Portland came into focus for a few reasons.
One, years & years ago when Keith was in the Navy he came here during Fleet Week. From what he remembers as a drunken squid, the city was pretty cool.
Two, I had never been to the North West and if we had to get back to work, it might as well be in an area that I haven’t quite explored yet. I have a huge list of ‘must see’ places around here that could take awhile!
Waterfall Just Outside Portland
Three, the city had enough jobs that we both could get back to work. That happened quickly for both of us, which in this economy we are grateful for.
Four, the food. Coming from food sad rural Georgia, I was excited to get back into a city that embraced food. I love that there are affordable food carts to pricy high end restaurants & everything in between. We haven’t had a horrible meal yet, and that’s saying something.
A Lunch Stop at Sizzle Pie
Five, the city is pedestrian/bike/transit friendly. We only have one car and didn’t want to think about purchasing another. Since we live in the city, we are even thinking of ditching the car we have because everything is so easy to get to.
View of the Streetcar Sign from the Streetcar
Six, the city embraces people to come as they are. I like an area that encourages people to be themselves. This means you have a lot of opinions and alternate lifestyles & well – that’s awesome.
We still don’t know how long we will stay. But, we are definitely loving this city and even if settling down doesn’t happen this time around, I can see returning already. It could have a little more sun, a baseball team, and love our German Shepherd a little bit more – but it’s a pretty awesome place to be ‘stuck’.
I can’t imagine being without a car. I am not a city person who is happy to sit in the coffee shop with friends. I would want to be able to drive and visit the waterfalls, Mt. St. Helens, the beach, the mountains, drive to Seattle, etc. You are so limited when you don’t have a car.
The nice thing about this city is besides regular car rentals, there are car-to-go’s, zip cars and other websites that allow people to rent out their cars. So there is easy access to vehicles all around the city. We are trying to weigh the cost of insurance, the car payment, and parking fees (plus towing mods) with the car we already have, versus renting once or twice a month to get out of the city. We haven’t decided, but it’s really nice that you can easily not have a car here & still get around. A year without a car could save some significant money, and then we can buy a used car here (where in Louisiana, there was not a used car with 4 wheel drive to be found) Decisions…Decisions…
I’m sad you guys are off the road, but totally understand how fun it is to live & explore a new city. By the way I’m headed up to Portland (in the car) to pick-up my Danish cousin who’s flying over for a visit in the beginning of July…since you are now “locals” any recommendations on best (relaxing) spot to eat and stay for a night?
Nina
Nina recently posted..Green, Green, Wet (And Did I Mention Wet?) – Eugene, OR
Sometimes I really think it won’t be for long – we already have ‘hitch itch’, as awesome as this city is. Hmmm… I guess it depends on what you mean by relaxing (and what the budget is). The east side near hawthorne is fun & quirky, Pearl district is nice and more trendy, and the downtown/arts area is pretty cool. To me, the suburbs are the same as any other suburbs so while they will be cheaper, they are pretty standard. Email me if you want to give me more specifics on what you are after & I can help you out! Although, if you can, get in a high rise – on a clear day from our roof we can see 3 volcanoes – it takes your breath away! Oh, and keep us posted if you have time to grab a drink or lunch or something.
Thanks! That’s really helpful! I’ll look into both those areas. Ideally I’d want something easy-budget where we can walk to dine/eat. You’re very welcome to join us that evening. It’ll be 2nd July.
Nina
Nina recently posted..Sunshine & Mountains Of Sand – Oregon Dunes, OR
Keep us posted on where you end up!