Scarlett, you'll pretty soon ditch the umbrella
and put up your hood. After that you won't even notice the "Oregon Sunshine".

Dear NW Community -

It all sounds pretty positive and encouraging. I'm not a sissy about rain. 8 years surviving NYC alone, I can adjust to weather...I'd love to live right in town. Aren't there any lofts outside the pearl? I teach Shakespeare and also yoga, things that I think would be appreciated in PDX.

Thoughts? And again, thank you for your time. It helps tremendously.
blair

Nope, Michael, I am not kidding.
I moved here from NYC, I know about those houses, but these are houses with yards and trees and driveways and fences and all.More like a London house..and they don't cost over a million dollars, like NY and Chicago etc.
Guess I should have given more details..:)

lol, bbqboy, I am a Portlander! Feh on those hoods, I get my hair wet !! :D

Blair, there is a yoga studio on every corner and a gazillion shops that sell yoga clothing..you will fit right in :)
You know, we are like LA in that aspect, the yoga mat is every girls accessory :)

miscellaneous tidbits from a former CA resident:
I think the most important thing you can do is visit, get a feel for what's goin on round here. Read the local paper, watch the news, hang out, etc.
The public schools have struggled a lot for several years so you should definitely pay attention to this since you've got kids, and there has been minimal job creation, although the paper reports recent increases in employment. I can't imagine that there is going to be a lot of opportunity in the field you say you're in, but maybe the arts are faring better than general employment is.
A friend moved from central CA to Portland for college and immediately moved after getting degree - couldn't stand the weather.
On the plus side, I think Portland has most every amenity a big city could offer without a lot of the negative aspects. It's managable as big cities go. You've got to come visit and even if you move here and don't like it, you can always move back to CA or anywhere you choose.
Good luck with your decision.

here's the other thread

Blair: I'm a home-grown Oregonian who lived for a time in Chicago, met my husband there and moved back to Portland 12 years ago. My husband is an actor who supported himself in LA and Chicago by doing commercials and industrials, but when we moved here, he got a day job and just does theater for fun. He dropped out of Equity to get more work (there is only one Equity theater and another one that uses some Equity actors and some non-union people). There are a few exceptional people who make their living in the field, but most cannot do it, it's just too small and all the small theater groups struggle from a lack of financial support. Having said that, however, the theater here is better than ever, with lots of new, young people starting up groups, and promising signs in the community that things could really turn around. Your yoga-teaching skills will be much in demand, believe me!

It is expensive to live here, although housing is cheaper than So. Cal., it's still hard to find a house in the city that's affordabale. They keep putting up these condo towers and they fill before they're even finished, so I guess someone thinks they're a deal! The restaurant and bar scene is unbelieveable! I pride myself on checking out all the new spots, but I literally cannot keep up with the pace of new openings. And they're happening in edgier neighborhoods that are growing organically, with young artists and chefs moving in. It's very exciting and a really fun place to live. Also, if you like to walk or bike, it's a paradise. We routinely walk downtown from our house 2 miles from the river and take either the bus or the Max train home. My husband absolutely loves it here and we would never think of going anywhere else. The rain and cloudy skies do get to you once in a while, but when it clears up, it's so beautiful and fresh smelling, you forget all about the bad weather. I could go on and on, and in fact, already have. Sorry.