Leaving Portland: my thoughts on the city (Beaverton, Hillsboro: crime rate, felony)

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by eagle7

If i had the money or a decent job lined up in portland i would move tomorrow. Im just sick of the constant sunny/warm/dry days, foul politicians, high cost of living & rude people in ca.

Is there such a thing as Reverse SAD? The constant (and I mean CONSTANT) sunshine in Florida depresses me, while a cool or cold over cast day seems to revive me until the next sun and heat filled day. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this.

[Élan vital]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

Is there such a thing as Reverse SAD? The constant (and I mean CONSTANT) sunshine in Florida depresses me, while a cool or cold over cast day seems to revive me until the next sun and heat filled day. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this.

I'm the same way!

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

Is there such a thing as Reverse SAD? The constant (and I mean CONSTANT) sunshine in Florida depresses me, while a cool or cold over cast day seems to revive me until the next sun and heat filled day. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this.

Me too. Continuing sunshine just drains me.

[nordikelt]

Oh my gosh, I know exactly what you mean! I live in Albuquerque, and I just got back from a week long trip to Portland & Seattle. If I could find a job in the PNW that rivals the one I have here, I'd be packing my bags tonight. Summers here are spent with the air conditioning cranked up and the shades all drawn. I actually have a vitamin D deficiency! People here make fun of me because the sun depresses me and I really perk up on the rare cloudy and rainy day. In the middle of July, when I can't stand the idea of walking out under the blaring sun, I often console myself with the memory of a cloudy day in Edgefield, in the small bar by the golf course at McMenamins, hoisting a great beer and reading a great book. Not too hot, too cold, or too bright. Just cozy and comfortable. Perfect for a run through the park or a hot drink by the fireplace. Man, I need to move up there!

[Rose Cityzen]

57 years. If I didn't like living here, I wouldn't still be here. And I'd advise anybody who's depressed by Portland and Willamette Valley weather NOT to move to Seattle; it's twice as depressing in the rainy/winter months unless you're more excited by the skiing, backpacking and other outdoor opportunities at your doorstep. The biggest minus I've noticed recently is economic. It is no longer affordable to live in Portland if you make less than $50,000/yr. and it's destroying the city's diversity. We used to have quite a lot of affordable apartments in the downtown area and throughout the city but during the condo development phase before economic meltdown, a majority of these place were snapped up and either razed or converted to places that most renters could not afford. It's even worse in Salem. It is also - presently - a much harder city to find work in or to start and sustain a small business in. Yes, taxes, taxes and more taxes on everything in Portland and sometimes what you see the money being spent on doesn't make a lick of sense. I have a number of family members either involved in education (or were) and I agree that our schools are spiraling downward. Part of that has to do with the method of funding education in Portland, its surrounding communities and Oregon - it's always been poor, forcing districts and schools to fight for an operating budget every year. Allowing people to transfer kids from one area to another doesn't help. When people in any given neighborhood don't support their local schools, the result is depressing. The fact that there are now many alternative schools, religious schools, language schools and magnet schools makes it glaringly clear that the regular public schools are lacking and hurting. People who can afford to are bailing. It's a very good thing that Portland is a "walkable" city with small downtown blocks because of the many people who can no longer afford to buy, maintain or operate a car. Unfortunately, if their job is in the core and they're forced to rent somewhere 20 miles out in Gresham or Beaverton because there's nothing affordable within the inner city, they have to hope that Tri-Met will not cut any more routes unless they have no problem walking part of their commute, morning and evening. While Portland drivers have always been "kinder" than those in other urban areas, that, too, has changed. I used to commute 25 miles each way to work by bicycle in the 1980s. I wouldn't do it now. More traffic, distracted drivers on cell phones, huge vehicles sitting much further above the road, more irritation makes it difficult to connect with drivers and be seen. In many cases there's also palpable rage against bicyclists in general. Check the comments on local news links whenever one is hit. If you are thinking of moving here, have a job lined up (second-highest unemployment in the nation), check out the rental and real estate prices before you come . . . you may be shocked . . . and be prepared to deal with rain. There are great rewards here but if you fall on hard times there are very few places to turn and they are currently overwhelmed or have long waiting lists and a lot of competition for dwindling resources.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

Is there such a thing as Reverse SAD? The constant (and I mean CONSTANT) sunshine in Florida depresses me, while a cool or cold over cast day seems to revive me until the next sun and heat filled day. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this.

No your not alone. We lived in Oregon two years and our now in Floriduh.

I prefer the overcast days as well.

Oregon does have some issues, but the people were courteous(especially on the roads).

FL has a very "me first" attitude. Oregon was more "you first". Made life more pleasant.

Just as example walking in a parking lot in Oregon I felt safe. Here you better look out, they fly through the parking lots.

Again "me first", same thing in the supermarkets.

And on the other hand people for some reason walk right out in front of cars.....considering the many elderly and poorly trained drives FL has they're taking some chance.

There is such a "me first" attitude in FL. They blame it on all the transplants, and some of that is true, but we lived in CA as well which is full of transplants and it wasn't this extreme.

I would only ride a bike here on bike path.

[bluevelo]

Without reading the entire thread (yet) I'd have to say the same 20something culture exists in Sacramento - just on a smaller scale. We don't have the compactness of Portland; OTOH, we are in the middle of the Central Valley so there's really little incentive to stop sprawl, and while Cali has passed tons of laws to discourage sprawl, realistically, with a population nearing 40 million on its way to 50 million, you are not going to stop it - at least with housing families (average) can afford.

Ergo, the sprawl laws are not enforced because they're Swissed with loopholes.

Condos are STILL going for 300K+ close in, but the prices in the burbs have dropped drastically. Downtown and midtown condos also (IMHO) have the huge drawback of no pools, and in the summer, you really NEED access to a pool to not go nuts during the heatwaves.

Anyway, Midtown - whose revival was led by gay couples with good jobs and serious incomes - is full of the same young people you describe (I'm 48 and while no social conservative, I see the conformity "non-conformity" that you describe in clothing, piercings and tattoos. However, tattoos are also spreading in the 'burbs amongst older women and men who are putting them on in an effort to feel 'sexy', particularly the divorced crowd).

Since the OP didn't mention what she was leaving for, or (unless its covered later) when she left I'm going to read the rest of the thread to find out. This is a great thread, BTW, as I was going to apply for a job in Vancouver with my agency - I'd have a great shot as I'm a great match for the position - but having been originally from Iowa I hate cloudy winters and rain, and SMF gets 78 percent of the potential sunshine yearly and < 19 inches of rain. Yes, it gets hot at times, but a/c is plentiful, and most evenings the Delta breeze clears out the heat long before it becomes an issue (although as a cyclist it makes riding a bike a *****).

WA may not have a state income tax but it looks like a place from a property tax perspective that just rapes you. Yes, we have lots of taxes here in Cali, but... its sounds like in the end it equalizes out.

I like Sacramento. We have a nice art/music scene here which, if you take the time to get into (I play fusion guitar and bass) it, is a lot of fun, and I have a great day job that pays 94K a year - so why would I want to leave for a few thousand more and rainy, gloomy weather 6 months a year? I hate riding in the rain, and I'm an avid cyclist.

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Me too. Continuing sunshine just drains me.

Sometimes, I get tired of it here in California; however, once the weather starts to go in the crapper in the rest of the US I don't mind it at all LOL...

[DutchessCottonPuff]

Originally Posted by vaughnwilliams

Is there such a thing as Reverse SAD? The constant (and I mean CONSTANT) sunshine in Florida depresses me, while a cool or cold over cast day seems to revive me until the next sun and heat filled day. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this.

Yes ,, sorry to be so late to this post . I was raised here and have lived where it says I do now for most of my life ,, I feel like I live in a toaster or something ,, my husband is from the Netherlands ( Holland ) and it is the biggest relief to live there and now to visit ,, even our youngest daughter , 8 , is extremely relieved when it rains and always asks when we are going back to Holland .

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by bluevelo

This is a great thread, BTW, as I was going to apply for a job in Vancouver with my agency ... I hate cloudy winters and rain,

WA may not have a state income tax but it looks like a place from a property tax perspective that just rapes you. Yes, we have lots of taxes here in Cali, but... its sounds like in the end it equalizes out.

...so why would I want to leave for a few thousand more and rainy, gloomy weather 6 months a year? I hate riding in the rain, and I'm an avid cyclist.

I haven't kept up with this thread, either. Rose Cityzen wrote a wonderful post, imo. I'd take what she said to heart. Over the years, I too have seen attitudes, living standards and an increase in monetary-based social status change. 50K a year will barely allow you to rent a decent place and eat decent food. It does destroy the diversity that PDX was once famous for.

Your comment on getting "raped" by property taxes is fairly common in Washington, especially Clark County, and probably many other counties.

If you are even mildly considering moving here (hate cloudy winters and rain?) and you hate riding in the rain (you'd better learn to love it), please reconsider. On the up side you'd meet a whole lot of avid fellow-cyclists!

The rain will not go away. Ever. Unless one has an extreme case of SAD, you will adjust.

Perhaps you, and others, would do well to take a long vacation (if possible) during February and spend it up here.

But even driving around yesterday, I looked up at all the trees in my neighborhood - some are easily 80 -100 years old...and that is not an unusual thing to see. You simply can't escape how beautiful it is here.

I guess there are tradeoffs in everything.