Vancouver >> Portland ?

[ilikegunspdx]

I do care, but right now I just want to know about Vancouver. Think of it like, I have to move to somewhere in Washington; or like I'm already in Washington. In either of those two examples, it doesn't matter to me what the Washington gun laws are in Vancouver, because it's no different from where I will be if I don't move to Vancouver.

If you have to move to WA I would move to the east side. Much different than west side in so many ways.

 

[albin25]

Today, while I was on the phone with my cousin that has recently lived in both places and I asked him for his opinion on his preference....
.... " same outhouse, different hole, still got slivers ", was his response.

(He's always been kinda grouchy though)

 

[MichaelH]

Thanks for the replies. For this thread, I don't care about issues with Washington, I only want to know how bad Vancouver is or likely will get.

It's a cheaper real estate market and moderately better schools vs. Portland proper. I don't buy that Portland is the bubblegum-hole as compared to any other larger city where jobs are more plentiful but housing more expensive. If you're west of the Rockies the only cities that have less of that urban stuff are Boise (yawn!), Spokane and maybe
Redding. Anywhere close to a large metro area has some large metro area problems like crime, drugs, homelessness, litter, etc. so the 'Couve has some of that too, but not las much as Portland. If you don't like city problems then Vancouver really isn't your answer. Before the pandemic, measure 110 debacle, etc. I would say that lots of the less smart, economically challenged and more criminally minded Portland natives had been displaced to Vancouver by gentrification of historically less expensive PDX neighborhoods. The dramatic increase in housing costs, drugs and frolic into decriminalization over the past 7 to 8 years have really contributed to Portland having a crazy amount of homelessness, with attendant problems, which dramatically improves Vancouver by comparison. If you were moving to SW WA and moved to say Ridgefield, Battleground, Camas, etc., you can get to urban amenities, and higher paying work, without much of the negative urban experience.

No offense to Cowlitz Co. folks but I have a buddy who's a prosecuting attorney up there and he is busy, busy, busy prosecuting meth heads up there and when I used to try to get into court up there for civil cases they were so busy trying to put people in jail it'd be hard to get time and courtroom space with a judge. I imagine those are more Longview/Kelso problems.

If you don't enjoy the urban experience, like the PNW and like your firearms, you might be better off looking at some places like North Plains, Forrest Grove, Hood River, Sandy, Canby, Mollala, Oregon City, and towns en route to the coast.

 

[MichaelH]

FWIW, I like the SW but given the H2O shortages on the horizon I'd be pretty wary of moving there. After Oxygen the next thing most important for human life is water. I got a buddy who lives in Livingston MT and he loves it, but then again it's so exciting there that he and his wife got into curling!

 

[DirectDrive]

My wife decided she might like us to move to Vancouver, WA. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen, I want to move to ID/MT/WY/AZ/NV.

But that brings up the question, is Vancouver turning into Portland? Or is it night and day when you cross the Columbia River?

Vancouver is better than Portland for quality of life, but it's not enough.
The Iron Curtain has come down on gun laws in WA.
Keep those Red western states in your sights.

 

[Burt Gummer]

A friend of mine lives off SR500 about a mile from Vancouver Mall. Been in the same house since 1982.

About ten years ago was driving through his neighborhood and it looked like the scene from Back To The Future after Biff and his casino took over.

Was there the other day and while it isn't upscale or even clean, it is much nicer. It is like everyone woke up and started clearing out the refrigerators and tires off their lawns.

Still I completely agree with @DirectDrive If moving don't stay in a blue state. You know more fear narratives are coming. Lockdowns and Face Diaper mandates are more of a concern to me than crime rates.

Oregon, WA, and CA are never places anyone should move to in order to find a better life or standard of living. Just CLOWN states. I still see people proudly wearing their diapers while grocery shopping.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Own a small business in Portland for 40 years. In 1984, I could spend 30 minutes keeping up with tax accounting, compliance, building code and permit regs, filings a month. Now it is a full time job and requires a 40-hr work week employee just to wrangle all the gov'ts attempts to torpedo small businesses in Portland.

View: https://youtu.be/awQwJ8tNRng

 

[robertvarner]

I lived in Camas from '08-'10. It was much quieter and cheaper than Vancouver, plus a simple commute along 14 into Vancouver for work.

I would suggest looking in Camas or Washougal. You can get out of the concrete jungle that is most of what Vancouver consists of.

Camas home pricing is higher than Vancouver. Washougal is more reasonable for housing.

 

[Kingkrok]

My wife decided she might like us to move to Vancouver, WA. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen, I want to move to ID/MT/WY/AZ/NV.

But that brings up the question, is Vancouver turning into Portland? Or is it night and day when you cross the Columbia River?

I've lived here my whole life. I can't stand it anymore. It used to be a great place to live. I want to move completely out of this state all together. If u were going to or have to move here I'd pick somewhere north of or east of Vancouver. Just my opinion. Best of luck to you.

 

[Kcee]

I've lived from Canada to Central America in the east and the west, and I prefer the west. I also lived in Texas and NM. I can't take the cold, so I avoided the northern midwestern states. The bugs are horrible on the whole east side, especially black flies down to bot flies on the Yucatan, where I had a winter place. Guatemala was extremely creepy. I finally settled down in Oregon because of family and friends, who are all dead now. I could move anyplace on the planet now, but I've been all over the planet, and there's nothing I like so much I would move there, except maybe northern Italy, but I really do not like gypsies, they're like black flies. One thing I do like about Oregon is all the veterans living here, whom I get along with great. I just feel safer here because of them, and what the world is rapidly becoming.

 

[Jay Walk]

My wife decided she might like us to move to Vancouver, WA. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen, I want to move to ID/MT/WY/AZ/NV. WY after you retire, ID transplants are in for a Colorado style takeover.

But that brings up the question, is Vancouver turning into Portland? YES, crime is increasing rapidly. Or is it night and day when you cross the Columbia River?

Population has gone way up, with more people comes more Dicks and Idiot drivers.

 

[orygun]

Is it likely that many folks from Portland have relocated to Vancouver, to get away from Portland?

A guy I know lived in a condo in the Pearl and owned a building near 405 that housed his car collection. He had a house built in Vancouver and took everything with him when he left. He couldn't stand the way Portland dealt with the riots, homelessness and crime.

 

[nwslopoke]

I never lived in Washington, but if I had to, Vancouver has more to offer than Portland, but I would never live in Portland proper. I'm not young, but cities in Wa, like Castle Rock seem more appealing, since I'm not looking for nightlife or things to do.

 

[echo1]

I like Idaho but it's too late in the game for me to relocate. PAX

 

[nwslopoke]

I like Idaho but it's too late in the game for me to relocate. PAX

I think Columbus area of Ohio is overlooked as a destination. We went a few years ago and almost bought a acre. It's exploding there. My wife didn't buy in, but it checked a lot of boxes that are positive. The Black Hills area of SD is nice, but even the locals say winter is no joke. Of course it could be to keep others away.

I think the OP isn't as concerned about gun laws as other priorities. I have a young gun owning coworker that is more concerned about being closer to inlaws for child care with 3 kids under 4. I had another coworker quit because his wife was making more in childcare than he was. They were going to expand.

 

[Lazyfaire]

It's true, I've lived in Vancouver all my life, born and raised. I only left for the army and spent some time with friends in Portland after I got back.

They all left Portland because Vancouver was so much better. But they brought their leftist politics that made Portland a S-Hole.

Unfortunately, my family is here, and my mother watches my kid. So it becomes hard for me to move away, as I can find work. But having that support is hard to give up. Or I'd be moving to more firearm friendly state (Firearms Engineer and part time gunsmith, and background in Sales/Marketing so I can work anywhere)

Consider everything. You don't want to wait and wait before you move, and then say to yourself "Why didn't I do this sooner?" Good luck with your choices. Politicians are not your friends.

 

[Burt Gummer]

If my income wasn't tied here I'd be long gone from Oregon, specifically Portland. The fear narrative choo-choo train will be rolling through again in every blue state in the not too distant future. CA, WA, and OR will just continue to greatly decline.

I don't want to be playing the violin on the Titanic.

No one is coming to save us. We are all on our own. Make wise choices.

 

[Lazyfaire]

I don't want to be playing the violin on the Titanic.

Yeah, didn't end well for the band

 

[Caveman Jim]

Washington has gone full retard on gun laws. Vantucky is much nicer than Potland, especially the new waterfront downtown area. No income tax. YET!!!

If you can get past the draconian gun laws, it's better than Potland. That said, Oregon is right behind Washington saying, "hold my beer".

Hush yo mouff!!!