Leaving Portland: my thoughts on the city (houses, school)

[rockybird]

THanks Sundaysmile...your post is very timely as I am considering a move from sunny Phoenix to PDX for a great job offer. I do love the sun, the desert, the winters here. I visited PDX for interviews on three occasions over the last few months and despite the clouds and ice, I loved it. I just returned last week. The downtown is enchanting and vibrant. The green hills are marvelous. I love the variety of homes and restaurants. However, after med. school in Michigan, and a childhood in Alaska, the threat of cloudy skiies again gives me pause. Weather alone would never be enough to influence my decision, it's the job description that ultimately does, but it's a truly difficult decision.

[nickyt99]

Thanks that was really really helpful.

[keith talent]

I've been following this thread because, every now and then, I get the feeling I might like Portland, or the PNW. But it seems there's no getting away from the weather ... people always packing up or going nuts because of it.

You don't, for instance, hear about people leaving, say NYC, because of the weather. Or Paris, which has pretty similar weather to the PNW. But London, yes, at least among the English I've known.

I don't think it's anything to underestimate if so many find it so overwhelming. Same thing on the Alaska board. Either it works for you or it doesn't, but it's a pretty huge factor.

Funny how people put down Eastern weather, but it's pretty easy to take compared with much of what's out West, where extremes are the rule. In NYC, we get 50% sunshine in the winter, though it can be crappy at times. Still you get a couple of total blue-sky days every week, almost guaranteed, when cold fronts push through. Upstate, though, is a lot like the PNW for cloudiness, except you pile 10 feet of snow on top of that!

From what I can tell, the best bet for weather is a combination of high altitude and low latitude ... then you get the sun without the blistering heat.
In the West, somewhere like Bisbee, Az., comes to mind. Maybe Prescott, too.

Best weather I've ever lived in would have to be Knoxville, Tenn. There or Asheville are hard to beat ... but then you've got to deal with the religious nuts and kooks still fighting the Civil War! Always something.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by keith talent

I've been following this thread because, every now and then, I get the feeling I might like Portland, or the PNW. But it seems there's no getting away from the weather ... people always packing up or going nuts because of it.

You don't, for instance, hear about people leaving, say NYC, because of the weather. Or Paris, which has pretty similar weather to the PNW. But London, yes, at least among the English I've known.

I don't think it's anything to underestimate if so many find it so overwhelming. Same thing on the Alaska board. Either it works for you or it doesn't, but it's a pretty huge factor.

Funny how people put down Eastern weather, but it's pretty easy to take compared with much of what's out West, where extremes are the rule. In NYC, we get 50% sunshine in the winter, though it can be crappy at times. Still you get a couple of total blue-sky days every week, almost guaranteed, when cold fronts push through. Upstate, though, is a lot like the PNW for cloudiness, except you pile 10 feet of snow on top of that!

From what I can tell, the best bet for weather is a combination of high altitude and low latitude ... then you get the sun without the blistering heat.
In the West, somewhere like Bisbee, Az., comes to mind. Maybe Prescott, too.

Best weather I've ever lived in would have to be Knoxville, Tenn. There or Asheville are hard to beat ... but then you've got to deal with the religious nuts and kooks still fighting the Civil War! Always something.

Funny....as I am one of the people who left NYC because of the weather It was after I'd previously lived in Portland as well!

I grew up in Michigan, and absolutely hated snow and cold winters...went out to PDX and loved the fact it didn't snow, and everything was incredibly lush and green and I even loved the misty...particularly with the fact everything just grows like crazy in PDX...I found it beautiful. The rain keeps it green, and I loved the significantly warmer temperatures and misty rain over ice storms and snow storms that lasted for 6-7 months out of the year in Michigan.

Later I ended up living in NYC, and loved it as a city, but hated the snow and cold again (although it was significantly better winters than Michigan). But, still didn't want to deal with that type of weather in any form.

My take on Seattle/Portland is that if a person is from the Northeast or Midwest, than SEA/PDX weather will be a big step up and much better.

But the mass majority of people moving to SEA/PDX are overwhelmingly from the land of the world's most perfect weather - the California coast. I personally think if Californias were moving in mass to say, Minnesota, then we'd be hearing about the weather all the time as well.

Just my take...but I take it all as a matter of perspective.

[Brandon26pdx]

She's a sunbird from Arizona...perfectly predictable that she didn't like the weather here. She wouldn't have like the weather much in many of the country's most popular areas to live. The weather here is not a big deal compared to the midwest or northeast.

[Élan vital]

this past Saturday I was in Woodburn at the outlet mall. The sun was out in full force. The temps were 80ish. I haven't been more mserable since I left the gulf coast area. I ended up with a raging migraine and later that night ended up at the ER due to the migraine.

I had TOO much sunshine and humidity/heat while living on the gulf coast. Plus I found it to be an ugly,flat,swampland full of bible thumping,redneck hunter and fishermen. That is my feeling of the area.

Here in the PNW-I love,love,love the weather. I can deal with much less sunshine than we are having right now. This past winter when it snowed and snowed and snowed some more--I was delighted!
The people in this area are awesome. The scenery is splendid. The weather affords one to do all types of outside activities that are just not possible where I grew up. I still do have to avoid too much sun though, even here.

So, what's great to one person isn't a fit for another. If someone needs hot weather(and I do mean temps ranging from 90 degrees to 100+ from April through sometimes November), high humidity, sunshine sunshine sunshine-go south. South as in the deep south. But prepare yourself,if you go, for lots of thunderstorms,power outtages due to the storms,hurricanes,high power bills,southern baptist zealots, alligators,mosquitos,snakes,wasps,fire ants, dirty beaches and lots of beer chugging rednecks. And road rage like you wouldn't believe unless you see it. I'm sure it's due to the bad moods everyone stays in due to the constant heat.

[sav]

I moved to Portland having lived many other places (including Minnesota for 4 yrs) and we moved away from Portland a year ago in large part due to the weather. True seasonal affective disorder really sucks.

We visited PDX, prior to moving, for a weekend in February. It didn't seem that overcast to me. Someone I interviewed with on that trip said, 'well, this is a pretty sunny day'. I guess I thought he was joking at the time.

We moved to PDX end of August and for the month of Sept and 1/2 way through October I thought I had landed in paradise, nirvana, and called everyone trying to convince them to move there. Then the gloom descended and I spent the next 4 years cultivating my escape strategy.

Now I live in a high desert climate with very harsh, cold, sunny winters, blasting winds, -20F at times and I love it. One person's paradise is another's hell.

[sundaysmile]

Originally Posted by Brandon26pdx

She's a sunbird from Arizona...perfectly predictable that she didn't like the weather here. She wouldn't have like the weather much in many of the country's most popular areas to live. The weather here is not a big deal compared to the midwest or northeast.

Just for the record, I only lived in AZ for a few years, and lived in a number of other places before that (including Michigan -- I actually found the winters there easier to deal with, as despite the cold... it at least seemed like the sun came out more often).

[JLR29]

The sun rarely comes out between November and May in Michigan except for very brief periods. I'm not sure what it's like in Oregon, but it can't be worse than it is here. The summers are phenomenal, but the winters are COLD and grey. I would take warmer and grey every time.

[Rosiegirll]

SundaySmile, You expressed yourself very well. I think a lot of people would totally agree with you. For those out there who are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD due to our grey skies), I suggest you try a natural supplement called Sam-e. I buy it at Costco or you can get it at GNC. Helps mood due to lack of sun and also helps you sleep better. This was such a bad Winter that I used it and suggested it to a friend who is a transplant from California. We both found it to be a godsend. In one day the mood lifted and we could sleep a normal schedule. I take two each morning and I'm good to go for the rest of the day.