My wife may be getting an offer for a job in Portland that she wouldn't want to pass up, so we may be moving there this summer. I'm a bit reticent because I grew up in SoCal, and don't care at all for rainy weather. Any comments on the frequency of rain or number of really cloudy depressing days in Portland?

Also, our jobs would both be in downtown Portland. Any suggestions on good neighborhoods close to downtown?

 

Portland rains like a bish! Almost as much as Seattle


BUT, seattle is on a 29 day streak with no rain! If we can make it through today & tonight with no rain I believe its a all time record.

 

Saw a couple drops on the windshield today, and of course traffic had to slow down (wtf?!). Not enough to break the streak, IMO. I'll just pretend it was someone's windshield spray.

As for Portland I don't know it super well, but it always seems the weather is a bit nicer than Seattle (it always feels warmer). Being so close, it does rain about as much as Seattle, right off the Pacific (even closer, actually).

However, the biggest draw for living in Portland is that ER is right up the road!

 

Seattle is MORE wet than Portland, has more snow and more gray. Plus, it's got Bremerton, which is a curse all its own

Seriously, Portland is pretty nice most of the summer and not too awfully bad in the winter. It's more "neutral" than Seattle for harsh weather.

I live in Vancouver, WA, just across the bridge from Portland... We can see Portland from here but with the lower crime, lower cost of living, lower property taxes and better schools, there isn't much that can talk me into crossing over into P-Town... except maybe a race or two.

And don't buy into the "no sales tax" pitch for living in Oregon... you more than make up for it with all the extra taxes you pay. And if a big purchase is on your horizon, make the drive and avoid the tax.

That's my .02 cents worth.

Best of luck,

Scott

 

West of Portalnd in the Beaverton / Tigard area is your best bet. Its close to Portland and there is less crime. The rain is less than northern Washington and the summers are pretty nice.

 

Look at the inch per year rating.

http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/oregon/


I'm from The Dalles Oregon.... we got 13" of rain last year

I went to college in McMinnville Oregon .... we got 43.6" of rain last year (IT WAS A SHOCKER!)

I live in Bellingham WA now.... we got 36" last year.

I hated McMinnville. Bellingham is rainy...but not to excess. I loved Portland when I lived there.

 

Yes, but you measure the miles in hours, not minutes anywhere, any time in Beaverton. Dig y our eyes out with a spoon bad traffic. Hate it.

Scott

 

I lived in Troutdale, Fairview, Beaverton, and Hillsboro.

Beaverton and 20 = the suck. Hillsboro is farther to the west...so you just have to travel 10 minutes to Beaverton to find the suck. FYI....Beaverton is west of the "Portland" and it's hard to tell the difference between Hillsboro and Beaverton...

My commute from Beaverton to Airport way (205/I-84) took me between 1.5 and 2 hours. They call it sunset, because the sun is setting when you drive home and you can't see anything. Don't live in Beaverton if you work on the east side of the river. BIG NO NO.

I guess the first thing we should ask is where is your job located?

 

LOL - Seattle doesn't have Bremerton. It is 55 minutes away over water! Silverdale "gets" Bremerton, just ask Derek!

 

We'd both be working in downtown Portland (OHSU and PSU).

 

Look at Lake Oswego. The commute to OHSU and PSU is pretty nice from L.O. Are you looking to buy a house or rent? PSU and OHSU are very close together. Highway 43 moves very well (not a lot of traffic) and it puts you right down town.

google map puts it 4.5 to 5 miles from PSU and OHSU is even closer. Now remember...its 5 miles on higway 43... four lanes of people hauling ***.

 

rain means humidity, more likely to have rust on vehicle

 

says the guy from NJ

 

Didn't realize LO was so close to OHSU and PSU. I think we'd be looking to buy a house right off if the prices we're too shocking. One of my best friends grew up in LO, so I'll have to chat with him about what he thinks of it. Thanks. :-)

 

^^Speaked the truth...although they are revamping downtown. East bremerton is ghetto slum rice a roni trash town. Although the 400 condo's are upscale penthouse's overlooking Seattle which are nice. Rest of the town not so much

It's funny you are moving away from the Tri-Cities. It is considered one of the most booming cities in the country right now. With the government over there and a fast growing territory alot of jobs are present. I was thinking to move over there seeing pricing on housing. Hell what a decent size condo buys you over here buys a nice house on maybe an acre over there. Plus they have a WSU campus.