Learn me: Pacific Northwest

My girlfriend and I are thinking of moving, to either Oregon or Washington. we currently reside in central MA and hate it here. we want to leave it behind and start over. anyone live in either one of these states or visit often? how is it? how are the people? how hard is it to find a job, an apartment, ect

There are quite a few people that have made a successful move out there, unfortunately I am not one (my connection out there folded on me like wet toilet paper) but given the opportunity would make the jump.

Here is my old learn me thread.

older thread

tjbell wrote: My girlfriend and I are thinking of moving, to either Oregon or Washington. we currently reside in central MA and hate it here. we want to leave it behind and start over. anyone live in either one of these states or visit often? how is it? how are the people? how hard is it to find a job, an apartment, ect

Let's see... I use to live in the Poconos of NE Pa... and before that in the general tri-state (NY/NJ/Pa) area....

I wouldn't go back......

It does "rain" here more often... but rain totals are about equal. A rainy day here may have a spritz... or two, or maybe three in a day. It can also mean a rainy day... 1/2" plus or more. My point in this is it is claimed to be rainy and grey here... it was never a concern once we moved.

My favorite thing to say when i moved here... "When you say 20 degrees in Portland... its GIVEN that it is above ZERO..." I think the coldest its been here was a day or two in the single digits... OVER night!

Snow... it DOES happen here... and it ISN'T well handled... at least not in Portland, but people here tend to be a bit more relaxed... and so there is often snow days for only 2" of snow.... Since I moved here (8 years now) we have had 3 snow events... the worst was about 13"

Portland isn't Boston, or NY... or other LARGE city... if you crave that head to Seattle. there is tons more... but it is safe to say if you prefer to watch others in the rat race... then be in it yourself... Portland is more your speed

Oh... another point... the biting insects are fewer here....

and another thing... I use to be an A/C pig... it was typically on from May through September when I was back east... now... it may be on for a total of 10 days, MAYBE 2 weeks worth out here

Where's your family? It's a long flight from one side of the country to the other. That's the only reason I'm hesitant to move out there before the parents/grandparents are gone. Once my family is gone I'll probably be in California or Southern Oregon.

So is eastern Washington, where it doesnt rain all the time, considered the PNW or not?

In reply to oldeskewltoy: +1

I'm a native Oregonian and you've more or less hit it on the head. While I'm not excited by the changes in the Portland area over the past 20 years (since I've been paying attention). It is still a great place to live with lots of areas and towns to choose from to suit your lifestyle.

For car folks, there are lots of great older cars here that are available fairly cheap since things don't tend to rust out here and it isn't hot enough to kill things with heat either. Vehicle emissions testing is fairly straightforward with only a simple check for a cat (if so equipped) and a sniffer test, so keep it clean and you can drive almost anything here. Outside of Portland there are no emissions requirements.

Seattle and the area is very much a big city with lots of hustle and bustle, sprawl and "keeping up with the Joneses" nonsense, but there are many beautiful areas in the rest of Washington, much like Oregon, that would make a great place to live provided you can find work.

Either way, there are tons of tracks and car events in the PNW area to more than keep you busy nearly all year.

In reply to spitfirebill:

Yup, but so few people live there, no one pays it much attention. Similar to Eastern Oregon. Everyone thinks of the PNW = The western areas of the states on the "wet" side of the mountains.

I should add, the coastal areas are beautiful, but things tend to rust quickly due to the salt in the air and employment is hard to come by, plus there are more storms in the winter so it can be a bit more miserable at times if you're not prepared for rain.

Come to BC. We have cookies.

thanks for all the info everyone. both my girlfriend and I have family here in MA but im 25, I think its time I do my own thing and try it out. I am most interested in an area around Portland, not completely in the city though, as I am about an hour away from Boston right now. not a huge fan of "city life". but whenever I see the area on TV (cooking shows) and such it just looks so great, and no rust on cars... ZOMG being a mechanic in MA is horrid, I mean... it takes the joy of working on cars away... how about gun laws in Oregon? I cant imagine they are as strict as the communist republic of MASS

So what your saying is...you think Mass is a bit too liberal and you want to go to Portland?

In reply to PHeller:

Well, to be honest, Portland is an island of liberalism in a sea of conservatism. Head out to Sandy or McMinnville or Salem and you'll be in redneck country (and commuting to the Portland Metro area for work since the liberals seem to have all the jerbs) :)

Other exceptions would be College towns like Eugene or Corvallis. Also Bend (I don't know why either, but there's lots of rich people there and many of them are or were hippies).

As for gun laws:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Oregon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Massachusetts

turboswede wrote: In reply to PHeller: Well, to be honest, Portland is an island of liberalism in a sea of conservatism. Head out to Sandy or McMinnville or Salem and you'll be in redneck country (and commuting to the Portland Metro area for work since the liberals seem to have all the jerbs) :) Other exceptions would be College towns like Eugene or Corvallis. Also Bend (I don't know why either, but there's lots of rich people there and many of them are or were hippies). As for gun laws: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Oregon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Massachusetts

Portland may be a sea... but the Willamette Valley (Portland, south past Salem and Eugene) is DEEP DARK blue.... and typically the state follows. The open areas out east and south east are more red

The blue here isn't east coast blue... here it is more like a Libertarian blue (Libertarian liberal... if there is such a thing).... well that is my take on it.

Do you have allergies? Hay fever?

The Willamette valley is one of the biggest grass seed producers in the world and as such has earned the nickname "valley of death" from folks who suffer from allergies. It is BAD. Bad enough that folks who have never had problems before developers them after a few years. The scale fro grass pollen is like 0-4ppm low, 5-19 moderate, 20-99 high, 100+ very high. Eugene will sit at 1400ppm most of the grass season.

Popping antihistamines is worth it. The Willamette valley is awesome.

I lived in Portland for a year. Nice place to visit. I go about once a month. Lot of Brit car stuff there. Museums, theater, art, street activities. Moved to Olympia about 3 months ago. Really like it so far except for the rain. Not sure about Seattle.

I love central Oregon. The dry side. Excellent climate, comfortable in the summer and winter, no sales tax, no emissions testing, cheaper land than the West side. Any products or services you need are available in Bend or Redmond or available via an online order. I moved out here 3.5 years ago and tried to find a way to stay long term. I found it. Pilot for the USFS.

spitfirebill wrote: So is eastern Washington, where it doesnt rain all the time, considered the PNW or not?

As a Wet Western Washington guy it is shocking how people never think about the bulk of our state! East Washington is awesome!!!

oldeskewltoy wrote: The blue here isn't east coast blue... here it is more like a Libertarian blue (Libertarian liberal... if there is such a thing).... well that is my take on it.

There is, http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Classical_liberalism.html

Sultan wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: So is eastern Washington, where it doesnt rain all the time, considered the PNW or not?

As a Wet Western Washington guy it is shocking how people never think about the bulk of our state! East Washington is awesome!!!

As someone who grew up right on the Idaho side of the state line, I would have to agree. Although western Washington is awesome too. And Oregon. Hell, the PNW is my favorite region is the US but I might be a bit biased

I remember a vacation my family took to the Oregon coast about 15 years ago. I loved that place so much that 15 years later I still think about it. In fact, I seriously thought about leaving active duty and moving to the Guard/Reserve just so I could still be in the military and live in Oregon.

I have lived in Texas, Mississippi, Nebraska and now Florida. Each place had its pluses but I have not lived anywhere that, in my mind, holds a candle to the PNW.

I have lived on the wet side of Oregon and the dry side of both Washington and Oregon. Most of the wet siders don't even really seem to know we exist out here on the dry side. Most seem to think eastern oregon is the Dalles or Bend which is not even a third of the way east from Portland.

Out here we get a foot of snow and think nothing of it. A snow day is when there is a blizzard and roads are shut down. It is not uncommon to see someone walking around with a gun on their hip in town. It is uncommon to see someone without a gun on their hip in the mountains. Cars do not really rust out here they sit and wait. If you like shopping and the rat race of the city this is not the area for you. It is not uncommon to drive 3 hours to get to the nearest Costco. In La Grande we have a drive in. Yes an honest to god drive in movie theater the operates all summer long. In fact we are going to it this weekend. If you enjoy fishing, hiking, camping, hunting and the outdoors in general you would think you had died and gone to heaven out here. Wet siders are not looked at in high regard by dry siders in most cases. Most out here would happily cut off that whole side of the state. Out here homes and land cost less however jobs also pay less. Be prepared to earn your money out here by working hard for someone else or starting your own business. If you are a liberal best to stay to the west. Out here they will make your life a living hell. We have rattlesnakes and scorpions. We also have some of the most beautiful land you will ever see in your life and 95% of the wet siders will never lay eyes on it or even realize it is in their state.

I live closer to Boise Idaho than I do Portland.

Best part about the PNW is the insanely low allergies. Seattle and Portland are like heaven compared to the east coast.

http://www.aafa.org/pdfs/FINAL_public_LIST_Spring_2014.pdf

People around here will tell you just how bad the allergies are and will emphatically believe they are in the worst allergy areas of the US, but statistically they are wrong. Most of these folks have never lived in the allergy hell of the souteast or the Northeast.

Typical June pollen map. That red dot is Eugene. My town

How about Couer d'Alene, Idaho? The folks there consider themselves part of the PNW. North Idaho is more connected to Seattle than Boise. Winters are harsher than Seattle or Portland or anywhere on the wet side of the Cascades, but it's a nice area depending on what you are looking for and if one can find employment there.

I would love to retire to Boise..........

Thanks for all the input you guys are awesome. I am planning a road trip to go scout for a place this summer... if anyone along the wants to meet, ill be around!

If you end up in eastern oregon on your trip let me know.