Portland or Seattle Areas

[Darthjaye]

Huh. I thought New Jersey was unique in that particular form of stupidity.

Considering how many morons out there don't know how to properly pump gas or for that matter, sit at the pump while on the cell phone either before they start pumping gas or well after the pump has stopped and hold up the line, I for one am glad they do that. At least the guy pumping your gas that works there won't be on the cell. And if he is, he'll more than likely be fired soon.

 

[DragonTurtle]

Portland also has the advantage of being centrally located to a variety of different types of terrain. You can be on a ski slope or a beach in about the same amount of driving time, and the drive to either location is beautiful.

Well the same could be said about Seattle, Snoqualmie pass is just outside of town and we have a few beaches (although honestly moving to Seattle for the beaches is a bad idea, even I will admit to.)

Heck if everyone is that vocal about moving to Portland that should say something right there, I still vote for Seattle, but maybe that is just hometown spirit.

Now the bigger question, where can you find some gaming? Looks like Portland is representing better than Seattle.

 

[DragonTurtle]

At least the guy pumping your gas that works there won't be on the cell. And if he is, he'll more than likely be fired soon.

Actually anytime I have been in Oregon, the attendant starts the pump, then walks off, so you are kinda left there holding up the line, and gas is expensive enough for me as is without having to 1) pay a surcharge because someone has to pump it for me, and 2) have to tip the guy pumping (although maybe the locals don't do that.)

However strange gas customs aside, that shouldn't be the deciding factor.

 

[Digital M@]

Living in Seattle proper is going to be outside of my budget, but I think i will have more customers in the Seattle area and will have less overnight travel if I live close to Seattle. Anybody from or care to share about Tacoma?


I think I am still leaning toward Portland area, I have liked what I have seen in Vancouver WA and the outdoorsman in me in much more interested in the features of Portland. After all, I work hard so I can play hard. But, the business man and family man in me may win out with living near Seattle.

Thanks for all of the feed back and keep it coming, it is helpful. Naming any nice burbs of either city helps because I can research the specific locations.

 

[DragonTurtle]

I really do not recommend Tacoma, if you are interested in the suburbs of Seattle that are cheaper you have choices, do not make Tacoma one of them (Smelly, Crime, I don't have anything really positive to say about it.)

Now Suburb-wise of Seattle that is more affordable, you have two choices really South or North (East is even more expensive, and West usually involves high ferry costs). North of Seattle you have places like Monroe and Marrysville that are growing pretty quickly, these are your more economical choices, Lynnwood and Everett are bigger and more developed, however they cost more too, however a lot less than Seattle.

South of Seattle (and before you get to Tacoma) are places like Renton (can still be pricy depending on where), Kent, Federal Way and where I live, Auburn. A little further south but cheaper is Puyallup.

You mention Family man, Bellevue has some of the best schools in the country (they make every top school list I have seen), however it is also spendier than Seattle.

 

[Thotas]

I'm a proud Portlander, but I have to admit I've never been to Seattle, not even to visit, so comparing them would be unfair and dishonest. Why do I love it here? Others have already mentioned the Grand Holy of Holy Temples over on west Burnside. I don't drive, so I am also glad of our transit system and care not one whit either way what happens when the coppers catch you committing self-serv at the gas station. Though I don't recommend it, cause, though it hasn't been as bad in recent years, they do have a rep for shooting first and asking questions later. And yes, we have great food, especially next weekend when we have the Bite of Oregon -- which sadly I may end up missing this year 'cause I may be out of town.

 

[Aris Dragonborn]

I don't live in either area, but having visited both a roughly equal number of times, I would recommend Portland, pretty much for the reasons expressed above (that's slightly biased, as I have family living in the Vancouver/Camas area). But if I ever decide to move to a city, it would probably be Portland. Closer to my parents (roughly two hours drive), three cool sisters living a hop-skip-and a jump away, and the city is just plain beautiful. Also, traffic is way better than Seattle, especially at rush hour (IMHO).

 

[Harmon]

Remember to get your license plates changed as quickly as possible, not sure how people from Illinois are perceived but Californians are not liked in Oregon, Idaho, or Washington.

Oh, and when they pump your gas, stand nearby so you can wash the slashed gas off the side of your car. I have seen the pump guys squirt (pull the pump handle after the pump is out of the car’s tank) the side of vehicles, even locals get that treatment- not just us Californian.

Good luck with the move, best wishes and all that.

 

[kenobi65]

Considering how many morons out there don't know how to properly pump gas or for that matter, sit at the pump while on the cell phone either before they start pumping gas or well after the pump has stopped and hold up the line, I for one am glad they do that. At least the guy pumping your gas that works there won't be on the cell. And if he is, he'll more than likely be fired soon.

Even though I'm no fan of rampant cell-phone idiocy...a couple of years ago, "Mythbusters" pretty thoroughly debunked the idea that using a cell phone while pumping gas can start a fire. What does seem to be a risk is getting back into, and out of, your car while pumping...sliding on the seat (particularly if you're a woman wearing pantyhose) can build up a pretty good static charge.

 

[Vargo]

Remember to get your license plates changed as quickly as possible, not sure how people from Illinois are perceived but Californians are not liked in Oregon, Idaho, or Washington.

Dunno about Oregon or Idaho, but in Washington state that statement would read "People from California are disliked by the people from California who already are here."

Back in the late '70s, Seattle (which was, and remains the population center of Washington) went through a major downturn as Boeing had a falloff in orders. People left like crazy, seeking work elsewhere. The population dropped like a stone, and there was a billboard in Seattle reading "Would the last person out please turn off the lights?"

Well, the upshot of that is that the people who stuck it out were generally nice, well-mannered, decent people, AND we had a great local environment. Sometime in the mid-eighties, somebody labeled Seattle "The Most Liveable City".

About the same time, Los Angeles sucked. It still does, but it was even worse then. Middle class people, tired of hour commute times and horrendously expensive housing looked at Seattle, saw that It Was Good, and emigrated en masse.

Thus began The Great Californication.

Back in '82, I remember driving south on I-5 with my mom, and having a red sportscar with California license plates pass us using an exit lane, swerving in and out of traffic. I remember not one, but TWO letters to the editor in the paper about that specific driver.

These days, that kind of driving is par for the course.

Basically, LA shed a small portion of their population, which completely overran the local populace, and blasted our "nice small town" culture to kingdom come. What survivors there were fled for Olympia and Bellingham, and Seattle continues to devolve as developers try to remake it in LA's image.

I'm still stuck in it for the time being, but my escape plans are starting to hatch...