Portland bound...

[choptop]

Hey folks,

my wife and I are bored with NC and we're looking to try another state for a while. #1 on our list is Portland, Or. We both have a few friends there, and we've heard nothing but awesome stuff about the place, especially the beer culture.

Anybody got any ideas or suggestions of info that could help? Good sites to look at for finding a place to live or for finding a job in that area (I'm a web designer)? Particularly fun/safe/affordable neighborhoods you know of (or have lived in)? Advice for moving all the way across the country? I'm trying to compile all of the info about Portland that I possibly can to make this fun and easy.

Thanks in advance for any help or info you might be able to give.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

I'll just put this out there for you...the economy here SUCKS. One of the worst if not the worst unemployment rates in the country (double digits). Just be prepared for that and the possible long wait to find a job. If possible start the job search first if you are serious. Use a friends local address, etc.

As for affordable, stay away from the west side. East side has more character anyway, or NoPo (North Portland). I'd suggest trying to stay west of 205 if possible. My wife and I are in SE. You can get pretty much every where needed by foot, bike, public transport.

 

[david_42]

Oregon does have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and Portland is packed with web designers. Seems like every other GenY does it or would like to.

But, definitely the South East (Milwaukie vs Portland metro).

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Since David mentioned it...we're actually in Milwaukie and not Portland. But if you sent me mail addressed as Portland, OR I'd get it no problem. It's a different county even.

 

[choptop]

Yeah, I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of moving unless my wife or I have a job secured first. We're not going to pick up and move across the country without something worked out. I'm going to start hammering places with resumes and portfolios early next year, and I have the slight advantage that I'm not uptight about doing less than prestigious work until I get settled in (I've been a web designer in the adult industry for going on 3 years).

 

[remilard]

It will be about the hardest place in the world to find a job as a web designer.

If you aren't picky, you can get an okay place in Goose Hollow fairly cheap, and you can walk to Knob Hill, Downtown, Pearl District etc very easily.

Affordable and fun on the East Side? Go South to Clinton/Division and start going East until you meet your definition of affordable.

Remember that there are a lot of geographic obstacles and as the crow flies doesn't mean much in terms of how close two places are.

I don't know too many people who have lived in multiple medium/large cities that would disagree with my assessment that all of Portland is pretty safe. If homeless people offend you avoid the West Side inside of 405. If drug use or prostitution offend avoid China Town/Old Town. If you just don't want to get burgled/knifed/raped it doesn't really matter. That stuff is fairly low and spread out all over the metro.