the air as as you walk in the Pearl District, then you might notice people dressed in leathers similar to Mel Gibson's character in Mad Max etc. down near the Courthouse and can sometimes appear similar to The Rogues gang in the movie The Warriors.

The hipster movement is popular in Portland, Oregon; but people who claim the style and beliefs must have a liberal mindset 80% or more of the time, and they exhibit odd mannerisms associated with their dress styles: many have the appearance and mannerisms that can range from the cast of Freaks and Geeks along with That 70's Show, but mixed with the volatile behavior of the Beastie Boys and often combined with the ability to commit the type of violence preferred by rioters. Many of them appear like the gang The Punks in the film The Warriors, minus the overalls but they chose to wear hipster glasses or ride on skateboards.

I used to walk the downtown areas for work over two years and seen more than I deserved. Everything I mentioned occurred from downtown 4th Avenue and west to Market and up passed 15th Avenue and West toward SW Stark in that general region. Silly people. Teenagers laying on the sidewalks in Union Square, hippies having a get together to complain about corporatism using a megaphone sums up the silliness. At present, riots are frequent if they do not like the national politics though the regional voting had no influence over the situation. A growing silly group of organized people in the thousands.

In their 20's, hipsters will talk about how one donuts shop "was popular before everyone started buying there" and the two I witnessed in the conversation were working professionals in an office but have immature personalities and dress like hipsters after their shift is through.

Of course, many who having no exposure to such situations might say "it never happens" or "never to me" is common or maybe they tell a lie, but my reply is be grateful if you do not see it because what I have seen is bizarre. The sitcom "Portlandia" only depicts the comical lifestyles. [mod cut]

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirl1987

1) We'd like to keep our rent below $1,800. We're okay in the suburbs, as it appears that public transportation is very strong in this area.

You say you will be "based" in Vancouver... what exactly does that mean? You will also have 2 locations in Beaverton, and 1 in Portland, but we do not know how far apart they are, or how often you will have to visit them. It matters. Public transportation? I am a public transportation advocate, but you might be the first person to post in this forum who might be better advised to rely heavily on a car. Things are not yet at the stage where one cannot find an apartment for $1800/mo IN Portland. But public transportation out to Beaverton and Vancouver from Portland will be problematic. I wouldn't do it. Living in the suburbs doesn't save you much. What you save in rent you will pay in commute costs and hassle. I wouldn't do it. If you get from that that I do not consider your amazing job opportunity, as described, to be all that amazing, you would be correct.

[StealthRabbit]

If the majority of your employment income is based in WA... Live there.
Off commute hours you can be in downtown Portland in 7 minutes or you can take MAX (that will take you an hour,,, and be very dangerous.

OR sales tax advantage is great if you have a bad case of affluenza.
Income tax free WA assisted me to retire 16 yrs early. +/-

You can pump your own fuel in WA (but it will cost you more!) what a freedom !! (coming from NJ or OR)