Older Gay Couple Relocating To South Washington and Want To Be Friends With Our Neighbors (Vancouver: best neighborhoods, real estate)

[MHGB]

We are a gay couple. I am almost 50 and my partner is just over 60. So, we are not interested in the bar scene or other such types of interaction.
We want suggestions for where you think we should look in to buying (or avoid buying) a home. We want to live where we would feel comfortable/accepted (and not make our neighbors uncomfortable). We want to be close to the Portland boarder (But, we want to live only on the Washington side). We have visited in the general area of Orchards, Vancouver, Minnehaha, Camas, ETC. areas and like it there.
Since we are purchasing, acceptance and compatibility are extremely important to us. Having other gay neighbors would be a bonus (but, not a requirement). My question is:
What neighborhoods/areas would you suggest to be the best fit for our needs without taking us too far from the Portland boarder?
Thank you for your time and responses.
Respectfully,
Michel

[sll3454]

Your thread title caught my eye, but I was surprised that you are about the same ages as DH and I. Middle-aged, not "older"!

I'm not in the southern part of the state so can't help you with that, but there are no guarantees anywhere. What people think of your relationship really won't always determine how they act toward you as neighbors or whether or not you will become friends.

[Rob Allen]

This website can help: GayVancouverWA

[MHGB]

NewYooper,
True. I've just had some really frighting living situations due to neighbors with prejudices. I don't want to fight to live in a house where I'm not wanted. So, I'm just trying to do some due-diligence and research before this move.

SII3454,
I meant no offense to any age group. It's just my own terminology for myself. People think I'm much younger than I am. So, I like calling myself "Older".

Rob Allen,
That is a very good article (although the realtor dodges the question of where the best neighborhoods are for gays). It outlines lots of important information. It also tells how long of a commute it can be to Portland.

Thank you for all of the feedback.

[hml1976]

I live in Camas and no one in my neighborhood would give a hoot and we'd be happy to have more social neighbors

That said most of the gay couples we know are women with kids. Now that's probably because I have school age kids.

There are probably some people who wouldn't be super welcoming but they aren't super welcoming to anyone. Remember a lot of Camas and east Vancouver moved here from LA and San Francisco, so having gay neighbors isn't a new thing.

[j_k_k]

Short version: if you're two guys living together, anyone with five brain cells is going to figure out what the deal is, but it's Washington. How you live your lives is your business. How you treat your neighbors is what most people will go by. Especially in larger cities, a lot of people in Washington never get to know their neighbors at all, and it can take time, but it's typically very rewarding and positive when one takes that time. It's not like some states, where you're an outsider for the first century or two your family lives there, and where the first question is (by Washington standards, quite rude): "So what church do you go to?"

If they're smart, they'll jump for joy, because the stereotype says that you will probably maintain your property immaculately, which will be positive for their own property values. Considering how overpriced real estate is in the whole Portland/Vancouver metro area, that's serious business. "I wish those gay guys would clean up that dump of a property and get rid of those old tires," said no one ever. Obviously, stereotypes of all kinds often prove ill-founded, but they generally originate from at least a grain of reality, and they aren't always adverse.

[MHGB]

Thank you, everybody. This is helpful information.
It sounds like Camas or East Vancouver are good choices. Also, there is an area called Orchards that sounds good too.

[hml1976]

Originally Posted by MHGB

Thank you, everybody. This is helpful information.
It sounds like Camas or East Vancouver are good choices. Also, there is an area called Orchards that sounds good too.

Choose carefully in Orchards, it's a little spotty.

[MHGB]

hml1976, are there any boundaries you can suggest I not cross in Orchards? Any info is truly appreciated as I hope this next house is the last move I make in this life.

[MHGB]

Thanks, MelissaN. I'm going to look it over now. What a great surprise.