I've been in Oregon for 12 years (from Oklahoma), and in Portland for 8. I love it here, but sometimes I hate it, but then I think about it in comparison to other places and it feels like complaining about having TOO MUCH of a good thing. Yes, it feels precious sometimes - there are parts of the city, or shops or restaurants where you walk in and immediately feel as thought you're in a magazine shoot: All weathered wood and steel and people in consciously ironic hats with their hair hanging in their face.
But the people are absolutely lovely, and the heart of Portland is there as well, and that's the reason I stay, in spite of the unbelievable housing crisis the city is in right now. That's not hyperbole, either. I think Boston already went through something similar, so this is probably not a new thing to you, and I do believe that housing prices in Boston are still higher than they are here.
I won't buy a house here, that is for sure. (Unless I somehow come into a trust fund. I guess I would consider buying a house in the suburbs, but only as a last resort.) I'm not sure I'll stay here forever, but for now it is a good place for me.
If you don't have a job lined up already, I think it's very very risky. And if you're not prepared to pay pretty biggish bucks to live in the city limits, there will be some commuting that has to be done. Luckily, we have a great transit system, and it breaks down nowhere near as much as y'all's does.
The weather is amazing, and the outdoor opportunities are immense. We have a massive urban forest, and the city is green in every way. We're about an hour from the coast, from the mountains, from beautiful waterfalls. That's a huge selling point for me, personally.
It just all depends. I'd love yo have you guys out here, but I'm totally selfish in saying that - Portland isn't a city where you can just go and start over from nothing like it used to be. I feel so thankful and fortunate that it still was when I got here (with no job and no home and no money).
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
But the people are absolutely lovely, and the heart of Portland is there as well, and that's the reason I stay, in spite of the unbelievable housing crisis the city is in right now. That's not hyperbole, either. I think Boston already went through something similar, so this is probably not a new thing to you, and I do believe that housing prices in Boston are still higher than they are here.
I won't buy a house here, that is for sure. (Unless I somehow come into a trust fund. I guess I would consider buying a house in the suburbs, but only as a last resort.) I'm not sure I'll stay here forever, but for now it is a good place for me.
If you don't have a job lined up already, I think it's very very risky. And if you're not prepared to pay pretty biggish bucks to live in the city limits, there will be some commuting that has to be done. Luckily, we have a great transit system, and it breaks down nowhere near as much as y'all's does.
The weather is amazing, and the outdoor opportunities are immense. We have a massive urban forest, and the city is green in every way. We're about an hour from the coast, from the mountains, from beautiful waterfalls. That's a huge selling point for me, personally.
It just all depends. I'd love yo have you guys out here, but I'm totally selfish in saying that - Portland isn't a city where you can just go and start over from nothing like it used to be. I feel so thankful and fortunate that it still was when I got here (with no job and no home and no money).