Thinking of moving to Portland, OR. Thoughts?

[DarthTreydor]

So I'm thinking of moving from the east coast out to Oregon this summer, specifically Portland. I have family in Eugene and have spent some time in Portland and I personally thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's the perfect size; not too big and not too small. It seems to have good public transit for its size so I can finally get rid of my car which seems to be just a whole in the road that I throw money into. It seems to have a good music scene and be generally friendly to alternative lifestyles. Plus it has the added benefit of having significantly cheaper rents than other major west coast cities (Seattle, San Francisco, L.A.).

So I'm looking for insight from people who live/have lived in Portland. How did/do you like it? What are the fun neighborhoods to live in? What neighborhoods should I avoid living in? What are some fun things to do? What's the job market like? I know it sucks everywhere these days, but is it as bad or worse than other areas? And any other thoughts you think might be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[kymac]

i love it here.. uhh some neighborhoods to avoid.. a lot of ne portland is pretty ghetto.. the pearl district is pretty neat if youre into the modern, artsy, young type of thing.. oregon has a very very high unemployment rate.. so i dont think thats going to help with the job search.. also we have a pretty awesome mayor..