Portland, Oregon

Alphafox84
Living in Portland
1y ago
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Oregon is a beautiful state. You can rent a cabin 45 minutes away and feel like you are in the wilderness (because you are!). Tons of hiking, waterfalls, kayaking/paddling, fishing, the coast has beach towns you can visit in a day trip. I don’t go downtown much so I can’t comment there (but there are likely plenty of people on this sub who have lots of great experiences). I personally like this area for outdoor activities in the summer.

The winters are rainy and pretty grim IMO. Though lots of people say Skiing at mount hood is fantastic. It’s a good idea to schedule a warm getaway during this season if you can

Bretmd
Living in Portland
9mo ago
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People in the northwest tend to enjoy being outside, including during the winter. It’s not about not GAF. It’s about enjoying the trees, forests, water, and mountains regardless of the season. The gray winters are quite beautiful within themselves. And the climate is lovely in its moderation. There’s nowhere else quite like it.

It’s not for everyone, though. But for those of us that love it, there’s no better place to be, winter or summer.

Finding affordable housing is hard, but if you're in California it won't feel that way.

Drivers are amazingly bad in a confusingly over friendly way. They'll stop in the middle of a multi-lane boulevard to let people cross, even though there's no need and its obviously not safe.

There's a LOT of homeless folk at this point in Portland. The city refuses to prosecute anything but the most violent crimes, heroin is pretty cheap and the laws are really forgiving. It also only gets below freezing occasionally so it's a lot more appealing than many towns in the midwest.

Schools aren't great. The better ones tend to be in the suburbs on the west side, which don't feel particularly "portland-y"

Traffic has gotten really bad, and it will only get worse. Public transport is basically bus. There's a light rail but it doesn't have that much coverage. By in large buses don't have their own lanes, so they're just as slow as being in a car. There's some talk of more bus only lanes which might make them more appealing. In the last 5 years I've seen commutes that used to take me 10 minutes turn into an easy 40 minutes.

On the plus side? In broad generalities….
Amazing food and beer are reasonable prices.
Great outdoor activities. 2 hours to snow, 2 hours to ocean. 1 hour to some of the best hikes in the States.
Being surrounded by people who often don't only care about making more money than their neighbors.
Very progressive kids. My children go to school with any number of "they's" and one kid who self identifies as a cheese burger. Bullying isn't a thing the same way as it was/is in the mid-west.
Weed is legal and cheap. There's more dispensaries than coffee shops at this point.

van_achin
Living in Portland
9mo ago
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The food and entertainment are both top-notch. Overall, the city is as safe as, if not safer than, any other major city in the US, but there is a lot of visible homelessness especially downtown. There are several hospitals and a major medical school (OHSU) in the area. People are generally friendly in my experience, especially compared to Seattle. And being located between mountains and ocean, there is no shortage of outdoor activities and beautiful scenery in the area if you're into that

Portland will be cheaper than coastal California, but not by much. Jobs that pay a comfortable wage/salary for the area can be difficult to come by, especially if you're not in tech. If you're a POC, racism and segregation are still very much a problem in Portland. And while the temperatures are mild year round, it is gray, wet, and dreary for 6-9 months a year. Summers are incredible though.

hiyokos
Living in Portland
9mo ago
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Wow! I lived in Portland and had to move back to the central coast for reasons. Let's just say I really miss oregon!

Yes there's a homeless problem but honestly certain areas feel totally safe. Consider surrounding towns like Beaverton or Hillsboro. The Healthcare was so much better for us there, it's a much bigger area so there's more options for doctors. I'm not big on eating out or nightlife but I always had no problem finding something to do.

Lastly, so much cheaper than California! Still pricey because it's the west coast but I had no problem finding apartments in budget unlike here.

You must be able to put up with nine months of grey and drizzle. It's not always rain but just a constant cloud of grey everywhere. I personally love it and miss but it can get to you.

TOP 5 PROS and CONS of Living in Portland Oregon