Seattle or Portland?

[ObiDon]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: gamepad
I've entertained the idea of moving to that area later in life. What's the political environment like over there?

Isn't Portland the left wing headquarters? I think I've read some articles about Portland residents burning military uniforms in a demonstration. I don't want any part of that.

Is Seattle just as liberal? Note: I'm not liberal or conservative, just in between.

It wasn't just uniforms, it was also flags, bibles, and the bodies of non-believers. You are better off staying away.

it's pretty easy to stay away from the extreme politics/activists. you very rarely just happen upon that stuff around here

 

[ObiDon]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
Portland.

So we can be bestest buddies!

yes!!! BFFs for everyone!!!

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Neither!

They both suck ass due to there hippies, dykes, heroin emo kids, rampant homlessness, Subaru drivers, and all around horrendous weather.

You want culture - Move to SF - sure the ultra liberals are a bit much and the homeless/crime aint the best but at least the weather is decent and SF has way way more culture!

 

[Mo0o]

More going on in Seattle. More relevant to the rest of the country.

 

[BudAshes]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Neither!

They both suck ass due to there hippies, dykes, heroin emo kids, rampant homlessness, Subaru drivers, and all around horrendous weather.

You want culture - Move to SF - sure the ultra liberals are a bit much and the homeless/crime aint the best but at least the weather is decent and SF has way way more culture!

How is someone driving a subaru a negative for you? Seems like the most obvious car choice if you are driving in the snow.

 

[AreaCode7O7]

I'm in Seattle now, and overall I would probably say Portland. Then again, I'm not much of a city person so that sways my preference.

Seattle has a busier economy, more nightlife, cultural life, expensive real estate, slightly less friendly people, more urban sprawl, more food options.
Portland is a little smaller, more limited job options, cheaper to live there, cleaner, less nightlife, fewer homeless, slightly more sunny days, still a decent cultural and food community.

Both have laid back people, great outdoor activity, healthy economies, access to other cool places to visit, etc. If you want more city, pick Seattle. If you want more local community feel, pick Portland.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Portland has a lot of good Lobster. YUMMY!!!! You should hit Vermont and get some good Maple Syrup while you're there.

 

[Vic]

I had to make the same decision 10 years ago, and chose Portland. The fact that I grew up here and most of my family lives here had a lot to do with that, but there were other factors.
Seattle has the big city feel, but horrendous traffic (as bad as LA, if not worse), high cost of living, and more crime come with that cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Portland OTOH has a much more livable atmosphere. It's also closer to the beach (Seattle is 3 hours drive from the beach, Puget Sound is NOT the ocean) and most other recreation.
The big kicker for me is Portland actually has hot summers. Nothing scorching midwest or anything like that, but Portland gets beautiful real summers. While a "hot" August day in Seattle is any one with a high temp above 75F, seriously. The cool rainy winters here are tough enough to deal with. No summer too make Vic sad.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: BudAshes

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Neither!

They both suck ass due to there hippies, dykes, heroin emo kids, rampant homlessness, Subaru drivers, and all around horrendous weather.

You want culture - Move to SF - sure the ultra liberals are a bit much and the homeless/crime aint the best but at least the weather is decent and SF has way way more culture!

How is someone driving a subaru a negative for you? Seems like the most obvious car choice if you are driving in the snow.

I :heart: my Subaru!

:|

 

[Atomic Playboy]

One negative that I haven't seen mentioned (and forgot myself) is that Portland is the whitest big city in America. If you're looking for a mingling of different minorities in a cultural melting pot, not so much in Portland... Don't get me wrong, it's not a racist place. It's just really, really white (for the record, I'm white too). It's a little like children of the corn sometimes.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: BudAshes

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Neither!

They both suck ass due to there hippies, dykes, heroin emo kids, rampant homlessness, Subaru drivers, and all around horrendous weather.

You want culture - Move to SF - sure the ultra liberals are a bit much and the homeless/crime aint the best but at least the weather is decent and SF has way way more culture!

How is someone driving a subaru a negative for you? Seems like the most obvious car choice if you are driving in the snow.

I :heart: my Subaru!

:|

In my college anthro class our professor asked us what image was conjured up when she mentioned certain cars, ie pickup trucks were more for working class redneck types or what have you. She said Subaru and I blurted out "birkenstock-wearing middle-aged Portland dykes who wanted something to replace their 1991 beige Volvo station wagon." She asked how I arrived at such a specific conclusion and I told her I knew lots of middle-aged lesbian couples in Portland who bought Outbacks to replace their old Volvos. She was impressed.

My point in telling that is to ask a question. Vic, did you buy the Subaru to replace a Volvo?

 

[Deeko]

I've seen a lot of people complain about the traffic in Seattle being really bad. Do you NW people just not have a clue what real traffic is like?? I just moved to Seattle from Philly, and downtown traffic (and highway traffic) seems extremely tame compared to Philly traffic. And Philly isn't even the worst NE city for that (NYC and DC are supposed to be worse).

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
In my college anthro class our professor asked us what image was conjured up when she mentioned certain cars, ie pickup trucks were more for working class redneck types or what have you. She said Subaru and I blurted out "birkenstock-wearing middle-aged Portland dykes who wanted something to replace their 1991 beige Volvo station wagon." She asked how I arrived at such a specific conclusion and I told her I knew lots of middle-aged lesbian couples in Portland who bought Outbacks to replace their old Volvos. She was impressed.

My point in telling that is to ask a question. Vic, did you buy the Subaru to replace a Volvo?

Heh no. I'm not a 2-tone beige-and-green Outback wagon driver. I drive a WRX, so I replaced a Honda.

AWD is about the only way one can have a 300+ hp year-round daily driver here with all the rain.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've seen a lot of people complain about the traffic in Seattle being really bad. Do you NW people just not have a clue what real traffic is like?? I just moved to Seattle from Philly, and downtown traffic (and highway traffic) seems extremely tame compared to Philly traffic. And Philly isn't even the worst NE city for that (NYC and DC are supposed to be worse).

Not all Seattle traffic is bad, but where it's bad, it's really bad. And public transportation is practically non-existent.
The drivers are some of the worst on the planet too.
What's your commute? That'll say a lot. I did Ballard to downtown and it was no big deal. But if you're commuting from Tacoma or eastside, that would be pure hell. Although they did fix that stretch of I-5 from Federal Way to the 405 interchange.

 

[jacob0401]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've seen a lot of people complain about the traffic in Seattle being really bad. Do you NW people just not have a clue what real traffic is like?? I just moved to Seattle from Philly, and downtown traffic (and highway traffic) seems extremely tame compared to Philly traffic. And Philly isn't even the worst NE city for that (NYC and DC are supposed to be worse).

Not all Seattle traffic is bad, but where it's bad, it's really bad. And public transportation is practically non-existent.
The drivers are some of the worst on the planet too.
What's your commute? That'll say a lot. I did Ballard to downtown and it was no big deal. But if you're commuting from Tacoma or eastside, that would be pure hell. Although they did fix that stretch of I-5 from Federal Way to the 405 interchange.

405 and bridges = epic fail

 

[Deeko]

My personal commute is just from Belltown to the International District...but I go straight through the heart of downtown, hence I see the downtown traffic daily. I don't regularly take the bridges, but I've done it a couple of times (90, during rush hour), and I saw what some of the other highways were like when I was out here for various interviews (405). Its heavy traffic, don't get me wrong, but it pales in comparison to i76 in Philly.

 

[Miramonti]

If you want to try something different, definitely Seattle. If you want to try something the same (as nothing) but in a different place, Portland.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've seen a lot of people complain about the traffic in Seattle being really bad. Do you NW people just not have a clue what real traffic is like?? I just moved to Seattle from Philly, and downtown traffic (and highway traffic) seems extremely tame compared to Philly traffic. And Philly isn't even the worst NE city for that (NYC and DC are supposed to be worse).

I90 isnt very bad, 520 is hell going from redmond to the seattle side in the afternoons. The areas on south 405, tacoma to seattle (and vice versa), and north of the city on the interstate get pretty bad.

Its not nearly as bad as DC (lived there for about 8 months), but its pretty bad.

 

[KeithTalent]

There's no personal income tax in Washington State, which is a bonus.

KT

 

[NL5]

Portland!

Seattle is wetter, cloudier, and SO much more uptight.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
There's no personal income tax in Washington State, which is a bonus.

KT

I wonder how all that tax stuff works for people who live in Vancouver and work in downtown Portland....

 

[NL5]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
There's no personal income tax in Washington State, which is a bonus.

KT

I wonder how all that tax stuff works for people who live in Vancouver and work in downtown Portland....

You pay Oregon Income Tax.

 

[Soybomb]

This thread makes me want to live in both

 

[rockyct]

To me it would be weird not living in a state where I can't pump my own gas. I'd rather pump my own because I don't want to have to wait for someone to come over and do it for me. I guess it's not really that big of a deal, but it would be something I'd have to get used to.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: NL5

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
There's no personal income tax in Washington State, which is a bonus.

KT

I wonder how all that tax stuff works for people who live in Vancouver and work in downtown Portland....

You pay Oregon Income Tax.

Is there city tax?