I lived in Portland for six years and it is a fine place. There are lots of artistic young people doing cool things because for awhile it was the only cheap city on the west coast. There is a huge punk scene, with many many community houses and etc. We refer to it as a punk rock retirement town - the city the punks go to when they are tired of real cities and real ghetto life.
But it isn't cheap now. To give you a frame of reference, North Portland houses that sold for $50,000 to $85,000 six years ago are on the market now at $250,000.
The infrastructure won't disapear because enough people bought houses back in the day, but the glory years are finished. The town is right up there with Seattle for cost but there are fewer jobs.
We moved to Seattle on purpose and it is the only city I want to live in on this continent. I like it here for lots of reasons - the weather isn't even vaguely what people from elsewhere assume (I've never owned a raincoat), there are beaches everywhere, you can see two mountain ranges, and it is a historically populist town.
I like San Francisco too, and New York. I like crowded rowdy cities. But it is nice to live in a place where there is a little bit more room between buildings if you are paying a lot of money for the honor.
I might consider living in Pittsburgh except for the weather. I would be pleased as punch to live in Italy or Spain for awhile.
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Date: 2003-09-03 05:47 pm (UTC)But it isn't cheap now. To give you a frame of reference, North Portland houses that sold for $50,000 to $85,000 six years ago are on the market now at $250,000.
The infrastructure won't disapear because enough people bought houses back in the day, but the glory years are finished. The town is right up there with Seattle for cost but there are fewer jobs.
We moved to Seattle on purpose and it is the only city I want to live in on this continent. I like it here for lots of reasons - the weather isn't even vaguely what people from elsewhere assume (I've never owned a raincoat), there are beaches everywhere, you can see two mountain ranges, and it is a historically populist town.
I like San Francisco too, and New York. I like crowded rowdy cities. But it is nice to live in a place where there is a little bit more room between buildings if you are paying a lot of money for the honor.
I might consider living in Pittsburgh except for the weather. I would be pleased as punch to live in Italy or Spain for awhile.