Yelp! Small town Iowa looking to move to Portland area (Eugene: rentals, crime rate)

[BlsdMama]

And I'm COMPLETELY overwhelmed. We're from a town of, oh, about 5,000 people. DH is in Oregon as we speak, job interview.

We're a family of ten (DH & I and 8 kiddos - 0-13) and I'm wondering if there is any "small town" living within or around or within an hour commute?

I'm a little apprehensive of living in a huge city... Crime here is someone taking farm equipment... The occasional dognapping, kwim?

Thoughts, links, ideas... Would love to hear it all.

[BlsdMama]

I should probably be a bit more specific, hm?

We'd be moving there with DH's current company, so finding a job is a non-issue.

As far as what we enjoy? Here it's living out of town. We live on an acreage (rent) in a little 3bdrm farmhouse with chickens, a dog, the works. We've even milked dairy goats. We also homeschool and I'm thinking there MUST be more homeschoolers in OR than IA.

We're considered "crunchy" around here, but my guess is we wouldn't qualify for Oregon, lol.

We peeked at rentals on Craigslist and were VERY pleasantly surprised at the rental $$. Our budget would be around $1500 per month and it looks like that would be doable there, plus wow, not near the heating bill we have here.

Does rural living EXIST within an hour of Portland?

Our hobbies are herbs, camping, and just generally living outdoors which is why we considered applying to move there in the first place. We'd love to live near the ocean (lived in SoCal for four years) again, but we just don't know what to expect. I thought I knew what we were looking at........ BUT when I saw Portland had a population of 500,000+ I had a heart attack.

[philwithbeard]

Hi:

1st of all, Portland is not that Huge of a city. Yes, largest in the State of Oregon, but not that huge on a scale that includes Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, yada, yada, yada.

2nd, please--Google map Portland, OR, and then use the "Terrain" button on the Map. Zoom out so you can see I-5 from Portland to Salem, OR. You will notice the natural valley running all the way down to Eugene, OR. Now go north, into the State of Washington, along the same valley and I-5 north of the City of Vancouver, WA. Many small towns that fit you bill will be along I-5. However, be aware rush hour commuting along I-5 into Portland is no JOY! Seriously, not fun.

Aside: Employment might be West of Portland, in which case you might want to look along highway US-26. I have not traveled US-26 during rush hour, but I cannot imagine it any fun either.

3rd - Know where the job is, and then look for a place. Portland is, comparatively, safe to other cities of similar size. But is it still is a city. Portland has invested a lot in it's mass transit system, and much less in roads and car access to downtown. This is by plan. Object is to be able to live with one car, and use lots less gas for your family car. Lower carbon footprint.

4th- Be sure you understand the winter rainny season with long, long days on end of gray skies and drizzle rain. Oregon's gray skies are not to be ignored.

5th- You might be shocked by the higher food prices in Portland. Just a warning.

6th - Just be sure you have a firm job offer before you move. High unemployment, as everywhere else, but wages in Portland are lower. I repeat, know where the job is, and then start looking for a place. If you decide you would like to know more about Portland city itself, post back. Lots of links on Portland neighborhoods.

Phil

[Metlakatla]

I think you might want to look into Canby.


http://www.oregon.com/willamette_valley_cities/canby

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by BlsdMama

....We're considered "crunchy" around here, but my guess is we wouldn't qualify for Oregon....

"Crunchy" ????
What's that???
Urban Dictionary claims it refers to granola eaters.
Last I heard, granola was SO Last century.
But who knows, may be I hang out with the wrong crowd.

Phil

[figmalt]

The urban growth boundaries in the Portland area ensure that you don't have to go too far to run into more rural areas. Depending on where the job is, western Washington county could work for you (e.g. North Plains, Banks, Helvetia) or even into parts of Columbia County (e.g. Scappoose, St. Helens).

[BLAZER PROPHET]

If your husband will be working on the west side of town, I suggest Vernonia. A true small town in every way and easy commute. If he's working east side, I suggest any of numerous small communities north of Vancouver, WA. All excellent places to live.

[hml1976]

If he's on the East Side I would suggest Battle Ground, Brush Prairie, Hockinson (excellent schools), Ridgefield. All are north of Vancouver, WA and all have a large number of people with large families and lots of land. Best!

[sorrow503]

portland is a drug infested city.ive lived here my whole life.its beautiful at times,ugly most times.if you have alot of money,move here.if not stay away.dont believe all the hype about this city.it will slowly kill you.

[Todd.LA]

Portland has much a much lower crime rate than the large midwestern cities, so it shouldn't be much of an issue for you. Property crime in the central city can be a problem, but violent crime rates are relatively low.