Relocation Questions

[Buckeye Native 001]

Hi guys,

Wasn't sure where in this area to post, but I guess this is as good as any place:

I'm considering the possibility of relocating to Portland and was hoping some of you would be able to help give some guidance as to the best way to go about doing that. I currently live in Phoenix, but with the recession, our local economy has taken a nosedive (we're in the top five, if not leading the nation, in home foreclosures) and the job market is downright stagnant. I've also been looking into moving back to Southern California (I went to college in Orange County), but the economy's not much better there, and the cost of living is astronomical.

I've tried doing some research online but haven't found a lot of info about whether or not the faltering economy is hitting Portland as hard as it is the rest of the country, and was wondering if anyone had some info about that, or could give their perspective? I've signed up for a couple of job search websites (one of which was oregonlive.com through The Oregonian) but was wondering if any of you knew of other means to go about looking for Portland area jobs (I'm mostly looking for administrative/clerical work). From what I can tell, the cost of living is about the same in Portland as it is in Phoenix, but I don't know if the wages are comparable, or how competetive the market is?

I'm also interested in pursuing my masters degree at Portland State and was curious if any of you went to PSU and could offer your opinion of the school?

Any info you guys have would be much appreciated. I've looked at sites like Craigslist for jobs and housing just to get an idea of the costs, but with the recession, moving anywhere is a pretty big risk right now. I've been to Portland a couple of times in the past and fell in love with the city, but any insider information about job hunting, where to live and school would greatly help.

Thanks!

Ryan aka Buckeye Native 001

[ericb4prez]

hey. thanks for the post, welcome to the portland thread.

i think the job market in portland still has some opportunities, depending on what specific field you want to work in. our economy here has a lot of small business opportunity as opposed to tons of fortune 500 companies.

i did undergrad at gonzaga university before transferring and finishing at PSU, and i really enjoyed the experience there. my girlfriend will most likely be getting her MBA at PSU as well. we currently live near campus, and there are tons of great eating options and the campus has an urban, diverse and vibrant feel.

cost of living is still relatively cheap...although i've helped a few friends move here and i have to say the prices for rent here have gone up a lot since i last looked for an apartment. still definitely a lot cheaper than LA...and if you live within the downtown area there is the money saved on a car/gas.

feel free to send me a PM if you have any more specific questions.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Thanks Eric.

I'm looking at working for one of the local schools/colleges (PSU, UofP and Portland Community Colleges seem to have the most jobs available) which would help with tuition and whatnot. My only real concern is if I get called for an interview how to go about getting up there (airfare isn't cheap and driving would take too long). That, and the competetiveness in looking for jobs. Part of the reason I've not had much luck looking in California is because of the demand to live in a place like SoCal.

[jaxg8r1]

Jobdango is a goodsite, and (although I haven't checked it lately) it used to be primarily an Oregon/Pacific NW website...
John

[Buckeye Native 001]

Thanks, John.

Jobdango still looks to be fairly NW-centric. Does anyone know if its any better than sites like Jobing.com or Career Builder where one job posting gets thousands of applicants?

Anyway, airfare isn't as expensive as I thought (about $220 roundtrip from PHX to PDX on either Alaska or Southwest) and I'm entertaining the notion of coming up for a tour of PSU one weekend. Tri-Met/Max runs from the airport to Downtown, but from there can you stay on the light rail, or do you need to hop on a streetcar to get to campus?

[ericb4prez]

campus is just a few blocks away from the lightrail...within the next year it will run directly through campus.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Found a lot of interesting job search websites, and it looks like the State of Oregon has a surprisingly large presence in the metro area.

I guess my only other question is your typical non-native spiel about the winter weather? I know its not as dry as Phoenix, but I'm getting varied answers from a lot of people. Some say it rains nonstop, others say the rain isn't nearly as bad as its made out to be. Personally, I'll take rain over the constant sunlight (after spending the last decade in both Phoenix and Southern California) but my concern is how it will affect my asthma? Does being close to the ocean help at all? I can't seem to find any decent weather info concerning mold/pollen on the internet beyond the Weather Channel, and right now they're saying there's more mold/pollen in Phoenix than in Portland, which I find kind of hard to believe.

[ethirtysex]

Found a lot of interesting job search websites, and it looks like the State of Oregon has a surprisingly large presence in the metro area.

I guess my only other question is your typical non-native spiel about the winter weather? I know its not as dry as Phoenix, but I'm getting varied answers from a lot of people. Some say it rains nonstop, others say the rain isn't nearly as bad as its made out to be. Personally, I'll take rain over the constant sunlight (after spending the last decade in both Phoenix and Southern California) but my concern is how it will affect my asthma? Does being close to the ocean help at all? I can't seem to find any decent weather info concerning mold/pollen on the internet beyond the Weather Channel, and right now they're saying there's more mold/pollen in Phoenix than in Portland, which I find kind of hard to believe.

Portland can be pretty bad if you haven't taken your allergy medicine. The valley to the south can frequently have a higher pollen count than anywhere else in the country, and portland is usually close behind.

The rain is what you make of it. The weather around these parts changes so frequently that there's no point in caring. It was raining pretty much non-stop until the middle of June this year, but after that it was completely dry until just a few days ago. The rain is also not typically heavy, just a few drops here and there. You can tell the difference between a native and transplant by the fact that natives never have umbrellas.

[EastPDX]

:)

[bvpcvm]

also, it really varies. a couple years back i remember a winter that was surprisingly dry, last year was average, the year before quite wet. or at least it seemed that way.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Meh, I'm on allergy medication and Advair (inhaled steroid) so I guess that's not too bad. Doesn't hurt that Portland's relatively close to the ocean (does that have any influence on the weather there?). I mean, I don't think we're talking about the Midwest here in terms of weather, and I've heard that the rain is more of a drizzle than downpour, which I guess is better.

How's the humidity in the spring, summer and fall?

Thanks again for your help guys.

[IanofCascadia]

:previous: In short... the summers are hot and dry, the winters are cold and wet, the autumns are cold and dry, and the springs are usually a mix. Probably the most important thing to remember about the Portland area though, is that our weather is overall very mild. Like in winter we usually only get snow once a year, and when we do it's only an inch or so. During summer, 80's are a fairly typical daytime high with 50's at night. And yes, as for rain intensity it is usually just foggy and very light rain. We do not get thunderstorms like the gulf coast or Midwest gets (I have lived in Florida).

I Personally have lived all over the country and have found the Pacific Northwest to be by far my favorite area. I can't quite emphasize enough how different and unique each season is around here... that alone is perhaps the greatest (of the many) changes from Florida.

Also, as someone who has both allergies and asthma, I can tell you that there really isn't much to worry about. As I said, spring and winter can get very humid but it's something that you adjust fairly quickly to. We don't have a lot of the large (mostly coal fired) pollution that most of the country does so we have excellent air quality. Admittedly, the time of year when the rains begin to return (around now) can bring congestion... nothing unmanageable.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Awesome. Thanks Ian, that's what I was most concerned about. Right off the bat while doing research, it seemed like every other post (especially on sites like City Data.com) was "OMIGOD THE RAIN HERE SUCKS EVERYTHINGS MOLDY AND MISERABLE!!!!" and then I'd read a post about how most of its fog/drizzle (which we got somewhat frequently in California during our rainy season in mid-winter) which seems manageable enough.

Hell, according to the Weather Channel, the pollen count has been worse here in Phoenix the past few days than it has been in Portland.

[MOPIdaho]

Meh, I'm on allergy medication and Advair (inhaled steroid) so I guess that's not too bad. Doesn't hurt that Portland's relatively close to the ocean (does that have any influence on the weather there?). I mean, I don't think we're talking about the Midwest here in terms of weather, and I've heard that the rain is more of a drizzle than downpour, which I guess is better.

How's the humidity in the spring, summer and fall?

Thanks again for your help guys.

I actually grew out of my allergies until I moved to Western Oregon from the high deserts of Eastern Oregon. Its true that we're close to the ocean, but due to the valley and the the fact that everything grows and blooms here almost year round, there are a lot of allergens. As long as you're on some medication, you should be fine, just thought I'd give you a heads up.

Humidity doesn't really exist here like it does in the East. There's usually a persistent drizzle that can be expected from the end of October through June, with some downpours and some sunbreaks thrown in all winter. The three months of summer are almost completely dry and sunny. Temps hover above freezing in the winter, avg highs around 75 in the summer.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Thanks again all for your help. Apparently Portland's ranked relatively low on the "Worst Cities to Live" lists for fall and spring allergies (lower than places I've lived before like Cincinnati, Phoenix and Orange County/San Diego)

If I make my way up there to take a tour of the campus, any suggestions for hotels and/or hostels?

[Echo Park]

I'm moving to portland too. how easy is it to get a job if you're just looking for some grunt work to do while going to school? Those kind of jobs aren't really as dependent on the economy as what buckeye is looking for right? i'll probably be going to PSU as well.

[Okstate]

^ Not sure what you're intending to do at PSU but if it's urban planning you won't have time for the grunt work you're prob. suggesting. The program REQUIRES a minimum of 300 hours internship work on top of the heavy load they give you for school. If you could juggle school, internship, and a small job you're a better person than I :)

[dkealoha]

I worked retail while in college and so did some of my roommates. It was pretty easy to get a job doing that, but then again that was about 4 years ago so I'm not sure how easy it is right now.

[tworivers]

any suggestions for hotels and/or hostels?

Check out the Ace (http://www.acehotel.com/portland). Short streetcar ride to PSU, relatively affordable, free bike rental, near Powells and the Pearl, good restaurants (Clyde Common and Kenny & Zuke's are in the same building)...

[Okstate]

^ I didn't think the bike rentals were free?

[zilfondel]

^ Just if you rent a room in the Ace.

[Echo Park]

also if i move to portland will i be the only mexican there

[zilfondel]

also if i move to portland will i be the only mexican there

lol, no - we definitely have a sizeable latino/hispanic population in Oregon. Although Portland is pretty white (check census stats if you'd like). Its a lot easier these days to find decent Mexican food in town, at least.. :)