Notices
Pacific Northwest Idaho | Oregon | Washington | Alaska

Moving To Portland...

Old 08-14-07, 01:24 PM
  #1  
MASTER CYLINDER!
Thread Starter
 
OuroborosChoked's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Pissburgh, PA
Posts: 61

Bikes: Raleigh c200

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Moving To Portland...

...but probably not until the end of the year.

How good of a city is it for biking? I've heard you can do it year-round without much hassle from the weather... is that true? How big are the hills/mountains (not counting Mt. Hood, obviously)?

What's the employment situation like? I've heard it's really competitive. I'm a college grad (BAS in Anthropology), but I'm best at writing/editing/grammar type stuff. Are there many jobs in that area?

I looked around at apartments, too. Most of them seem really over-priced... I rarely have a lot of money, so about how much damage can I expect per month as far as rent goes for Portland proper (or the nearby 'burbs anyway)?

Sorry for all the specific questions... I'm really looking forward to moving, regardless!

Oh, and any good routes for getting to the coast via bike?
OuroborosChoked is offline  
Old 08-14-07, 01:50 PM
  #2  
Rider in the Storm
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 736

Bikes: LeMond Zurich, KHS Fiero (Fixed), Centurion Ironman Expert

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by OuroborosChoked
...but probably not until the end of the year.

How good of a city is it for biking? I've heard you can do it year-round without much hassle from the weather... is that true? How big are the hills/mountains (not counting Mt. Hood, obviously)?

What's the employment situation like? I've heard it's really competitive. I'm a college grad (BAS in Anthropology), but I'm best at writing/editing/grammar type stuff. Are there many jobs in that area?

I looked around at apartments, too. Most of them seem really over-priced... I rarely have a lot of money, so about how much damage can I expect per month as far as rent goes for Portland proper (or the nearby 'burbs anyway)?

Sorry for all the specific questions... I'm really looking forward to moving, regardless!

Oh, and any good routes for getting to the coast via bike?
I'll only answer what I know.

Yes, biking is great here - you can bike all year, but expect to get wet.

There are many hills, downtown Portland is virtually surrounded by them. But, they really aren't that ominous. Heading straight west requires 500 feet or so of climbing. Heading southwest is a bit gentler roll. Heading east can be fairly flat (unless heading to Tabor or Mt. Scott areas) - just a gentle rise from the river's edge before leveling. Heading north rolls a bit, then flattens.
ChezJfrey is offline  
Old 08-14-07, 10:23 PM
  #3  
Batüwü Griekgriek
 
pgoat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NYC - for the moment...
Posts: 2,911

Bikes: 1986 Trek 500 Tri Series, 2005 Cannondale R1000

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
the wife and I are coming for a visit in October. any hints on the best spots to lodge/ride?
__________________
Originally Posted by jsharr
People whose sig line does not include a jsharr quote annoy me.
pgoat is offline  
Old 08-15-07, 06:01 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
pwyll99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 107

Bikes: 2007 Bianchi 1885 Veloce, 2003 Specialized Rockhopper, 2006 Rocky Mountain Slayer 50, 2006 Electra Ratrod

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
pgoat, Can't comment of lodging, but check out www.orbike.com if you want to go one an organized ride. They've got a pretty comprehensive list of posted rides, some require registration. There's a Harvest Century (with shorter options) the first weekend of October that's got a good reputation. OuroborosChoked, housing is high here. The further you get away from Portland the more affordable it becomes, or so I hear.
pwyll99 is offline  
Old 08-15-07, 06:42 PM
  #5  
Batüwü Griekgriek
 
pgoat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NYC - for the moment...
Posts: 2,911

Bikes: 1986 Trek 500 Tri Series, 2005 Cannondale R1000

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanks John. I checked that site out. We'll miss the harvest ride (leaving sat night) but could make these, if anyone has feedback:

Sat, Oct 6, 2007 Rides Tour d'Organics Portland EcoTrust Building NW Portland

Sat, Oct 6, 2007 Races Ride Through Paradise Klamath Falls, Oregon



always hard to know the 'insider' dope on new cities. I see the Bicycling mag recommendation on where to ride in NYC - it's okay, but not the first places I'd tell visitors to go.........


we'd also be renting road bikes so any recommendations on a good shop is welcome.
__________________
Originally Posted by jsharr
People whose sig line does not include a jsharr quote annoy me.
pgoat is offline  
Old 08-15-07, 09:06 PM
  #6  
ponyX3
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: portland or
Posts: 18

Bikes: lemond

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
depends on where you want to stay, which hood

if down town, ace hotel is nice:

https://www.acehotel.com/

if in some neighbor hoods in northeast or southeast, just peep some bread and breakfast places.

cheers
pyrogen is offline  
Old 08-16-07, 06:03 AM
  #7  
Batüwü Griekgriek
 
pgoat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NYC - for the moment...
Posts: 2,911

Bikes: 1986 Trek 500 Tri Series, 2005 Cannondale R1000

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
thanks!

we got some tourist books, just trying to get the lay o the land.....I'll look into ace.
__________________
Originally Posted by jsharr
People whose sig line does not include a jsharr quote annoy me.
pgoat is offline  
Old 08-16-07, 12:24 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
pwyll99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 107

Bikes: 2007 Bianchi 1885 Veloce, 2003 Specialized Rockhopper, 2006 Rocky Mountain Slayer 50, 2006 Electra Ratrod

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
The Tour d'Organics has generated a lot of interest. One of my coworkers is signing up for it. I'll be a typical Portlander and sign up at the last minute once I see what the weather is going to do.

The Klamath Falls ride is a long way from Portland. I would guess about a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive. But the Klamath Falls area is also known for good riding.
pwyll99 is offline  
Old 08-16-07, 08:09 PM
  #9  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
apts and other stuff

Well, you can actually find some decent priced one bedrooms in the $500-$600 range if you look. It seems to me that for some reason studios are more expensive. I don't why, but it's hard to find a cheap one. Maybe I haven't looked in the right places. Anyway, you can find decently priced apts. in Beaverton, Hillsboro and Tigard. There are also some in the same price range closer to Portland but they are harder to find and slip through your fingers like wind.

If you happen to get a place in the 'burbs west of Portland, where I currently live, the biking, at least to me, is great. Yes, it is hilly, and some places are pretty steep, but there are beautiful rides too. I enjoy riding along Hwy 26 and then through Washington Park where you can fly by the zoo, the japanese gardens, the rose gardens, and other stuff in that Park. I enjoy it.

I really don't know anything about how competitive the job market is here. I moved here from Kansas a little over a year ago and I'm a student, working part time on campus. However, I do know that there are many, many, many independent publishers and magazines here. Actually, I was helping a writer friend of mine look for jobs and their were many positions available for technical writers. Just look on craigslist. Anyway, welcom to Portland!
adab is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.