moving to Portland this summer (apartment, rentals, low crime)

[cat3180]

Hi, I'm moving to Portland at the end of August with my husband and 6 year old son. My husband's a chef and I'm a secretary so our incomes aren't great. That being said, what areas are the most reasonably priced to live (under $1200/month rent for 2-bd), but is also really family-friendly? We'd prefer to rent a home rather than an apartment, and would like to rent somewhere we could potentially buy in the future. I'd love to live in a neighborhood with other kids, low crime and a laid-back vibe. I really like the sound of SE (Hawthorne, Woodstock) and NE (Irvington, Alameda, Hollywood) but they seem out of my price range. Any suggestions? We currently live in Rhinebeck, NY, so if anyone knows that area, we'd like something similar to that or Woodstock, NY which is also near us.

Also, any chefs out there that know of some great restaurants looking to hire a chef or can recommend restaurnts my husband should apply to? He'll be coming out on his own in early August to look for a home for us and to hopefully find a job before we make our move. Any help is very much appreciated!

[hamellr]

Here are a couple for you:

800ft² - * Cozy, Close-In, SE 2 Bedroom Bungalow with Large Yard, Off Street Parking and

1040ft² - Cute NE Bungalow

They will probably go fast though.

I don't know of any places hiring chefs right now. Keep in mind that that is one of Portland's most competitive jobs. We have two very good Cooking schools, one of which is recognized internationally, churning out students. A lot of them stay here which leads to a proliferation of great dining options here. It also leads to a large number of food carts, I read that about half the food cart owners here are professional chefs. Many with years of experience.

The Portland Food Forums are a great place to lurk for heads up on jobs as industry insiders post there.

[Minervah]

Regarding rentals, you will need to be looking in July for August availabilities. People traditionally are required to give 30 days notice when they decide to move and it's usually the first of the month prior to the one in which they are moving. You might want to check out rental property management companies.

Rental houses in particular are pretty scarce in the city. For what you want to pay, I would suggest looking in the suburbs. You might be able to find a house for your price range but would almost certain be able to find a two bedroom apartment in a suburban complex for that rent.

For your job, I would suggest signing up with a temp agency when you get here. That could lead you to a premanent job. For your spouse, that will be a tough one. Lots of competition in the food industry. I would guess that experience in that field may help.