Calling all who live in Portland, OR!

[raptor13]

EDITED:

Well, I'm in Portland now. I've got a place to live, I started work last week, and I'm beginning to enjoy all that Portland has to offer. I can already tell I'm going to love it here. Yay!

Anyway, this weekend is shaping up to be cool as well. I'm gonna check out the Portland market on Saturday morning, go golfing the afternoon (recomendations for courses?, and then see the Le Mans series race at Portland International Raceway. Oh, and then going out in the Pearl. Sweet. Sunday will consist of some ridiculous feast cooked up at my apartment. A healthy selection of Portland's finest beers will also be in attendance.

So, when are we having our Portland ATOT meet? It's about damn time, I think! And on the subject of meeting up, shoot me a PM if you're interested in any of the weekend's activities.

I love Portland. :heart:

</EDIT>

I know some of you guys are from Portland so, since I'm moving there come July and I don't know anyone personally in the area, I'm hoping you all can help me by pointing out good/bad areas in which to live and other such important things. Here's some information about me in convenient bullet form:

• I'm 23, just graduated, and would like to be in/near a fun and exciting place;

• I'll actually be working in Tualatin - for General Electric - and would prefer my commute not be too long;

• Having a garage would be fantastic though any indoor parking would suffice;

• No pets are making this move with me

• I've got about $1000/month, give or take, I could spend on rent though cheaper is obviously better!

I've heard really good things about the Pearl District which especially appeals to me because I love the whole "old warehouse to loft" transition. Plus, it really sounds like the kind of fun, young place I'm looking for. That said, I know things will be much more expensive in the area so I haven't ruled out anything at this point. What about South Portland? What about Beaverton? How's traffic and the commute between these places?

HELP ME! I really appreciate it!

 

[buck]

Don't go surfing in Seaside!
If the locals dont get you the sharks will....

Gotta love the NW

 

[TuxDave]

So what's the exact city of your work location? I'm living over in Hillsboro (and happen to work in Hillsboro). That entire area is really new but unbelievably boring. Btw, if you're willing to spend $1000/month on rent you may as well stay in the Pearl district. Anywhere else you can get $500-600/month or so.

 

[ActuaryTm]

No sales tax.

(bastards)

 

[swtethan]

rossman lives in SE

AND SO DO I!


:Q


ask him for hot deals at his doorstep

 

[bleeb]

Commuting to Tualatin from the Pearl District will suck. But the Pearl District is always alive... lots of rich young yuppies and hot babes.

 

[BatmanNate]

Every July, 8000 people ride their bikes 206 miles from Seattle. I will be one of them, and you should feed and pity me.

 

[swtethan]

you will get a apt the size of a box int he pearl... lol 1 bedroom apts there are $400k

 

[raptor13]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
So what's the exact city of your work location? I'm living over in Hillsboro (and happen to work in Hillsboro). That entire area is really new but unbelievably boring. Btw, if you're willing to spend $1000/month on rent you may as well stay in the Pearl district. Anywhere else you can get $500-600/month or so.

My work is in Tualatin. In fact, it's right HERE!

 

[Bryophyte]

As a general rule, if you can avoid commuting on hwy 26 between downtown and Cornell or 185th and on hwy 217, you'll be a much happier person. There is a good bus/lightrail system here that is very affordable. If you're working in Tualatin, you could live as far south as perhaps Wilsonville and not have too bad of a commute. Beaverton has some areas that have Pearl District-like housing. I really don't know how much apartments run, I've never rented up here before.

 

[raptor13]

So what about Beaverton? It seems like a nice enough area from what I can tell and it looks like I could get a pretty nice condo/townhouse for well under $1000/month. It'd be about a 10 mile commute to work which might be 20 minutes or so down 217, I'd think. Getting into Portland proper doesn't look to be much of a challenge, either.

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: raptor13
So what about Beaverton? It seems like a nice enough area from what I can tell and it looks like I could get a pretty nice condo/townhouse for well under $1000/month. It'd be about a 10 mile commute to work which might be 20 minutes or so down 217, I'd think. Getting into Portland proper doesn't look to be much of a challenge, either.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Beaverton is cool...

Hell, that entire area is cool man....just go with it.

Based on your map I'd say Beaverton, Tigard, SW Portland, etc...would suit you just fine.

I miss Portland.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: raptor13
So what about Beaverton? It seems like a nice enough area from what I can tell and it looks like I could get a pretty nice condo/townhouse for well under $1000/month. It'd be about a 10 mile commute to work which might be 20 minutes or so down 217, I'd think. Getting into Portland proper doesn't look to be much of a challenge, either.

Thoughts? Ideas?

You'd be amazed at how long it will take you to drive those 10 miles. My recollection is that 217 is pretty damn busy in the morning. In fact, avoid the highways all together. Going from Bearverton to Hillsboro for my commute, I avoided the highways and left a little before 7 in the morning, took 20 minutes. To go home at 4:30 took about 45 minutes since rush hour was beginning to pick up. And this was for a measly 10 miles.

Oh wait... hell I remember Tualatin now. I had to go there for my FedEx packages. Going from Bearverton to Tualatin by 217 to I5 was horrendous during rush hour.

Though the plus of Bearverton was that it was pretty easy drive down 26, once you got past Cornell, out to the western state parks and the coast. It was only like a 30 minute drive to get out to Elk mountain and stuff. Always good for an evening hike.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
As a general rule, if you can avoid commuting on hwy 26 between downtown and Cornell or 185th and on hwy 217, you'll be a much happier person. There is a good bus/lightrail system here that is very affordable. If you're working in Tualatin, you could live as far south as perhaps Wilsonville and not have too bad of a commute. Beaverton has some areas that have Pearl District-like housing. I really don't know how much apartments run, I've never rented up here before.

I've been taking 217 home. It's great compared to 26/84..

Doesen't save me any time, but it saves me gas sine there's not nearly as much stop and go.

Edit: It takes me 35 minutes to get from I205 @ Johnson Creek Blvd to Cornell and Elam Young Pkwy at ~5:30AM going I205 > I84 > Hwy 26.

It takes me 45 minutes to get home from there going 26 > 217 > I5 > I205, assuming no accidents, etc... at ~3:00PM.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Hey Raptor. Sorry I haven't replied earlier to your PM. I don't really have much to tell you about the housing market around here because I don't know much about the housing market at all. I know what areas west of Portland to live in or not live in and that's about it, but I couldn't tell you about pricing.

I wish I could help, but when you get here, I'll buy you a beer. :beer:

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: raptor13

Originally posted by: TuxDave
So what's the exact city of your work location? I'm living over in Hillsboro (and happen to work in Hillsboro). That entire area is really new but unbelievably boring. Btw, if you're willing to spend $1000/month on rent you may as well stay in the Pearl district. Anywhere else you can get $500-600/month or so.

My work is in Tualatin. In fact, it's right HERE!

I work right here

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: raptor13
So what about Beaverton? It seems like a nice enough area from what I can tell and it looks like I could get a pretty nice condo/townhouse for well under $1000/month. It'd be about a 10 mile commute to work which might be 20 minutes or so down 217, I'd think. Getting into Portland proper doesn't look to be much of a challenge, either.

Thoughts? Ideas?

You'd be amazed at how long it will take you to drive those 10 miles. My recollection is that 217 is pretty damn busy in the morning. In fact, avoid the highways all together. Going from Bearverton to Hillsboro for my commute, I avoided the highways and left a little before 7 in the morning, took 20 minutes. To go home at 4:30 took about 45 minutes since rush hour was beginning to pick up. And this was for a measly 10 miles.

Oh wait... hell I remember Tualatin now. I had to go there for my FedEx packages. Going from Bearverton to Tualatin by 217 to I5 was horrendous during rush hour.

Though the plus of Bearverton was that it was pretty easy drive down 26, once you got past Cornell, out to the western state parks and the coast. It was only like a 30 minute drive to get out to Elk mountain and stuff. Always good for an evening hike.

It took me 40 minutes this past Friday to go 5.3 miles down 217 to the I-5 interchange between 5pm and 6pm.

I never got out of 2nd gear.

 

[95SS]

There are some nice places in West Linn/Lake Oswego, wouldn't be too bad of a commute. Or as has been mentioned, Wilsonville (more specifically around the N Wilsonville exit 289 off I-5) would be good also. I second all the sentiments about avoiding 26 and 217. I drove 26 daily to work for 9 months, and hated it.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

I drive sunset highway (26) to and from work every day in rush hour traffic through densely populated and commercial areas and it's not bad at all (65+ mph). It's 217 and I-5 that really suck.

 

[Theiananator]

I work here

EDIT: Link

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

haha

 

[raptor13]

So, apparently, my little drive down 217 is going to blow. The real trouble is that I just know I'll want to be around downtown Portland pretty often just given my personality, interests, and whatnot. There's no way I'll be able to live without going to all the restaurants and bars down there. A lot.

Living in Beaverton would put me between highways 26 and 5 (but never at those interchanges) on 217. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Maybe? That brings me to my next question: Is lanesplitting legal in Oregon? :evil:

 

[Brutuskend]

You'll LOVE it HERE!

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: raptor13
So, apparently, my little drive down 217 is going to blow. The real trouble is that I just know I'll want to be around downtown Portland pretty often just given my personality, interests, and whatnot. There's no way I'll be able to live without going to all the restaurants and bars down there. A lot.

Living in Beaverton would put me between highways 26 and 5 (but never at those interchanges) on 217. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Maybe? That brings me to my next question: Is lanesplitting legal in Oregon? :evil:

You will want to take Max (lightrail) into downtown Portland anyway. Parking sucks.

Lanesplitting legal? Nope.

 

[Vic]

217 isn't that bad. Not as bad as the 26, 84, or I-5 through North Portland. The interchange at I-5/Kruse Way can be a pain though.

<- lives in SW, works in LO