Northwest Portland

[puerco]

You said a mouthful, Phil. And having only lived on the East Coast in NYC I can't speak to life in the other EC cities. I'm grateful that my parents lived in Irvington and sent me to Central Catholic HS where I got a great college prep education. I've lived in Seattle, SF, LA (UGH!) and SD County in a beach town. So I'm definitely a West Coast person. My favorite cities are SF, Vancouver and Portland in that order. I love dense urban environments where I don't need to own a car and can walk just about everywhere. So suburbs just hold no appeal whatsoever for me. We had a yard in Irvington, btw.

[Nell Plotts]

My parents moved to NW Portland in about 1945. I lived in NW for a total of, oh, about 45 years (interruptions for NYC and Bainbridge Island). Currently living in the latter community, we intend to move 'home' once the house sells.

NW Portland stretches a bit beyond Linnton and could be said to include Goose Hollow culturally. Effectively the west border is the crest of the West Hills. We have taken pride in economic diversity but with the development of the Pearl it isn't as diverse in that aspect as it once was. The neighborhood residents have always valued education. This was the home of John Reed of Reds fame. Many home owners have lived in the area for generations.

Public transit to Linnton isn't frequent and the hillside communities are primarily served during commute hours (the kids often walk down the hill and thumb a ride up from friends).

Except for Linnton rents aren't cheap on a square footage basis, parking is competitive. If you don't require a car the cost of living calculation can be reasonable.

Crime wise, car prowls are not unusual. Thieves expect good picking. Common sense should be exercised everywhere. It is not unusual for homeless to come to neighborhood meetings to talk about folks they worry about, they are treated with respect as they too are members of the community. The Police aren't thrilled but then they have a lot to worry about.

Hillside neighborhood is technically NW but most folks don't have those homes in mind when they say "NW Portland".

The neighborhood newspaper is the Willamette Week, you can find it online.

[Danny_CPhT/EMT]

Originally Posted by sayulita

No. What folks are saying is that Rock Creek IS out in the suburbs and quite a ways from the Pearl and downtown. You could get around on Max but I'm not sure how close it gets to that particular Rock Creek apartment. The property on Everett is much closer in and more what you're looking for. See if you can get a map that shows scale. That way you'd see that The Pearl and Rock Creek are about 10 miles (give or take) apart. Even Sylvan is is about 4 miles away.

Ok, I think I'm getting it now thanks, I think I'm going to do the HGTV House Hunting thing and check out these places when I'm there Nob Hill, Rock Creek, Linnton, and Sylvan. Thanks guys for all your help I like this forum even more every time I log on you guys are so helpful

Oh and I was thinking...are there any places close to Pearl District that aren't as expensive? That seems to be such a nice place but I know I can't afford it so I was wondering if there were any places close by you know. Are any of the places I mentioned close? Suggestions are always welcome

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by Danny_CPhT/EMT

...Oh and I was thinking...are there any places close to Pearl District that aren't as expensive? That seems to be such a nice place but I know I can't afford it so I was wondering if there were any places close by you know. Are any of the places I mentioned close? Suggestions are always welcome

This is one of those things you have to see and experience for yourself to understand. Due west from downtown and the Pearl district is the side of a hill, with lots of very expensive homes facing East for a spectacular view. On a clear day, the view of the volcano Mt. Hood is just plain overwhelming. (Mt Hood is sister volcano to Mt. St. Helen and Mt Olympus up near Seattle.) I read somewhere Mt Hood volcano should erupt somewhere like 200 years to 300 years from now. BTW: Portland area is in something called the Boring Lava Field with several ancient volcanoes from millions and millions of years ago. Mt. Tabor on the East side of town is one of something like 15 or so very ancient lava vents from back then.

It is all about supply and demand for apartments, condos, and houses. The more desirable the location, for whatever reason, the higher the cost of housing. As one would expect. There are other factors, of course, but the Pearl right now has a mildly overblown reputation and thus inflated housing costs. And don't forget, the hipster Hot Spot scene could shift over to the NE side of town quickly due to the young artist communities reported to be growing in the Alberta area. Time will tell.

Don't become obsessive over this. It is just a place to live for a while. Your child and your job(s) could change your housing priorities a few years down the road anyway.

[philwithbeard]

Opps.... Major Mistake on my part...

It should have been:
Mt Hood, Mt St. Helens (with an 's') and Mt Rainier near Seattle.
(Mt Olympus is known for it's glacier, not for being an active volcano like Mr Rainier is.)

[Danny_CPhT/EMT]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

This is one of those things you have to see and experience for yourself to understand. Due west from downtown and the Pearl district is the side of a hill, with lots of very expensive homes facing East for a spectacular view. On a clear day, the view of the volcano Mt. Hood is just plain overwhelming. (Mt Hood is sister volcano to Mt. St. Helen and Mt Olympus up near Seattle.) I read somewhere Mt Hood volcano should erupt somewhere like 200 years to 300 years from now. BTW: Portland area is in something called the Boring Lava Field with several ancient volcanoes from millions and millions of years ago. Mt. Tabor on the East side of town is one of something like 15 or so very ancient lava vents from back then.

It is all about supply and demand for apartments, condos, and houses. The more desirable the location, for whatever reason, the higher the cost of housing. As one would expect. There are other factors, of course, but the Pearl right now has a mildly overblown reputation and thus inflated housing costs. And don't forget, the hipster Hot Spot scene could shift over to the NE side of town quickly due to the young artist communities reported to be growing in the Alberta area. Time will tell.

Don't become obsessive over this. It is just a place to live for a while. Your child and your job(s) could change your housing priorities a few years down the road anyway.

Yeah, you're right, you make an excellent point, I'm just trying to do the best I can right now you know, trying to find a nice place

[CluuryMcFluury]

Originally Posted by figmalt

When I first moved out of the house at 18, my sister (then 24) and I decided to rent an apartment together (both of us were employed full time in decent jobs). We took our mom along as the voice of reason and wisdom. One of the apartments we looked at was at Rock Creek 185th. The leasing agent was a complete a**hole. He was extremely condescending, and at one point in describing their recycling program asked, "Your mother did teach you girls how to recycle, didn't she?" Like we were kindergartners or something. Suffice it to say, we decided not to rent there.

I seriously doubt that guy is still there, but my feelings about the place have been sour ever since. Perhaps it is because of that kind of customer service that they are now practically giving their apartments away. Oh, that and it's right next door to the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Station, so you constantly have fire engine noise. Oh yeah, and highway noise. Not to mention Westview High School is right up the street so you have high school noise and traffic congestion. But don't worry, at least they know how to recycle.

In reality, I never lived there and I'm obviously biased. Look at this site for first hand experience:
[url=http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/OR-Portland-Rock-Creek-185.html]Rock Creek 185 Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Portland apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com[/url]

So weird, I moved out of my mother's house into a small studio when I was 18 with my 24 year old sister, we both worked full time and brought my mother along to help us with the process.... just had to say. Really freaking weird. But the people that work there are a**holes but is a GREAT area.