Leaving Portland: my thoughts on the city (Eugene, Corvallis: transplants, college)

[Explorer Dave]

This is a great thread, I'm glad it was revived. I've never lived in Portland but have been there many times and really like it. I needed to get out of Oregon for a while but am ready to get back.

A couple things that do concern me through are weather and grass pollen. As much as I miss the mountains, I've hardly been sick at all in FL and the grass pollen allergies that I suffered with about a third of the year, every year, in Eugene, haven't bothered me a bit in FL!

[atl40433]

What I totally don't get, is people attempting to cram someone's feelings, experiences, and concerns about where they live, into....well, into a quick fix. Some 'complaints' are a cry for support to follow one's heart. Is that a crime? Doesn't a person have the right to self-direction in life, and if so wouldn't that usually require some discussion of perceived negative feelings, experiences, and concerns, as well as perceived positive ones? Obviously there are dramatic differences in cultures, socializing, and attitudes around the country. A person should be made to feel that if they want to discuss making a change in their life, they can freely and supportively do so, without accusations of unappreciativeness or inability to accurately interpret their own feelings and experiences. I say go with your heart and intuition, and follow even more attunement with what your feelings and gut reaction is saying. There may be a good reason for it.

[budsmom]

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.

I lived in Chicago for 21 years, Upstate New York for 1 year and now Portland for 2 years, and yes, the weather in Portland is a big deal. Almost every other city in the country gets more sun than Portland.

[jasminetea3]

Originally Posted by budsmom

I lived in Chicago for 21 years, Upstate New York for 1 year and now Portland for 2 years, and yes, the weather in Portland is a big deal. Almost every other city in the country gets more sun than Portland.

I absolutely agree, Budsmom. I lived in Indiana pretty much my whole life - with all the snow and freezing temperatures. I have found the past 5 winters in Portland to be MUCH harder to endure than any winter in the midwest. The difference in the amount of sun is pretty significant. I always enjoy the gloom at first, through January or so, then it gets unbearable and there's little relief until about half-way through May (sometimes into June).

The summers, however, are AMAZING. :-) Short, but amazing.

[TheMigrator]

I moved from Ohio to San Diego in the late 70's and enjoyed California very much. At some point it became too crowded and too expensive so I moved to Seattle in 1992. I loved Seattle until it became "the cool" place to be. It was the height of the grunge scene and the height of the tech bubble and Seattle was the center of the universe...every magazine was nominating it for "Best, Most Liveable, City" in the country... one of the best in the world! That created ATTITUDE in Seattle that became unbearable. People thought that they were "cool" simply because they were hip enough to choose it as a place to live!!! That didn't cut it anymore so I moved to Portand.

I loved Portland for the last 7 years until it became inundated with millennials that also thought they were "cool" just because they called Portland home. So I have been run out of another town because of ATTITUDE and now I'm in the Reno/Tahoe area which has no state income tax, lots of sun, and a healthy libertarian spirit. We'll see how long it stays this way. Next stop will be Belize!!!!

[Élan vital]

Originally Posted by TheMigrator

I moved from Ohio to San Diego in the late 70's and enjoyed California very much. At some point it became too crowded and too expensive so I moved to Seattle in 1992. I loved Seattle until it became "the cool" place to be. It was the height of the grunge scene and the height of the tech bubble and Seattle was the center of the universe...every magazine was nominating it for "Best, Most Liveable, City" in the country... one of the best in the world! That created ATTITUDE in Seattle that became unbearable. People thought that they were "cool" simply because they were hip enough to choose it as a place to live!!! That didn't cut it anymore so I moved to Portand.

I loved Portland for the last 7 years until it became inundated with millennials that also thought they were "cool" just because they called Portland home. So I have been run out of another town because of ATTITUDE and now I'm in the Reno/Tahoe area which has no state income tax, lots of sun, and a healthy libertarian spirit. We'll see how long it stays this way. Next stop will be Belize!!!!

geeze....I suspect you will be moving a lot unless you adjust your attitude. Just a thought.

[toxxicduck]

Originally Posted by Casportsfan

Sundaysmile,

As someone that has considered moving to Portland, I found your post very informative and refreshingly objective. After my recent visit, there are a couple of things I'd like to comment from my experience there:

(1) I was in Portland 2 weeks ago, and for two days I walked through downtown, and had zero hassles with bums. I can't even honestly say I saw more than one or two. Funny that you mentioned Pioneer square, because on thatvery sunny Friday 2 weeks ago I sat for a good hour or two there watching teenagers hackey sack, kids run around while their parents watched, blah blah, but was not approached, by any vagrant, nor did I see anyone else approached . . . could it be that this all depends on ones prior experience and tolerance level? . . . .

The last city that I lived in prior to Sacramento was a small college town of 45,000, about 47 miles North of San Francisco. Even in that city, if you hang out at the one and only starbucks in downtown and take the public transit, I'll show you the very definition of homeless/mentally ill individuals . . . They are here in Sacramento by the droves as well, and if I walk 3 blocks from my house I am usually bound to see at least one sleeping by a heat vent or on the curb. I truly believe that this is a growing problem in EVERY city around the country.

(2) I actually had a friend that (a) moved to Portland, (b) lived on his friends couch for a year (c) never held a job . . . . Funny your example was dead on! I noticed many hipsters there too.

(3) I found the city to have a very safe "feel" to it as well, in almost all parts that I visited.

(4) Excellent description of SAD. You paint a very good picture of how this illness feels, which is very helpfull for someone like me to know. Some people mention or warn of SAD, but your post elicits a visual that moves the weather situation on the list of things to potentially be concerned about.

I love the weather there, but maybe it's good to consider the possible adverse affects of long term exposure to it.

I can't comment on too much since I haven't lived here long enough (Mar 09), I definately recognize the negatives people are commenting on, and the positives - but I take the bus into Portland State everyday/night and the street people are very much out and in communication.

Also I bus/[now rail too ] in from SE Portland and to Portland Community College heading towards NE Portland and I think "safe" may be too strong a word for those areas.

[HonuMan]

Originally Posted by DreamWeavin

geeze....I suspect you will be moving a lot unless you adjust your attitude. Just a thought.

Moving to Beaverton would have been easier and less expensive than moving to Reno. I live in Beaverton, and I'm pretty sure it isn't a cool place. On the other hand, it might be so sublimely cool that only the very coollest people know it. Since I don't fall into that category, ignorance is bliss on my part.

[rhodan653]

I think the weather perception is the most variable, unpredictable factor for each individual. I have lived here for a year now and the weather has been the most positive aspect that far exceeded my expectations. I grew up in the North East (NH/MA), spent my college years in Syracuse, NY and prior to moving to PDX lived in Ohio for a year and a half. I have found the weather to be excellent. The weather in the winter was much, much better than I expected. There were very few days that were cloudy and dark all day. Most days alternate between clouds and sun. Very few days of heavy down pours. Most days some gloom, damp, maybe sprinkles and mist but little hard rain. Temps in the 40s and 50s and the ability to engage in outdoor activites in Dec/Jan/Feb (for me its fishing) is just unbeatable. My fiance who grew up in Ohio feels the same way. I think I saw the sun less in Ohio in the winter than in Portland and upstate NY weather has to be the worst on the planet. At the end of the day each individual is affected differently but the theme I have seen in talking to people is that people that grew up in very sunny regions (FL, CA, AZ, Denver, etc.) have a hard time. People who grew up in the north east or mid-west seem to have an easier time. If you look at stats of sunny days per year, Portland ranks right in there with OH, MI, PA, upstate NY, etc. Overall I wouldn't trade Portland's weather for weeks of below freezing weather and a little more sun for anything. I wouldn't trade it for the south east's humidity and I wouldn't trade it for SoCal's cost of living and, smog and population density but that's just me. There is no right or wrong answer, it is what it is.

[Jimrob1]

Im glad that you adjusted so well to Portland. Yes the weather is easier than long New England winters. To a point anyway, but at times the long gray wet feels worse than New England. One thing that is really different though is the general population. I have seen traits here in the population, that I have never seen in such a nonstop fashion as here. Not anywhere in America including Southeastern New England. You are correct here in Portland it is what it is.