Pacific Northwest: Portland vs. Seattle (living, best, cost, state)
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Please tell me which city do you think is the best and list your reasons.
Please feel free to list both pros and cons of each city. This will help me to decide which one I should move to. These two cities are so much alike so I would like to know their differences since I have never been there.
Last edited by Bo; 06-18-2010 at 03:59 PM..
Reason: Moved from General US. "Fun threads" are competitive comparisons. Relocation research belongs in General US.
Portland, excellent bicycle infrastructure, public transit options, plenty of recreational opportunities, abundance of colleges and universities, and the fact that it's not too big and not too small for a city.
And of course there's plenty of surrounding suburbs that are suitable as well.
Seattle, I've driven through it and delivered on the outskirts, but haven't actually explored the downtown area as thoroughly as I wanted to yet.
But judging by the surrounding municipalities within a 30 min or so drive, or Sounder train trip, many good things can be said about the general area too.
As far as the weather goes, it's sunny when it wants to be and I think it looks wonderful with clouds matching the greenery.
Seattle is improving itself on light rail. There will be new rails from UW-Seattle/Downtown to Lynnwood by 2013, to Redmond by 2016, and south to Tac-Sea Airport soon.
Seattle's weather fares better due to more sunlight, less rain, and not so cloudy and gloomy compared to Portland.
Seattle is at greater risks of earthquakes and eruptions from Mt. Rainer.
Seattle has the most educated population with almost 54 percent of adults 25 or older with BA degree or higher.
Although Portland's population is highly educated, the state of Oregon is lagging in education.
I know Seattle has the best skyline on the West Coast with Space Needle ahead of San Francisco.
Seattle is improving itself on light rail. There will be new rails from UW-Seattle/Downtown to Lynnwood by 2013, to Redmond by 2016, and south to Tac-Sea Airport soon.
Seattle's weather fares better due to more sunlight, less rain, and not so cloudy and gloomy compared to Portland.
Seattle is at greater risks of earthquakes and eruptions from Mt. Rainer.
Seattle has the most educated population with almost 54 percent of adults 25 or older with BA degree or higher.
Although Portland's population is highly educated, the state of Oregon is lagging in education.
I know Seattle has the best skyline on the West Coast with Space Needle ahead of San Francisco.
Judging by your post, you sound like you might be leaning a little more towards Seattle. I am actually quite intrigued by these 2 cities as well.
Seattle is a lot larger and seems to be slightly more diverse than Portland. Seattle definitely has a better economy than Portland, who already had high unemployment before the recession. Currently, Portland has much better mass transit, however, Seattle is in the process of expanding their system. Seattle is pretty much equal distance from both Portland and Vancouver, BC, which would make for cool weekend getaways. Seattle has Pike Place Market, Portland only has the Portland Saturday Market. Both cities are known for having great restaurants, Seattle more upscale, Portland more casual. Seattle is close to Olympic National Park, Portland is close to the Columbia River Gorge.
It's a tough call. I might lean towards Portland because it's smaller and it has better transit. Portland also strikes me as being a little rougher around the edges (at least by PNW standards) than Seattle, where most of the people I've met from there were a bit on the snobbish side. The image that Frasier has painted of Seattle really doesn't help it either. I would actually want to visit each city before coming to a conclusion of any kind.
Judging by your post, you sound like you might be leaning a little more towards Seattle. I am actually quite intrigued by these 2 cities as well.
Seattle is a lot larger and seems to be slightly more diverse than Portland. Seattle definitely has a better economy than Portland, who already had high unemployment before the recession. Currently, Portland has much better mass transit, however, Seattle is in the process of expanding their system. Seattle is pretty much equal distance from both Portland and Vancouver, BC, which would make for cool weekend getaways. Seattle has Pike Place Market, Portland only has the Portland Saturday Market. Both cities are known for having great restaurants, Seattle more upscale, Portland more casual. Seattle is close to Olympic National Park, Portland is close to the Columbia River Gorge.
It's a tough call. I might lean towards Portland because it's smaller and it has better transit. Portland also strikes me as being a little rougher around the edges (at least by PNW standards) than Seattle, where most of the people I've met from there were a bit on the snobbish side. The image that Frasier has painted of Seattle really doesn't help it either. I would actually want to visit each city before coming to a conclusion of any kind.
I'm fascinated by both Portland and Seattle and Pacific Northwest's stunning scenery and ideal weather.
Cost of living and budget problems in CA are getting worsened every time I turn around so I am actually in the process of moving to Salem, Oregon about an hour south from Portland off I-5 and I will be attending Western Oregon University in Monmouth. If I wasn't limited on my choices of graduate schools for my field, I would be moving to either Portland or Seattle in a heartbeat.
I have been to both cities but I didn't spend enough time checking out Seattle though. I like what I saw in Seattle and everything I learned from my research on Seattle.
Coming from CA, uppity in Seattle pales in comparsion to Marin County in Bay Area. By the way, I'm sure people do not judge Seattle entirely based on Frazier. It's almost like judging my granny's state of Arkansas based on Bill Clinton.
After I am done with graduate school, I think I am more likely to end up in Seattle due to high unemployment in Oregon and I dread the idea of returning back to CA!
Portland is funkier and less in your face. It feels like a much more human-scale city. Good public transit, but more importantly, it is extremely walkable and bikable.
A lot of long-term Seattle residents say Portland feels like Seattle did 20-30 years ago. Less flashy and more down to earth. More blue collar and not as much yuppie professional. Portland has very few regulations, its a live and let live city. The neighborhoods in Portland seem to flow into each other much better, unlike Seattle, which feels balkanized. The bars in Portland are more laid back and tend to have more character (although Seattle has plenty of great bars). Portland is much less hilly and not nearly as iconic or beautiful. It doesn't have Seattle's lakes or the Sound. It is still very beautiful and green, though, with great hiking and waterfalls nearby.
Seattle is much more difficult to pin down. If you want a big city feel, Seattle far outdoes Portland. The downtown area and its various sections: Pioneer Square, Westlake, the Waterfront, Pike Place Market, Belltown all have a much more urban vibe than anywhere in Portland. Also, there are are two neighborhoods, Denny Triangle and South Lake Union, which are part of the downtown grid but not yet fully developed. Once they do, Seattle's downtown will be a force to reckon with even on a national scale. Portland has nothing even close to approaching this.
Seattle generally has a much more corporate feel than Portland, people tend to be a little stuffier and uptight, although Seattle varies greatly by neighborhood, much moreso than Portland. Each neighborhood almost has its own distinct main street and culture. Aside from adjacent downtown neighborhoods Queen Anne and Capitol Hill, the neighborhoods tend to be more spread out from each other. Certainly, urbanity is beginning to fill the spaces in between, though, but as I said, it still feels balkanized. In many ways, this is what has allowed such different neighborhood and enclaves to emerge within the same city. Many first time visitors claim Seattle feels like a a bunch of separate cities crunched together, with a large downtown to tie them together. In that way, Seattle has much more to explore. It has plenty of very walkable and bikable sections, but also lots of dead zones in between. It lacks Portland's feel of flow and connectivity. However, neighborhood centers tend to be more vibrant and bustling in Seattle (although don't expect NYC, Chicago, or SF).
There are less hippies in Seattle than Portland, but still tons of hipsters as well as left-wing/organic "progressives", etc. In addition, Seattle has a much stronger frat-boy/d-bag vibe than Portland, in certain areas at least. There is certainly a greater variety if nightlife in Seattle, but as I said, the bar culture is less consistant. It really depends on neighborhood, again.
Physically, Seattle is stunningly beatiful. Great views abound, amazing topography and lakes of various sizes, beaches, Mt Rainier in the background and the Cascades nearby. On a beautiful day Seattle is an absolutely amazing city. Id also give Seattle the edge in terms of day/weekend trips.
Seattle does have some horrendous Condo trends occuring though, and the city has a penchant for Shlocky, high-profile projects (Portland does not.) Portland's urban infratructure feels more organic, while Seattle feels like a fascinating collage
Overall, Id say Portland is more soulful and engaging, while Seattle is more grand and awe-inspiring. Although, Seattle really does vary dramatically--there are sections of Seattle (e.g. Ballard, Columbia City) that are just as soulful and engaging as Portland.
Really, you have to visit both for yourself. Ive met an equaly number of people who love one and arent too fond of the other. Just make sure you get out of downtown and visit the neighborhoods in both.
I really couldnt say which I like better. I do think Seatle offers a more diverse experience, and a more true "city" experience. Portland is more about lifestyle, human-sclae, and connectivity.
Oh yeah, one last couple things--Both are very good for food, restaurants, fresh produce, etc. Both are also great beer towns, with Portland having the slight edge there. Civic engagement in both is very strong as well, especially in Seattle.
Last edited by AcroJimmy2; 06-18-2010 at 06:39 PM..
Oh boy, another Sea-PDX comparison thread! (Although this one has remained above-board and some good points have been made.)
Let's look at it as of June 18, 2010. Oregon's unemployment is still significantly higher than Washington's. Future projections favor WA, due to some well-ingrained companies and industries. OR is still more livable, and affordable.
Weather: complete toss-up.
Both great areas. Spend some time, (quality time), in both and make your decision. I don't think you can go terribly wrong in either, but Seattle is definitely the bigger metro and has the better potential for future growth. Whether that means more livable, is of great debate.
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