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Hows Employment in Portland these days? Also, Public Transport?
My Husband and I are planning a move to portland in March of 2012 if all goes well. I have visited the city on several occasions and fell in love with it and he visited with me last year and loves it too. We live in NYC now but realized we just don't want to start a family in NYC. We also realized it's hard top find a place as culturally and artistically fulfilling as new york is. What i love about Portland is it seems to be the best of both worlds. Husband is also a bicycle racer and enthusiast so it seems like a good fit.
I am wondering though if some of you locals can tell me how the employment situation is out there? I have experience in administrative and assistant work and that's what i would most likely pursue (receptionist, assistant, office manger, etc.) and my husband is an environmental scientist and has also managed a bike shop for years (most likely he would pursue the former as it seems it would be more lucrative for supporting a family). We both have many years experience in new york. Does it seem promising for us?
In addition I am wondering what neighborhoods would be best for a gal like me who doesnt drive and would, at least initially, be depending on public transport and cycling. I like Alberta Arts, Hawthorne, Humboldt, and Mississippi seem good. Any other suggestions? We hate anything condo or gated community/manufactured looking.
Thanks sooo very mucho!
Re: Hows Employment in Portland these days? Also, Public Transport?
Belmont would be another area for you to look at, it's very cute and "hippy bike riders" lol
I would strongly suggest that at least one of you find a job before you move.
I work in HR. For every administrative-type position that I open, I get 100-150 resumes in a week. I close the postings after a week. In addition, my positions are only posted on our company website - not Craigslist or other job boards. If they were posted there, it'd be significantly more.
For engineering/science/research jobs, I probably get 10-20 applications depending on the level.
I'd definitely recommend that one of you get a job before moving here.
FET - transferred two embryos (boy and girl) - Nov 2014 - BFP!
thanks. I will look at Belmont.
As for the job sitch, I must admit i am nervous. We plan on TTC around June of next year. That date is non-negotiable do to my age. I worry about not being able to find jobs, at least one of us, within that window and it complicating our plans.
How old are you? I would say employment and health insurance trumps maternal age even if you are getting up there. I didn't have my first baby until I was almost 35 and just had my second at almost 38. Both are perfectly healthy babies and I had perfectly normal pregnancies. But with the second one DH was unemployed for 9 months and so we held off on TTC until he found a job. Luckily his health insurance was so good that we waited until we were enrolled in that before we even started TTC. Def. get a job first, or at least one of you.
As for environmental science, is he a researcher? I know there are some people at PSU (Portland State University) working on that, and also at OHSU. He might be able to find something there. Administrative jobs are everywhere but as the previous poster said, that means there's also a lot of applicants.
Good luck. And maybe visit sometime during the winter. We get really gloomy rainy winters here that last for a long time. It's not for everybody
.
I love Alberta, Mississippi, Belmont, and Fremont/Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhoods. Lots to offer.
And ditto everyone else on the job situation. My husband is in IT and just found a job 2 weeks ago after being laid off for 2.5 YEARS. With serious job hunting and probably a hundred job interviews. It's rough.
News reported 9.something% last week- so 10%.
Get a job before you move here. Please and thank you.
Unless you plan on being young and retired- we have a lot of those.
By "those" I mean the young-hipsters that work at coffee shops all day with their fixie bikes. I'm assuming they are writing books on how to retire young. Good thing most coffee shops have free internet. They just need to buy coffee and their smokes.
Do I sound bitter? Yes. Hahaahahaha
Oops. To answer the OP's question, lots of bike-friendly neighborhoods. N/NE/E/SE > W Richmond, Mt Tabor, Sellwood, Alberta, Mississippi, Beaumont, Laurelhurst, Abernathy, Ladds- can keep going and going. Search Portland bike routes and there ya go. Obviously if you live in neighborhoods w/o bike paths/lanes, you aren't gonna get hit by a bike on purpose (let's hope).
I don't drive, I bike or ride public transportation. I'm quite happy with the access I have to everything w/o a car- although it is nice to take a field trip to the 'burbs once in awhile- get out of the Portland hipster mentality which can be obnoxious.
Like me! Well, semi-retired, LOL!
TTC #1 since May 2010. BFP #1 - 5/31/10; m/c on 7/22/10
Started seeing RE in August 2011
5 IUIs: BFN; IVF #1 - Success! BFP - 7/25/12
No, not hating on you at all.
thanks for all the sound advice ladies!
We are planning on moving in March so we should catch some of the yucky weather. I did warn my sweet pea. I grew up in Washington state so i know i can hack it but we will have to see about him. he is used to the dryness of Colorado or the warm rains of Florida. New York weather is too hot in the summers for him and to freezing ice cold in winter. We shall see if he can take it! heheh
The Hubs is gonna try to find a job prior and he doesn't seem too terribly concerned, especially since we are putting together some nice savings.
We also had a discussion and we both agreed that no matter what we will start trying come june of next year. I will be turning 35 and as much as i appreciate the stories of women who have had no trouble at all conceiving, i have also heard many stories of more reproductively challenged folks. The only way to find out is to start trying and if its gonna take a number of years or interventions we'd like to be aware of all that and not take it for granted. Having at least two children is my dream and i don't want to jeopardize it. Id sooner move to another city if we have trouble.
I am gonna check out all those neighborhoods. I don't mind hipsters, being from new york and having lived in williamsburg brooklyn. At least the Portland ones seem much friendlier. and id be perfectly willing to waitress or sling coffee in the interim of finding something more stable.