Kim

I moved to Seattle 17 years ago from San Diego, as my husband is from Seattle. I was always a sun worshipper and had lived my whole California life without ever losing my tan. Seattle was an extreme shock to my system, at first. I'd say it took about 3 years to get used to the weather and lack of sunshine. Then what tends to happen is you forget that there actually is a sun, and grey skies and rain just feels normal.
I now love Seattle, and find after too many days of sun I actually look forward to some rain. I am lucky because I still get to vacation in San Diego about 3 to 4 weeks every year, but I have no desire to move back. I think the key to making the Northwest home for a native San Diegan is to get out and appreciate the natural beauty and outdoor opportunities that exist here. Dress in gortex and get out there!
I love Portland, too, and think it would be a great place to live (except for their school system!) I believe they get more snow than we do, which I consider a negative but you may not.
Good luck!

Andrew

Re: Snow in Portland - don't let *that* be a big deterrent to moving here. In the decade I've lived here, we've had almost nothing, though I'm told they used to get more here in decades past. The last snow I remember was fall of 2001, a light dusting that came one evening and was gone the next morning. I have some snow pictures of Portland from about seven years ago and they are considered unique.

More worrisome than snow in Portland is ice - as in, ice storms - but we haven't really had any of those the last two years, either. Before that, we seemed to get about one nasty ice storm a year. Now, if you've lived back east or in the midwest, Portland's "winter weather" is a joke compared to back there, but if you're from San Diego, one ice storm a year might be unnerving compared to what you're used to! Be much more worried about the rain and cloudy days and how you would handle those.

Andrew

travel_the_4_corners

I moves to Seattle from S Cali. It took me over 5 years to get used to the rain, now I don't think anything of it.
I'm actually getting sick of all this sun, bring on the rain, please!
Global warming is here.

jenneepoo

Snow is not an issue in POrtland, although the local news stations try their darnedest to make it an issue. Storm Watch 200X! While it does snow on occasion, it's never that significant a fall and it rarely sticks. I agree with the poster who says that ice is more of an issue, but even then it's not that frequent a problem. I think Portland's weather is more extreme than Seattle's because Seattle has all that water to keep it from fluctuating too much; but the weather is similar enough that for comparison's sake I would think that if you don't like the weather in Portland, you're probably not going to like the weather in Seattle.

winerycat

Lizard, I'm a native So-Californian who recently lived in Portland for 7 years. Actually, I lived in Lake Oswego, which is an incredibly scenic, quaint, yet sophisticated forested town 10 miles south of Portland. We looked at all the areas in Portland, but this was by far one of the most desireable. The homes on the lake are expensive, but you can also find many large, nice homes close to the lake for much less than you would pay in San Diego. Very little crime, as opposed to high crime in many parts of Portland. Beaverton is nice and would be close to Nike campus, but feels a little crowded to me. I'd put both these towns high on my list of places to check out.

Summer, there's no place I'd rather live. Stays light until 9:30 or 10:00 pm. People are friendly and upbeat. But I wasn't prepared for the impact of the lack of sunlight. Seasonal affective disorder, I guess. It's harder on the California transplants. Winter nights are long, starting about 4:30pm. You'll cherish your fireplace. While we lived there, they had the worst storms and weather in 100 years; ferocious wind storms downing many tall firs, floods, ice storms, it was wild! Hopefully, things have settled down a bit.

We moved back to Cali 4 years ago, but I still dream of Portland's beauty and quality of life. Maybe someday...

lizzard

ok, i think this is a naive question, but how is an ice storm different from hail?

Andrew

An ice storm is a storm of sleet and freezing rain that soon turns everything to ice when the temperature cools a little more. Makes getting around difficult if not impossible. Hail is usually benign except for the impact damage it can cause. Portland had an ice storm so severe a few years ago that it even shut down the MAX train (ice on the power wires), something that almost never happens.

But ice storms don't happen too often - certainly not a reason to avoid Portland. Again, worry more about how you can handle the rain/clouds in the winter. It's not just what you're used to - it's really an individual thing, no matter where you move from. I know ex-Californians who moved to Portland and don't mind the weather here at all. Others hate it and have to leave.

Sometimes I whine about the rain, too, but I prefer the climate here to Phoenix, where I lived prior to that. And I hate cold winter weather, and Portland rarely gets below freezing, so I'm pretty satisfied with the compromise.

Andrew

BTilke

Andrew, I think you are selling Vancouver short. We lived for several years in Cascade Park, in the Bella Vista section, which is very pleasant. There are some beautiful homes in Bella Vista Loop. Also, there is Fisher's Landing and then there is Fisher's Landing. The "old" Fisher's Landing, the development behind the Albertson's on McGilvray, has nice homes with garages kept out of sight and surrounds a delightful park.
I rode my bike regularly around Cascade Park, enjoying the wide bike lanes on McGilvray and the generally considerate drivers. People are friendly, and there are plenty of very nice ex Californians sprinkled around Cascade Park.
Re, the weather, sorry, I just don't buy the mantra that it "rains a lot." Summers are nearly nonstop sunshine (80% of the rain falls between October and April and the total accumulation is no more than in places like Philadelphia). Portland seldom gets heavy downpours. It can be raining all day and the total accumulation is less than a quarter inch. Most of the time, you don't even need to bother with an umbrella. That drizzle is good for your skin, anyway.
However, lizzard, I'm very dubious about your job prospects. Phone and cable technicians aren't in short supply in the Portland or Seattle area. You will find VERY VERY stiff competition for any opening. Ditto for your wife unless she has an "in" that can get her a job *before* you move.
We've got so many friends with technical/business skills in Portland and Seattle who are facing serious job challenges. The luckiest have kept their jobs by the skin of their teeth, and have given up annual raises, cut back on all expenses, and are guarding every penny. The merely "lucky" have lost their jobs but are still making ends meet--barely--with contract work or jobs at Costco. The unlucky are divorced, going back to school, living with their parents.
If you were a nurse with advanced certifications or a radiologic technologist or other in demand healthcare professional, the welcome mat would be out. For everybody else, plan on having $$$ socked away to last through a LONG job hunt.

Andrew

BTilke, I guess whether you like Vancouver depends on your preferences in a place to live. I've come to like old urban neighborhoods and city life, not strip malls and brand new houses. Some people like suburbia and wouldn't mind places like Cascade Park or Fisher's Landing at all. I do think you miss out on Portland's biggest asset (its neighborhoods) if you live in the suburbs, though.

What people mean by "not liking the rain" is not the actual rainfall but the number of rainy, cloudy days. Few people care if it just sprinkes or it rains harder - it's the gloom that gets people, combined with the short days in the winter. And Portland has a lot of "looks-like-it-might-rain" cloudy days. Having also lived near Philadelphia, I know that they have far more cold, sunny days in the winter than Portland has. To some, the extra sunny days make a big difference.

Yesterday we had our first "rainy day" here in months - this has been the driest, hottest summer I remember in my ten years here. But this is unusual. August and September are usually fairly dry, but even May and June can experience plenty of "rainy days" even if the amount of actual rainfall is small. These type of days into July is not uncommon (though not this year).

As I said before, whether you can handle the "rainy days" depends on your personality. Some people can handle the weather here, some people can't. Some love it. Depends on the person.

Andrew

lizzard

BTilke,
Although I appreciate your concern for my financial viability in the PNW/Portland area, I started this to answer questions concerning living conditions, not for career advice.
Thank you regardless.

BTilke

Lizzard, you wrote twice in your original post about job prospects being better for you in Portland or Seattle. I'm not the only one who addressed that issue--so did Jason888, jenneepoo, and Gardyloo. It does seem odd that someone would move to the part of the country with the worst job market to find "better job opportunities" (your own words). The job situation (or lack of it) is certainly part of the "quality of life" or "living conditions". If you both land good jobs shortly after your arrival, you should write articles for the local newspapers--there are thousands of unemployed, hard-working, highly skilled people in OR and WA who would love to know your secrets!
As for the southeast exposure, we never did understand why so many people have homes with large, south facing plate glass windows that don't OPEN. We lived in such a house in one Portland neighborhood and in the summer, couldn't use the living room because it heated up to 115 degrees on summer afternoons. Large windows to catch the light are great, but they should open--especially because central air isn't that common in Portland housing.

lizzard

Ok, here's the big secret:
Don't pack up the Hyundai and move 1,000 miles unless you have a job waiting for you.
And truth be told, per capita, Portland may have the best opportunities for my wife's line of work of anywhere in the country with the presence of companies like Nike, Adidas, and Columbia.

Rhardy5554

We lived in Santa Monica for almost 30 years before moving to Seattle area - Vashon Island to be specific. Any yes, the weather can be a drag - it just is dark in the winter.Most locals find time to take a sun break and go somewhere sunny (we normally go to San Diego, for what it's worth!). How oppressive it is depends largely on where you live, we find. If you are stuck in the middle of the trees, it's awful but if you have a view of the water, it's much more bearable. I am retired so I can't talk about jobs, though the economy in both places is in the pits.
Move back to Southern CA - not on your life!

lizzard

It's been three months since I started this thread (and it's been dead almost as long), and all of your responses have been great!

Despite some of your warnings about the dire condition of your local economy, one such company has cleaned the change out from their lobby couches and flew my wife up there for the day for an interview (she's there right now, incidentally). Said company has made it clear that they want someone ASAP, so if there's an offer, we could be on our way within 6 weeks.

So here's my question - who can recommend a neighborhood to look for a rental (probably for a year) that is in a decent neighborhood that has some of the qualities we value (character, pedestrian friendly, local restaraunts and cafes, and no wal-marts!)?

The catch is, because she could be working particularly long hours at first, what is even more important is the easiest commute possible. I'm talking less than 15 minutes if that's possible. This company is off of the 26 at Murray Bl(?). No, it's not Nike, but right down the street - me thinks.

Any takers?? Thanks in advance. I would even trade off some of the criteria in exchange for an even shorter commute - except for the Wal-Mart stipulation. I don't want to see a store, an employee, or a proud Wal-Mart patron, if at all possible.
Thanks in advance~!

beachbum

The first "neighborhood" that came to mind was the Pearl District in NW downtown Portland. It's urban, but has everything you're looking for, except the commute. You might also look around Orenco Station, a planned community NE of Hillsboro. Both of these areas are likely to have decent rental availabilities, although rents in the Pearl will be high.

As to suburban neighborhoods, nice ones usually don't have rental homes, so it's hard to know where to steer you.

In any case, I recommend avoiding a morning eastbound commute on 26. Next to I-5 from Vancouver, WA, 26 is probably the worst in the Portland area.

DB

I strongly suggest that you move to Northern California first (such as San Jose or the East Bay) for a few years -- this will get you more acclimated to colder more rainy weather before moving further north into coastal Oregon or Washington. If not ...you'll probably fo postal rather quickly. :-S

jimshep

Hey Lizzard, It is usually warmer in Portland than it is in Seattle. If you're looking for sunny skies, both cities have them sometimes. I am a native of Seattle who lived in NYC for thirty years. When I returned here a few years ago, I found I had no use for heavy coats, over shoes, long underwear,scarves, hats (except a rain hat), and gloves (except once in a while). Both Seattle and Portland have good cultural offerings and excellent access to outdoor activities, but Portland is a small town, in comparison to Seattle.

Being surrounded by water and mountains, Seattle has one of the most spectacular settings of any city in the world--that is one of its main attractions. Portland, on the other hand, is convenient to the fabulous Oregon coast.

I suggest you move to the place where you have the most friends and family. The drive between Portland and Seattle is only about 3 1/2 hours, but it isn't the kind of drive you would look forward to taking.

Andrew

Lizzard, most of Portland's best neighborhoods are far away from Beaverton where your wife will work. I recommend NW Portland as your best bet, however, because it is very close to downtown, has a lot of urban character, yet is popular and in places upscale. You don't have to cross a bridge to get to Beaverton, but you do have to drive the dreaded Sunset Highway (26) out there. I drove that commute for years from downtown - it's not so bad in the morning, worse at night inbound on 26. But it's probably not as bad as some California freeways, pretty doable. And there is a MAX train that goes out that way.

I'd avoid the Pearl District myself: I think the place is overrated and too expensive. Shiny new apartment and condo buildings going up everywhere in the Pearl; in NW, the houses are 80-100 years old. But I guess it depends on your tastes.

Andrew

Mamma_Love

I love the NW neighborhood in Portland between 21st and 23rd avenues and between Davis and hmmm...Overton. I lived right at NW 21st and Hoyt for several years and loved it. It is great for a couple, not so wonderful for a family. There are so many wonderful restaurants, bars and shops. It's a lot of fun.

It really only takes 15-20 minutes to drive from town to Beaverton for a morning commute - all the traffic will be going the opposite way on Hwy 26, or you can take the back roads (Burnside/Barnes). Also, there is the MAX (lightrail) which actually takes longer than driving, but can be nice for a stress free drive to read a paper and drink your coffee.

When we learned we were expecting our second child, we decided to buy a house in Beaverton. I think we paid $180,00 for a 3 bedroom (1800 sq ft). The cost of living is reasonable here.

Since your wife will have a job before you decide to move that is great, as the job market is still dismal here. It's been bad for 3 years and is very very very slowly improving.

The weather starts getting on my nerves here around February, which is one major reason I like to travel in Spring - gives me something to look forward to on those drizzly grey days. Summer and Autumn here are beautiful.

lizzard

Hey Andrew!
I tried to send an email to the munged address you left in a post but it was kicked back. Still a good address?
Thanks!