Thinking of moving to Oregon (Portland area) - any advice?

[Tib]

I currently live in the SF bay area in CA, but it's way too expensive to live here, so I'm thinking of moving to the Portland area in OR, where it's cheaper.

I've decided to move for the following reasons:

lower rent (it costs about 1/3 as much to rent on portland area as where I live now) - $600 per month compared to $1500-$2000 per month

no state tax (I save 11%)

no sales tax (I save 8%)

lower gas prices (I save about $0.40 or so per gallon)

higher spending per student for education (about $5,600 per student compared to just over $3,000 per student in CA)

WWAAAAYYY less traffic - I HATE TRAFFIC - especially on freeways

lower risk of earthquake (on most websites, oregon got a 4/10, and CA got a 10/10)

hopefully nicer people in that area

too many old ppl in CA (especially where I live - walnut creek)

I can't stand living with my parents anymore


The only reason I thought I might stay here is because:

I live with my parents (no rent)

Already started school here (although I think it really sux)

i'm very familiar w/ the area

crime rate in portland is about 5x as high as walnut creek (400% more crime)

have some friends in the area I will have to leave - and make new friends in portland


So what do you guys think? Should I move or not? I hate it here, the SF bay sux

I know most of you people are thinking: "What the hell are you thinking? You are where most people want to be!" - but you guys don't understand how hard it is for a teenager to live here. Life's really stressful around here, and when you are stuck with your parents, because it's too expensive to rent, that makes it even worse. And because of all of the factors listed above, I want to move.

By any chance...does anyone know how much it costs to go to the University of Portland? I'm pretty sure I'd make it in...I have some college already and high SAT scores and a pretty good high school GPA (3.1 I think).

Please reply here with facts and opinions if you wish, about moving OUT OF california (specifically the SF bay area) to another state. Or you can PM me or email me at tambrus@yahoo.com. I'm very interested to hear what you all have to say!

Also....for those of you who live in the portland area or have been there - how is it? My parents went there and they said it was an old, dirty city. I think they just said that though, because they don't want me to leave.

Thanks,

Tibor

 

[Red Dawn]

When you go, take a couple of the Out of State Carpet Bagging Yuppie Scum who moved here with you.

 

[Mikal]

Yeah, take Red Dawn!!

 

[RossGr]

Speaking as an Native Oregonian, I say stay in SF.

About 60% of the people you will meet here have moved in from CA.

The traffic in Portland is nasty and getting worse, if you have to dirve Highways 217 or 26 during peak times you will be reminded of the bay area.

Though Oregon has not had an big earthquake in something over 300 yrs there historic record to show that there is a Richter 9 about every 350yrs, Earthquake proofing is the latest trend. When it shakes it will be a duzy.

Portland used to have 2 beautiful snow covered peaks on the near horizon. It now has 1 peak and a stub, known as Mt St Helens. If the south side of St Helens had blown out instead of the north Portland would have been blasted. When will Mt Hood go?

What you mean no taxes? Oregon has Income tax, and is on the short list of states who will be taking a bite of the GWB effort to buy my friendship.

Cost of living? check your numbers it is going up, and the more Califorinans that move in the higer it goes.

I'd say bring an unbrella but you live in the bay area so are already rusty and don't need one.

Other then that Welcome to Oregon.

Did I convince you?

Naw, leave Red in CA, Please!

 

[Russ]

Oregon is a great state. Just don't move any further north.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Bryophyte]

<< no state tax (I save 11%) >>


Sorry, Oregon DOES have a state income tax.
...But, no sales tax!



<< higher spending per student for education (about $5,600 per student compared to just over $3,000 per student in CA) >>


Well, I'm not sure you'd save any money on tuition. You also have to examine the quality of the department you'd be entering... How do the different schools rank? Also, you'd need to establish Oregon residency to avoid paying out-of-state tuition, which is obscene.



<< WWAAAAYYY less traffic - I HATE TRAFFIC - especially on freeways >>


Well...if you don't like traffic, Portland area isn't much of an improvement.



<< hopefully nicer people in that area >>


Well, I've noticed that people down here are at least as nice as in Portland, probably nicer...but I don't know the area you're currently living in, so...



<< too many old ppl in CA (especially where I live - walnut creek) >>


No difference



The cost of living is lower, but the pay is lower too...

You can't pump your own gas, so you take more time at the pumps, waiting for some kid making minimum wage to wander over to do it for you.

Having said all that, Portland is a nice town. Pretty good rail/bus system. UP is a good school, I understand. Extremely low car registration fees (something like $40 for two years, maybe less.) Oregon's air is clean (though Portland's air is probably about the worst in the state, it's still much better than anywhere down here.) Oregon is a beautiful state. It's much wetter and cooler than most of California, but is green all year long. I grew up in western Oregon, and have spent all but five or so years living there, so perhaps I'm partial to the state. It's a nice place to live and to raise a family. If you love the outdoors, you'd love it there. Hiking, fishing, camping, boating... Mountains just minutes to the east, the ocean an hour to the west, only about 2 hours to the Puget Sound...you can do anything you want on just a day trip.

BigDan

 

[Red Dawn]

<< Naw, leave Red in CA, Please! >>

Hey Oregon is my second Home

 

[Tib]

thanks for all the tips guys!

How much is the state income tax in oregon? I thought it was 0%?

As for traffic...I'd be living in downtown, so I might not even need a car.

As for work, I work from home, so it does not matter where I work from, so long as I'm in the US

I wanna live some place cheap, but I need to be close to everything (like in downtown portland), and I don't want to be TOO far away from home in case I break a leg or something. And I like oregon because of all the natural stuff (mountains, fishing, lakes and rivers, close to beach, etc.)

Some of you asked about how nice ppl are here...

I live in Walnut Creek - it's probably one of the top 5 prepiest towns in the SF bay area (out of maybe 50 cities or so). Our neighbors tried to sue us for ANYTHING they could think of - they tried about 5 times. I live about 300 meters from a high school, and kids drive by my house in the 25 zone at 50-60 mph all the time....this is supposed to be one of the best neighborhoods in the city (maybe THE best).

As for the kids...they certainly aren't the nicest I've ever met. About 1/2 the school's kids (from the HS) drive a car worth at least $20k (beamers, new SUVs, mercedez, lexus, etc), and most of them are downright stuck up. I just graduated from that school about this time last year.

As for family - I'm single, so I'll be moving alone. My parents will probably move up closeby within a year after I've gone, though.

Tibor

 

[Bryophyte]

Income Tax comparison

Oregon taxes your money coming,
Washington taxes your money going,
but California taxes it both coming and going. I don't get it. Why does California require so much more in revenue from each resident?

edit: Oregon, having no sales tax, has to have an income tax...how else would they pay state workers?

 

[TimidOCer]

yay move over here to portland where i am!

 

[RossMAN]

I hear Kent, Washington is a really nice city with friendly people.

 

[Nutdotnet]

If you live downtown you will probably NOT want a Car. Too much of a pain to get around and then you gotta pay for parking, etc...

I love Portland. But I am still moving back home.

If you want to live somewhere that does not have a state income tax, nor sales tax move to Anchorage, AK. They even pay you to live there.

 

[Russ]

RossMAN,

Kent sucks. It is the bunghole of a state that is the bunghole of the country.

Oh yeah, The Mariners also suck.

Russ, NCNE

 

[RossMAN]

I was hoping you'd see that Russ, how's things going?

 

[RossGr]

If you don't have a car, the mountians and coast are inacessable.
I am afraid that a car is nearly indespensible in Oregon, to be trapped in Portland would be unfortunate. Most of Oregon's natural beauty, the main reason to live in Oregon, is not in Portland and even in the Willamette Valley. If it really does not matter where you live why choose Portland. The nicest part of the state is in the southwest. If you can telecommute, consider Eugene &amp; UO, at 100K population it is not small but still does not have quite the traffic problems of Portland, it is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley with execellent acess to the mountains coast and southern Oregon as well as only being 2.5hrs from Portland. I would suggest Corvallis and OSU but it has the HIGHEST housing costs in Oregon.

I yearn for the days of Tom McCall, when the saying was &quot;Don't Californicate Oregon!&quot;

 

[RossGr]

Howdy, Ross, how'd you get stuck with a name like that!


I agree, Kent is beautiful, Russ just don't know how good he has it!

 

[RossMAN]

Howdy, Ross, how'd you get stuck with a name like that!

It's my real name, what's your excuse?

 

[UG]

Another native Oregonian here.

Stay the hell in California. Oregon doesn't need any more Californians. You screwed up your own state, why the hell would we want youy to come and screw up ours?

Stay home and leave Oregon alone.

 

[Azraele]

If you can, take a trip to scout out the area. You don't want to get &quot;the grass is greener&quot; syndrome.

 

[UG]

Make sure you tell everyone you're a CALIFORNIAN THINKING OF MOVING TO OREGON.

I bet you won't, and I bet you know why you won't.

 

[RossGr]

Yep, I was born that way to.

Boy are Oregonians comming out the woodwork, UG, you to, whereabout?

I was born and raised in Roseburg, came to the valley cause I had to eat.

Edit
OH yeah, anybody that told you Oregon is Green year round, lied. Oregon is semi arid in the summer, don't rain a drop from July, to September the hills turn a beautiful brown, epecially since Ronny Raygun cut down all our trees.

 

[UG]

RossGr,

Portland. I had an Uncle who lived in Roseburg and worked at the (one of the) sawmill(s).

I've been in Floriduh since '85, but all my family and friends are there.

I spent several hours on the phone again last night keeping in touch.

It's a shame Californians think of Oregon as someone else's 16 year-old daughter ripe for the taking and not their own 16 year-old daughter ripe for the taking.

Then again, that's exactly what they're thinking.

 

[Bryophyte]

<< OH yeah, anybody that told you Oregon is Green year round, lied. Oregon is semi arid in the summer, don't rain a drop from July, to September the hills turn a beautiful brown, epecially since Ronny Raygun cut down all our trees. >>



It averages 1-2 inches of rain for July-August combined for the Corvallis area. Not a lot, but certainly more than a drop. Corvallis hills are covered primarily with either non-native grasses and oak trees, or with Douglas fir...the grass-oak hills do indeed get nice and crispy. I grew up a bit west of Corvallis, in the temperate rainforest, so it stayed a bit greener than down in the Valley.

Somebody (on ATOT) recently called Corvallis a &quot;dirty little town&quot;... Do you agree? I grew up around there, but can't quite decide whether he/she isn't a little right. I like Corvallis, so maybe I'm not being very objective. What do you think?

 

[Nutdotnet]

<< Another native Oregonian here.

Stay the hell in California. Oregon doesn't need any more Californians. You screwed up your own state, why the hell would we want youy to come and screw up ours?

Stay home and leave Oregon alone. >>



C'mon now man. If they want to move to Oregon they can move to Oregon. Just becuase one person hails from one state does not mean that he/she acts like everyone else in that state.

It would be unfair of me to call you a Tree-Humpin Hippie just because you lived in Portland. Just because he may be from California does not mean that he has the same attitude that the &quot;stereotypical&quot; Californian has.

 

[RossMAN]

/me has lived in SE Portland since 1983, before that all around Europe and Asia (Army brat and just a brat in general)