Cost of living in downtown Portland? (Winston: affordable apartment, rental, insurance)

[StaticX]

I am planning on moving to downtown Portland into either a studio or a 1-bedroom apartment. Does anyone have an estimate of the cost of living down there? My main concern are the utilities and parking.

And while on the subject, does anyone have recommendations for low-cost apartments? I am not looking for anything over-the-top but lower crime rates and acceptable management is preferable.

Thanks in advance.

[hamellr]

If you're trying to save money, Downtown is not the way to go. Parking spaces are easily 1/3 to 1/2 of your rent. You can gets some decent apartments close in on the east side of the river and be within a short walking distance of downtown.

[HondaCivet]

I'm not in Portland yet but I am moving downtown very soon! The search for a good, affordable apartment downtown was very difficult, especially if you have pets. I'd say that you're going to have trouble finding anything decent if you can't go over $600/mo. just on rent for a studio and $700/mo. for a 1-bedroom. I'd just go to ApartmentRatings and start looking around and calling places. That's what we did and it paid off eventually.

That said, if you aren't scared of street parking, in many areas you can get a permit from the city that will let you park without having to move your car every night. It's $45/year. It doesn't guarantee you a spot or anything but if you want to save money and don't have to move your car a lot it might work. I have no idea how tough getting a spot on the street is though.

[gma221]

All the monthly parking signs I've seen downtown say $149 or $169 per month. I was told when I was looking for apartments downtown that some are as low as $125 per month, but I'm not sure where these lots/garages are (if they exist).

I ended up living in Nob Hill, a five-minute walk from the Pearl District, and I pay $79 per month for parking in an uncovered lot. (Most people park along the street here, but I found that it was a complete nightmare.) If your budget is tight, you should probably consider living in Nob Hill. Studios here range from about $650-850 per month. It's a nice, walkable part of town with lots of shops and cafes and easy access to the Pearl and downtown. It's also really easy to access the highway from here, which makes getting to other parts of town convenient.

Here are some links you might want to check out re: parking:
Monthly Parking (http://www.portlandonline.com/smartpark/index.cfm?c=35272&a=113934 - broken link)
Monthly Parking | City Center Parking

And here are some sites with apartment listings:
KBC Management manages unique rental properties in Portland Oregon
Portland Oregon Apartments :: The Gentry, Commodore & Winston
(I did not rent from either of these companies, so I can't comment on what they're like. However, I did tour buildings owned by both companies, and I thought they were fairly nice.)

As for utilities, I just received my first electric bill, and it was $14.03. :-) Water and garbage are included in my rent, so I don't know about those.

[gma221]

Originally Posted by HondaCivet

I'd say that you're going to have trouble finding anything decent if you can't go over $600/mo. just on rent for a studio and $700/mo. for a 1-bedroom.

Woah, where did you end up renting downtown in that price range? I'm paying $800/month for a studio, and it's nothing special aside from being in a great location. I never saw any studio listings downtown for less than $675. I toured a studio listed at that price, and the kitchen was laughably small (could only fit a mini fridge). That's why I ended up going for the $800 one.

[HondaCivet]

Originally Posted by gma221

Woah, where did you end up renting downtown in that price range? I'm paying $800/month for a studio, and it's nothing special aside from being in a great location. I never saw any studio listings downtown for less than $675. I toured a studio listed at that price, and the kitchen was laughably small (could only fit a mini fridge). That's why I ended up going for the $800 one.

That was for the crummy places, haha. One of them said I could just send a big deposit without an application if I wanted a room . . . no thanks!

The place we chose is the same price as yours, plus a flat monthly utilities charge, plus some pet rent. It has a great view and location and the place has lots of good reviews from past residents so I think we are getting a decent deal even if the room isn't super big.

[gma221]

Oh, good. That makes me feel better. For a minute there, I thought maybe I got swindled.

[PacNW-bound]

Do any of you live downtown without a car? I plan to move to Portland next spring and I'd rather not bring my truck. First, insurance and parking are extra bills, and secondly I just hate driving. Public transportation in Portland is amazing (compared to Tampa, FL).

[Daisy32673]

You can definitely live downtown and not have a car. Portland is extremely walkable and there are a couple big name grocery stores to get your shopping done

[khyron]

Originally Posted by hamellr

If you're trying to save money, Downtown is not the way to go. Parking spaces are easily 1/3 to 1/2 of your rent. You can gets some decent apartments close in on the east side of the river and be within a short walking distance of downtown.

While this may be true for some downtown locations, it's certainly not universally the case. We spent a lot of time hunting for our apartment, and I'm pleased to say we have our car parked in a covered, secure garage for only $100/month (and that is certainly not a half or a third of our rent).

I'll also echo everyone saying you totally don't need a car to live in the city at ALL. Ours is just a luxury really, for regional road trips. For groceries, errands, and commuting to work we just walk or use transit...and there are also several ZipCar spots located within two blocks in every direction.