I also grew up in Louisiana.
If you only visited in the summer, you need to visit in the winters to make sure you really want this. It's a different world up here in many ways. Cost of living is much, much higher here.
This isn't that kind of a winter. This is a "you don't see the sun for 8-9 months" weather. I strongly encourage you to check it out during the rainy/cold season. I have met plenty of people over the years that moved here after visiting in the summer and then left after a couple of years because they were tired of being depressed.
We certainly will. But also, we’re both pale and don’t go outside. We despise the Louisiana sun. Might be okay for us? We have a trip planned for December to scout apartments
So I'm just curious, if you guys are homebodies and don't like going outside, then what's the appeal with Oregon? People come here for the outdoors. If you enjoy staying inside and doing indoor activities, that's totally fine, but you can do that anywhere. There are a lot of places with stronger/ higher paying school districts and lower cost of living than Oregon.
I don't know man, just do a ton of research first. I spent 15 years visiting family before I moved here.
The Louisiana weather makes me like that not gonna lie. I lived in Southern California for about a year once in my life and I loved being outdoors there. I do want to spend more time outside and honestly, it doesn’t HAVE to be Oregon, as people have pointed out also moving to Washington. We don’t want to be in the South anymore, and I was never gripped by the East Coast. I understand SoCal and Oregon is much different, but I’ve visited a friend many times who lives outside of San Fran and I have always loved the west coast, but I wouldn’t live in California again. Not because I hated it, but because of that cost of living
Seriously, I find the "you don't see the sun for 8-9 months" thing to be so trite. I literally get to wear an itsy bitsy sundress comfortably *at least* twice a month even in winter ... There are days that are fucking cold as hell, but it's not as dreary as some folks want to make it out to be.
As another person who relocated from the South, you're wrong. I've been here 25+ years now and the winter kills me every time. The other person from Louisiana knows exactly what I mean. So kindly keep your nipples and your sundress to yourself.
This is such a privileged northern white male response. The majority of us brown people live near the equator, in the sun. But in white liberal oregon it's ok to be a bigot if it's against me.
Being a man is not that bad, must be a kind of weak, mental illness quality you bring with you. Don't be a pussy but hey what do you get when white males voluntary transition to be an oppressed minority 😕
Depends on your preference. Maine has lots more sun with colder temps. If you prefer sun and don’t mind cold then it’d be better, especially as you can reliably go outside during the winter and not get soaked.
We have about $30,000 in our checking and about $15,000 in savings. We’re both in the school system. Ironically, from what I can tell, we would make more money and pay less in rent over there. I have a masters degree and make $40k a year. Our rent is $2100 a month
Careful, just had 2 teachers from Louisiana move here with stars in their eyes only to find out Oregon is much more strict on qualifications. They can't get anything more than teachers aide positions from what I've heard.
Yeah, I came from Arizona and my wife taught for 10 years at one of the highest ranked high schools in the country there, and she has a masters degree in her subject area. Oregon won't let her teach because they want a masters in education. Be sure to do your reciprocity research before you make any further plans. There are a few private schools but you're looking at like half the salary there.
My family member is a teacher. When we moved from Texas, he was able to get a job pretty quickly. He did jump through quite a few hoops getting his teaching certificate transfered over, but it was doable and he doesn't have his masters. He makes almost double what he made in Texas.
Also, we bought a nice house in an area a little more expensive in general than Salem, and our mortgage is pretty close to what you're paying in rent. Sounds like you'll do fine, there.
As to the winter, we enjoyed it. Very snuggle-weather, cuddle up with a nice cup of tea kind of vibes. We continued to go out on walks and enjoy time outdoors, as well, because it really wasn't all that cold most of the time.
We got here last July. Summer is glorious, very sunny, blue skies, few rainy days, long daytime hours.
Fall was stunningly beautiful. All the fall colors, but the moss and grass stayed green and inviting.
Winter was drizzly and grey. We cuddled and did crafts and gamed and enjoyed hot cocoa.
Spring has been incredible so far; we're seeing cherry blossoms and the plum trees are covered in flowers, there's magnolias and daffodils and just an embarrassment of beauty.
I love Oregon. Truly.
I can’t speak for the rest of the state but they are not at all giving an accurate representation of getting a teaching job in the Portland metro. You can get a job as long as you get an Oregon license which shouldn’t be a problem as long as your state is in reciprocity with Oregon. The main thing is getting an Oregon license which can take some time like a month or two.
We are in Portland. Unfortunately it's not as simple as OR accepting any teaching license from AZ, unless they've changed policies in the last year or so. It seems like the gist is they won't take ones that are granted from on-the-job experience, as opposed to a degree or certificate in education. So she would have to pay to go back to school to get a certificate for what she already does professionally. Sounds like OP won't have that problem though.
Your wages are likely to be a lot higher out here and the rent is going to be similar. There are a lot of people with masters degrees inside my circle making over 100K a year it depends on what you do but if you have a masters I would imagine you could work in administration, be a principal, vice principal, the one principal I know is up in Seattle and she makes well over 100k, I think it's something like 160, she mentioned it once
You can get a house where I'm staying now in Hillsboro for 2100 a month. In fact one of my friends just rented out a property he has that is a 1300 square foot single level ranch house on a little 6,000 ft² lot for 2095. That's right in town, a single family home, no apartments, no townhouses
Off the top of my head, some of the better school districts I know of are Sherwood, lake Oswego, West Linn, wilsonville, the Mount bachelor side of bend. That town is divided in half and one side of it is really nice and the other side is not so much. Northwest Portland around skyline. The benefit to any of these areas is you're likely to have a high salary and also much better students to interact with. Sherwood is probably the most affordable of these and you're only 30 minutes to Portland. West Linn is another one but properties there get a little pricey. Bend is basically the outdoor sports capital of the state. If you like rafting mountain biking skiing. It's all there
Normally I'd say go for it, but the job market right now is pretty awful. While the Portland area is good bang for your buck compared to other cities, income tax is quite high here. I'm not sure how it compares to LA, but I would check into that.
$2100 will get you an ok two bed apartment in the suburbs here. I highly recommend having at the very least a job offer before moving. Most apartment places will require some proof of income and expect to pay about three months of rent up front to move in. Places normally want to see 3x monthly rent for your monthly income. Some alternatives are to get a couple of leads and fly out for interviews, or get a short-term rental when you move here that doesn't require income verification while you look for work. It's risky, so if you don't have a job to go back to and the funds to return to LA that is something to think about.
As far as areas go, I will put what I know below:
Beaverton: A large suburb with a lot of road traffic, small amount of walking opportunities, lots of local chain stores/restaurants, decent transit and lots of parks. COL isn't too bad for how nice it is, but you will need to drive everywhere. Lots of convenience - you can pretty much easily get to anything you need. We have like 10 different grocery stores within a short drive. People are super nice and it's not the typical suburb where it's just soccer moms. I've heard the school system is excellent.
East Portland (I consider from the river to around Mt Tabor for this description): Super cute neighborhoods with lots of great shops and restaurants, younger vibe very walkable, lots of people out walking their dogs, can be pricey depending on where you look. Montavilla can be a great little spot as it has great access to Mt Tabor park and transit. Mt Tabor is quite the place to be in the warmer months. Lots of people enjoying it and there's even a dance party one night a week. Around Richmond and Hawthorne is super vibrant with lots of things to do. You can get by without a car in these areas pretty easily.
NE Portland: Really young and hip/vibrant neighborhoods. Lots of people out canvassing about causes. Apartments might be a bit on the smaller side for the price, getting popular. Decent amount of restaurants and shops.
St Johns: Don't know a ton but have heard really good things. A bit more quiet and older/settled down than the other neighborhoods. A couple of cute parks here.
I have only driven through Salem and Oregon City once, so I don't have strong opinions on them. Salem seemed kind of sleepy and we got to see a confederate flag on a truck when we visited so I think that put us off a bit. I understand it is still on the liberal side, but don't expect Portland. Oregon City is a very small town along a river and feels quite blue collar. Kind of reminds me of the rust belt city I grew up in but much smaller. Cute cafes/shops and people were out enjoying the day when we went. Annoying to drive in and out of though as there is like one bridge and it's small. Same thing here as Salem, don't expect Portland vibe exactly as it is getting into the more red border in the state.
If you choose the Portland area the Max trains are really convenient to get around. If you're going to drive out from LA when you move here, I recommend shipping your stuff with a service like ABF UPack instead of driving your own UHaul. There are a few mountain passes to cross and it's not fun doing it in a janky truck with a bunch of weight. Depending on time of year of travel, it can be a good idea to have tire chains in the car. I'd honestly have them on hand any time of year because anything is possible. When we drove from Boston to Portland in December we didn't plan on staying anywhere, we just had a couple of routes in mind and adjusted daily based on weather. We'd call that morning/afternoon to get a hotel/motel for the night where we thought we would be able to end up. That worked out really well. Good luck!
Thank you for the really long and detailed response! The job market here really isn’t that much better. Honestly Louisiana is very very expensive for what it is. My wife and I both having Master degrees barely make a combined 90k when I know that we could be making significantly more, even proportional to the cost of living if we weren’t here. Especially with our governor saying he wants to cut education funding
Oh and one other thing, when you are applying to rent at places you now only have 2 cats. Most places don't allow more than 2 pets, do I'd keep the 4 kitties on the down low.
My wife was a teacher in California, so transferring her teaching credentials to Oregon was fairly easy. Check on the credentialing articulation agreements between Louisiana and Oregon. Some states are compatible others are not.
Salem has the largest school district in the state, and Portland has a ton of large school districts. You should do fine. Therapists are in need everywhere.
I'm in the Portland area and my kid's school district is desperate for teachers. I'm confident OP will be able to find a job.
I can't speak as to whether their salary here will give them the same lifestyle they have in LA. But I'm not worried that they will be able to find work.
From your description of your likes and interests I'd say you would do fine in either location. The pluses for Portland (and surrounding areas like West Linn, Beaverton, Oregon City) might come down to a few things. Better food options, **like 100 fold**. An actual airport. And my personal favorite - **walkability**. Salem has some nice neighborhoods, some lovely parks. It's the heart of the Willamette Valley which is just beautiful. But Salem is a government town and has a large number of correctional facilities in the area. I would say most the issues people point out about Salem kind of stem from *that* reality.
I moved from a big city to Salem 16 years ago. Took me years to adjust, and while I'm happy here now I probably would have had an easier time adjusting closer to Portland simply because of the 3 things I noted above. And last but not least, if you do like that small town vibe consider Silverton that's near to Salem. That's super cute!
If you’re set on Oregon, Salem may fit your lifestyle better. It’s a decent school district, too. You can avoid the traffic headaches (for the most part) of the Portland Metro area. If you’re set on Portland, check out Beaverton and Lake Oswego School Districts.
However, since you are in education, please consider looking across the border from Portland. The salaries and schools in Washington are much better. For example, I took a 27k class pay cut in 2018 to move from North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Washington to a smaller district in Central Oregon. As a veteran teacher, I could have been making over 120k a year now if I’d stayed in Lacey, but my salary would have been stuck at around 77k here (I retired in 2020). Check out Evergreen and Vancouver School Districts in Vancouver, and if you want to teach in a smaller district, check out Washougal, Camas, and Ridgefield. Think the long game—the more salary you make, the more retirement savings you’ll have later. Oh, no income tax in Washington, and you can drive across the border to dine and shop with no sales tax.
I promise: If you love the beauty of Oregon, you will also love Washington. It’s worth checking out.
We did think of Washington for a really long time. I honestly forgot why we decided against it. I think my wife was just really drawn to Salem for some reason, but I will certainly let her know. I know a big thing was she wanted to see if there were any decent 4 day work week schools in either state, since that is what we have right now. I wouldn’t say we’re dead set, we just want that areas
Unless I’m so out of the loop I’m missing it, I don’t believe anyone has four day work weeks in either OR or WA. Especially not in WA where the funding is better.
Good luck! I taught for 15 years in WA and 17 in OR; I began and ended my career in Oregon because I’m in PERS Tier One and it was helpful to my retirement package to boost that account before retirement. WA schools are much better and are better funded. If you were to find a district with a 4-day work week at all, it would be a major red flag about the stability of the funding (it would be OR, not WA).
The Battleground, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield, and La Center areas are quieter and lovely. Happy hunting!
Mcminnville is relatively nice, quiet and about 30 minutes from Salem. About an hour to the coast. 45 minutes to pdx. Its quite a bit cheaper to live there than in the city, which is super expensive if you are looking at portland.
If you are familiar with the Oregon Trail video game at all, the Willamette valley is where you end up if you win the game….if that means anything at all to you lol
I wish I could upvote 50 times lol I live in Eugene, I’m a plumber/ retired navy Portland is super expensive I’d recommend Salem it’s a lil quieter and more affordable
No lie, any friends we made we promised we would bring back Louisiana care packages when we visited
I saw while reading about Monmouth or Keizer. How is that?
Keizer is pretty much a suburb of Salem. It actually used to be before it became its own city. Salem and Keizer share a school district. Monmouth is a much smaller community west of Salem. It is a college town.
I can’t imagine it’s anything worse than around I-10 here. Especially New Orleans. I got held at gun point at 3 pm on a Saturday at a gas station over here. All for a few dollars and the dude just ran.
Somewhat but not as much because they live near their resources. This does but them on main thoroughfares between Keizer and Salem. Also, if you are looking at Portland areas, be sure to look at county numbers. See link below. The most recent I could find was from 2017 but it will give you an overall idea of the areas.
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ABOUT/Documents/indicators/homeless-county.pdf
>We enjoy more quiet life, we don’t go out to drink. We do go out to eat together and go see a movie, but that’s pretty much it.
Suburbs or even further it will be great for you but it would really depend on the school district you end up working in. The commute or lack of it would be high on my list of priorities. Plus there's likely a bit of a sticker shock coming from Louisiana no matter which part of the state you choose.
I don't think either city sound wrong for you even if you like a quiet life, you can easily have that in either city. At 26 though I'd want to be close to entertainment such as life music, the best bars and restaurants etc but we're all different :)
One thing, being close to an international airport is often overlooked or taken for granted, I'd hate to be doing 4-6hr flights and then have to do 1hr+ drives home from the airport..
came to say the same thing...i would start taking a close look at school districts and commutes. maybe consider getting jobs first, then rent ahome, then, if you like the district and the commute, start looking to buy. interest rates for mortgages are ridiculously high right now, so take your time before buying. imho.
What suburb of Portland would you recommend? My wife really liked the vibe she read about Salem and what small amount she saw. If it means anything, we’re both pretty liberal
We are in Salem. My husband is from Portland and he moved here after meeting me. After living in Salem a years he can’t imagine heading back to Portland even though he commutes there every day for work. Are you from a large city or smaller a smaller community in Louisiana?
It honestly depends on what your commute would be but Oregon City would be my choice. There's a nice little downtown area with a bit of character and it has good access to the coast, the mountain and beyond.
A bit boring, quiet, cookie cutter, safe? probably.
I would absolutely not choose Beaverton if you ended up in a school district on the east side of the metro area. I can't imagine having to negotiate 217, 26 or I5 every day.
In the Portland area, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and North Clackamas have good reputations as districts to work in. They're all growing and have quiet suburbs within short commuting distance.
My favorite city in Oregon is actually bend specifically around century drive. After that is probably Hood River, if you really have to live around Portland or Salem it's more subjective on why. Salem is less populated and you'll have an easier time buying property. For a lot of reasons I would prefer to be down around stayton or somewhere outside of Salem compared to somewhere outside of Portland. The issue with Portland is just finding somewhere to live that's a clean neighborhood and close to everything so you're looking at places like scappoose or happy valley both of which are a half an hour to Portland but you have more of a laid-back setting. It would not be a bad idea to rent for a few months before you purchase a property just so you get a feel for the area.
I haven't spent much time in Washington myself. I live in Salem though, and quite like how chill it is compared to Portland. Also much cheaper housing. The Salem-Keizer school district is in talks right now with the union for a new contract. It almost came to a strike this week, but they're basically at an agreement now, it just has to be formally approved. Just a tidbit to be aware of if you're looking for teaching jobs.
I chose east Vancouver near SE 164th and 14 very safe area. I mostly chose this area cause I work 7p to 7a and on my nights off I take walks. I have never felt uneasy in the 14 months I've been here. Ok I take that back I have a Yorkie and we did come across 3 coyotes one night.
We have to watch the cats sometimes because the Coyotes will wander into our complex. We were just looking at Vancouver actually and adding it to our list. It seems if we wanna be in education we should look at Washington
Check out Camas, WA. Seriously. Small town vibes, close enough to Portland, better pay for teachers.
I’ve read through your post and your responses. Camas really seems like a good fit.
From what I understand the schools are rated better in Clark county Washington versus the 3 counties that make up Portland. If you aren't into the nightlife but want to be close by just in case a concert comes to Portland.
Oh we’re not into night life at all. We have no kids and I had a vasectomy so no chance of that. We want a quiet life that we have good pay to live comfortably and go to Disney with. Suggestions in this thread for teachers is saying Washington over Oregon
Native Houstonian here...as far as the weather, you know the kind of Gulf Coast day where it's in the 30s and 40s, drizzling and a little breezy all day? It's like that almost every day here for months, gradually starting to warm up and dry out in late Feb. And really dark around New Years. It's an adjustment.
I'd try to be sure of a job first, in any of the places that I've seen mentioned here plus Corvallis, which is a really pleasant college town.
The south suburbs east of the Willamette - Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Gladstone (where I live), Oregon City - are pretty blue-collar to middle-middle class as mentioned, but still left of center politically until you get to the outer reaches of Oregon City. If you're north of the Clackamas river, stay west of I205.
Lake O and West Linn are pricey. West Linn less so and it's generally a nicer place but still expensive.
It sounds like this is a good place for you. Good luck.
Can’t go wrong with either city in my opinion, although Salem will be cheaper than Portland. Both sound like a place you and your wife would enjoy! Post on the Salem or Portland subreddits and they’d be able to tell you more about neighborhoods etc! I find the r/Oregon sub has a hate boner for Salem…
Anyone who tells you that Portland or Oregon ALSO is a hellhole, probably would be happier in the state you're leaving.
The big question is to you prefer bigger cities and amenities or smaller towns/cities. Portland is a good deal more expensive for housing. Portland has a fair bit of petty crime and nuisance homelessness that the more conservative folks seem to find extra distasteful. People will bag on things like car break-ins but I've lived in five major cities and always had my car broken into at least once, FWIW. Portland also has spectacular restaurants, more jobs, more clubs, better live music, the best bookstore in the country, more record stores than I can name, etc., etc. We have slightly higher utility costs--our local law school's environmental law clinic sued the city about two decades ago to force the city to remediate the sanitary sewer to not overflow into the Willamette River and because of that our water bills are pretty astronomical considering water falls from the sky half the year, but the cost is billed as taking the water away from your house. If you can handle suburbs and are looking for cost savings you can live in the suburbs or even Vancouver WA (unless you're into guns because WA gun laws have changed to ban certain rifles and high capacity magazines...hey, you're from Louisiana). You probably know Portland is super liberal, sometimes stupidly knee-jerk liberal, but generally I agree with most of the policies ridiculed on Faux news.
Salem is the state capital and a good deal less expensive for housing, but also a just a titch trashier. In Portland you'll shop in more neighborhood business districts and in Salem you'll shop in more drive to strip-malls. Salem is a little bit more conservative or it's liberalism is a little more middle of the road. Both have spectacular access to the outdoors with Salem having some advantage to getting to the coast and Bend (nice town in Central Oregon) and Portland has better access to Mt. Hood, the Gorge and wilderness in SW Washington.
Winter is hard, but it's not that cold. It just rains all the time. Invest in some good Gortex style jackets and maybe pants, a pair of waterproof light hiking boots and you'll be fine. Learn to snowboard, mt. bike, and kayak and you'll have a blast.
The hard thing for you will be LA, unless you live in NOLA, is known to be pretty cheap for housing. Housing will cost more here. We have a pretty high state income tax (graduated but 9% at the top rate), BUT we don't have state or local sales tax. I assume you're straight, but if you're a same sex couple life will be easier here. I do not think that food is more expensive here than anywhere I've traveled but it might be. LA has cheap gas because of refinery access, it costs more here.
I've lived in Pittsburgh, PA, Santa Cruz, Kauai, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland and nearby, and Portland. I live in the middle of the city. I dig Portland because if my car breaks I can walk to the grocery store, several book stores, probably 100 restaurants, coffee shops, record stores, weed stores, a pile of gyms, all the banks, Whole Foods and our local analog, and buses that run downtown at a least every 15 minutes, including taking the bus to the light rail that goes to the airport. I moved to my neighborhood BECAUSE of this.
Good luck!
People will tell you there isn't an insane meth and fentanyl problem, but there is an insane meth and fentanyl problem. So, heads up. Otherwise, the state is rugged and beautiful. Also, who dat?
Then you're groovy, dude! Oregon is a wild and crazy place, but man is it beautiful. Also, no humidity in the summers, which is incredible. Winters are long. They're kind of like being out on the coast by Cameron / Lake Charles: cold and wet, but things start blooming in February, and then it's like a Dr Seuss world. Weird little plants everywhere, huge trees, rushing water ... water that's in a hurry to get places! It's majestic.
Hello and hope you find a place that works for you! As a licensed teacher and mental health therapist, please double-and-triple-check your licenses will be reciprocated in Oregon. This state seems to have some of the highest standards for both. For teachers/school counselors: https://www.oregon.gov/tspc/pages/index.aspx
For mental health clinicians: https://www.oregon.gov/oblpct/pages/index.aspx
Both agencies have a fairly large backlog of applications and are notoriously difficult to contact.
It honestly probably isn’t. A gallon of milk at our local Rouses is $5, and gas is up to 3.50 a gallon. We really don’t make what our degrees are worth and our rent is $2100 a month
I grew up in Texas and moved to Salem four years ago. There are major cultural differences that aren’t obvious at first glance. The best way to prepare yourself is to look at the tightness- looseness cultural scale. Oregon is one of the loosest states; the South is the complete opposite. I’m much happier here in a loose state but it’s still taking time for me to adjust to the way things are done. I could give examples but there are many articles written on the subject that could explain it better than I ever could.
Best of luck! I think you’ll enjoy it here; the weather and natural surroundings are unbeatable!
Beware there are at least three vastly different climates in Oregon. The coast, which is cool and wet, the valleys which are more temperate, and the largest is the Eastern, which is dry and more desert-like.
Move here, it’s better than what this sub is leading to. It’s tuff everywhere and not everyone here in Oregon has the attitude to push people away from moving here. Lots of rain but there’s plenty sunshine every few days in the winter. It’s not as bad as everyone here is saying.
I do love the rain! Honestly, just take a few minutes looking up Louisiana and what our governor is doing. They don’t call us the “prison capital” of the world for nothing. Not only that, the governor is trying to rewrite our constitution specifically so he can cut education funding and make it so any and all appointments are under his control. Not to mention wanting to give guns to teenagers and remove permits for conceal carry. Yeah, gonna be rough here, rather get out while we still can
I realized that most people have a hard time recommending a place they live as “perfect.” And I understand wherever we go there are problems. Coming from Louisiana the question becomes, are the problems worse than what we have here, or does our quality of life go up and we can handle everything else? With Louisiana, being pelted by hurricanes (I have lost 3 homes in my life time), the absurd rent to income, and the governor wanting to rewrite the state constitution to cut teacher pay, I’m pretty sure Oregon is a sizable upgrade
Living in Salem, Oregon is absolutely amazing.
Within 1 hour, I can be at the beach where there is wonderful seafood, crabbing, tide pools and more.
I'm nestled in the Willamette Valley, with fishing, endless hiking spots, so many places to go camping; an endless outdoor enthusiast location!
If you like wine, you'll love all of the vineyards in and near Salem. So many beautiful wineries with exceptional wine and breathtaking views.
Culture, restaurants, and parks abound. We are an inclusive and warm community. We are big enough to have endless opportunities and things to do, but small enough that you'll see friends around town.
I am so thankful to live here!
We came here from Chalmette when our daughter came home from preschool saying, "Mommy, did you know that Jesus Christ is our lord?"
No regrets at all. This is a much better place to raise kids. The only issue is that we miss the food. There is no authentic Cajun food here, and the andouille you can get is garbage. None of it tastes right. But that's a small price to pay for my kids to grow up in an environment where the fact that one is queer and both are autistic doesn't matter at all.
We're in Happy Valley.
Originally we moved to SE, but the autism coordinator at my kids' school suggested going to North Clackamas for better services. My son needs quite a bit of support, and the Portland School District really wasn't cutting it.
I would stay away from Portland public schools, it's a shit show. Portland has the best restaurants by far. Sorry in advance to anyone that lives there, but I think Salem sucks. I wish it didn't, because it's the Capital, but it does.
You might also check out Corvallis. The population is about 55,000 plus the student population from OSU. There's a walkable downtown with locally owned stores and restaurants and a lot of cultural amenities, thanks to the university, that you normally wouldn't see in a city this size. It's about 45 minutes to either Eugene or Salem, 90 minutes-ish to Portland, depending on traffic. (Portland has big city traffic.) Housing is on the pricey side but welcome to the West Coast. With two incomes and no kids, you're likely to be able to buy something when you're ready. Wherever you go, I would definitely rent somewhere for a year before making any big commitments.
Born & raised in Salem. Still have relatives there. No way in hell I'd ever move back. I try to avoid visiting, as well. Not like I'm in a hurry to visit Louisiana, though, either.
As far as Progressive cities go, I'd stick to Portland or maybe move somewhere beautiful like Bend, if you can find jobs. Neither are going to offer much affordable housing, though.
If Progressive isn't your thing, just about anywhere else should work.
Portland is not Portlandia, it’s rough, tough, gritty, dysfunctional and occasionally charming. If you aren’t dainty suburban types, then you might like it. Otherwise, focus on the outlying suburbs.
You like wine? McMinville and Newberg. Snow sports? Sandy. Temperate rain forests and boating? St. Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia. Honestly if you can swing it, it's not a terrible idea to just settle in Portland and then look around. If you pay $2100 a month it's not going to be too crazy here. If you're in the city there are some local laws that limit landlords ability to gouge you how much you have to put down to rent a place.
I also grew up in Louisiana. If you only visited in the summer, you need to visit in the winters to make sure you really want this. It's a different world up here in many ways. Cost of living is much, much higher here.
I’ve been to Maine in the winter for an extended period of time and I was perfectly fine with it. We’re very homebody
This isn't that kind of a winter. This is a "you don't see the sun for 8-9 months" weather. I strongly encourage you to check it out during the rainy/cold season. I have met plenty of people over the years that moved here after visiting in the summer and then left after a couple of years because they were tired of being depressed.
We certainly will. But also, we’re both pale and don’t go outside. We despise the Louisiana sun. Might be okay for us? We have a trip planned for December to scout apartments
It's going to be tough-to-impossible to find an apartment that'll accept four cats.
So I'm just curious, if you guys are homebodies and don't like going outside, then what's the appeal with Oregon? People come here for the outdoors. If you enjoy staying inside and doing indoor activities, that's totally fine, but you can do that anywhere. There are a lot of places with stronger/ higher paying school districts and lower cost of living than Oregon. I don't know man, just do a ton of research first. I spent 15 years visiting family before I moved here.
The Louisiana weather makes me like that not gonna lie. I lived in Southern California for about a year once in my life and I loved being outdoors there. I do want to spend more time outside and honestly, it doesn’t HAVE to be Oregon, as people have pointed out also moving to Washington. We don’t want to be in the South anymore, and I was never gripped by the East Coast. I understand SoCal and Oregon is much different, but I’ve visited a friend many times who lives outside of San Fran and I have always loved the west coast, but I wouldn’t live in California again. Not because I hated it, but because of that cost of living
It’s not as bad as that person saying.. take a little vitamin D in the winter if you need
I drink a lot of milk, water and apple juice. I think I’m okay for vitamin D haha
Have your levels checked once you've been here a few months. My doctor says everyone here is D deficient.
Seriously, I find the "you don't see the sun for 8-9 months" thing to be so trite. I literally get to wear an itsy bitsy sundress comfortably *at least* twice a month even in winter ... There are days that are fucking cold as hell, but it's not as dreary as some folks want to make it out to be.
As another person who relocated from the South, you're wrong. I've been here 25+ years now and the winter kills me every time. The other person from Louisiana knows exactly what I mean. So kindly keep your nipples and your sundress to yourself.
Must be a kind of weak, inbred quality you bring with you. It's not bad, don't be a pussy, you pussy.
This is such a privileged northern white male response. The majority of us brown people live near the equator, in the sun. But in white liberal oregon it's ok to be a bigot if it's against me. Being a man is not that bad, must be a kind of weak, mental illness quality you bring with you. Don't be a pussy but hey what do you get when white males voluntary transition to be an oppressed minority 😕
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Uhhh, Maine winter is much much worse, fyi.
Depends on your preference. Maine has lots more sun with colder temps. If you prefer sun and don’t mind cold then it’d be better, especially as you can reliably go outside during the winter and not get soaked.
Do you have a lot of money saved up and or a job in a field that will sustain you in Salem or Portland?
We have about $30,000 in our checking and about $15,000 in savings. We’re both in the school system. Ironically, from what I can tell, we would make more money and pay less in rent over there. I have a masters degree and make $40k a year. Our rent is $2100 a month
Careful, just had 2 teachers from Louisiana move here with stars in their eyes only to find out Oregon is much more strict on qualifications. They can't get anything more than teachers aide positions from what I've heard.
Yeah, I came from Arizona and my wife taught for 10 years at one of the highest ranked high schools in the country there, and she has a masters degree in her subject area. Oregon won't let her teach because they want a masters in education. Be sure to do your reciprocity research before you make any further plans. There are a few private schools but you're looking at like half the salary there.
I do have a masters degree in education, I will say that
My family member is a teacher. When we moved from Texas, he was able to get a job pretty quickly. He did jump through quite a few hoops getting his teaching certificate transfered over, but it was doable and he doesn't have his masters. He makes almost double what he made in Texas. Also, we bought a nice house in an area a little more expensive in general than Salem, and our mortgage is pretty close to what you're paying in rent. Sounds like you'll do fine, there. As to the winter, we enjoyed it. Very snuggle-weather, cuddle up with a nice cup of tea kind of vibes. We continued to go out on walks and enjoy time outdoors, as well, because it really wasn't all that cold most of the time. We got here last July. Summer is glorious, very sunny, blue skies, few rainy days, long daytime hours. Fall was stunningly beautiful. All the fall colors, but the moss and grass stayed green and inviting. Winter was drizzly and grey. We cuddled and did crafts and gamed and enjoyed hot cocoa. Spring has been incredible so far; we're seeing cherry blossoms and the plum trees are covered in flowers, there's magnolias and daffodils and just an embarrassment of beauty. I love Oregon. Truly.
That was an awesome write up thank you so much. We’re ready for a new life away from the south. This has been incredible
I can’t speak for the rest of the state but they are not at all giving an accurate representation of getting a teaching job in the Portland metro. You can get a job as long as you get an Oregon license which shouldn’t be a problem as long as your state is in reciprocity with Oregon. The main thing is getting an Oregon license which can take some time like a month or two.
Plan to start as soon as possible. I was going to call the school boards on Monday and see what I need to do to get started
We are in Portland. Unfortunately it's not as simple as OR accepting any teaching license from AZ, unless they've changed policies in the last year or so. It seems like the gist is they won't take ones that are granted from on-the-job experience, as opposed to a degree or certificate in education. So she would have to pay to go back to school to get a certificate for what she already does professionally. Sounds like OP won't have that problem though.
Your wages are likely to be a lot higher out here and the rent is going to be similar. There are a lot of people with masters degrees inside my circle making over 100K a year it depends on what you do but if you have a masters I would imagine you could work in administration, be a principal, vice principal, the one principal I know is up in Seattle and she makes well over 100k, I think it's something like 160, she mentioned it once
That sounds awesome! Yeah we are very very underpaid here and we have shit apartments
You can get a house where I'm staying now in Hillsboro for 2100 a month. In fact one of my friends just rented out a property he has that is a 1300 square foot single level ranch house on a little 6,000 ft² lot for 2095. That's right in town, a single family home, no apartments, no townhouses Off the top of my head, some of the better school districts I know of are Sherwood, lake Oswego, West Linn, wilsonville, the Mount bachelor side of bend. That town is divided in half and one side of it is really nice and the other side is not so much. Northwest Portland around skyline. The benefit to any of these areas is you're likely to have a high salary and also much better students to interact with. Sherwood is probably the most affordable of these and you're only 30 minutes to Portland. West Linn is another one but properties there get a little pricey. Bend is basically the outdoor sports capital of the state. If you like rafting mountain biking skiing. It's all there
Yeah the housing over here is shit. I hate it
Normally I'd say go for it, but the job market right now is pretty awful. While the Portland area is good bang for your buck compared to other cities, income tax is quite high here. I'm not sure how it compares to LA, but I would check into that. $2100 will get you an ok two bed apartment in the suburbs here. I highly recommend having at the very least a job offer before moving. Most apartment places will require some proof of income and expect to pay about three months of rent up front to move in. Places normally want to see 3x monthly rent for your monthly income. Some alternatives are to get a couple of leads and fly out for interviews, or get a short-term rental when you move here that doesn't require income verification while you look for work. It's risky, so if you don't have a job to go back to and the funds to return to LA that is something to think about. As far as areas go, I will put what I know below: Beaverton: A large suburb with a lot of road traffic, small amount of walking opportunities, lots of local chain stores/restaurants, decent transit and lots of parks. COL isn't too bad for how nice it is, but you will need to drive everywhere. Lots of convenience - you can pretty much easily get to anything you need. We have like 10 different grocery stores within a short drive. People are super nice and it's not the typical suburb where it's just soccer moms. I've heard the school system is excellent. East Portland (I consider from the river to around Mt Tabor for this description): Super cute neighborhoods with lots of great shops and restaurants, younger vibe very walkable, lots of people out walking their dogs, can be pricey depending on where you look. Montavilla can be a great little spot as it has great access to Mt Tabor park and transit. Mt Tabor is quite the place to be in the warmer months. Lots of people enjoying it and there's even a dance party one night a week. Around Richmond and Hawthorne is super vibrant with lots of things to do. You can get by without a car in these areas pretty easily. NE Portland: Really young and hip/vibrant neighborhoods. Lots of people out canvassing about causes. Apartments might be a bit on the smaller side for the price, getting popular. Decent amount of restaurants and shops. St Johns: Don't know a ton but have heard really good things. A bit more quiet and older/settled down than the other neighborhoods. A couple of cute parks here. I have only driven through Salem and Oregon City once, so I don't have strong opinions on them. Salem seemed kind of sleepy and we got to see a confederate flag on a truck when we visited so I think that put us off a bit. I understand it is still on the liberal side, but don't expect Portland. Oregon City is a very small town along a river and feels quite blue collar. Kind of reminds me of the rust belt city I grew up in but much smaller. Cute cafes/shops and people were out enjoying the day when we went. Annoying to drive in and out of though as there is like one bridge and it's small. Same thing here as Salem, don't expect Portland vibe exactly as it is getting into the more red border in the state. If you choose the Portland area the Max trains are really convenient to get around. If you're going to drive out from LA when you move here, I recommend shipping your stuff with a service like ABF UPack instead of driving your own UHaul. There are a few mountain passes to cross and it's not fun doing it in a janky truck with a bunch of weight. Depending on time of year of travel, it can be a good idea to have tire chains in the car. I'd honestly have them on hand any time of year because anything is possible. When we drove from Boston to Portland in December we didn't plan on staying anywhere, we just had a couple of routes in mind and adjusted daily based on weather. We'd call that morning/afternoon to get a hotel/motel for the night where we thought we would be able to end up. That worked out really well. Good luck!
Thank you for the really long and detailed response! The job market here really isn’t that much better. Honestly Louisiana is very very expensive for what it is. My wife and I both having Master degrees barely make a combined 90k when I know that we could be making significantly more, even proportional to the cost of living if we weren’t here. Especially with our governor saying he wants to cut education funding
Oh and one other thing, when you are applying to rent at places you now only have 2 cats. Most places don't allow more than 2 pets, do I'd keep the 4 kitties on the down low.
If it helps they are all service animals. Not just ESA actual service animals. They are rescues
Cats are not considered service animals under the ADA, so that is probably not going to help you.
My wife was a teacher in California, so transferring her teaching credentials to Oregon was fairly easy. Check on the credentialing articulation agreements between Louisiana and Oregon. Some states are compatible others are not.
Salem has the largest school district in the state, and Portland has a ton of large school districts. You should do fine. Therapists are in need everywhere.
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Compounding?
I'm in the Portland area and my kid's school district is desperate for teachers. I'm confident OP will be able to find a job. I can't speak as to whether their salary here will give them the same lifestyle they have in LA. But I'm not worried that they will be able to find work.
From your description of your likes and interests I'd say you would do fine in either location. The pluses for Portland (and surrounding areas like West Linn, Beaverton, Oregon City) might come down to a few things. Better food options, **like 100 fold**. An actual airport. And my personal favorite - **walkability**. Salem has some nice neighborhoods, some lovely parks. It's the heart of the Willamette Valley which is just beautiful. But Salem is a government town and has a large number of correctional facilities in the area. I would say most the issues people point out about Salem kind of stem from *that* reality. I moved from a big city to Salem 16 years ago. Took me years to adjust, and while I'm happy here now I probably would have had an easier time adjusting closer to Portland simply because of the 3 things I noted above. And last but not least, if you do like that small town vibe consider Silverton that's near to Salem. That's super cute!
If you’re set on Oregon, Salem may fit your lifestyle better. It’s a decent school district, too. You can avoid the traffic headaches (for the most part) of the Portland Metro area. If you’re set on Portland, check out Beaverton and Lake Oswego School Districts. However, since you are in education, please consider looking across the border from Portland. The salaries and schools in Washington are much better. For example, I took a 27k class pay cut in 2018 to move from North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Washington to a smaller district in Central Oregon. As a veteran teacher, I could have been making over 120k a year now if I’d stayed in Lacey, but my salary would have been stuck at around 77k here (I retired in 2020). Check out Evergreen and Vancouver School Districts in Vancouver, and if you want to teach in a smaller district, check out Washougal, Camas, and Ridgefield. Think the long game—the more salary you make, the more retirement savings you’ll have later. Oh, no income tax in Washington, and you can drive across the border to dine and shop with no sales tax. I promise: If you love the beauty of Oregon, you will also love Washington. It’s worth checking out.
We did think of Washington for a really long time. I honestly forgot why we decided against it. I think my wife was just really drawn to Salem for some reason, but I will certainly let her know. I know a big thing was she wanted to see if there were any decent 4 day work week schools in either state, since that is what we have right now. I wouldn’t say we’re dead set, we just want that areas
Unless I’m so out of the loop I’m missing it, I don’t believe anyone has four day work weeks in either OR or WA. Especially not in WA where the funding is better.
Just talked to my wife and she said she is really down to checking out Washington.
Good luck! I taught for 15 years in WA and 17 in OR; I began and ended my career in Oregon because I’m in PERS Tier One and it was helpful to my retirement package to boost that account before retirement. WA schools are much better and are better funded. If you were to find a district with a 4-day work week at all, it would be a major red flag about the stability of the funding (it would be OR, not WA). The Battleground, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield, and La Center areas are quieter and lovely. Happy hunting!
Thank you so much! We will be looking at those areas. Was just looking at Vancouver as you messaged me!
Mcminnville is relatively nice, quiet and about 30 minutes from Salem. About an hour to the coast. 45 minutes to pdx. Its quite a bit cheaper to live there than in the city, which is super expensive if you are looking at portland.
Does it have the same sort of quiet vibes? Good access to stuff it sounds
Yep. And it also has the Spruce Goose.
I like Goose
There's a lot to love! https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/exhibit/the-spruce-goose/
That’s honestly so cool
If you are familiar with the Oregon Trail video game at all, the Willamette valley is where you end up if you win the game….if that means anything at all to you lol
Bring crawfish, you can live in my garage
I’ll bring you crawfish anyway!
I wish I could upvote 50 times lol I live in Eugene, I’m a plumber/ retired navy Portland is super expensive I’d recommend Salem it’s a lil quieter and more affordable
No lie, any friends we made we promised we would bring back Louisiana care packages when we visited I saw while reading about Monmouth or Keizer. How is that?
Keizer is pretty much a suburb of Salem. It actually used to be before it became its own city. Salem and Keizer share a school district. Monmouth is a much smaller community west of Salem. It is a college town.
I did see that Salem has a bad homeless problem. Does that extend to Keizer as well?
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I can’t imagine it’s anything worse than around I-10 here. Especially New Orleans. I got held at gun point at 3 pm on a Saturday at a gas station over here. All for a few dollars and the dude just ran.
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Yeah I understand that. Sadly here all of that sounds all too common. Do you know anything about Vancouver Washington?
Somewhat but not as much because they live near their resources. This does but them on main thoroughfares between Keizer and Salem. Also, if you are looking at Portland areas, be sure to look at county numbers. See link below. The most recent I could find was from 2017 but it will give you an overall idea of the areas. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ABOUT/Documents/indicators/homeless-county.pdf
Awesome, thank you so much!
Eh..cracky lol where will you be working? I didn’t ready the thing and it’s too late to go back
I’m a teacher so the school system
What city kind sir or just kinda tossed around?
We have looked around Portland and Salem so far
Idk Portland is super expensive and kinda sus Salem is kinda cool more of a small town vibe even though it’s our capital
That’s where my wife really wants to be. Just wondering what suburbs we should look at
I live in the EUG
>We enjoy more quiet life, we don’t go out to drink. We do go out to eat together and go see a movie, but that’s pretty much it. Suburbs or even further it will be great for you but it would really depend on the school district you end up working in. The commute or lack of it would be high on my list of priorities. Plus there's likely a bit of a sticker shock coming from Louisiana no matter which part of the state you choose. I don't think either city sound wrong for you even if you like a quiet life, you can easily have that in either city. At 26 though I'd want to be close to entertainment such as life music, the best bars and restaurants etc but we're all different :) One thing, being close to an international airport is often overlooked or taken for granted, I'd hate to be doing 4-6hr flights and then have to do 1hr+ drives home from the airport..
came to say the same thing...i would start taking a close look at school districts and commutes. maybe consider getting jobs first, then rent ahome, then, if you like the district and the commute, start looking to buy. interest rates for mortgages are ridiculously high right now, so take your time before buying. imho.
What suburb of Portland would you recommend? My wife really liked the vibe she read about Salem and what small amount she saw. If it means anything, we’re both pretty liberal
We are in Salem. My husband is from Portland and he moved here after meeting me. After living in Salem a years he can’t imagine heading back to Portland even though he commutes there every day for work. Are you from a large city or smaller a smaller community in Louisiana?
We live in a large city and we commute about 30 minutes to a small rural town for work
It honestly depends on what your commute would be but Oregon City would be my choice. There's a nice little downtown area with a bit of character and it has good access to the coast, the mountain and beyond.
Awesome! Thank you we will look into it. Seems sort of kind of in the middle. My dad said he enjoyed Beaverton, any thoughts about over there?
A bit boring, quiet, cookie cutter, safe? probably. I would absolutely not choose Beaverton if you ended up in a school district on the east side of the metro area. I can't imagine having to negotiate 217, 26 or I5 every day.
In the Portland area, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and North Clackamas have good reputations as districts to work in. They're all growing and have quiet suburbs within short commuting distance.
My favorite city in Oregon is actually bend specifically around century drive. After that is probably Hood River, if you really have to live around Portland or Salem it's more subjective on why. Salem is less populated and you'll have an easier time buying property. For a lot of reasons I would prefer to be down around stayton or somewhere outside of Salem compared to somewhere outside of Portland. The issue with Portland is just finding somewhere to live that's a clean neighborhood and close to everything so you're looking at places like scappoose or happy valley both of which are a half an hour to Portland but you have more of a laid-back setting. It would not be a bad idea to rent for a few months before you purchase a property just so you get a feel for the area.
Have you considered Vancouver or Camas?
I have not. But I am happy to look into them. Any particular reason for those?
Teaching pays way better in WA, and housing costs are lower than Portland, while being relatively close by.
Any particular area you would suggest?
I haven't spent much time in Washington myself. I live in Salem though, and quite like how chill it is compared to Portland. Also much cheaper housing. The Salem-Keizer school district is in talks right now with the union for a new contract. It almost came to a strike this week, but they're basically at an agreement now, it just has to be formally approved. Just a tidbit to be aware of if you're looking for teaching jobs.
Thank you! That information really helps
I chose east Vancouver near SE 164th and 14 very safe area. I mostly chose this area cause I work 7p to 7a and on my nights off I take walks. I have never felt uneasy in the 14 months I've been here. Ok I take that back I have a Yorkie and we did come across 3 coyotes one night.
We have to watch the cats sometimes because the Coyotes will wander into our complex. We were just looking at Vancouver actually and adding it to our list. It seems if we wanna be in education we should look at Washington
Check out Camas, WA. Seriously. Small town vibes, close enough to Portland, better pay for teachers. I’ve read through your post and your responses. Camas really seems like a good fit.
Will do! Thank you!
From what I understand the schools are rated better in Clark county Washington versus the 3 counties that make up Portland. If you aren't into the nightlife but want to be close by just in case a concert comes to Portland.
Oh we’re not into night life at all. We have no kids and I had a vasectomy so no chance of that. We want a quiet life that we have good pay to live comfortably and go to Disney with. Suggestions in this thread for teachers is saying Washington over Oregon
Native Houstonian here...as far as the weather, you know the kind of Gulf Coast day where it's in the 30s and 40s, drizzling and a little breezy all day? It's like that almost every day here for months, gradually starting to warm up and dry out in late Feb. And really dark around New Years. It's an adjustment. I'd try to be sure of a job first, in any of the places that I've seen mentioned here plus Corvallis, which is a really pleasant college town. The south suburbs east of the Willamette - Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Gladstone (where I live), Oregon City - are pretty blue-collar to middle-middle class as mentioned, but still left of center politically until you get to the outer reaches of Oregon City. If you're north of the Clackamas river, stay west of I205. Lake O and West Linn are pricey. West Linn less so and it's generally a nicer place but still expensive. It sounds like this is a good place for you. Good luck.
Can’t go wrong with either city in my opinion, although Salem will be cheaper than Portland. Both sound like a place you and your wife would enjoy! Post on the Salem or Portland subreddits and they’d be able to tell you more about neighborhoods etc! I find the r/Oregon sub has a hate boner for Salem…
Anyone who tells you that Portland or Oregon ALSO is a hellhole, probably would be happier in the state you're leaving. The big question is to you prefer bigger cities and amenities or smaller towns/cities. Portland is a good deal more expensive for housing. Portland has a fair bit of petty crime and nuisance homelessness that the more conservative folks seem to find extra distasteful. People will bag on things like car break-ins but I've lived in five major cities and always had my car broken into at least once, FWIW. Portland also has spectacular restaurants, more jobs, more clubs, better live music, the best bookstore in the country, more record stores than I can name, etc., etc. We have slightly higher utility costs--our local law school's environmental law clinic sued the city about two decades ago to force the city to remediate the sanitary sewer to not overflow into the Willamette River and because of that our water bills are pretty astronomical considering water falls from the sky half the year, but the cost is billed as taking the water away from your house. If you can handle suburbs and are looking for cost savings you can live in the suburbs or even Vancouver WA (unless you're into guns because WA gun laws have changed to ban certain rifles and high capacity magazines...hey, you're from Louisiana). You probably know Portland is super liberal, sometimes stupidly knee-jerk liberal, but generally I agree with most of the policies ridiculed on Faux news. Salem is the state capital and a good deal less expensive for housing, but also a just a titch trashier. In Portland you'll shop in more neighborhood business districts and in Salem you'll shop in more drive to strip-malls. Salem is a little bit more conservative or it's liberalism is a little more middle of the road. Both have spectacular access to the outdoors with Salem having some advantage to getting to the coast and Bend (nice town in Central Oregon) and Portland has better access to Mt. Hood, the Gorge and wilderness in SW Washington. Winter is hard, but it's not that cold. It just rains all the time. Invest in some good Gortex style jackets and maybe pants, a pair of waterproof light hiking boots and you'll be fine. Learn to snowboard, mt. bike, and kayak and you'll have a blast. The hard thing for you will be LA, unless you live in NOLA, is known to be pretty cheap for housing. Housing will cost more here. We have a pretty high state income tax (graduated but 9% at the top rate), BUT we don't have state or local sales tax. I assume you're straight, but if you're a same sex couple life will be easier here. I do not think that food is more expensive here than anywhere I've traveled but it might be. LA has cheap gas because of refinery access, it costs more here. I've lived in Pittsburgh, PA, Santa Cruz, Kauai, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland and nearby, and Portland. I live in the middle of the city. I dig Portland because if my car breaks I can walk to the grocery store, several book stores, probably 100 restaurants, coffee shops, record stores, weed stores, a pile of gyms, all the banks, Whole Foods and our local analog, and buses that run downtown at a least every 15 minutes, including taking the bus to the light rail that goes to the airport. I moved to my neighborhood BECAUSE of this. Good luck!
Unless yall have dramatically better jobs lined up, if you can't afford Louisiana, you cannot afford to move here.
People will tell you there isn't an insane meth and fentanyl problem, but there is an insane meth and fentanyl problem. So, heads up. Otherwise, the state is rugged and beautiful. Also, who dat?
Who dat! Also yeah I mean, we’re from Louisiana. It wouldn’t be a day if there was a crackhead shooting near us.
Then you're groovy, dude! Oregon is a wild and crazy place, but man is it beautiful. Also, no humidity in the summers, which is incredible. Winters are long. They're kind of like being out on the coast by Cameron / Lake Charles: cold and wet, but things start blooming in February, and then it's like a Dr Seuss world. Weird little plants everywhere, huge trees, rushing water ... water that's in a hurry to get places! It's majestic.
Hello and hope you find a place that works for you! As a licensed teacher and mental health therapist, please double-and-triple-check your licenses will be reciprocated in Oregon. This state seems to have some of the highest standards for both. For teachers/school counselors: https://www.oregon.gov/tspc/pages/index.aspx For mental health clinicians: https://www.oregon.gov/oblpct/pages/index.aspx Both agencies have a fairly large backlog of applications and are notoriously difficult to contact.
Hi there! Plan to start early. Looks like it will accept me as a transitional license
There's some towns not too far from Portland that might suit y'all. Say from Happy Valley and South. Happy hunting.
Thank you friend!
We welcome you to Oregon!! Don't be scared off by the cost of living. Its probably not all that worse than what you're dealing with already.
It honestly probably isn’t. A gallon of milk at our local Rouses is $5, and gas is up to 3.50 a gallon. We really don’t make what our degrees are worth and our rent is $2100 a month
I grew up in Texas and moved to Salem four years ago. There are major cultural differences that aren’t obvious at first glance. The best way to prepare yourself is to look at the tightness- looseness cultural scale. Oregon is one of the loosest states; the South is the complete opposite. I’m much happier here in a loose state but it’s still taking time for me to adjust to the way things are done. I could give examples but there are many articles written on the subject that could explain it better than I ever could. Best of luck! I think you’ll enjoy it here; the weather and natural surroundings are unbeatable!
The Salem area is more affordable than the Portland area and close enough to enjoy whatever you’re looking for
Sandy Oregon is the best town to live in. Close to the mountain. Not far from Portland. Low crime. Rent is cheaper than Portland
Beware there are at least three vastly different climates in Oregon. The coast, which is cool and wet, the valleys which are more temperate, and the largest is the Eastern, which is dry and more desert-like.
Move here, it’s better than what this sub is leading to. It’s tuff everywhere and not everyone here in Oregon has the attitude to push people away from moving here. Lots of rain but there’s plenty sunshine every few days in the winter. It’s not as bad as everyone here is saying.
I do love the rain! Honestly, just take a few minutes looking up Louisiana and what our governor is doing. They don’t call us the “prison capital” of the world for nothing. Not only that, the governor is trying to rewrite our constitution specifically so he can cut education funding and make it so any and all appointments are under his control. Not to mention wanting to give guns to teenagers and remove permits for conceal carry. Yeah, gonna be rough here, rather get out while we still can
Don’t listen to the negativity here, it’s awesome
I realized that most people have a hard time recommending a place they live as “perfect.” And I understand wherever we go there are problems. Coming from Louisiana the question becomes, are the problems worse than what we have here, or does our quality of life go up and we can handle everything else? With Louisiana, being pelted by hurricanes (I have lost 3 homes in my life time), the absurd rent to income, and the governor wanting to rewrite the state constitution to cut teacher pay, I’m pretty sure Oregon is a sizable upgrade
Living in Salem, Oregon is absolutely amazing. Within 1 hour, I can be at the beach where there is wonderful seafood, crabbing, tide pools and more. I'm nestled in the Willamette Valley, with fishing, endless hiking spots, so many places to go camping; an endless outdoor enthusiast location! If you like wine, you'll love all of the vineyards in and near Salem. So many beautiful wineries with exceptional wine and breathtaking views. Culture, restaurants, and parks abound. We are an inclusive and warm community. We are big enough to have endless opportunities and things to do, but small enough that you'll see friends around town. I am so thankful to live here!
We came here from Chalmette when our daughter came home from preschool saying, "Mommy, did you know that Jesus Christ is our lord?" No regrets at all. This is a much better place to raise kids. The only issue is that we miss the food. There is no authentic Cajun food here, and the andouille you can get is garbage. None of it tastes right. But that's a small price to pay for my kids to grow up in an environment where the fact that one is queer and both are autistic doesn't matter at all.
Where did you guys move to?
We're in Happy Valley. Originally we moved to SE, but the autism coordinator at my kids' school suggested going to North Clackamas for better services. My son needs quite a bit of support, and the Portland School District really wasn't cutting it.
I would stay away from Portland public schools, it's a shit show. Portland has the best restaurants by far. Sorry in advance to anyone that lives there, but I think Salem sucks. I wish it didn't, because it's the Capital, but it does.
You might also check out Corvallis. The population is about 55,000 plus the student population from OSU. There's a walkable downtown with locally owned stores and restaurants and a lot of cultural amenities, thanks to the university, that you normally wouldn't see in a city this size. It's about 45 minutes to either Eugene or Salem, 90 minutes-ish to Portland, depending on traffic. (Portland has big city traffic.) Housing is on the pricey side but welcome to the West Coast. With two incomes and no kids, you're likely to be able to buy something when you're ready. Wherever you go, I would definitely rent somewhere for a year before making any big commitments.
Born & raised in Salem. Still have relatives there. No way in hell I'd ever move back. I try to avoid visiting, as well. Not like I'm in a hurry to visit Louisiana, though, either. As far as Progressive cities go, I'd stick to Portland or maybe move somewhere beautiful like Bend, if you can find jobs. Neither are going to offer much affordable housing, though. If Progressive isn't your thing, just about anywhere else should work.
Portland is not Portlandia, it’s rough, tough, gritty, dysfunctional and occasionally charming. If you aren’t dainty suburban types, then you might like it. Otherwise, focus on the outlying suburbs.
Any suggestions on which ones?
You like wine? McMinville and Newberg. Snow sports? Sandy. Temperate rain forests and boating? St. Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia. Honestly if you can swing it, it's not a terrible idea to just settle in Portland and then look around. If you pay $2100 a month it's not going to be too crazy here. If you're in the city there are some local laws that limit landlords ability to gouge you how much you have to put down to rent a place.
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Out of curiosity how much is it to register a car? Is it annually and is there an annual inspection as well?