Where to Live in Seattle or Portland Area?

[4legsgood]

Downtown Redmond might suit you. Very safe, very walk-able. Grocery, library, trails, parks, senior center being built, medical facilities (Kaiser for one), public transportation hub, all within 3 mile radius and no hills. Lots of new apartments/condos, so I'm guessing reasonable rent.

 

[neihn]

Thanks! I'm going to check out Vancouver while in Portland. Can you recommend any neighborhood that would be walking distance to a good, safe walking trail? Anywhere to go to get a good sense of what it is like to live in Vancouver?

You mention shopping in Portland, but is it a hassle to get into the city? Is there good public transportation? How often do people really go into Portland from Vancouver to shop? I'm trying to get a sense of how Vancouver compares to someplace like Beaverton, aside from taxes.

Thanks everyone!

If you are in Portland and checking out Vancouver, you should also check out Camas WA. It is east of Vancouver. It was smaller town, but it getting more more new home construction lately. It is a safer community vs Vancouver, Portland.

Beautiful parks (free)

https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/lacamas-regional-park

https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/captain-william-clark-regional-park-cottonwood-beach

I would take you about 15-20 minutes drive to get to Portland Airport (PDX), where you can shop (the shopping area (mall) is next to the airport), you can also ride the light rail to Portland city center, Beaverton, Hillsboro etc... ($5 you can ride all day).

 

[COcheesehead]

Go to city-data.com. There is a forum with large discussions on both areas.

 

[NomDeER]

Downtown Redmond might suit you. Very safe, very walk-able. Grocery, library, trails, parks, senior center being built, medical facilities (Kaiser for one), public transportation hub, all within 3 mile radius and no hills. Lots of new apartments/condos, so I'm guessing reasonable rent.

Thanks! This is very helpful. Do you think Redmond is a good place for someone who is in their late 50s and not in the tech industry or will I feel out of place? I think of Redmond as a place with lots of younger people in the tech industry but I could be off base.

Vancouver has both an urban downtown core as well as numerous suburban neighborhoods. Here are two trails that show these different aspects of the city. Both are good, safe trails that will take 2-3 hours to walk end-to-end.

Urban trail: Vancouver Waterfront trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/vancouver-waterfront-trail and https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/aug/31/vancouver-riverwalk-ranks-in-top-15-in-nation/

Suburban neighborhood trail: Salmon Creek Greenway Trail
https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/dept/files/public-works/Parks/Salmon_Creek_Greenway_Trail.pdf

Thanks! This is very helpful. How have you found the health care in Vancouver?

I would take you about 15-20 minutes drive to get to Portland Airport (PDX), where you can shop (the shopping area (mall) is next to the airport), you can also ride the light rail to Portland city center, Beaverton, Hillsboro etc... ($5 you can ride all day).

Thanks! I'll check out Camas. What do you think of Beaverton and Hillsboro as places to live?

 

[Big_Hitter]

I can't even fathom owning 7 acres in Redmond. That is like 8 figure stuff...

I was talking to some guy taking a motorcycle trip across the state (we were in Joseph, OR) and he said he had about that much property in Redmond. That's insane.

 

[Happyras]

I was talking to some guy taking a motorcycle trip across the state (we were in Joseph, OR) and he said he had about that much property in Redmond. That's insane.

Not too insane if you have horses, that is insane by itself. We are now down to owning but one.

As for the concern she has for Redmond being a tech-boy area, it is more of a little India here. We had dinner last night at kanishika, which is the best Indian food in the area, and packed with the locals.

There are enough of us old Pha#$ts here that the area has a nice mix in population. My mom lived in an apartment near the senior center in Redmond and her scooter got her around great! Our kids who are Urbanites, live in Montlake Terrace with access to the new rail into Seattle. The Redmond station is getting close with lots of apartments being built up walking distance to that station. If I were going to live in an apartment, that light rail is a big plus to go anywhere fast.

 

[Chuckanut]

Our kids who are Urbanites, live in Montlake Terrace with access to the new rail into Seattle. The Redmond station is getting close with lots of apartments being built up walking distance to that station. If I were going to live in an apartment, that light rail is a big plus to go anywhere fast.

I may be wrong but I think the discussion of Redmond is conflating Redmond, OR and Redmond WA. Both seem to be tech hubs. It might help for people to add the state.

 

[acronymous]

Southern Indian food in Kirkland and Redmond is soo good! Masala dosas, y'all!

 

[EastWest Gal]

My sister has lived in western Washington for 40 years, and about 30 of them in Pierce County. About 30 miles straight east of Tacoma. There are some charming towns that are flat and then areas that are hilly. The state fair is in Enumclaw, near where she lives, held in September.

The previous descriptions of the weather are accurate. 2021’s heat wave was truly anomalous. 80s are typical summer highs. They do get some snow. And ice. Freezing fog. The big problem there is the hills are impossible and they do not have the snow management infrastructure we do in the east. It rains a lot well into June, and starts up again in October. And though the summer is short, the days are very long in the summer. That is the price you pay for all that green. And when the mountain is out, it is breathtaking. We’re from the SF Bay Area originally. Sister moved there when she was 24 and never looked back. Amazing hiking and some good ski resorts, including cross country skiing.

Even near her small town the food scene is very good. Loads of amazing seafood, and microbreweries got their start there, if you’re into that sort of thing.

 

[Chuckanut]

The Chuckanut brewery in Bellingham WA isn't bad.

 

[braumeister]

The Chuckanut brewery in Bellingham WA isn't bad.

It was my favorite brewpub in the world. An incredibly talented brewer who made some of the most true-to-style beers anywhere and garnered so many medals from beer competitions it was ridiculous.

But they moved south to a new facility in Burlington a few years ago, about 25 miles away, to get a new facility.

 

[4legsgood]

Thanks! This is very helpful. Do you think Redmond is a good place for someone who is in their late 50s and not in the tech industry or will I feel out of place? I think of Redmond as a place with lots of younger people in the tech industry but I could be off base.

You would probably be older than most in the Redmond urban center. It is internationally diverse. Has hard working professionals energy. People are free with the friendly waves and smiles, which suits me.

Redmond Ridge is further out from Seattle, older demographic, very safe, walking trails, a couple of 55+ communities, a large grocery store, several restaurants. I don't know how many rentals there are but there are some townhouse communities that probably have some.

Someone mentioned West Seattle, where I grew up. It somehow has maintained its charm (unlike me!). Part of Seattle proper, it is on a peninsula which gives it a separate small town feel. Self-contained except no hospitals. It is pretty safe, and good for urban hikes with hills. There is age diversity, and amazing Alki Beach, also Lincoln Park is there, so two of the too rare parks on Puget Sound. People are happy to be living there and have that kind of friendliness (aren't WE lucky).

I should mention, the past several summers we've had problems with smoke from wildfires and are currently experiencing that (here in Redmond), depending on which way the wind blows. It is hard on people with any kind of breathing issues and can go on for days if not weeks. I guess this can happen anywhere in the western states.

 

[Focus]

I want to mention West Seattle as a place quite close to downtown Seattle, yet appears to be a less crowded residential area. We stumbled on this area some years ago in one trip, and I remember it being nice and quiet.

That's where I've lived for a couple of decades. I recently considered moving north of here, but nothing appealed to me as much. West Seattle is also relatively less expensive housing-wise than other Seattle areas.

The West Seattle Bridge, the artery for trips north and east, recently reopened after two and a half years of repairs. That period wasn't fun, to say the least. But if you see any of the endless stories about the bridge closure online know that it's a moot point now.

The central part of West Seattle was designated an "urban village" some years ago, and that resulted in a huge increase in the area's density and reduced the small town feel. There are now a ton of rental apartments.

 

[Linney]

Thanks! This is very helpful. How have you found the health care in Vancouver?

It's very good. My husband needs specialized care and he is able to get that here. There are two large, modern hospitals in Vancouver itself. OHSU is a research / teaching hospital in Portland, Oregon, only 10 miles away. My dad underwent an experimental new heart procedure at OHSU last year and received excellent care.

Let me know if that answers your question or if you wanted to know about other aspects of health care here.

 

[NomDeER]

As for the concern she has for Redmond being a tech-boy area, it is more of a little India here. We had dinner last night at kanishika, which is the best Indian food in the area, and packed with the locals.

You would probably be older than most in the Redmond urban center. It is internationally diverse. Has hard working professionals energy. People are free with the friendly waves and smiles, which suits me.

Redmond Ridge is further out from Seattle, older demographic, very safe, walking trails, a couple of 55+ communities, a large grocery store, several restaurants. I don't know how many rentals there are but there are some townhouse communities that probably have some.

Someone mentioned West Seattle, where I grew up. It somehow has maintained its charm (unlike me!). Part of Seattle proper, it is on a peninsula which gives it a separate small town feel. Self-contained except no hospitals. It is pretty safe, and good for urban hikes with hills. There is age diversity, and amazing Alki Beach, also Lincoln Park is there, so two of the too rare parks on Puget Sound. People are happy to be living there and have that kind of friendliness (aren't WE lucky).

I should mention, the past several summers we've had problems with smoke from wildfires and are currently experiencing that (here in Redmond), depending on which way the wind blows. It is hard on people with any kind of breathing issues and can go on for days if not weeks. I guess this can happen anywhere in the western states.

I've added getting Indian food to my list of things to do in Redmond.

Many moons ago, when I was in my 20s, I lived in Mountain View, California, where there were lots of engineers and Chinese food. Maybe Redmond is the Eastside version of Mountain View, but with Indian food?

In my mind, I keep thinking that the Eastside is something like the peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. That may be totally incorrect, but I keep trying to compare parts of the Eastside to the peninsula. I try to figure out if areas are more like Mountain View, Atherton, Millbrae, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, etc.

I may check out West Seattle. The one thing that concerns me is the lack of a hospital. That might weigh on me. When my mother had a heart attack, she was dead by the time the ambulance got there.

I understand how horrible wildfire smoke can be. The problem is that it can be so difficult finding a decent place in the U.S. that does not have a risk for some kind of natural disaster, whether it's wildfires, extreme heat and drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, etc.

Thanks again everyone for all the information. I really appreciate it.

 

[livingalmostlarge]

retired and remote? Vancouver WA i think would be ideal. Like 20 minutes from portland, no income tax and no sales tax. Plus close to hospitals. So I think it would be a winning combination.

 

[NomDeER]

Let me recommend Olympia, WA on South Puget Sound.
This state capital is a lovely small city with vibrant, walkable downtown, urban apartments as well as suburban. Great arts, theater, farmer’s market communities. Abundant outdoor life, trails, parks. Within reach of Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, state parks, less than an hour to Pacific Ocean towns.
One hour south of Seattle, one hour-forty minutes to Portland.
Take a look.

I am going to be stopping for a day in Olympia to check it out.

My biggest concern is whether there would be adequate health care in an area this size. Can you tell me what your experiences and impressions are of whether there is a sufficient amount and quality of doctors, hospitals, and other health care?

Also, are there particular areas I should check out to get a feel for the area? And is there any particular neighborhood you can think of where there would be apartments walking distance to walking trails?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

[Gallaher]

Had to laugh, someone mentioned confusion between Redmond Wa and Oregon, “both are tech hubs”. I beg to differ, I’m living here 10 miles from Redmond Oregon. It’s a crossroads town here in the desert. population 35K....not much hubbing here.
Lived in Oregon 45 years now outside Portland 25 years....just don’t do it. Portland especially downtown is a scary mess. I own a condo in the “Pearl”. Was excellent until 4-5 years ago now I just want to sell it.
Some of the suburbs are nice Oregon City, Milwaukee, Lake Oswego. Some are as bad as Portland....Gresham.
Vancouver and Olympia are worth a look.
All of Seattle is just expensive.
It really does rain a lot in western Oregon/Washington and even worse lots of gray days where you don’t see the sun.
Maybe try to ignore input from those who have not lived there.

 

[starry night]

The Best 10 Hospitals in Olympia, Washington
All "Hospitals" Results in Olympia, WA. ...
Providence St. ...
Kaiser Permanente West Olympia Medical Center. ...
Capital Medical Center. ...
Olympia Hospital Olympia Hospital. ...
Kaiser Permanente Olympia Medical Center. ...
Providence St Peter Hospital. ...
Providence Medical Group - Lacey.

Definitely suggest you visit Farmer’s Market downtown at waterfront.
A drive up East Bay Road will provide look at lots of waterfront and waterview apartments. Also, pricier urban apt bldgs in downtown along the waterfront Percival Landing.

 

[tulak]

A bit late to this thread. I’ve lived in the Seattle area for over 40 years and grew up in this area (parents moved here when I was young).

Based on comments so far, I’d look at Redmond for the Eastside and West Seattle. Issaquah Highlands are sterile, but Issaquah proper is nice (around front street). Redmond will soon have light rail and there’s good access to Woodinville, 520 takes you to Seattle quickly, and the bike trail along the Sammamish River is nice. It’s all trail around the northern part of Lake Washington.

West Seattle is a favorite of mine. For hospital access, you are at Harborview in 10-15 min, along with most other major hospitals. Harborview is a level trauma one hospital that serves Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and I think Montana. It’s where people are airlifted for
major medical emergencies (from all
of these states).

West Seattle will have light rail in 10
years, lots of apartments, and is close to the major airport (Sea-Tac). You also have great access to downtown (10 min) and major freeways. Ballard area can be nice (also lots of apartments), but I feel it’s a bit out of the way (but tons of local breweries). Ballard is to beer what Woodinville is to wine.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a PM. I’ve lived all around this area and I’m more than happy to share my thoughts on different locations.

 

[neihn]

Thanks! I'll check out Camas. What do you think of Beaverton and Hillsboro as places to live?

I lived in Beaverton OR for 30 years. Raised my kids there. When I retired in 2018, we moved to Florida, but quickly realized that Florida was not for us. So we moved back to the Pacific NW and chose Camas.

Beaverton is a great place to live, great community, great public schools, most high-tech companies are in Beaverton and Hillsboro.

 

[pacergal]

Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Wilsonville have all built many planned communities with multi housing types, many parks and recreation areas, some have little shopping malls, bike trails. Areas in Vancouver, Wa also have these.
Tri Met/Max/WES all provide public transportation and keep expanding.

Lots of hiking/biking opportunities all over the Tri-County area. (Multnomah/Washington/Clackamas) Many folks also include Clark County, Wa, as they are so close over the river.

 

[Scrapr]

If you really want to be close to trails Bend, Or is your place. We had a home there for 16 years...full time for about 4. I could walk to the local trail. Nature park was about a mile away. State park about 3-4 miles. Lots of outdoor activities...cycling, hiking, snow sports. Downsides are medical care. Only 1 hospital system & lots of complaints. ohhh...and costs are high. Lots of Bay area commuters & WFH.

We loved our time there

Currently in Wilsonville, Or & love it. We are on the edge of the Urban Growth Boundary. So the country is 2 blocks away. We see deer in the 'hood & hear coyotes in the evenings. Close enough for Portland activities. City of Portland is really a collection of neighborhoods. My MIL lives in Woodstock area & I love it there. YMMV

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Thanks! This is very helpful. Do you think Redmond is a good place for someone who is in their late 50s and not in the tech industry or will I feel out of place? I think of Redmond as a place with lots of younger people in the tech industry but I could be off base.




Thanks! This is very helpful. How have you found the health care in Vancouver?



Thanks! I'll check out Camas. What do you think of Beaverton and Hillsboro as places to live?

I've lived in both Hillsboro and Camas. Ask me specific questions, if you want it from the horse's mouth.

 

[skyking1]

Regarding health care services in Olympia, remember that it's the state capital. That brings about a weird effect that goes with government. Just consider that it's punching above its weight in terms of population with regards to infrastructure availability.