PDX?

Some of you know that I kinda hate living in LA so, recently, we've been researching different cities to consider that have a good portion of what we're looking for, the climate we're looking for, and cost of living level we can deal with and enjoy. There were a few places we were looking, including Asheville, NC if that helps describe the vibe we're going for. And then all of a sudden, as if by magic, we started looking at Portland, OR and it seems to have much of what we're looking for.

Of course, we need to make a few visits to the cities/towns we're looking at, but Portland is relatively close enough that we could make a trip up to check it out in the next 2 months. I'd like to get close to Asheville to visit too, since its that kinda city and small town at the same time vibe.

Here's some things we've heard about, though, that are concerns for us and I was wondering if anyone here got to live in PDX for a spell, is from there, knows someone really close who lives there, yadda yadda, so we could get some real answers to these questions.

1. It's tough to find work
2. There are 222 days of cloudy skies--is that really a problem?
3. Openness and acceptance of diversity (We have no word on that but on looking at racial dempgraphics, it doesn't seem to be that racially diverse. Now, that's not a problem for me. I just don't know if it's an environment where it will be a *live and let live* kinda atmosphere. I mean, if we like it enough, we'll settle in. And if we do the whole settle down thing and have a family, that's a concern for me that our kids won't have to go through too much stupid shit, feel me?)

With those few exceptions which definitely deserve looking over, there are so many awesome things about Portland that I wish we were on a month to month lease so we could be there yesterday. Proximity to nature (1.5hrs to mtns or beach in either direction) is awesome. There are 4 distinct seasons, which has become really important to us. Progressive city in terms of politics (yes we're both pretty progressive so it seems like a good fit for us). Its a green city. Lots of aesthetic culture. Pedestrian and cyclist friendly. Amazing cost of living (we have the benefit of moving from LA so everything is cheaper to us LOL). West Coast city.

Yeah we have to visit but we even read the whole "Things that Suck About Portland" blog and all of it seems tolerable or preferred to us. But yeah....we haven't been there yet.

So what gives? PDX cats, holla at me!

this pleases me.

I grew up in Eugene, 2 hours south of Portland. Portland's not bad, I highly doubt you have any major issues with racism or acceptance. There's loonies there just like everywhere, but on the other hand, pretty much most of Western Oregon are a bunch of folks who want to be seen as "culturally progressive"...

Weed's great, weather sucks(although summers are usually very nice), their music scene seems to have improved exponentially over the last few years, and they have Powell's, the greatest bookstore in existance.

Yep that's mostly what I wanted to hear about the race thing. The thing is, I don't really care about being in a superdiverse area as long as the area I'm in doesn't care what I am. Everything seems superchill.

Weather sucks? So that's not bsing then. There are a lot more cloudy days than most places. Hrm.... I mean, honestly, thats something we have to think about. Does it suck because of the clouds or because of the rain or what? I guess I'm trying to figure out if the way it sucks is something we can deal with. Like...case in point, for the last 10 years of my life, I've lived somewhere that was supposed to be ideal weather conditions. And if I have to go through too many more sunny, 80-90 degree winters, I'll scream.

Thanks for your help!

think of LA winter with more steady rain for three quarters of the year. i love visiting portland but i would have gone nut's living there.

if you want good weather, good people, and good jobs move to austin. it's the second fastest growing economy in the country right behind san antonio and it's the live music capitol of the world.

Steve's assessment of the weather's pretty accurate, but yeah, late spring/summer...it's really nice

I grew up in Portland.. havent lived there for 9 years, but yes.. it rains for 9 months and is paradise for 3.

my favorite things:
1. All the trees and parks
2. All the moss that grows on all the trees
3. All the coffee .. really really good coffee
4. Burnside!!
5. Maplebar Donuts
6. Music / Bar Culture Rocks!
7. 45 mins in either direction - Mt. Hood or Beach
8. Best public transportation in the US

My least favorite things:
1. Summer only lasts 3 months.
2. A lot of uber-rich and "better than everyone else" LA transplants (true story and no offence) drove up the cost of living 300% in a few years.. a lot of the middle-class people who made that town great had to move out to make room for the uppies.
3. I dont live there anymore, therefore it will NEVER be as cool as it was.


Re: Job Market: Mybrother was laid off from Adidas (nice exec. job in the skateboarding dept) and is now considering moving to Bean-town for work. If you have a job lined up, your good... If you dont, it's hard to find one, but you will if you want to

yeah we're definitely listening to you guys. The weather thing we're going to have to investigate for sure because it would be nice to have a good balance of non-rain and rain. And guerilla, we read that about the LA transplants in that "Things I Hate About Portland" blog, lol, but we don't take offense because we're not from LA. Kiddles has been here for about 6 years but I haven't even been here a full year yet. We wanna leave because we don't fit in here, so in that sense, I think it'd be a step up.

The music scene seems to be really awesome and all that nature is really attractive. The coffee part looks great and all the microbreweries for kiddles. But.....we have been warned repeatedly about the job market there. That's kinda scary. I can travel and relocate and keep my job, no problem. But he'd have to find one there, which makes it a bit more important.

We don't want to move to Texas. So, as cool as Austin is, its just not where we wanna be. We're looking for a city that has a city feel but also has a smaller town vibe, preferrably in the northern half of the country, that isn't too expensive, pretty liberal, close to mountains and coast/lake, with lots of music and art. Like....er....a community established by mature hippies, if that helps and makes sense. I'd really appreciate a holistic/spiritual/new age quotient but I'll settle for culturally open and diverse.

I really like Asheville, NC but I didn't want to move to the South. However, everything I wanted in Portland is pretty much also in Asheville, including one of the closest friends I have. But we'll see....

Thanks for all the help, you guys, and wish us luck in our search. We basically have 4-6 months to figure out where we'd rather be but we know one thing: We have to get the hell out of LA.

hahahahahahaha

IMHO, Portland is the best place to live if you're into that whole progress/evolution thing.. and can afford it.

When they say it rains for 9 months, what they are REALLY saying is "it rains for 9 FUCKING months" ... Do not underestimate the rain the in the Pacific NW. Sure, there are a few hours between showers, and even a day or two brake every so often, but then there are months where its always soaked... big fat wet drops with brakes of little misty drench everything... Pant legs wet from the foot to the knee... they get kinda crusty by the end of the day if youre on foot-patrol... thankfully the bus runs every 7 minutes and most of the bus shelters are actually shelters. The temperature doesnt get too bad.. talking upper 40's on avg. Maybe a week or so in the 20's-30's, but that's rare. I <3 and Miss the rain so damn much it's not even funny. I think I owned an umbrella a collective 4 years, and they were always busted up and only kinda worked.

Have you considered Ithica NY? Upstate New York is a secret to most... a blessing to others. Also VT rocks, but it's cooooooooold and hella taxed.

bellybelle wrote:

The music scene seems to be really awesome and all that nature is really attractive.
We're looking for a city that has a city feel but also has a smaller town vibe, that isn't too expensive, pretty liberal, close to lake, with lots of music and art. Like....er....a community established by mature hippies, if that helps and makes sense. I'd really appreciate a holistic/spiritual/new age quotient but I'll settle for culturally open and diverse.

that actually describes austin pretty exactly.

Neppi wrote:

bellybelle wrote:

The music scene seems to be really awesome and all that nature is really attractive.
We're looking for a city that has a city feel but also has a smaller town vibe, that isn't too expensive, pretty liberal, close to lake, with lots of music and art. Like....er....a community established by mature hippies, if that helps and makes sense. I'd really appreciate a holistic/spiritual/new age quotient but I'll settle for culturally open and diverse.

that actually describes austin pretty exactly.

except that since its in Texas, that would cut out the whole pine + snow + mountains part After living in FL for the last 8 yrs and LA for the last one, I finally figured out just how important that is to me. Gosh I miss it so much.

When I took the online tests for where I should be based on what I want, usually its in the Northeast, which makes a lot of sense. Lots of suggestions for Hartford, CT; Worcester, MA; Burlington, VT. The only ones that aren't in the NE are the cities in Oregon and some in Wisconsin. Almost all of kiddles results are places in OR, with the occasional New England city and a few in Wisco.

I know Texas has strong weather fluctuations but I think for the Northerner in me and for the Northerner in kiddles, up is way more attractive than a lateral move or further south. Austin is lovely, I don't deny it. We wish we'd had more time there. But that being said...we miss snow. Desperately.

Sorry Texas bredren. ATX is defo cool but just not where we're lookin.

in LA you are 45 minutes from snow starting thanksgiving. granted mt baldy isnt the best but it's close and if you want something a little better big bear is two hours away.