--Statement such as these might fuel resentment but as for being a total out-of-towner, I have never personally met anyone that is not kind and friendly here in Portland.---

Oh, I've no doubt that we all are kind and friendly. But that doesn't discount the first part of my statement. I don't know why y'all think it fuels the fire? I'm sorry if anyone is offended.

That there is a general resentment directed towards a large, unseen group of people has no bearing whatsoever on individuals we all meet. I don't have a problem with anyone who wants to move here. If I hadn't been lucky enough to have been born here ... I would want to move here, too. It's a fabulous place.

I was simply trying to point out what might be behind some people's motivations.

As for the original question -- being a Portlander, I have to agree with the last few remarks. The only other place I've ever considered living is Ashland, but its remoteness kept me away. Portland really is ideally situated. It's small enough to not be overwhelming, but large enough it can keep me entertained forever--pretty much anything you could want to do is a short drive away.

Of course, a place at the beach goes along with that very nicely!

Ah, but remote from what? Big city problems like traffic and crime? For day to day living, the lack of stress, the sunny weather and beautiful scenery, coupled with sophisticated dining and entertainment
means we almost never want.
Portland and SF are 6 hours away, but the longer we live in Southern Oregon, the less we venture to those big cities. Mostly things on the order of magnitude of U2 and Stones concerts,
and we chose to do neither of them this fall.
the ocean's only 2 hours from us, so it's close enough for day trips. Don't get me wrong, I love Portland, but it's work finding happiness in congested areas.
My .02

Oh, sure. I get you. Different strokes and all. Like I said, it's my second favorite place. It just wasn't for me. 6 hours (in my book) is remote. You know, if Amtrak actually went through Ashland, I'd feel a lot better about it. To be able to jump on the train to go north or south would be great. 'Cause that 6-hour trip goes both ways, and becomes 12-hours.

I wish the train came through too. The Double
Deck cars that Amtrak uses on routes west of the Mississippi won't fit in our turn of the (last) century tunnels between Ashland and Black Butte/ Mt. Shasta, where the Coast Starlight comes in.

LOL I don't know why y'all think it fuels the fire? I'm sorry if anyone is offended.
With a screen name like Enrico, I would not expect you to use y'all..I don't even use that word!
Or is that Old Oregonian for you all?

Ah yes, but then, what is a screen name but a mask to hide behind?

Actually, a lot of my mother's family came from the south. Truth to tell, it was ultimately from Southern California after working their way west. It was 60-70 years ago, though, so don't tell anyone.

I notice the call for "expert" advice in headlines. Where does one go to be certificed an expert (in Astoria, for instance)?

You write to an editor and nominate yourself. It helps if you are adept at Google.

Oh say it isn't so, Scarlett!! ******

***LOL*** Scarlett!

** **

i have a question about astoria as well, if this is still active. i understand the issues raised here about people moving in from somewhere else and driving up the cost of living. im a native of asheville, nc, and i personally know many families who had to sell off and move away precisely because of this sort of problem. now, i find that i may be on the other side of the fence. i have applied for a teaching position in astoria, but i havent had much luck finding out about the cost of living. the salary will be 40,000/year. where i live now (asheville) is considered (by locals anyway) to have a very high cost of living compared to the far below national average salaries. eg: average rent for a 1 bdr aprtment (in a fair area) starts at about $500/month. teacher salaries are about 28,000/year.

can anyone help shed some light on this for me? is that salary (40,000/year) going to go very far in astoria?

thank you in advance!
saloli

Since there are not any Astoria locals that post here, try www.city-data.com for that information. That site has forums as well, but is geared toward relocation issues such as this. Good luck

The biggest variable in cost of living is probably rent or home ownership costs - and since you say you will rent, all you really need to do is check rent prices. The cost of everything else won't be that drastically different than everywhere else in the nation.

One thing to keep in mind though is that Oregon has a relatively high income tax (9%) but no sales tax. If you are a spendthrift who saves a lot, you're going to pay more in taxes relative to the person who makes less but spends more than you, in Oregon. Renting means no mortgage deduction so expect perhaps to pay a bit more in income tax in Oregon than in North Carolina.

Otherwise, I'd check rent prices via the classified ads in the local newspaper, the Daily Astorian:

http://www.dailyastorian.info/

This is an interesting discussion. I was attracked to it because I live in the Southern California area and was looking at buying a loft in Astoria last year. I'm in Portland later this month on business and plan to take a few days to explore areas I haven't seen before. I'd been to Bend years ago and have looked at it recently online as a possible location to relocate too. I'm hearing that it is the fastest growing area in Oregon and that the housing prices aren't as reasonable as they used to be. I trust that this will probably happen to someplace like Astoria as well since most people are basically looking for a better life for themselves/their families. I'm a single professional woman who can't afford to buy even a condo where I currently live. Los Angeles is a huge melting pot of cultures, and I hear stories all the time of people moving from NYC or Europe who are buying up these outrageously priced properties that locals can't afford to buy. I think the gist of all this discussion is that most are just trying to have a better life relative to their personal circumstances. Please don't resent "one state", one culture, or one group of people because we all just really want the same thing. How about some tolerance?

Dcar,
Southern Californians are happiest in Southern Oregon. lots less rain.
More Outdoor Recreation.

http://www.southernoregon.org/index.html

They're apparently pretty happy in the Bend and Sisters area too, bbqboy.

I agree. Anywhere but the rainy Valley and Coast.