Just Visited, and love it (Portland: neighborhoods, to live, dangerous)

[JLR29]

I Just got back from my interview and visit to Portland and I loved it. Here are some of my observations.. Obviously to be taken with a large grain of salt.

1)Based on writings from this board, I had braced myself for the homeless issue. I definitely noticed the homeless issue, but it didn't seem significantly worse than any other major city. The one thing I did notice is that the homeless were different in Portland. The homeless people seemed more able bodied and less mentally ill than in other places and many times I was asking myself 'why are you homeless?" But overall pretty benign compared to large cities on the east and west coast.

2) There is a lack of diversity, but not terribly so. Not a lot of black people, but many other races. Portland won't make you forget about NYC or San Francisco, but it was OK.

3) THere is something for most people there. There was the Pearl and Hawthorne with their trendiness, but there were plenty of areas to go if you want a sleepier existence. There were some pretty quiet neighborhoods that would be good for a family and you still had access to areas that were not. It seemed you could sample as much or as little as you wanted of either lifestyle.

4) I loved the beer!

5)Portland seemed very safe. If you became familiar with the city I feel like you could definitely learn to avoid bad areas.

6)People in Portland were nice. From stopping for you to cross the street, to helping you if you needed directions, to just the overall demeanor, everyone was so friendly.

7) There may have been a dislike of outsiders, but I didn't notice it, mostly because everyone I met was from someplace else. This is what you would expect from a cool, vibrant city. People want to move there, and new blood usually helps a city develop.

8)Overall, The vibe I got from Portland is that it is easy to live there. Weather is mild, even if overcast at times, People are easy to get along with. Traffic is manageable, and there is something for everyone. You guys have a great city. With a great city comes growing pains, but overall, it's usually worth it because stagnant cities die.

I loved my time there and the job prospects were promising for me ( I am in the health care field, so you mileage may vary.) I have to take a look at places in Madison, WI and Tampa, but I am optimistic I will be moving to Portland...I hope it lives up to my expectations from the visit.

I am interested to see what others think.....

[Élan vital]

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. Tampa? nah--too hot and humid and the hurricane threats!! oh my!

I love the Pacific NW!

Good luck in your decision.

[scottinpdx]

Great! that you liked your visit to Portland, The pacific northwest is amazing!

[Lilly12103]

Good, unbiased feedback, nice to hear =)

[Disembodied]

Sounds like you had a very positive experience. Nice to hear.

[mazurkr]

glad you had a good visit. my wife and i got all our degrees at michigan, and moved out here last year after her residency.

we love it, and haven't had any reason to regret it.

and if you liked the a2 summers, wait til you experience a portland summer!

[NeutralZone]

I just got back from my first visit to Portland yesterday, and agree with a lot of what the original poster has to say. What I really liked about Portland is that it seems to be one of the few really livable big cities in the United States. It struck me as being very old-fashioned in many ways, which I liked. I can't say I know all about the city after only 3 days there, but I came away with a good impression.

I've been following the various Portland threads here, and the only negative that was really apparent was the homeless/ street kids. All big cities have a homeless population, and I think it is more apparent in Portland because their downtown is much smaller and therefore the homeless are concentrated in a smaller area, the very area that has the most pedestrians. I didn't feel threatened by any of them, but the street kids were another issue. Again, I did not feel they were dangerous, but there were so many, many more than I have seen in other cities. At least with the homeless adults, it's obvious that mental illness/ alcoholism was a major factor, but what is up with all those kids? Either way it is sad, but to see so many so young is even sadder.

[hml1976]

We've lived in the Portland area for almost 2yrs now and LOVE it. However, I would be careful to judge the weather based on anything in August. My husband and I joke that they should only hold out of state job interviews in December or January

The rain is serious and all winter long it is dark and wet...I think its hard to get until you've experienced it but take the weather seriously, it truly affects a lot of people.

[Élan vital]

Originally Posted by hml1976

We've lived in the Portland area for almost 2yrs now and LOVE it. However, I would be careful to judge the weather based on anything in August. My husband and I joke that they should only hold out of state job interviews in December or January

The rain is serious and all winter long it is dark and wet...I think its hard to get until you've experienced it but take the weather seriously, it truly affects a lot of people.

this past winter was my first in the area. And.....of course it was the snowiest in a LONG time!! LOL
I enjoyed every second of it!!
I think taking the weather too seriously causes major problems. I don't understand the deal with people getting sick/depressed or whatever during winter; so can't offer up any sympathy. But then others don't "get" that too many sunny days get me down.

[Disembodied]

I like all the seasons. Looking forward to getting back on my snowboard this year. How are the mountains in Oregon?