Where to live in Portland suburbs?

[pnwguy2]

I have been interested in the Portland vs Seattle argument for almost 40 years. I have come to the conclusion that Portland wants to be a mid sized city with small business centric, and an idea of non-corporate (excluding Nike).

Seattle is much more aggressive and is wide open to development. Yes, there is more money in Seattle, but it it is also an attitude. Funny, because Seattle in the late 60’s became depressed and there was a definite anti-growth attitude. But somehow that seemed to change quickly in the 80’s and 90’s and the city has not looked back.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

I have been interested in the Portland vs Seattle argument for almost 40 years. I have come to the conclusion that Portland wants to be a mid sized city with small business centric, and an idea of non-corporate (excluding Nike).

Seattle is much more aggressive and is wide open to development. Yes, there is more money in Seattle, but it it is also an attitude. Funny, because Seattle in the late 60’s became depressed and there was a definite anti-growth attitude. But somehow that seemed to change quickly in the 80’s and 90’s and the city has not looked back.

Portland is WAY more parochial. To cite just one example, if you go to Providence Park to a Timbers game, all the ads are local products: Tillamook Cheese, Widmer Brewery, Burgerville, and of course Alaska Airlines and Providence Health Network. Most of which few people outside of Oregon would even recognize (except Tillamook). Portlanders and Oregonians are very much into which cheese is the local Oregon one, which beer is the local Oregon one, which ice cream is the local Oregon one, etc. Portland is very parochial about its local stuff.

Go to a game at Lumen field in Seattle? You see Toyota, Verizon, etc. along with X-Box and Amazon but those are, of course, international brands. Nothing different than you might see in Singapore or Mexico City. Seattle just has a much more international feel. People really don't give a rip what is the local cheese or the local beer or the local ice cream.

I moved to Seattle in the late 1980s and that was when things were starting to change. The music scene, was, of course hopping. But stuff was still relatively cheap. Especially houses. Everyone I new who was a few years older and in their 30s were buying houses. Teachers, nurses, etc. Not a big deal especially if you were a 2-income couple. And the majority of folks there were fairly local, at least from the larger region (UW, WSU grads etc.). Microsoft really started changing things in the early 90s by bringing in so much tech talent from across the country and world and then all the other tech companies started following suit. And pretty soon half the people you met weren't really from the area.

People in Seattle are also a LOT flashier about money. Huge yachts, huge mansions, etc. Some of that in Portland too, but it tends to be more understated.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

I have been interested in the Portland vs Seattle argument for almost 40 years. I have come to the conclusion that Portland wants to be a mid sized city with small business centric, and an idea of non-corporate (excluding Nike).

Seattle is much more aggressive and is wide open to development. ....

Portland is beer (local brew) Laid back, "See you at the brew pub"
Seattle is coffee - the BEST coffee (driven, seeking highest rank of everything) Seattle Freeze - social relationships are not a huge thing.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

People in Seattle are also a LOT flashier about money. Huge yachts, huge mansions, etc. Some of that in Portland too, but it tends to be more understated.

True. The have/have nots divide is large in the Seattle Metro. Everyone I knew back in the 80s/90s who didn't buy a house at the point has been priced out and left Seattle, either to cheaper outlying areas or left the state. Seattle wasn't flashy in the past and it's always surprising to see the wealth now, with the homeless camps under the freeways as backdrop.

[pnwguy2]

Seattle has definitely become a National/Global city as opposed to a Local city. Almost everything about the Seattle metro leans National. Almost everything about Portland leans regional. Again, Nike is the exception but they can’t compete with the Seattle metro on a global scale. But regarding this actual thread, again I would choose west side. Though generally expect to pay 30-50k higher for this location.