Mulling a move to the Pacific Northwest...

Oregon has state income tax but no sales tax and Washington is the opposite on both points.

Both states have parts with heavy rainfall and parts that are sunny and dry.

The rain in Seattle is beyond oppressive. Most people are "nice" but it can be more of a challenge making friends than in Vegas. I think it is the rain. People just clam up after a while. A sunny day changes people for the better so this is a great time of year. Dogs are a huge thing here, more so than anywhere else on planet Earth. The local economy is very good compared to most other areas.

My daughter is finishing up school in Bellingham Washington. It's cold there a lot and she's tired of it. People are nice she says. Going up there in June to see her graduate college.

I have family is Shasta County, northern California

I don't mind the cold nor the rain.
We're going to take a mini vacation to Portland this year and look around a bit and get a feel for things.

She must be going to Western Washington University. Bellingham is a great town. My expedited freight company was doing a lot of work for Spirit Airlines, which has a terminal there, and I was going to Bellingham a few times a year. It does rain a lot and it gets cold compared to California, but its not really that bad. The people are great and it has a very alternative/hippy feel to it...

My wife and I did a trip to Portland just to get away for the weekend a few years back. Here's what I remember....

Pros

Beautiful, lush : We hiked Multnomah falls which was amazing (pics below)

Walking city : great restaurants, shopping , coffee shops etc. Its just seemed like a city built for roaming, eating, wind shopping. Cool little shops everywhere

Friendly: Im from LA, so its a totally different vibe. Much more hippy, laid back up there.

Cons

LOTS of homeless kids / panhandlers. I guess its a hot spot to run away? But they seemed to be EVERYWHERE while we were walking around

Weather (my opinion) I don't mind a little rain / overcast, but I think its that way 300 days a year (I could be wrong) I think it would get a bit depressing


OVERALL : I wouldn't leave LA to move there, but it is a very cool city. You could do a hell of a lot worse

the perfect spot: Bellingham, WA

I'd love to go to the Seattle area for the progressive attitudes, but the rain might be a deal breaker for me. I'm going to try an extended vacation first to see if I can cope with all that gloomy weather.

Yo Sykkboy, I've lived in Portland for the past 15 years and in Western Oregon for a few longer. I can answer any questions you want, either ask on here or PM me. There are a few other Portlanders too - srockhard, kane, etc.

The natural beauty here is amazing, if that's one of your things you can't really go too wrong. There's a huge variety of landscapes within reasonable distance - coast, mountains, desert, old growth forest, large tracts of mostly unspoiled land - and a lot of pretty nice places to live. In Portland, Eugene, Ashland, etc, it's a progressive vibe but out in the country folks are truly Country, with a handful of back to nature hippie types for good measure.

In an average year it starts raining sometime in November and is pretty cool & damp through probably March. Spring is stormy - 10 minutes of heavy rain, 10 minutes sun, repeat. Honestly every year around mid-February the rain & darkness start to be a grind for me, I'm a sun person though. This year I spent some of the winter in Baja and that did help get my fix. But the payoff is in the summer from July thru end of Sept it's 75-85 & sunny with not a drop of rain, yet everything but the grass is still green & lush from all the winter rain. For that period it's truly the perfect weather. If the rain is a deal-breaker you can always move east of the Cascades where it's much much drier - literally you cross the mountain pass and you're suddenly in an arid climate.

Portland is a great city in many respects, real walkable, green, casual vibe, lots of stuff to do, high quality of life, fantastic restaurants, lots of neighborhoods with their own distinct feel. But it's really changed since I've lived here, the hipster/trendy quotient is thru the roof and in some ways feels like it's becoming a caricature of its former self. Lotta gentrification. I roll my eyes a lot nowadays, might just be getting old tho. Prices are still somewhat reasonable but going up. We're actually thinking about moving to a smaller town in the country.

Seattle is cool if you want a bigger city vibe, but traffic can be horrible and it's got a little less charm IMO. I know many people in Bellingham, it's also nice but the weather there is colder and wetter than even Portland so I could never live there...

Thanks.

I'm as comfortable in the city as the country (raised as a Wyoming farm/ranch boy). We've even discussed going the commune route, or even just our own little eco-village of one (family). I personally like the idea of being close to the city, but not in the heart of the city. Close enough to easily drive to, but far enough to be away from it all.

I know a couple people up in Bellingham as well and it's also on my shortlist,though leaning more heavily towards Oregon. Seattle would probably be a little too overwhelming for me after awhile.

When you're in Portland you should check out Hood River then. It's about 45 minutes east of the city, a town of about 5-10k in the Columbia River Gorge. The scenery's great - you've got the gorge & river all around you, then a broad valley with orchards & wineries heading south with Mount Hood towering above them. The town itself is a little yuppified but the side benefit of that is that you can find restaurants, shops, etc, that are pretty decent for a small town. It's one of the places we're considering.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hood_River,_Oregon

Eugene is what you are looking for.

I lived in Seattle but recently moved about 30 minutes North and I have to respectfully disagree about the rain negative hype... where I grew up in Connecticut has a higher yearly average for rainfall and way more of a harsh winter. Winters are wet in western Pacific Northwest but relatively mild.

People are friendly, cities are definitely dog friendly in general. Good cultural and entertainment options, and you don't have to go far to find a happy median of rural/suburban.

Oh yes, and weed is legal.

Yeah, I'll be visiting her this June and will check it out. I've been thinking about getting some acreage in another state to build a second home.
She loves the feel of it, but when she visited me in LA for 3 weeks, she spent a lot of time by the pool soaking up the sunshine

Seattle and Portland are both wonderful cities...similar to smaller versions of San Francisco in many respects.

Seattle is my hometown (although I consider myself to have grown up in Hawaii), and aside from the weather for much of the year, I love visiting there.

I was in Portland a week or so ago and absolutely had a great time. I would describe Portland as a very progressive arts-oriented city, with a small college town kind of vibe.



I didn't realize that so many GFYers whom I like live up that way - will have to hit some of you up before my next trip and maybe we can meet up.



ADG

Eugene's nice, I lived there 5 years. It's a college town (University of Oregon, go Ducks!) thru & thru with a side of real oldschool crunchy hippies who broke out of a 1968 time capsule. The hippie factor was much much higher even 15-20 years ago - now they've cleaned up the town a bit, i.e. homogenized it. I associate the place with my misspent youth, maybe it's the "you can never go back" factor but of all the more progressive cities in the NW that's one I'd probably skip myself. Much of the town is really centered around university life.

Another good place to check out if you got the time is Bend. It's east of the Cascades in the high desert, beautiful country for skiing, hiking, fishing, etc, and a pretty hip city itself. Totally different climate from Portland/Seattle/Bellingham.

That's exactly how I am, I gotta get south in the winter for some sun. Depends on the person I think. You could definitely do worse than buying land in NW Washington for a second home, it's a beautiful misty coastal wonderland.

One cool thing about Portland is that you are about 90 minutes from the beach and about 90 minutes from Mt. Hood and the snow/skiing and a little more than that and you are in the desert/warm area of Eastern Oregon.

If you are interested in having a small farm you likely won't live in Portland, but you don't have to travel far (20-30 min) and you can find plenty of rural areas around the city where you can easily have a small farm.

As others have said, there is a good amount of rain, but one thing I like is that we actually have four seasons. Winters are wet and grey with a little snow every now and then Spring alternates between wet and sunny while summer is mostly mild and in the 80's, although we do sometimes get some heat waves. Fall is my favorite. The weather is mild and there are a ton of trees changing color.

Thanks for all of the feedback!

I knew there were quite a few GFYers in the area.
Shit, if we move to Portland, does that mean we'll get invited to Boneprone's bukkake parties? ;-)

We're going to take a vacation in the area in September and scout the areas you guys have mentioned.

I just got back to Seattle for some family business and was instantly reminded of how fucking depressing this place can be. When the sun is out, it is insanely beautiful. After 3-4 weeks of gray skys, you want to shoot yourself. People dress like homeless people. Gray and cloudy far too often. I lived here for many years and prefer consistent sun. I think Oregon is much nicer in this respect and is really a beautiful state no matter where you are there.

I think the real question is in defining what you want in terms of weather and seasons and population. You can live at a ski resort in the mountains, you can live on the ocean and be miles away from people, you can live in Seattle and be stuck behind 4 arrogant pricks, all driving a Prius, with bike racks and kayaks on the roof, dressed like Kurt Cobain on a bad day, all shaking their head in concert at your Lexus. Or you could be stuck in traffic for 2 hrs a day. In Seattle, you can live in areas that are nothing but hippies and fair trade coffee shops or you can go across the lake to the money side and be surrounded by some of the wealthiest people in cities like Bellevue with more millionaires per square mile than anywhere in the world

We're about 75/25 Oregon/Washington
I don't mind the rain, but would like some days of sunshine. We'll most likely be rural living, but not too far from the city. We actually manage to do a lot of sustainable living in Vegas, so I can only imagine what we could do with actual seasons, hehe.

I don't want to live completely off the grid, but don't mind being away from the noise and crowds.

The Seattle area is nothing spectacular in terms of total rainfall. So the stats are super misleading as are peoples claims of constant rain. Summers are very beautiful. The problem is the topography and the 3-4-5 months of gray skies in the winter as the weather gets pushed up against all the surrounding mountains. So be aware that just visiting isn't going to simulate what it feels like at the end of 60 days with no sun at all. It has definite physiological impacts (lowered hormone levels, D3 etc etc) and is depressing. A lot of the state on the other side of the Cascades is desert actually. Oregon has very different topography and I think in general much better weather overall in most places (at least consistent).

I was always surprised in the south to see people run for cover and wait when it started raining (like when i lived in Orlando).. because to me "rain" meant "it's going to be horrible weather for 2-3 weeks".

Farm life in big city like Portland?
Anyway - Portland is probably the best out of all big cities in US. You know the reason

Not quite in the city ;-)
looking in that region, within an hour or so away

It should be noted that Portland supposedly has the most strip clubs per capita of any major US city, we need some wholesome entertainment during those rainy winters. There's even a vegan one if you like a dash of hipster pretension with your boobies.

The Drunk Bread sounds good...









ADG

Portland metro folks have a saying - "Summer starts July 4th." Seriously, people burn wood in my neighborhood through June. While the rain is usually light (heavier rains tend to run November - January), it's the constant grey that can be oppressive. You live for sun breaks (or "sucker holes").

I grew up in Oregon City, a few miles South of Portland. Lived there for 22 years, traveled a bit, now live in Vegas (14 years). Go back 'home' often.

As everyone has said the Portland area in the Summer (July - Sept) is awesome. Perfect weather and everything is green and lush. Then it turns and by March it gets real depressing. Parts of Portland I love, but not sure I could do the 7 months of overcast/drizzle again after living so long in sun. And visiting for a weekend or week during this time isn't going to cut it. A week of drizzle can be refreshing. 7 months in is another story.

If you're interested in farming but being close to the city/action a place like Oregon City or Beavercreek might be for you. 20-30 minutes from downtown but tons of rural space and a small town feel. Then if you can, plan on traveling Jan - April.

I lived in Portland for 13 years and now live in Vegas/LA for about 8. Like any place there are advantages and disadvantages to any place. I prefer Vegas for the weather. Portland is cold and rainy for over half the year. When its 45 degrees and raining for 6 weeks straight it can get to you. I would much rather deal with heat than that rain.

As for cities there isn't really a comparison. Portland is beautiful and has culture whereas Vegas has very little. Vegas only looks good at night. People in Portland vs Vegas people are also no match. Portland folks are nice and much more progressive if that's your thing. Vegas tends to be white trash and douche bags.

All in all I would still pick Vegas because of the weather. Some people really like the rain and I looked forward to winters in in Portland when the summers were hot. About a month into winter and I was done.

There is no worse day in the world than daylight savings time day where you switch your clocks back in the Fall and it's dark at 4 and raining in Portland. It's just a sign of what you'll be enduring over the next 6 months.

So Vegas weather is better but Portland wins in every other category but weather is a huge thing for me.

I can't do rain. I surely cannot do six weeks of rain at 45 degrees.

I love where I live just north of Sacramento. We still have seasons, it gets cold here and it gets warm here, but it never snows and rarely rains and we don't have the constant six months of 100+ weather like Phoenix or Vegas. Cost of living reasonable, crime rate is good, not much traffic, no smog.

Check out Yamhill county and wine country just outside of Portland.... it's beautiful. Dundee, McMinnville... that whole area.

Vegas in the summer during the day you just stay inside or go swimming. One of the best things to do at night is hang out on your patio with misters while it's 85 degrees outside watching heat lightning or a big storm roll in. I love it.

Move to Asia, maids, drivers, blow and hookers!

Ur wife will love it.

Everybody complains about the Vegas Summers but I love em. Pools during the day and then 80-90's at night.

The weather portion about Vegas I absolutely hate are the Spring winds. Constant and they seem to get worse and worse each year. Every Spring I find myself looking at Zillow for new cities to move to and then by June I'm happy again.

You forgot ladyboys.

Spring winds and allergy season. I've been in Vegas for almost 25 years now and have just grown tried of it. I want my kids to have a better quality of life and I don't see that happening in the Vegas area.

who knows, I might move up tho that area and in 4-5 years return to the devil I know, haha

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Of course, when Mt Rainier erupts next, Seattle property values are likely to see a slight decrease.....


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Ah, they'll just dig out from under 12" of ash like they did when Mount Saint Helens blew up. It's like snow!

On that topic, I highly recommend anyone visiting the Portland area head up to Mt St Helens if they've got time & hike up to the crater rim. It's a bitch of a climb but you don't need any special gear, and the scene when you get to that last 10 yards and look over the rim to see firsthand what happens when a mountain explodes - it's unreal. One of the coolest landscapes I've ever seen.