Places to visit for relocation to Vancouver/PDX (Seattle, Pullman: sales, renting)

[jujofam5]

My husband and I are in our mid-50s and will most likely be relocating to the PNW in a year. We moved from Corvallis, OR to Colorado Springs two years ago and now want to move back. The reasons: 1. Our adult kids still live there - One has married and now we have a grandchild. 2. My husband's job takes him to Corvallis, Pullman, and Seattle several times a year and just as easy to live there as here. The Vancouver area seems like a good middle ground. Plus a quick flight to Austin or DFW is a nice bonus.

Things we miss about the PNW: the GREEN, the slow-paced lifestyle of a ~50,000 college town, access to the mountains and the ocean, farmers' markets, mom and pop vineyards. Things we did not like: the politics (way too progressive and aggressively so), the school system (pushed ideology rather than teaching kids how to think - I worked in the school district so I experienced this pressure first-hand), isolation from the rest of the country.

We are looking for a home in a large town, small city or possibly a suburb. We miss biking and kayaking so access to those things would be wonderful. I love a good library and my husband loves trails. We both love gardening so a yard is essential. We'd like to be far away from any homeless camps and in a safe area with proactive policing. Is it possible to find a good spot for ~$650,000?

Hubby will be driving from Seattle to Corvallis in a few weeks. Which places should he check out along the way?

[ejisme]

I grew up in West Linn, and it would be a good choice for what you are looking at, as long as you don't mind a few hills in your walks or trail running/hiking. You won't see any homeless camps anywhere near West Linn. Home prices seem to be going down a bit, so that's good news. You'll have access to I-205 to get you to I-5 and up to Seattle or down to Corvallis.

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...a-650000/sby-1

Another option: Mom lives in Newberg, OR now. It's a nice town on its own with George Fox University near the downtown. There is also a good backroad that takes you down to Salem where you can pickup I-5 and skip all the Portland congestion when going to Corvallis, or just stay on backroads the whole way down. You do get stuck with traffic going to Seattle. You also get close access to Champoeg State Heritage Area for excellent hiking, running and interesting sites. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index....file&parkId=79

Housing is a bit more diverse in Newberg, but there are several types of homes in your price range.
https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...a-650000/sby-1

Most anywhere in Clackamas County will be homeless camp free, so pick pretty much any town you like: Milwaukie, Gladstone, Oregon City, Canby, etc. All are pretty nice towns with downtowns of their own, as well as busier commercial streets, and quiet neighborhood streets. Most will have I-205 or I-5 access for your travels. I-205 is the better freeway for PDX access.

[texasdiver]

Check out Camas, especially downtown Camas. Great library and all you seek. We love it here and plan to semi-retire in place after our final kid leaves the next for college. We travel a lot and haven't seen any place we'd rather live.

Here are a couple of video promos

https://youtu.be/ErBjYeoEqfs
https://youtu.be/otEnKLH5fxw
https://vimeo.com/user47231560

[MtnSurfer]

Corvallis is very bike friendly for a smaller college town. Paved biking specific trails or even bike lanes are not a strong suit in Vancouver/Clark County nor were they a priority when originally developing the infrastructure. That becomes glaringly obvious as one drives the roads. Bike friendliness exists only in smaller, limited patches here and there. Larger parts of Portland including some suburbs are definitely more bike friendly in terms of widened streets, bike lanes or paths. There is greater awareness by the city that biking is an important thing to promote for overall better QOL of its citizens and the environment. Lack of diverse paddling opportunities was the greatest drawback to Corvallis for me along with too small a town for my wife.

In terms of kayaks/paddling, I would say Vancouver has as good or even better options. I paddle on both sides of the river but prefer the WA side for its abundant lakes, rivers, creeks, etc... They are not as crowded as the PDX side.

Since you are aware of the homeless situation, most places near downtown PDX will not be great in that regard. Though they have some nice bike trails, I hear some can sketchy to bike. The suburbs are probably better.

Derek

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Corvallis is very bike friendly for a smaller college town. Paved biking specific trails or even bike lanes are not a strong suit in Vancouver/Clark County nor were they a priority when originally developing the infrastructure. That becomes glaringly obvious as one drives the roads. Bike friendliness exists only in smaller, limited patches here and there. Larger parts of Portland including some suburbs are definitely more bike friendly in terms of widened streets, bike lanes or paths. There is greater awareness by the city that biking is an important thing to promote for overall better QOL of its citizens and the environment. Lack of diverse paddling opportunities was the greatest drawback to Corvallis for me along with too small a town for my wife.

In terms of kayaks/paddling, I would say Vancouver has as good or even better options. I paddle on both sides of the river but prefer the WA side for its abundant lakes, rivers, creeks, etc... They are not as crowded as the PDX side.

Since you are aware of the homeless situation, most places near downtown PDX will not be great in that regard. Though they have some nice bike trails, I hear some can sketchy to bike. The suburbs are probably better.

Derek

Yeah, there isn't really anyplace in Vancouver or Camas where you can easily bike your way through all your daily errands and life like you might be able to do in Corvallis or Eugene. Unless you are a pretty hard core urban combat cyclist who doesn't mind aggressively taking the lane and asserting yourself on streets that don't have bike lanes. If you are OK putting your bike on a car rack and driving a bit to recreational biking spots then there are lots of option.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Yeah, there isn't really anyplace in Vancouver or Camas where you can easily bike your way through all your daily errands and life like you might be able to do in Corvallis or Eugene. Unless you are a pretty hard core urban combat cyclist who doesn't mind aggressively taking the lane and asserting yourself on streets that don't have bike lanes. If you are OK putting your bike on a car rack and driving a bit to recreational biking spots then there are lots of option.

My son sometimes road bikes with a local combat cyclist who just takes the lane around us, through Camas, around Lacamas Lake and Vancouver at large. I cringe every time he describes it knowing how people drive around here, especially the cocky monster truck crew who own the road as they barrel through. We've got more of those out here on the edge of the country. Bikes are an afterthought and there are no pedestrians either for good reason. At least not on some of the connector roads vs. local neighborhoods with actual sidewalks were cars are not driving 50+ mph. I also don't think I've ever seen a police car patrolling looking for traffic violations. They've got bigger fish to fry, apparently.

If Bike Friendly is top of your list, I would not consider Clark County. Or switch to other outdoor sports such as hiking, kayaking, SUPing, etc...

Derek

[StealthRabbit]

For Vancouver WA area....

Look up the biking and kayak areas a focus there (so you can do recreational from home)
One of my kids, and several friends live near Clark College/ Ft Vancouver / uptown Vancouver, and they bike nearly exclusively.

https://www.cityofvancouver.us/cdd/page/bicycle-maps
https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/peo...now-available/
https://www.alltrails.com/us/washing...er/road-biking


Personally, I would look near Dubois Park, upper 'heights', as I prefer clear southern views from home. + It's under 10 min to PDX. I also would consider renting within the Ft Vancouver Trust, and using nearby community gardens. Much is walkable, including new library. Clark County residents also have full access to Multnomah County libraries, and you can get access to the academic library resources available to our 25+ regional colleges. Some of these academic institutes also have public access to libraries. I use the Portland Art Museum library, and Oregon Historical Society resources across the street.(usually every Weds afternoon during summer... Farmers Market, free concerts... )
Plenty of gardens to volunteer and enjoy in the region.

Colorado really is best for bike commuting and culture. I've lived in CO, TX, SWWA, and get far greater use of my bikes elsewhere than in WA, but my kids are PNW daily riders, so it's possible.

I do enjoy using PDX, several times/ week during rainy season. Just there this morning.

Gardening in SWWA (or Willamette Valley) is tough to beat, if you can avoid muddy days. I plant quite late to avoid cool and wet soils. Covered raised beds are a good option for small square feet growing. Join Master Gardeners, it's a great way to network and learn.

For Oregon.... West Linn or Lake Oswego are good suggestions, but too far from PDX for me.

Since I don't need or desire urban... Living in the Columbia Gorge is probably most suitable for me, but I spend very little time at home in the winter. Even Colorado is a pleasant and frequent winter break. (But definitely not green!). If near PDX, you can take many trips to sunbreaks. Spirit Air used to run direct to San Diego for $19.90. down at 5am, returned at midnight. Perfect! Spouse heads to Hawaii often, using $79 -$119 SWA fares, + a free companion (usually a friend or family). We did several trips to CA, NV, AZ during $39 fare sales this winter. You can get to Sacramento for $39, and then the other destinations within an hour are $29, so we hop around a bit, then head home once a month to cool down for a couple days and take care of bills and home responsibility.... Then escape somewhere else. Thailand, Philippines, NZ and Australia are good choices for Jan & Feb, and not hard to get to from left coast.