UTMC

Anybody tell us about Canby?
We're looking at a house there.
We're wondering about the schools, neighborhood etc.
How does the job front look around Portland?
Denise is a Graphic Designer with lots of Medical Office experience too.
I'm a warehousing blue collar kinda guy. Although I'm currently in management.

Maine or Oregon?

deaconblooz wrote:Maine or Oregon?

That would be Oregon.

Can't help much for info. Portland is pretty awesome, but the prices for everything are much higher than when I lived there (early 90's). Canby is also far enough out of Portland to not be just part of its urban sprawl, which looks like sprawl in any city. Looks like there are some awesome roads right outside Canby too!!

If you don't mind me being nosy, why the big change?

Portland is a nice area. The job market was depressed for blue collar stuff a year or so ago, not sure what kinda shape it's in now. My uncle is a doc in Gresham, I can probably pry some job contacts outta him for your other half. It's an interesting mix of hippy, redneck, and high tech. Property taxes are a real bitch. Tons of good riding and outdoorsy type activities in the area. What kinda living situation are you looking for, urban, suburban, countryside? I might be able to point you towards some other areas that you could be looking at.

I'm not sure if you have any leads, but keep in mind that Oregon is currently #2 on the unemployment front, right behind Michigan.
The only visits I have made to Canby were for Datsun meets at the fairgrounds. Seemed like a nice little town as I was driving through it. It is not quite a suburb as you have to drive through a few miles of farmland to get to it, but it is close enough that you could commute if you were to work in Portland.

Best places to live in the US...according to Money magazine:

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/ar ... estate-buy

Portland has gotta be better than Philly.

don't move there with California plates... hehehe. Seriously, the dotcom bubble in SF broke, the rents stayed the same so many of my friends bugged out and went to Portland. They all love it. I would hazard to guess the the locals didn't love it at all as I'm sure housing prices and rents went up, waaay up.

Hell, I may go there at this rate. I'd recommend it!

I think Portland is fucking rad, except that no one I know there has a job. They all hustle and do weird/seedy/illegal/painful/degrading things for money.
Awesome fucking town, though.

I love Portland. Been there 3 or 4 times now, about a month and a half total.

The good:

Good scene, neat stuff to do, lots of good roads not far away, good restaurants, lively cultural life, no sales tax anywhere in Oregon. Moderate weather, not much snow most years. Decent, sometimes free, public transit. Decent moto scene. If you're into talented, mostly silicone-free nicely-tattooed strippers, thanks to the Oregon Supreme Court Portland is the epicenter for kick-ass, inexpensive strip clubs. (note: I dislike strip clubs in general, finding them to be pointless and sad exercises in plastic girls separating the desperate from their money. The Portland clubs I went to were actually fun, lacking the desperation factor and employing some talented people that were actually attractive to me sometimes.)

The bad:

As noted, major unemployment, generally low prevailing wages, stiff property taxes, and lots of clouds and rainy days throughout much of the year. Real estate values were pushed way high by Californians with more money than sense. Stupid and expensive (similar to Seattle IIRC) motorcycle parking rules, especially compared to San Francisco's moto policy. Lots of bums, addicts and street kids constantly hitting you up for money downtown.

Good or bad, depending on your personal beliefs:

Verrrrrrrrrry progressive local politics.

Mostly what Stiles said.....the gray winters are the killers....we have people here who sit next to lights that simulate sunlight cause in the winter there aint none. You know the sun is there somewhere cause it's daytime but you can go weeks without actually seeing the sun.

I'm sure this area consumes it's fair share of anti-depressants due to this.

I'd make sure you have a job here before coming out here....as someone mentioned, Oregon has the second highest unemployement rate in the country right now and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better anytime soon.....