Relocating to Portland - need advice

BentMetal · 04-13-2004, 08:25 PM

Well, I got stuck taking a job in Portland. I'm mostly a small town guy, living all my life in a small logging town, and then staying around Albany/Corvallis after I graduated from college. Anyways, I'm needing to relocate to Portland area, my job is in Tigard, and so I was wondering about advice for locations to move to. Mainly, I am looking at advice on traffic.

1) Newberg - How is the commute from Newberg to 217 on hwy 99? I've heard this is bad, but then I've heard that it is only bad at Dundee (out past Newberg) because it bottlenecks there, and Newberg to Tigard wouldn't be too bad. Basically, is this a 20 minute commute or a 40 minute commute?

2) Sherwood - Every morning I commute past the Sherwood Tualatin exit on I-5, and the traffic is backed up badly. Plus, we've checked out the road from 1-5 out to Sherwood and it seems to take a lot of time just with all of the lights.

Any thoughts? We are also thinking of the towns right on I-5, and I pretty much know how the commute would be for those, but I was mostly just wondering if the towns east or west of I-5 are options for me, if I am trying to keep my commute times down.

JCJ · 04-13-2004, 08:33 PM

I would seriously not move anywhere near the Portland area and definately not into Multnomah County.The taxes,water bill and everything else will bleed you dry.And you get nothing in return.If my job is in Tigard ,I probably would consider staying on that side of town,just make sure its not in Vera Katzs retirement fund area!!!

3riversBob · 04-13-2004, 08:51 PM

My daughter is commuting from South Salem to Tigard and says it is taking her not much over a half hour. There is back road from the Hillsboro/Aloha area also that gets you to Tigard in 15 to 20 minutes. A lot depends on the time you travel. I live in Milwaukie and commute to Beaverton everyday and it will take me 15 minutes longer by leaving the house 5 minutes late. I hate the commute but the livability is much better. I used to live at the coast in a little town also and know how you feel. Good luck.

Bob

Rakkasan · 04-13-2004, 09:26 PM

Basicly no matter where you go you are going to hit traffic. I commute on hwy 26 and hate it. I am moving to Milwaukie right on the other side of the Sellwood bridge. Where is your work at? Give specifics and I can try and give you some pointers.

lost_sailor · 04-13-2004, 10:25 PM

It's all good, probably should just look around and see what you can find. I used to work in Tigard near the high school and lived in SW Portland.

Traffic IN Tigard can be bad, you will learn the ways to go.

1pump · 04-14-2004, 01:16 AM

I used to use Tualatin-Sherwood Rd (the one you're talking about) to get to Newberg from I5. Not anymore, unless it's in the middle of the night.
Now I go to exit #278 and cut over to OR219 and take the back way onto Newberg. No lights, no hassles. But if you use this way to get to 217 from Newberg you're at the mercy of I5.

You might take a look at the Donald-Aurora-St Paul area. It's not built up too bad (yet) and the real estate seems to be a lot more reasonable than Tigard, Wilsonville, Tualatin, Sherwood and the like.

2LEYS · 04-14-2004, 06:52 AM

I would look in Canby. It looks like a good smaller community.

Artwo · 04-14-2004, 06:58 AM

BentMetal,
Welcome to the madness. I to grew up in the Albany area and moved up to Portland for work years ago. If your looking for a nice area to live that still has the small town atmosphere I would recommend Canby. We moved to canby 5 years ago to raise our kids in a less hectic area then the inner-city and we are lovin our choice. I commute to Hillsboro everyday for work by route of I5-217-Hwy 26 and it's not to bad. From Canby, you can be in Tigard in 30 minutes tops. Seriously, check out Canby..........it's also in Clackamas county so no senseless county surtax.

JK

StickFish · 04-14-2004, 09:03 AM

I live in Tigard and it depends on what part of Tigard you will work in if you looking for a commute from outside of Tigard. Where did you land a job and are looking for a house or an appartment? There are some very nice parts of Tigard to live in so don't rule that out. Whatever you do don't move to Multnomah County - Water, additional income tax - wow!

Sherwood is really getting built up and might struggle with its small town feel shortly.

Hwy 99 that goes through Tigard can be a real traffic headach. If you coming from Sherwood, I'd get off 99 at Durham and go Hall to bonita to 72nd to hit 217 if the need arrises. 99 around 217 has so many traffic lights it is worth driving around it.

217 and I5 North in the evening can be a mess, 217 to I5 south in the evening is a mess. 217 around Hwy 8 and 10 is a mess almost all day. Stay away from Hwy 26 in less you like long straight parking lots especially around Murray and Cornell.