posted on August 20, 2000 12:42:45 PM new
Hey, I am moving to the NW (USA) particularly the Portland, Oregon area and was wondering what it is like to live there?
I have visited a couple of times and know that visiting and living someplace is different.
posted on August 20, 2000 02:47:18 PM new twelvepole,
The A&E channel has a Top Ten show and Portland, Oregon was included in their top 10 U.S. cities that "has it all". (I don't have details of the survey).
They gave statistics for each city, but I didn't pay attention to Portland.
I do know there was no mention of a Sasquatch aka "Bigfoot" in the PR, though. .
Spaz,
Loved Twin Peaks!!
P.S. Burlington, VT was the No. 1 city; Chapel Hill, NC was No. 2.
posted on August 20, 2000 02:54:45 PM new
Hey twelve...I hear Oregon is beautiful! Drove through it once on the way to Canada...what I saw was very nice. (Im in the central California coast area...hear its similar to our coastline with lots of pine trees as a backdrop along the coast). Portland is inland, isnt it?
posted on August 20, 2000 03:07:58 PM new
Nope never seen Twin Peaks or Sasquatch...
Yeah Maui, Portland is inland from the ocean, if I remember right it's about an hour or so to the ocean.
[ edited by twelvepole on Aug 20, 2000 05:08 PM ]
posted on August 20, 2000 03:27:53 PM new
If you're going to be in the city of Portland get a concealed carry permit, first thing. Then get rain gear for everyone, top quality.
posted on August 20, 2000 04:31:04 PM new
Bend, Oregon, was recently listed as one of the best retirement areas so I've been checking it out on the net. Quite a bit further inland than Portland but sounds reasonably nice. Moderate rainfall and low humidity. If anyone has spent any time in that area, I would be interested in any information, especially anything relating to the incidence of sinus/allergy problems.
posted on August 20, 2000 04:43:05 PM new
Lemme' put it this way, Dan: I've spent quite a bit of time in coastal and inland Oregon, both of my ex-wives are Ore-GONE there, and I call it the "The Land of Runny Noses".
posted on August 20, 2000 05:10:27 PM new
Concealed carry permit? I didn't think it was that dangerous living there, most people I met seemed pretty nice.
I had heard it rains a bit there, so good rain gear...eh.
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on August 20, 2000 05:24:48 PM new
I read in my local newspaper that the area I live in is considered in the top 10 places to live. Yes, its gorgeous here (KRS...been to San Luis Obispo?)...but you have to compete with jobs with the college students, since its a college town. I dont live in SLO Town (what we call it)..but close enough to be thankful that I have this job as property manager...rents are HIGH here.
posted on August 20, 2000 08:39:30 PM new
My brother in law lives in Eugene, which is a couple hours drive from Portland. It still has that "small town mentality" even though it's not such a small town. Used to be popular with the deadheads and potgrowers. There's a great town street faire every year, in September, I think. The don't have a state sales tax. Do you fish Twelvepole? The fishing is terrific. Oregon is very pretty and very green, but that because it rains often. I've never seen one, but yes, I've also heard they have sasquatch, at least people there are always finding big footprints. Don't think I'd like that much.
posted on August 20, 2000 09:09:48 PM new
Twelvepole I am 170 miles north of Portland. Personally I hate Portland proper but love Oregon.I do hope you really like rain as you will have it about 70% of the time and that is in a good year! Drizzle,drizzle,drizzle. Many find it depressing. I like it.If you like to read you might like it too.Hiking is excellent as well as the fishing if you are into the outdoor thing.The beaches are the best! Yachats is my favorite place in the world.
Antiquary, It is true. Everyone here has a kleenex ready at all times. My sister moved to Texas to get away from her allergy symptoms.
KatyD, I have never seen Sasquatch either. I hear you can smell them before you actually see them! YUCK!I have seen a LOT of giant footprints around. [my husband wears sz 14's so that could account for it!]
posted on August 20, 2000 09:54:54 PM new
Rawbunzel, if your sister went to Texas to escape the allergies, they must be severe in Oregon. My brother from San Angelo, Texas, was here recently complaining about the sinus problems there the last few years; in fact, his wife didn't accompany him because she had a serious sinus infection. I guess nowhere is really exempt anymore, but allergy problems are very common here and often severe. Surely there's a location with moderate climate and a tolerable allergic reaction to it somewhere out there.
posted on August 20, 2000 10:01:00 PM new
Antiquary, Washington is where we are.Sister that moved to Texas to escape did discover that her allergies are still there. Different,but there! They were worse here though. I think it is all the mold and mildew.She lived in New Mexico for awhile and said they were gone there. The high desert does it! I have considered moving to NM myself.Would love to live life kleenex free!
So good to see you! Seems none of us have been here much lately!
posted on August 20, 2000 10:16:40 PM new
Rawbunzel, yes, it is nice to chat. I think we've all been busy with RL things.
Unfortunately, we explored the high desert some this summer, haven't been there for several years, and the pollen wasn't favorable, especially for my wife. Even noticed reactions in Vegas this time, but worse in New Mexico and Arizona. Maybe its connected to aging--everything else seems to be.
posted on August 20, 2000 10:24:58 PM new
Antiquary, It would seem that if allergies are still trouble in AZ and NM then you are stuck with them! Too bad!On the bright side, you can live wherever you want to and it won't matter!
Yes, RL has been too busy. I have never had such a busy time in recent memory. I come here to relax and find I am too tired to make my point or just to make sense so have found it better to read and not post much.Hope things slow down soon so I can get in here and participate a bit more.
[ edited by Rawbunzel on Aug 20, 2000 10:26 PM ]
posted on August 20, 2000 10:34:43 PM new
Well, you're probably right, Rawbunzel, but we'll keep exploring possibilities; you never know. Hope to see you here more often soon.
[ edited by Antiquary on Aug 20, 2000 10:36 PM ]
posted on August 20, 2000 10:43:28 PM new
krs, For snivelling one doesn't need to leave AW.To explore sniffling[sp] it is best to travel.
Antiquary, You could try Eastern Washington. It is completely different over the Cascade Mountains. Much more desert like and drier. Totally different climate than on this side of the mountains.Of course, they do have rattlesnakes and scorpions!!
Good night to you! Going to bed I think. I am really tired and probably incoherent again!
posted on August 20, 2000 10:43:49 PM new
But if I had only stayed at home, krs, then I would have been reduced to only commenting on other peoples' vacations. And you can imagine how dull that would be!
LOL....Prior to seeing the Top Ten list, I had a conversation with someone who has
lived in many cities all over the U.S.
One of those cities was Portland and she hated it! According to her, wet and depressing. But, Los Angeles is her home, so chances are, anywhere else, in comparison, might be depressing.
I just didn't have the heart to tell the "rest of the story" to twelvepole.
posted on August 21, 2000 06:20:38 AM new
Are you boring your nieghbors with slides, Antiquary?
Careful about eastern Washington. While it's true that the middle of the state will make you feel to home with scrubbrush, snakes, and a nuclear waste dump, the eastern section of the state below Spokane has wheat as far as you can see, and that means pollen and that means snivelling.
posted on August 21, 2000 07:34:26 AM newRobin! I haven't see you in ages! Size 14 shoes, eh? Well, if your hubby doesn't smell bad, he can't be responsible for the rash of sasquatch sightings lately, right? Oh, and I think they are known to howl too...your husband doesn't howl does he?
posted on August 21, 2000 09:01:25 AM new
If you are trying to move do not try NM to escape allergies. Ive been in SW for many years and they are still bad. Oregon is pretty my family is there and I love to visit.
posted on August 21, 2000 09:37:26 AM new
I lived in Portland for about 12 years after having escaped Los Angeles (well, actually it was Inglewood, home of the dreaded airport and a fave hangout of Crips, etc.).
Portland was great at first, until we got too many drive-by shootings and skinheads. Having grown up all around that, I opted to move to the sticks rather than subject my kids to not being able to play outdoors safely. Yeah, there are safe neighborhoods there, just not any I could afford to live in.
I am still in Oregon, but a bit SW of Portland (which is fast encroaching, dammit). Yep, no sales tax here...major plus. Yep, it rains a "bit"..about 35 inches a year in Portland, more at the coast (where my mom lives it's 95 freaking inches a year - I swear they only have two dry months).
I forget who asked, but the coast is a bit over an hour as the crow flies from Portland. Not how most of us get there though, so add some significant time to that. The traffic to the coast on the two major highways is awful. Well, really the traffic here is bad now everywhere. I can walk through my town faster than I can drive through it at rush hour and all weekends - all those folks trying to get to the coast.
Oregon is really more like two states anyway. The Cascades kinda form a dividing line...lotsa rain on the western side, more dry on the eastern side...with cowboys and the whole nine yards. Hotter than hell in Eastern Oregon in the summer, although it's been pretty hot on the wet side the last few summers.
Antiquary, I think Bend has a different climate altogether, because it really has taken off as a retirement spot. Worth checking into - I dunno that much about it. People are moving there in droves, and I do know that the state spent serious bucks fixing the roads there.
As far as I can figure, there is no perfect place to live; and even if there were, everyone would move there and ruin it anyway.
Sigh.
.
