Portland, Oregon livable without an automobile...

[CyberPunk1981]

I am planning on moving to Portland, Oregon either this year or next year. I am wondering if it is as livable without a car as I have heard from people on youtube and reddit. I am single and really like the idea of living without a vehicle while I am in graduate school as it seems to be a way to save money and offer a lot more convenience. I currently live in Denver, Colorado but it is not really a great city for public transit due to the design of their system. We have the same issues with homeless and drug use that plague the Portland mass transit system. I plan to CCW as well as keep my situational awareness and to not make myself an easy target.

But with that being said I plan to attend Portland State University. I am in my early 40s and do not plan to be going out late or acting like I did in my 20s. Meaning no late night drinking or any of that since I got that out of my system when I was young. I plan to try and find some work as well. I would like to live by Portland State and be able to bike or take the bus/rail if possible to go to class, the gym, work, and run errands like grocery shopping if possible. Is that a realistic thing to do in Portland for a single man?

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[Alexx1401]

In my opinion the entire city has turned into a sewer I would NOT want anyone I knew to live in. Place is still of course full of people. The simple way to find out is do a search first for the mass transit system they use. It will be on line and will have routes, maps, times, everything you need. Next look at rentals (assuming you are going to rent) and see what area has places in your budget. Match the info with each other. The net will show you where things like stores are. Real simple to look up what is within walking distance of anything you want to rent and is the rental in walking distance of a bus line.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I am planning on moving to Portland, Oregon either this year or next year. I am wondering if it is as livable without a car as I have heard from people on youtube and reddit. I am single and really like the idea of living without a vehicle while I am in graduate school as it seems to be a way to save money and offer a lot more convenience. I currently live in Denver, Colorado but it is not really a great city for public transit due to the design of their system. We have the same issues with homeless and drug use that plague the Portland mass transit system. I plan to CCW as well as keep my situational awareness and to not make myself an easy target.

But with that being said I plan to attend Portland State University. I am in my early 40s and do not plan to be going out late or acting like I did in my 20s. Meaning no late night drinking or any of that since I got that out of my system when I was young. I plan to try and find some work as well. I would like to live by Portland State and be able to bike or take the bus/rail if possible to go to class, the gym, work, and run errands like grocery shopping if possible. Is that a realistic thing to do in Portland for a single man?

It's super! as long as you like getting stabbed in the neck.
Good talk.

 

[SonicBlue03]

It's realistic-ish.

But until you have a job and know what your budget is, anything we tell you is worth its weight in digital paper.

Also, PSU? Why?

 

[Cavedweller]

Sounds like you will fit right in, except for the gun thing (see below), if you can handle the weather. Portland strives to be a bike friendly city. You will need to practice shouting obscenities at the top of your lungs and controlling a bike with one hand while flipping off car drivers with the other. A man bun and an affinity for spandex will be helpful.

You will need rain gear. Bicycling can be great in the dry season, not so much the rest of the year. If you manage to find an affordable rental in walking distance of PSU or live in a dorm you can probably get by with an umbrella, raincoat, and galoshes.

Policies | Portland State University

www.pdx.edu

 

[Lilhigbee]

Don't do it!! Why anyone would contemplate moving to this sh!thole is beyond me.

 

[hker71]

Portland used to be a cool place. My wife lived there and worked downtown while we were dating. We walked everywhere.

I wouldn't live there now even if someone paid me a million dollars. Yes there are good areas, but they are super expensive. My advice would be to live in a suburb and commute by bus. That being said I would never ride public transportation there either.

Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Cavedweller]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Don't do it!! Why anyone would contemplate moving to this sh!thole is beyond me.

I second this. Having lived here when Portland was actually a nice town I can't imagine moving here now. It's a bubblegumhole and it's only going to get worse every year. The government and poeple here are driving it into the ground. There should be space around PSU because all the businesses downtown have left due to too much crime. I won't drive to downtown anymore no matter what the reason. It's not worth it. Couldn't imagine living downtown. That would be hell. Even the downtown homeless shelters had to close because there was too many rounds constantly fired in and around them.

We live in an area much safer than downtown and houses start around $700k here. We've had shooting 100 yards away (running car battle) at 6 am at least 50 rounds. Another shooting on the block 27 rounds fired. Murder 4 blocks away. I was assaulted 3 blocks away. All these on the block: 3 armed car jackings. A stabbing. 2 armed robberies. Tons of homeless crime and thefts. Guy trying to break in our house. Several cars stolen (not ours). Our neighbor's car was torched last week. 2 weeks ago homeless guy going after peopel woth 10" knife. Downtown would be exponentially worse.

 

[CyberPunk1981]

Sounds like you will fit right in, except for the gun thing (see below), if you can handle the weather. Portland strives to be a bike friendly city. You will need to practice shouting obscenities at the top of your lungs and controlling a bike with one hand while flipping off car drivers with the other. A man bun and an affinity for spandex will be helpful.

You will need rain gear. Bicycling can be great in the dry season, not so much the rest of the year. If you manage to find an affordable rental in walking distance of PSU or live in a dorm you can probably get by with an umbrella, raincoat, and galoshes.

Policies | Portland State University

www.pdx.edu

I have heard that you folks do not use umbrellas and that someone carrying an umbrella is easily seen as a non-native. I do not mind the rain. As far as biking, that is part of the plan. I rode my bike a lot when I was younger and it kept me pretty trim. I am not as trim as I was and I think it might help. With regards to shouting obscenities and flipping off drivers, I do that here in my car when I am stuck in traffic. As far as the man-bun and spandex, I would say maybe if I was from Boulder. And spandex and me just do not compute.

With regards to the policies, I do believe it is legal to CCW. I also have read that the body that created the policy is no longer a thing so the policy may not be invalid. Either way I will cross that bridge when I arrive at it and decide what to do.

 

[CyberPunk1981]

I second this. Having lived here when Portland was actually a nice town I can't imagine moving here now. It's a bubblegumhole and it's only going to get worse every year. The government and poeple here are driving it into the ground. There should be space around PSU because all the businesses downtown have left due to too much crime. I won't drive to downtown anymore no matter what the reason. It's not worth it. Couldn't imagine living downtown. That would be hell. Even the downtown homeless shelters had to close because there was too many rounds constantly fired in and around them.

We live in an area much safer than downtown and houses start around $700k here. We've had shooting 100 yards away (running car battle) at 6 am at least 50 rounds. Another shooting on the block 27 rounds fired. Murder 4 blocks away. I was assaulted 3 blocks away. All these on the block: 3 armed car jackings. A stabbing. 2 armed robberies. Tons of homeless crime and thefts. Guy trying to break in our house. Several cars stolen (not ours). Our neighbor's car was torched last week. 2 weeks ago homeless guy going after peopel woth 10" knife. Downtown would be exponentially worse.

I do plan to live there for only two years then return to Chicagoland in the long run as that is where my Dad is. He is getting up there in age and I will need to be near him. Where I live now in Denver sounds very much like what you are describing. In the summer we watch the gangbangers drive by and fire into an empty wooded area by the house. It was a nightly thing for about a month last summer. The police did not respond as it was not worth the trouble. We have the same kind of crime situation. My head is always on a swivel. I grew up in Chicagoland and it was similar there as well when you are in certain neighborhoods.

 

[CyberPunk1981]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI

That is not quite me. I do want to ride a bike more. But I also want to save on the expenses of a car as well. Either way I did laugh as I remember watching that.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

.

 

[Alexx1401]

I have heard that you folks do not use umbrellas and that someone carrying an umbrella is easily seen as a non-native. I do not mind the rain. As far as biking, that is part of the plan. I rode my bike a lot when I was younger and it kept me pretty trim. I am not as trim as I was and I think it might help. With regards to shouting obscenities and flipping off drivers, I do that here in my car when I am stuck in traffic. As far as the man-bun and spandex, I would say maybe if I was from Boulder. And spandex and me just do not compute.

With regards to the policies, I do believe it is legal to CCW. I also have read that the body that created the policy is no longer a thing so the policy may not be invalid. Either way I will cross that bridge when I arrive at it and decide what to do.

If you are going to get an OR CWP the info will be on the site for where its good and not. As for the University? That info would also be easy to find as it is most likely a policy thing with them, not part of the "law". Here it becomes a personal choice. Last time I was in college the place had a "policy" against having a gun. I just carried anyway. I did not feel I needed to show the gun to anyone there and was capable of not dropping it on the floor so no one cared. So unless they have screening at the door? I would just carry. Just remember in that county they are VERY anti gun. Try to remember that if you pull the gun and do not shoot? Chances are good they will charge you with a crime.

 

[Jerry]

I have a good friend who works at PSU. He says it is a complete bubblegumeshow & should be avoided.

 

[Sundance]

Pull a gun in Sewerland and you get arrested, charged, fined and possible jail time. Throw a brick through a business window, rob the place and set it on fire and they slap your hands and say "don't get caught next time". Huge cesspool!!!
Oregon bill 554 (if I remember the number correctly) has totally changed concealed carry in Oregon - now businesses, schools, public buildings can all set 'gun free zones' if they want, they just put a sign in a window. If you're caught, it's a felony - key words- "if you're caught"…

 

[ilikegunspdx]

 

[HA556]

Pukeland..........no thanks!




That wasn't helpful Sarge!!!

 

[GrayGoose]

You don't need a car to live in cesspool Portland. Just a unicycle will do.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Moving from Denver, to Portland, and then to Chicago? Seems like a continual downgrade in living standards to me.

Edit. I lived in Albany OR without a car, and.also no home internet.. rode a bicycle everywhere. Supposedly Portland is still "good for cyclists" but thats likely propaganda and ignores completely the violence and general nastyness out there... and then there's the rain. It rains 8 months of the year on average here. Some years,.less
Some years, more.