Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thanks for your post sharing both pros and cons from your perspective.
I grew up in So. California and now live in Colorado. I would say both of these states meet *some* of your criteria as well. My family loves Colorado, even though we get snow here , we also enjoy as many sunny days as we had in Cal. The weather usually moves through *very* fast near the Rockies. It could be snowing in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. The saying is if you don't like the weather in Colorado wait 10 minutes.. We also get great thunderstorms in the summer in the afternoons.
The job market out here is strong overall in the major cities: Denver, Colorado Springs. I work in IT and found a job here after looking online for a couple of months.
I am conservative. But I am used to living in a fairly liberal place, Calif., where I grew up. So when I heard Colorado was more conservative I didn't quite know what to think. I would say here in Colorado Springs, a military town, it is much more conservative. But my wife's sister lives in Denver and it seems more liberal. Also the majority of state politicians are Democrats. So it is really a mixed bag. Boulder is very liberal and a beautiful location as well, right below Rocky Mountain National Park.
Personally I have learned to enjoy the beauty of the where ever I live, regardless of its political bent.
California has what some consider near perfect weather. But I got tired of the same old thing all the time. Now I am really enjoying all 4 seasons in Colorado . Plus in Calif. the cost of living/housing is *insane*! I was driven out of my home town of Hermosa Beach, because of the outrageous home costs ($800,000+).
The only thing I *really* miss while living here in Colorado is having the ability to drive to the coast on occasion. I am a beach boy at heart. But I love the mountains too. So that is why I am considering Oregon. I just don't know if I could handle all the cloudy days. And the weaker job market has me concerned since I have three children and wife to support. I make a decent wage currently and in Colorado it goes a lot further than in Calif. But if I had to take a pay cut, it might make things difficult. So for now we will stay in Colorado. But I am still considering Oregon for some time in our future. Maybe I just need to fly out to the coast more often to breath in the salt air;-P
Thanks for your post sharing both pros and cons from your perspective.
I grew up in So. California and now live in Colorado. I would say both of these states meet *some* of your criteria as well. My family loves Colorado, even though we get snow here , we also enjoy as many sunny days as we had in Cal. The weather usually moves through *very* fast near the Rockies. It could be snowing in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. The saying is if you don't like the weather in Colorado wait 10 minutes.. We also get great thunderstorms in the summer in the afternoons.
The job market out here is strong overall in the major cities: Denver, Colorado Springs. I work in IT and found a job here after looking online for a couple of months.
I am conservative. But I am used to living in a fairly liberal place, Calif., where I grew up. So when I heard Colorado was more conservative I didn't quite know what to think. I would say here in Colorado Springs, a military town, it is much more conservative. But my wife's sister lives in Denver and it seems more liberal. Also the majority of state politicians are Democrats. So it is really a mixed bag. Boulder is very liberal and a beautiful location as well, right below Rocky Mountain National Park.
Personally I have learned to enjoy the beauty of the where ever I live, regardless of its political bent.
California has what some consider near perfect weather. But I got tired of the same old thing all the time. Now I am really enjoying all 4 seasons in Colorado . Plus in Calif. the cost of living/housing is *insane*! I was driven out of my home town of Hermosa Beach, because of the outrageous home costs ($800,000+).
The only thing I *really* miss while living here in Colorado is having the ability to drive to the coast on occasion. I am a beach boy at heart. But I love the mountains too. So that is why I am considering Oregon. I just don't know if I could handle all the cloudy days. And the weaker job market has me concerned since I have three children and wife to support. I make a decent wage currently and in Colorado it goes a lot further than in Calif. But if I had to take a pay cut, it might make things difficult. So for now we will stay in Colorado. But I am still considering Oregon for some time in our future. Maybe I just need to fly out to the coast more often to breath in the salt air;-P
- Derek
Colorado as a whole is much more conservative than the west coast. Colorado Springs is home to two major military bases, the US Air Force Academy, and Focus on the Family. You don't have go guess why it was recently rated the third most conservative city in America. Metro Denver is quite conservative, too. The city and county of Denver is liberal but it is only about 1/7 the size of the entire metro area. Take away the city of Denver, leaving the vast suburban expanse, and you basically have another Colorado Springs. Boulder is the one bright blue spot in the state. It's a quaint liberal city in a sea of red. People compare it to Austin amidst Texas.
By the way, as a native Coloradan who lived in Oregon and then came back home to CO, I'd stay in Colorado. Oregon is a lot like California--just cheaper. You simply don't get better living than you do in Colorado. If you're hankering for a change try Denver or Northern Colorado. And if, like you say, you're conservative Colorado is much more your place than Oregon. CO is a lot more Christian and Republican-friendly. I always considered myself a 'moderate' in Colorado. I went to Oregon and realized I'm quite conservative in comparison.
Your journey out to the west coast and back sounds like an interesting one. You are right in that Colorado is hard to beat. Growing up on the beach I naively thought there was no life east of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). But as a young man I soon discovered the mountains (Sierras) and fell in love with them. The Rockies are truly an awesome place to raise a family and really display God's handiwork.
The S. California coastal communities were much more laid back 30 years ago. Now they are a crowded mess as well as over priced/hyped/polluted. I like that much of the Oregon coast is still under developed, dare I say even a little backward. Because there are not many jobs, over development and raping of the environment 'appears' to have been somewhat kept at bay. That is why the coast is still so beautiful IMO.
The lack of a solid economy and months of clouds concerns me much more than liberal or conservative affiliations. Although I am an admitted 'right wing Christian conservative,' I would like to be able to live among all groups/religions and political persuasions as I did in Cal.
I think Colorado can be a great place for both liberal and conservative people, unless of course you don't like to live with people who might think/vote differently than you do. But I agree that if you thrive in a liberal surrounding and mindset, it might be more than you can handle. Its really dependent on one's world view and approach that he/she has with others who are different.
Normally I don't talk politics or religion in threads of this kind because it is never really deciding factor for me. So forgive me if I offended anyone. I would really rather talk about the weather and jobs or lack there of;-D
And Yes, Oregon is a very beautiful place as well. I just can't get over how green it is there year round. All that rain has a definite positive side to it. Kind of like Kauai, the Garden Island. It is both beautiful and rains a lot too.
- Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 05-04-2007 at 12:54 PM..
Portland does not have much interesting architecture. Some, yes…but nothing like some of the other major cities out there.
Thank you for this informative post! Regarding this aspect of Portland, can you elaborate on it a little bit? I have never been to Portland, but I think I may know what you mean, however, I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this.
I'm curious if you've had any more to add, or how your views may have possibly changed since your initial post about a year-and-a-half ago.
My wife discovered this forum a year or so ago, and posted a few inquiries, as we had decided back in 2006 to move from Minneapolis to Portland.
We've now been living here for about ten months, and I just recently re-discovered this forum.
I've read through a number of threads, in which people discuss things like "liberalism vs conservatism", "hipsters", and various attitudes which some people feel are prevalent in the Portland area.
I guess I'm being deliberately slow in forming an overall opinion, because I don't want to have a knee-jerk response to every unpleasant situation that we might encounter as relative newbies.
I do feel there are a lot of very positive aspects to living here, and I've also seen a bit of the less-than-positive experience you've referred to as well.
What are you thinking about living in Portland these days?
Quote:
Originally Posted by acs.1979
Hello All. I know there are many people out there relocating or planning to relocate to Portland, Oregon, and I figured I would throw in my 2 cents in an effort to help those people out. Because I did not grow up here, but I didn't just move here yesterday, my views should be fairly well rounded.
< - s n i p - >
Pretty good list to me, I am very bothered by the homeless problem in addition. It wouldn't bug me as much if I didn't get hassled on a daily basis. Love the things I see in the natural world in and around Portland on a daily basis too though, and the cool weather is so nice.
I htink CO is pretty even keel, but I live in Boulder for 10 years, Denver 3, and Colorado Springs for 1. Don't wish to digress too much, but both have hipsters and drive me nuts.
I think the original poster described Portland very well for potential newbies. I have visited a few times recently and have family that live in Sellwood (sp?) and in the ritzy Washington Park hills area, also friends in Hollywood and the Nob Hill areas. Every time I go I absolutely fall in love with Portland and want to move there. The vibe-even with the sometimes irritating hipsters and homeless- is exactly the kind of urban, green minded progressive folks that I like to hang with. BUT- I have only visited there during beautiful sunny days in the spring and summer, and my friends bemoan the job market and other aspects of the modest size of the city. My partner and I live in a Nob Hill meets Hollywood adjoining Washington Park type area (bungalow neighborhood with a hip village vibe adjacent downtown- SOUTH PARK San Diego ) in San Diego that is very unusual for otherwise crowded and hectic Southern California. The weather here drives us both up the wall- how many freakin' perfect sunny days before you go absolutely crazy?- we love the rain and the mountains and the areas surrounding Portland are pretty magical.
That being said I don't think we could achieve what we have down here, good jobs, a sweet vintage house and great neighbors in a vibrant historic neighborhood adjacent a huge urban park and downtown. It would be a very expensive home just up from Nob Hill I guess, with great jobs and friends aplenty. Most areas of this city (nice as it is) and Southern CA I wouldn't dream of living in but there are pockets of Portland-like vibe to be had if you look. We are always keeping our eyes and mind open to moving up to your beautiful city and it is forums like this that provide a bit more realistic expectations to that potential move. The grass always looks greener doesn't it? Especially summertime in Portland!
My ideal city would be a place with lots of sun, lots of nature, clean air, decent people, a strong job market, and a reasonable cost of living. That place may not exist though. Any ideas?
San Diego, CA. (do not know about their job market right now)
Santa Barbara, CA. (do not know about their job market right now)
I think Brookings has some of the best weather in Oregon but, being a coastal town, I highly doubt it offers much for employment.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. We also get great thunderstorms in the summer in the afternoons.
