Moving to Portland

Many a summer visitor to Portland has decided that this town is totally them, packed up and moved here. Others have friends already here, have heard it’s a happening place, maybe watched a little too much Portlandia, or read one too many NY Times articles gushing over all that is the little, big city of Portland. Whatever the case, if you’re considering a move to Portland, here’s everything you need to know.

Portland: The Good & The Bad

If you’re thinking about moving to Portland, here are a few things that make Portland the best city around:

• 1 hour from both the breathtaking Oregon coast and majestic Mt Hood
• Over 200 parks, including Forest Park (the largest wilderness park within city limits in the US)
• bike lanes and bike boxes galore
• the gorgeous Willamette River crossed by 11 bridges
• recycling, green etc
• amazing farmers markets
• more breweries within city limits than any other city in world
• it’s hard to get a bad cup of coffee in this town
• Over 200 food carts
• cheap [brilliant] eats
• cheap pub theaters where you can get pizza and a beer and watch a $4 movie.
• artists/DIY scene – not like a major metropolitan city — Portland is more like Etsy to New York’s MoMA
• indie music heaven
• public transit options: MAX light rail, bus, streetcar, tram
• Oregon wine – yep we have that too

So you probably already knew all that. It’s why you want to move here. So what’s the downside to this gorgeous city?

The rain.
Yes, Portland is the brunt of weather jokes. Ten years ago, if I said “Portland”, you’d have probably said “rain”. These days, you might mention one of the many reasons to love the city instead. Regardless, Portland rain is not a laughing matter. Some new residents underestimate how bad a little bit of drizzle can be, and if you’re coming from a climate that rain is either or a downpour or day or two of rain replaced with blue skies and sunshine, the rainy season may come as a bit of a shock.

So what to expect? Between November-ish and June-ish, Portland weather is “rainy”, which can mean fog, drizzle, downpour, cloudy, grey or all of the above. It’s not the typical rain you think of where the sky dumps a bucket a water and then resumes with it’s day — instead it’s just a general lack of sunshine, day after day after day.

Lack of diversity
Let’s admit it, Portland does not have the same multi-cultural diversity that most major cities have, even big sister Seattle. So while Portland continues to attract well-educated, young white professionals, the lack of diversity is definitely noticed by their non-white counterparts.

What neighborhood?

The great thing about Portland as a little big city, and our urban growth boundary, is that the city is very compact, so it’s not a big deal if you decide on a new neighborhood a year into living here. Many young professionals start out in the Pearl District in downtown Portland, while college students and more budget conscious movers quite often find themselves in inner SE or NE Portland to start.

However, there are plenty of great Portland neighborhoods (95 to be exact). Just be wary of cheap apartments that you find (without a visit to the city) past SE 82nd avenue and beyond. If you haven’t spent much time in the city, consider renting a place on Airbnb or Homeaway or even couchsurfing in a neighborhood you think you might want to live before buying or renting in Portland.

Researching Neighborhoods
Every April, Portland Monthly magazine features neighborhoods, so if you’re looking for the latest and greatest, give that issue a look through, or check out their neighborhood table, that let’s you sort and filter by average price, schools, population, crime, WalkScore, etc

Popular Neighborhoods:
Downtown: Pearl District, Old Town/Chinatown, Northwest, Goose Hollow,  PSU, Park blocks
SE: Sunnyside (where you’ll find Hawthorne Blvd), Buckman, Brooklyn, Sellwood, Woodstock, Mount Tabor, Richmond
NE: Elliot, Irvington, Alameda, Concordia, Laurelhurst, Montavilla, King (where you’ll find Alberta)
North: St Johns, Cathedral Park, Kenton, University Park, Overlook, Boise (where you’ll find Mississippi Ave)

Finding a job, money etc.

The biggest mistake you can make in moving to Portland is arriving without a job and lack of savings. If you’re not BYOJ “bringing your own job”, then it’s reasonable to assume that you’ll need 6-12 months of living expenses at the ready. This tip is not just for professional workers. Finding a job as a barista or at a bookstore can be equally difficult in Portland. You’ve been warned.

What’s your favorite Portland neighborhood?
Photo by danicuki