Living near Portland area
Aug 28th, 2005, 02:15 PM
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Part time? I don't know my way around that well yet, but from househunting and visiting, we thought homes in West Linn were nice as well as Lake Oswego. But for good shopping and eating , I think in town is great..we live in the Pearl district, we even have a great view 
But for a house- the West Hills might be good.
Vancouver is where one of our security men lives, he says he is home in half an hour from downtown Portland.
But for a house- the West Hills might be good.
Vancouver is where one of our security men lives, he says he is home in half an hour from downtown Portland.
Aug 28th, 2005, 03:37 PM
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While technically "Northwest Portland" is a large area that extends out along Highway 26 west toward Beaverton and Hillsboro, most locals consider "Northwest Portland" to be the close-in neighborhood called the "Alphabet District" by the city but not by anyone else. And that small neighborhood, though nice, is not really a "suburb."
Out Highway 26 is a nice suburb called Bethany Village popular among Intel employees. Lake Oswego is also a good choice, but it's not cheap. Tualatin and Tigard are OK, depending on where you are. Beaverton is getting too crowded for my tastes.
Vancouver: well, depends what you are looking for. Downtown Vancouver has for a long time been dreary and dull, but the city of Vancouver has been trying to revitalize the downtown by building condos and a new convention center in the core. Success is mixed: the restored Esther Short Park is nice and hosts a popular farmer's market on Sunday's, but the downtown itself still has a ways to go. But if you like condo living it might be an option. Downtown Vancouver is really close to the Oregon border - you can even walk from downtown across the bridge to Janzten Beach in about 25 minutes. Nearby Officer's Row/Fort Vancouver offers a nice, easy walk from downtown.
My guess is that Downtown Vancouver will be nice eventually but it will take a few more years.
(Another note about downtown Vancouver: it's right in one of the flight paths for the PDX airport so you hear jets taking off fairly often, plus it is closer to a freight train line, in case you are sensitive to noise.)
Other than downtown Vancouver, Vancouver is mixed between very newish suburbia (Fisher's Landing east of Vancouver, Salmon Creek north of downtown) and run-down older neighborhoods without much character. There is a small area near downtown Vancouver with some old homes, an area that reminds one of some of Portland's nice neighborhoods but still lacks the cultural benefits or the cool restaurants, etc. But maybe this will improve over time, too.
A big benefit if you are not working in the state of Oregon (or are self-employed) is that Washington State has NO income taxes! Self-employed people are subject to a Washington State B&O tax which might be much less than you'd pay in Oregon, depending on the profession. Note that if you live in Washington but work in Oregon, you will still pay Oregon income taxes.
Andrew
And that small neighborhood, though nice, is not really a "suburb."Out Highway 26 is a nice suburb called Bethany Village popular among Intel employees. Lake Oswego is also a good choice, but it's not cheap. Tualatin and Tigard are OK, depending on where you are. Beaverton is getting too crowded for my tastes.
Vancouver: well, depends what you are looking for. Downtown Vancouver has for a long time been dreary and dull, but the city of Vancouver has been trying to revitalize the downtown by building condos and a new convention center in the core. Success is mixed: the restored Esther Short Park is nice and hosts a popular farmer's market on Sunday's, but the downtown itself still has a ways to go. But if you like condo living it might be an option. Downtown Vancouver is really close to the Oregon border - you can even walk from downtown across the bridge to Janzten Beach in about 25 minutes. Nearby Officer's Row/Fort Vancouver offers a nice, easy walk from downtown.
My guess is that Downtown Vancouver will be nice eventually but it will take a few more years.
(Another note about downtown Vancouver: it's right in one of the flight paths for the PDX airport so you hear jets taking off fairly often, plus it is closer to a freight train line, in case you are sensitive to noise.)
Other than downtown Vancouver, Vancouver is mixed between very newish suburbia (Fisher's Landing east of Vancouver, Salmon Creek north of downtown) and run-down older neighborhoods without much character. There is a small area near downtown Vancouver with some old homes, an area that reminds one of some of Portland's nice neighborhoods but still lacks the cultural benefits or the cool restaurants, etc. But maybe this will improve over time, too.
A big benefit if you are not working in the state of Oregon (or are self-employed) is that Washington State has NO income taxes! Self-employed people are subject to a Washington State B&O tax which might be much less than you'd pay in Oregon, depending on the profession. Note that if you live in Washington but work in Oregon, you will still pay Oregon income taxes.
Andrew
Sep 16th, 2005, 10:18 AM
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Thanks for the reply's. My husband and I are not going to be working in Oregon. We have a house in So Cal. We are looking for a second home in a safe fun area in Portland. I am just curious about neighborhoods. What about Forest Heights or any other suggestions. Are there views?I want to be close to good eateries and shopping.
Sep 16th, 2005, 11:07 AM
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What do you mean by "close?" Walking distance? Or within a 5-10 minute drive? If you mean walking distance, Forest Heights is not within walking distance. Do you want a house or an apartment/condo? Your chance for both a view and walking distance to shopping and restaurants is better for condos/apartments, specifically in the King's Hill area or the Pearl. Also, lots of condos are under construction on the south waterfront. Many of them will have views, within walking distance to downtown, and on the streetcar line as well.
Sep 16th, 2005, 12:07 PM
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Peggy,
We lived in Vancouver for several years and liked it, as do our friends who still live there (despite anti-Vancouver snobbery from the other side of the Columbia). We lived in the Bella Vista neighborhood of Cascade Park and found it quite pleasant...it has wide bike lanes and mostly level streets with sidewalks, you can bike or walk to a variety of stores and restaurants and also to some pretty parks that offered excellent views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. The homes are comfortable, medium sized, mostly "soft contemporary" in style and moderately priced (although there are expensive pockets, like Bella Vista Loop). In Bella Vista, most of the homes were built in the late 1980s to early 1990s, not exactly "very new" by NW standards. They are, for the most part, well maintained. Crime was very low in our neighborhood, I always felt perfectly safe wandering around at night--we used to walk to our favorite park around midnight just to sit and look at the stars. We were never bothered by PDX flight noise.
Remember, not all of Portland is like NW 23rd or the Pearl District. It has large tracts of suburban style homes as well and homes that are run down or in need of significant renovation.
We lived in Vancouver for several years and liked it, as do our friends who still live there (despite anti-Vancouver snobbery from the other side of the Columbia). We lived in the Bella Vista neighborhood of Cascade Park and found it quite pleasant...it has wide bike lanes and mostly level streets with sidewalks, you can bike or walk to a variety of stores and restaurants and also to some pretty parks that offered excellent views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. The homes are comfortable, medium sized, mostly "soft contemporary" in style and moderately priced (although there are expensive pockets, like Bella Vista Loop). In Bella Vista, most of the homes were built in the late 1980s to early 1990s, not exactly "very new" by NW standards. They are, for the most part, well maintained. Crime was very low in our neighborhood, I always felt perfectly safe wandering around at night--we used to walk to our favorite park around midnight just to sit and look at the stars. We were never bothered by PDX flight noise.
Remember, not all of Portland is like NW 23rd or the Pearl District. It has large tracts of suburban style homes as well and homes that are run down or in need of significant renovation.
Sep 16th, 2005, 04:08 PM
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Hi,
I don't know if we need security men where I live, but they walk man the door at night, they walk the garages and the blocks around where I live. Not just my building but the others in the area also.
So far, it is safe and I feel fine walking the dog late at night, so they are either not needed or doing their job
I don't know if we need security men where I live, but they walk man the door at night, they walk the garages and the blocks around where I live. Not just my building but the others in the area also.
So far, it is safe and I feel fine walking the dog late at night, so they are either not needed or doing their job
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