Lake Oswego or West Linn?

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by blazens

I would not characterize Lake Oswego or West Linn as friendly. Fake friendly perhaps but they are very cliquey snobbish communities. Plus the schools are overrated. Yes test scores are good because parents are demanding of their children not because the quality of education is superior.

They are friendly if you are the "right" sort of person and appear to belong there. Go to say a youth soccer game in Lake Oswego and everyone is super friendly if they think you are one of them. But I take your point. Try dragging your kayak down to Lake Oswego and see how friendly they get.

That said, the schools are indeed on a different level than most of the less affluent communities. Go visit Lake Oswego, West Linn, or Wilsonville (same district) high schools and compare the science labs, athletic facilities, music studios, and everything else they have to what you might find at nearby less affluent communities. There is a striking difference. Resources are not everything. But they make a difference.

[Transplant12345]

Yeah, I read about West Linn’s racist and corrupt police chief. No thanks. Not my kind of town. In fact, I am terrified by all of the racist stuff I see on the news happening in Oregon. Like the Salem police who were buddy buddy with white power scumbags. Texas may be unbearably hot and more conservative than I would like, but it is diverse and I feel safe in Texas. I can raise my kids here in a low cost environment with fantastic schools and once they are in college I can move somewhere with a more pleasant climate.

[2Z4]

Originally Posted by Transplant12345

Yeah, I read about West Linn’s racist and corrupt police chief. No thanks. Not my kind of town. In fact, I am terrified by all of the racist stuff I see on the news happening in Oregon. Like the Salem police who were buddy buddy with white power scumbags. Texas may be unbearably hot and more conservative than I would like, but it is diverse and I feel safe in Texas. I can raise my kids here in a low cost environment with fantastic schools and once they are in college I can move somewhere with a more pleasant climate.

FWIW - that's not reflective of the city. He was simply enabled by city council members and city staff (as well as some others in the local law enforcement community) for decades, possibly due to some type of blackmail leverage he had on them. Several of his officers reported him over the years - they were all forced out and retaliated against. He was reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, who refused to investigate him. I don't believe West Linn residents by and large are racists.

West Linn is really two different cities - there's the "Willamette" area between Salamo Rd. and the river, and then everything else. Willamette has quite a few older homes mixed with new construction, I think it's less "clique" than the other areas.

Lake Oswego is a very safe city with good schools. If I were looking at Lake Oswego, I'd look at homes in the "Rivergrove" area - which is a more established neighborhood that's not super high-priced. I would stay south of Boones Ferry Rd., west of Stafford Rd. and south of the lake.

I've also spent some time in Camas. You'll get more for your money there - decent schools and a good community. I personally would avoid Happy Valley due to a gravely inadequate police department and proximity to Portland. I'd avoid Wilsonville due to horrific traffic, proximity to I-5 and once again an inadequately sized police department. You might want to check out Tualatin as well - good schools, good community, minimal crime and a younger crowd than West Linn/Lake Oswego.

[doity]

I have lived in both and currently own a home in Lake Oswego. Both are good places with very non-judge mental people by and large. I am sure that if you tried to join some civic group in Lake Oswego they might size you up a bit but that happens anywhere. In Portland it is not about $ but about liberal groupthink and people are very self-absorbed and self righteous by and large. There are exceptions of course but it is not the Portland of 40 years ago.

And what is the deal with all the need for ‘diverse’ neighborhoods? Do people really want to interact with minorities and make friends with them or just observe them and pat themselves on the back for being tolerant? I don’t get it. If you want diversity move to NY, Detroit, Philadelphia, DC, etc., not Lake Oswego or Portland for that matter.

[E-Twist]

My understanding is that Portland has some very good private schools, and from an article I read some time back, they try to have diversity. It might be worth investigating.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by E-Twist

My understanding is that Portland has some very good private schools, and from an article I read some time back, they try to have diversity. It might be worth investigating.

It's a big city with lots of wealth so yes, there are private schools.

At the top of the heap there is Catlin Gable. It's about as diverse as the top 1% of the city of Portland is. So mostly white with a sprinkling of Asians mixed in and a few other children of color so the class photos aren't entirely white. Of course they are facing massive lawsuits for two or three decades of unchecked abuse so who knows where they will be in the future. You can google all about that to find out where your $35,000/year tuition dollars will be going.

There are some big Catholic schools and a couple of other fancy prep schools like Oregon Episcopal and the the French American immersion school. Lots more private elementary schools. If you can afford to spend the equivalent of college tuition dollars on private school then you'll have lots of options.