I am considering moving my family to the Oregon from Colorado. Originally I considered living on the coast somewhere. But I need to be nearer to a place with more employment (I work as a SW engineer). Also I would like to be relatively close to good photogenic Mtn. locations.
Portland looks good because one lives between the Mtn. and the Oregon coast. Also it is not too far from WA Mtns. (Rainier, Olympic NP, etc...).
What about other bases of operation such as Corvallis or Eugene, etc...?
Not really - Portland, OR and the general area is pretty much a photography waste land.
OK seriously where you live either around Portland or farther south (Eugene/Corvallis) or a bit north (Southern Washington) all work. Portland is a bit more central to everything, but cost more that either other place. Also depends where your work takes you. If you like less rain then east of then Cascades is a better choice - Hood River...
Yea... don't move here... it's really ugly all the time
This is photography NIRVANA !! I mean Colorado is not a yuky place to live either.... but we have Washington and Oregon beaches, Washington and Oregon mountains, wildflowers, desert and so much more within 2 hours of here. When I moved here from Los Angeles, my wife and I took turns coming out here and staying for 3 days to get a feel for the town. Stay downtown and enjoy city life while having real estate agent pick you up and drive you around.... Portland is an interesting town - it has quite a mix of people to put it politely
Posted by Darren White on July 19, 2007 at 8:14 PM
I was gonna say something smart A$$ like but since I was beat to it....
Just look at the pictures we post here......and I think like the old saying goes...
"a picture is worth a 1000 words"...
I live in SW Washington and work in Portland...I am from my doorstep 45 min from the Gorge
2 hours from Rainer and 93 miles to my hometown on the coast...
Life is rough for me......NOT!!!!!
We have everything here, and once you get sick of the Oregon side of the Gorge just cross the river and start trekking around HWY 14 for a few months!!!!
Portland - 30 minutes to big waterfalls in the gorge, 80 minutes to long sandy beaches, 80 minutes to rocky, cliffs, exploding wave beaches, 60 minutes to lake reflections of glaciated mountain, 0 minutes from classic river cityscapes, 0 minutes to near temperate rainforest (forest park).
And if you get sick of that, the things within 3 hours.... .... ....
It's also a good place for engineers, Derek - assuming SW = stormwater (we also have solid waste engineers at the agency I work at), you'll find a bunch of public sector agencies with solid programs on that front. We have a lot of stormwater in these parts..! But the big move now is toward green streets and infiltration, so that's something to think about if you're looking at a move. If you're a pipe guy, you might need to retool a bit to be more marketable here.
Philip, I could tell the Portland area was a 'photography waste land.' But I thought I might be able to grab a decent shot or two.
Thanks for the input guys. Your photos have my jaw dropping.
I really miss the coast. But need to be near Mtns. You guys have both it appears. I'm getting ready to head to the San Juans in SW Colorado this weekend for wildflowers. That area has to be my favorite for wildflower season and Fall colors.
I know the coast is awesome there in the PNW. But do you guys also get summer wildflowers in the Mtns. and Fall colors as well?
Actually, the west side of Portland i.e. Hillsboro does have its share of SW companies. Its a better venue for SW than HW here. Not sure what the market is at the moment (I have been with my company for 22 years as a HW engineer), but SW is one of those jobs you can telecommute very easily Maybe even on the beach or god forgive on the slopes of Hood.
Posted by Ned Fenimore on July 20, 2007 at 1:26 AM
I live in the Northern end of the Oregon Coast Range. It's a 40minute commute to Beaverton, with NO TRAFFIC! It's a long drive, but it's also stress free
Nope, I work in transportation at Metro, Ned - but we've worked with the "other" SW engineers at BES, Cleanwater Services (USA) and others on green street stuff. Most of our engineers at Metro are in transportation or solid waste, as opposed to stormwater (or software!).
Derek, you should probably know that it takes a good 60 minutes to drive across the Portland region on a good day - from Hillsboro to Troutdale, for example. The Gorge is on the Troutdale end - literally 15-30 minutes from town, whereas you can add that 60 minutes to a Gorge trip from the tech corridor on the westside... or more, if conditions aren't cooperating! The same goes for the Cascades - Mount Hood is 45 minutes from Troutdale or Gresham, or an hour and 45 minutes from the other end of the region, in Hillsboro.
The reverse holds true for coastal destinations - they are about 60-90 minutes from the westside, but you can add an hour if you live on the east edge of the region.
I live close-in, which sort of averages out the differences - plus I have secret routes from my neighborhood to the Gorge, Hood AND the Coast that avoids touching a freeway until you're at the edge of the region, and safely beyond the commute traffic. Somebody suggested just trying out an area, and that's a pretty good idea until you have a sense of where your "other" commutes are heading toward!
Curtis - That sounds like a great way to live near the coast and still maintain gainful employment. I would have never thought you could make it to Beaverton from the coast in 40 minutes. Thanks also for the tips on McAfee. I will definitely check them out.
I grew up in Hermosa Beach, Ca. and sometimes really miss the smell of the ocean, hearing the waves crash at night and the fog horn. I am not a millionaire so basically was driven out of my hometown. It is not the kind of place for young families and kids anymore. It used to be pretty laid back in the 60s and 70s.
Tom - You make a good point from a locals perspective. Those are things a person doesn't necessarily consider when simply vacationing or passing through. An example of that is that while I live in Colorado Springs currently, I find myself driving a lot thru Denver to get to photo op locales such as RMNP. Ideally I should live in Denver or Boulder to spend less time and gas going to those places.
Discussion
12 repliesI am considering moving my family to the Oregon from Colorado. Originally I considered living on the coast somewhere. But I need to be nearer to a place with more employment (I work as a SW engineer). Also I would like to be relatively close to good photogenic Mtn. locations.
Portland looks good because one lives between the Mtn. and the Oregon coast. Also it is not too far from WA Mtns. (Rainier, Olympic NP, etc...).
What about other bases of operation such as Corvallis or Eugene, etc...?
Thanks,
- Derek
Not really - Portland, OR and the general area is pretty much a photography waste land.
OK seriously where you live either around Portland or farther south (Eugene/Corvallis) or a bit north (Southern Washington) all work. Portland is a bit more central to everything, but cost more that either other place. Also depends where your work takes you. If you like less rain then east of then Cascades is a better choice - Hood River...
This is photography NIRVANA !! I mean Colorado is not a yuky place to live either.... but we have Washington and Oregon beaches, Washington and Oregon mountains, wildflowers, desert and so much more within 2 hours of here. When I moved here from Los Angeles, my wife and I took turns coming out here and staying for 3 days to get a feel for the town. Stay downtown and enjoy city life while having real estate agent pick you up and drive you around.... Portland is an interesting town - it has quite a mix of people to put it politely
Just look at the pictures we post here......and I think like the old saying goes...
"a picture is worth a 1000 words"...
I live in SW Washington and work in Portland...I am from my doorstep 45 min from the Gorge
2 hours from Rainer and 93 miles to my hometown on the coast...
Life is rough for me......NOT!!!!!
We have everything here, and once you get sick of the Oregon side of the Gorge just cross the river and start trekking around HWY 14 for a few months!!!!
And if you get sick of that, the things within 3 hours.... .... ....
Portland
Tom
Philip, I could tell the Portland area was a 'photography waste land.' But I thought I might be able to grab a decent shot or two.
Thanks for the input guys. Your photos have my jaw dropping.
I really miss the coast. But need to be near Mtns. You guys have both it appears. I'm getting ready to head to the San Juans in SW Colorado this weekend for wildflowers. That area has to be my favorite for wildflower season and Fall colors.
I know the coast is awesome there in the PNW. But do you guys also get summer wildflowers in the Mtns. and Fall colors as well?
Thanks,
- Derek
Thanks for the info. I guess SW engineer can have 'many' definitions.LOL... I am actually a software engineer.
Although maybe I should get into storm water or solid waste based on you input.
Thanks for the help,
Derek
https://mcafee.ats.hrsmart.com/cgi-bin/a/searchjobs_quick.cgi
I live in the Northern end of the Oregon Coast Range. It's a 40minute commute to Beaverton, with NO TRAFFIC! It's a long drive, but it's also stress free
Derek, you should probably know that it takes a good 60 minutes to drive across the Portland region on a good day - from Hillsboro to Troutdale, for example. The Gorge is on the Troutdale end - literally 15-30 minutes from town, whereas you can add that 60 minutes to a Gorge trip from the tech corridor on the westside... or more, if conditions aren't cooperating! The same goes for the Cascades - Mount Hood is 45 minutes from Troutdale or Gresham, or an hour and 45 minutes from the other end of the region, in Hillsboro.
The reverse holds true for coastal destinations - they are about 60-90 minutes from the westside, but you can add an hour if you live on the east edge of the region.
I live close-in, which sort of averages out the differences - plus I have secret routes from my neighborhood to the Gorge, Hood AND the Coast that avoids touching a freeway until you're at the edge of the region, and safely beyond the commute traffic. Somebody suggested just trying out an area, and that's a pretty good idea until you have a sense of where your "other" commutes are heading toward!
Tom
I grew up in Hermosa Beach, Ca. and sometimes really miss the smell of the ocean, hearing the waves crash at night and the fog horn. I am not a millionaire so basically was driven out of my hometown. It is not the kind of place for young families and kids anymore. It used to be pretty laid back in the 60s and 70s.
Tom - You make a good point from a locals perspective. Those are things a person doesn't necessarily consider when simply vacationing or passing through. An example of that is that while I live in Colorado Springs currently, I find myself driving a lot thru Denver to get to photo op locales such as RMNP. Ideally I should live in Denver or Boulder to spend less time and gas going to those places.
- Derek