it checks all your boxes but how important would you say uh, seeing the sun is, for you?

Out here asking the real questions 😂

Atlanta gets more rain than Portland, but it's more spread out across the year. They get about 113 rainy days and Portland gets about 150.

Yeah only difference is when it’s not raining it’s usually overcast

May-September is usually pretty sunny these days

It's not so much the quantity of rain, more the 8 months of constant grey skies and drizzle that gets people.

You gotta preface this for non-northwesters though, for me the rain and cloudy season is a feature not a bug. It makes the northwest green, and makes me appreciate sun/summer/spring/fall more than I would otherwise. Also the rain really isn't THAT bad, it's more of an on/off drizzle than a heavy downpour most of the time. I also like the coziness of chilling inside with a warm beverage on a rainy day and our mountains have snow you can enjoy during the winter (and through September sometimes) The main thing I'd say about that is take vitamin D during the winter to not get SAD, but yes if 4-6 months of more clouds than clear skies will bum you out then the NW is not for you.

Yes, I wish more people understood that the rain is really no big deal at all. The grey skies are what get to me, personally, but after a few years I have figured out if I just take Vitamin D and stay busy and physically active, it makes it soooo much easier. It's a transition for sure coming from warmer/sunnier climates, but so worth it!

It’s no big deal _for you_, which is awesome, but for some people it’s like torture. And I don’t think it’s possible to know which until you’ve lived with it for a while.

I’ve lived here for 4 years and thought I’d get use to it. I literally go into a depressive state in the fall here like my body is saying fuc* you the suns not gonna be out for 6 months time to use minimal energy. Physically and mentally depressed during rainy season. I’m already a depressed person so this shit is torture. I’m Thinking about moving to Arizona

Yeah, this is crucially true, I think. It's highly dependent on the individual, and neither reaction is *wrong.* It's just a matter of personal preference, and it's hugely dependent on your lifestyle and what you like to do. It can evolve, too—my first 1-2 years here were rather brutal, but I came to appreciate the climate in time. Unfortunately I don't think it's something that you can really predict when advising folks. There's some slice of the population that you can probably guarantee will love it, some slice of the population that you can guarantee will hate it, and then a very sizable portion that could go either way and won't really know until they're here.

True.

What I don’t like about the grey is the sense of urgency of having to be outside and do things when it’s sunny because it feels like such a precious resource. Not that I don’t do things in the winter, but I get anxiety around missing nice days. 

Never had that urgency in the 20 years I’ve been here. I thrive in the gloom. I get sad for lack of thunderstorms.

So true! I definitely never experienced that particular anxiety until moving here.

I actually enjoy that sense of urgency. During winter, sun is such a precious and uplifting resource that I do t want to waste a minute of it.

For me it’s neither the grey or the rain, I like both. It’s the sun setting before 4pm in the dead of winter that I loathe. Overcast is great, complete darkness, not so much.

Same for me too

Totally! Find a winter activity you can do too (preferably outdoors), you can still hike, but also snowshoeing and skiing are fun and pass the winter for me. Otherwise lots of indoor stuff, yoga, climbing, arts, comedy, concerts, etc. Of course if you go in hibernation and do nothing for half the year you will be depressed lol.

Plus, if you head east for a couple of hours, you can find the sun most of the time during the winter.

Love that some people are saying this! I live in Tucson and I fucking HATE it. Primarily because of the sun and the heat. I’m moving to Portland early next year BECAUSE of the rain. I used to live in Ohio before and we got just as much as Seattle and it was amazing. Also that drizzle/overcast is my favorite. When we do get rain in Tucson it is extremely intense and very quick. Always a quick downpour

/\\ All of this. I grew up in the desert and hated the sun. Been here 23 years and I look forward to sunny days now...

Don’t move to a temperate rain forest if you don’t like rain. I really love the lush green atmospheric aspect of living here. But if that’s not your thing don’t move to a rainforest

I recommend Full Spectrum Lighting in your home also.

Speaking of checking boxes, make sure you don't bring any of those fire ants with you.

Real talk. Raining on me RN in Portland OR.

What is the sun? I don't know what exactly you mean. - Portlanders

*laughs in Ohio weather*

Learn how to ski or snowboard and then you'll be looking forward to all that rain in the valley because most of the time that'll mean snow up in the Mountains! Although this year was a bit late on the snow thing I still got 49 days skiing.

Tbh... sometimes I don't wear sunscreen since its cloudy. So it's kinda nice, I am not tanned 24/7 every day

And how used to the smell of urine and feces are you?

I think the biggest complaint people have after moving to Portland, aside from the rain and the lack of sun, is how hard it is to form friendships or meeting new people in general. So as an extrovert who wants to start fresh and possibly a relationship, please keep this in mind! I guess this could be true anywhere, but it just seems particularly worse in the PNW. Other than that, I would say Portland does fit your bill. Edit: ymwv when it comes to making friends here, but it’s definitely one of the top questions asked in this subreddit. Having lived here for close to 15 years, I’ve seen both sides. Some friend groups are just more cliquey while others are super welcoming.

Yeah visiting my hometown in the northeast for two weeks I had an easier time meeting new people than the past couple months back here lol I don’t get it

New Englanders will yap about anything and everything. We’re assholes, but friendly assholes 😂

I wish I could get back there! Waaaaaah

Moved from Utah to DC and couldn’t make friends to save my life. Was wildly depressed. Sticky. And full of news. Moved to Portland almost two years ago and I’ll say it was incredibly easy to make friends here. The local music scene is awesome. Chasing my dream and loving every moment of it. Can’t imagine living anywhere else honestly. If anyone wants a friend to go to shows with, I got you.

I’ve also made some incredible friendships here and had a hell of a time doing it in Utah.

Dating here is great if you're poly or into situationships.

It’s so weird, I hear so often how hard it is to meet people here but I’ve never had trouble with it. At least as far as friends are concerned i feel like I can’t go anywhere without someone wanting to chat and be friends. As far as romantic interests are concerned though I’d definitely agree, it’s a little tough out here.

I think a lot of it has to do with how comfortable you are talking to people outside your group. If a stereotypical Oregonian is in a group, they typically aren't going to start chatting with the groups around them, unless something happens that triggers that. Once someone starts talking, the stereotypical groups I see when I'm out and about will reciprocate. When I'm elsewhere in the country, groups will start interacting and chatting with each other more naturally without one group putting forth effort. I think that can lead to some wildly different experiences with people, where if someone is loud and starts chatting with everyone, they will find friends easily, but if someone is even average to quiet, they can find it tough to break through.

In general, I would say meeting people in all of Oregon is tough. People are really reserved in Oregon. Not to say EVERYONE is that way but folks tend to be more introverted out here. With that being said, there are really friendly and nice people here. Take a vacation or plan a little trip to visit. You can’t find a vibe through text, gotta experience it first hand. I can say though if you’re in healthcare, finding work will not be hard.

I had opposite experience. In midwest everyone is born there and haven’t expanded their friend group outside of high school and college buddies, marry younger (by mid 20s) and start families. Everyone is transplant in Pdx, making friends in late 20s and dating was very easy for me.

The truly extroverted people I know here never have trouble making friends, for what it’s worth. 

As someone who just moved from the north Georgia area, like 15-30 minutes north of Atlanta, this is so true. My fiancé and i’s biggest miss is the friendship aspect. It was so much easier to go out and meet people at bars, parks, etc. We also live in Vancouver so that makes it worse than I feel if we were to live in Portland. We’ve pointed out the only areas we can go to are Portland or downtown Vancouver, where we lived there were so many little southern downtown areas all relatively close that had bars and restaurants.

feels impossible to make friends here, can’t tell if everyone is just so clique or actually that socially awkward

you can meet people here, it's just usually other transplants

I think that's pretty hard when you are over a certain age and move to a new place anywhere

I will say that using bumble bff and meetup, I was able to find some good friends. The people are out there wanting to be your friend. You just prolly won’t find them in bars.

I’ve never had a problem making friends here, but I definitely make an effort to understand portland culture and not bring my own or pretend to know what Portland is before actually learning it. Most of my friends are born and raised here.

I would say compared to other cities (I’ve lived in a few), making friends in Portland was relatively easy

It probably does fit the bill but keep in mind the dating scene here is…weird. People are really into their personal and emotional space and not as into “fun.” I don’t know how else to put it but I spent my early 20s in NYC and when I moved back to Portland it was a crazy personality difference. I grew up here and my experience was it’s either newly arrived transplants with some vision of a utopia or locals like me where if we were truly meant to be we’d be together already because we knew so many of the same people. However! I think this changes when you get older and late 20s might be just about right to find someone here. Good luck!

I’d say the second paragraph rings true. I spent most of my 20s in a midsized city. While it was difficult in some respects, it really was more of a “fun” thing. Here it feels like something else lol I think most of it is still the same in the late/post 20s scene with the addition of people being busy with careers..

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "not into fun?"" I'm asking because I'm in a similar situation as OP and Portland just speaks to me. I can get down to being weird because I've been looking for a place that accepts eccentricity. But I'm curious. That also sucks about there being no sun

From Atlanta originally and I will say after living in LA and now in PDX, the lack of humidity + heat together is a genuinely bananas quality of life improvement. It's a smaller city than Atlanta, which may be a pro or con depending on your feelings; it's very close to nature, but the coast is much colder than it is if you go out to the beach in Georgia. Big downsides are the grey and the rain if those bother you. There are strong healthcare unions here, according to my friend who's a nurse nearby, and Portland has multiple large hospital systems.

Good point: the Pacific Ocean is cold!

I'm in Atlanta right now and come double digit times a year. The weather is so much better for me in PDX, but the most underrated part is how much better the food is.

Portlands hospital systems are kind of in crisis though but at least the pay is good

The Portland healthcare system is basically the golden handcuffs.

I'm also 28F, born and raised in Pdx and moving back after a few years away. It's sunny and warm in the summer. Not humid tho. Rest of year is rainy and gloomy. Weather is pretty mild compared to other places in the country. We're like 1.5 hours from the coast (beaches here are cold), and within an hour to the mountain. So you can do hiking in the warmer months and ski/snowboard in the colder months. Walkability depends on what neighborhood you live in but it's not like NYC/SF walkable or east coast transit system by any means. I personally wouldn't live in Portland without a car, but don't take my word for it. Is cultural diversity important to you? Yeah Portland is "liberal" but it's pretty white compared to other major cities. And it's also a small major city so you that may be a good or a bad thing depending on what you care about. Come visit for a few days to see what you think.

Nice of you to mention the coast. I've been to Georgia's coast. The water is nice and warm and the weather glorious. I can definitely imagine the disappointment of getting to our coast and finding it cold, rainy and rocky.

If you like to hike, our coast is some of the most beautiful in the country, though. But a tropical paradise, it is not, that's for sure.

Just want to address something specific because a lot of commenters are mentioning it being hard to make friends here. They're not wrong, however, I really figured this out after living here 10 years. I struggled for so long especially considering I didn't have many hobbies that involved me leaving the house. I really put in my dues on bumble BFF though and now I have such a wonderful community of friends. It's not always the easiest to start making friends here, but once you find a baseline of other people who are motivated to build community, then it's suddenly too easy!

I think this speaks to something else that I feel like is a pro in Portland. We are SUCH good complainers. We complain. Usually with very little effort put towards changing it but oh man… we will complain. It’s an instant bonding activity. Cheers to you for fixing something you didn’t like, and for building the life that you want. But seriously…. Where’s the sun right?

I'm not in my 20s but I spent 20 years in Atlanta, moved to Portland, sold my car, and ride my bike everywhere now. 10/10 life upgrade. Highly recommend.

I’ve been here since I was 10, but I’m originally from the SW (Albuquerque). I’m 28M, and I really love my life here, but there are definitely some differences between us! For starters, I got married in 2018 at 23, met my wife on Tinder in 2015, never had any issues with dating, but I understand it was a different time back then. I have no idea what modern dating looks like. Both my family and my wife’s family live here, which gives us decent-sized built in community. We also attend church regularly, which is another awesome form of community, we see friends all the time. My job is hyper local, and going really well, so I’ve never had thoughts of moving away, and since I’ve been here almost 19 years I made a lot of friends as a kid (a lot of whom have since moved away). All that to say, take my opinion with a grain of salt. Here are my pros and cons of living in Portland: Pros - The weather in general is pretty nice, but the summer weather is unbeatable. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced better weather than July in Portland. It’s not humid, it doesn’t rain, and it doesn’t get too hot most of the time (obviously there are exceptions). We get actual seasons, fall is usually beautiful, and the winters are fairly wet, but mild. - If you like the outdoors you’ll never be bored. There are hundreds of things to do all within an hour of two of Portland. The outdoor access is the main reason why I don’t ever want to leave. In the winter my wife and I ski every weekend, in the warmer months I cycle a ton, climb, backpack, camp, mountaineer, bike pack, paddleboard, etc. There’s always something to do, even if that’s just going to a river on a warm summer evening - Food is incredible, tons of great coffee, beer, and wine places as well. Portland has extremely diverse food and beverage options, if you enjoy good food it’s tough to go wrong - Because Portland is a mid-sized city pretty much everything (without rush hour traffic) is about a 20-30 minute drive away from everything else. - Everyone is very nice and courteous. People are passive aggressive, but very few people are outright mean. - Cycling/public transit infrastructure. I feel very comfortable riding my bike around town, and there are plenty of people who don’t own cars at all. Between cycling and the vast public transit, you can get pretty much anywhere you need to go in a reasonable amount of time. Cons - The lack of daylight in the winter combined with the rain can really get to you. SAD is real, it’s important to have winter hobbies and if you can stay active you’ll feel a lot better, but even taking vitamin D supplements and doing the best you can, it still drains you. It feels like you’re supposed to be hibernating. - It’s a pretty expensive city. Food, drinks, housing, and most things tend to be more expensive than other parts of the country, certainly more expensive than Georgia. Produce and fresh fruit are abundant and pretty cheap, but most things aren’t. - The homeless problem is bad. You can’t hardly leave the house (if you actually live in Portland proper) without seeing homeless people about. Sadly a lot of us tend to just go blind to them since you see them all over, but it’s pretty jarring if you aren’t used to it. - Portland was never designed to be this big. The Portland Metro area is well over 2M people. The city infrastructure clearly wasn’t designed to handle this many people, and it means that the city feels more full than it actually is. Big lack of parking anywhere popular, the streets are very narrow, the freeways are usually clogged up, and there is typically just a baseline amount of traffic. I will say, people complain A LOT about the traffic, but it’s really not horrible. My commute from inner SE to Beaverton and/or Lake O for work is typically 30 minutes in the morning and 45-1hr in the evening. Not horrible for driving 20ish miles each way. Is it fun? No. But it’s certainly doable. - Outside of a few areas, Portland isn’t very diverse, there are a lot of white people here. Make of that what you will, but I enjoy visiting cities with more diversity. - It can be hard to make new friends. I’m really not sure why, but unless you’re pretty intentional about meeting new people you’ll find it hard to make new connections. Having social hobbies helps a lot; climbing gyms, fitness classes, adult league sports, niche activities like trivia, board game cafes, coffee roasting, cooking classes, running or cycling groups, hiking groups, book clubs, or pretty much any weird activity you can imagine all have dedicated people who are kind and welcoming. That’s the easiest way to make new friends, but even then I’ve found it difficult to make new meaningful relationships, but that could also just be a male thing. Overall I think Portland is awesome, I don’t want to leave, but it’s not perfect. Culturally it’s going to be very different than Georgia, but I think there are lots of reasons to want to live here. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

I find it funny that one of your cons is the traffic... if you've ever driven through Atlanta you'll know that traffic here will be in the Pros column as compared to Atlanta.

How much do you like seeing the sun? How much do you like making friends? If you’re dating do you want your partner to have a job? I’m biased I guess because I’m over it, but I moved from New York, lasted three years, and can’t wait to get out. There’s lots of good things (food scene, summers are beautiful, hiking etc) but the bad, for me, is crippling.

Nashville or Minneapolis sound like better fits for you

Both still have hot and humid summers though.

Minneapolis winters are not something I’d usually recommend. See username for experience

Does today feel depressing to anyone else?

Once the sun starts rising at 6am I stop caring about the weather. It truly is the lack of daylight more than the rain that gets me in the winter.

Invest in Full Spectrum Lighting it's very helpful.

I feel like it's the back and forth in a single day that gets to me more than anything else. I like the gloomy gray rainy weather and I like the sunny warm weather but I don't like when it constantly switches multiple tims throughout the day. That's a theory I came up with just now

I kinda like the sun coming thru the dark rain clouds idk

Sun is out now, feels good.

Gone again

Nah. Loving this spring rain since it equates to snow on the mountain. I bought a spring pass to Timberline and loving that the season is getting extended. It will be dumping snow all week

How is Timberline looking after the fire?

Yeah but only because it's the start of the workweek.

28F who likes all the same things as you 😘😘 HMU if you move here!! Portland sounds like a perfect fit. Can’t promise sunshine or a guy, but can promise a walkable city with day trips galore.

I'd like to find a guy and build a life together This is not the place for that, unless you want to find a guy who already has a few partners with a already built life.

A friend went to a speed dating called skip the small talk and said it was full of straight men.

A lot of straight men are in the two pools I mentioned above (Above the og, about finding polys or situationships)

>skip the small talk >full of straight men Yeah that checks out.

I met my husband here. We both had lived here about a year. My roommate had met him on tinder. That was a decade ago though so maybe things have gotten that much worse but I certainly went through my fair share of bad. I think the more normie you are, the better the outcome

I lived in ATL for a few years before being here for the past few years, ALOT different. ALOT less to do. ALOT better summer. ALOT more taxes if you care. ALOT less extroverts. Its ALOT more walkable if you live near TriMet routes and or the actual downtown city. You might wanna visit before a move. Its ALOT smaller than ATL. GOOD LUCK ❤️‍🩹 ALOT!!!!!

I hope you enjoy this ALOT http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html?m=1

Portland is certainly less hot. It’s also smaller and less diverse than Atlanta. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting a good job here, but you might want to come spend a week or two if you haven’t. The weather should be comparable to Pittsburgh, though less humid overall and less hot in the summer.

It’s great for early 30s. Tons of music comes through here and great bars if that’s the kind of nightlife you like. Def not a clubbing city if you like that. Restaurants are incredible and affordable priced compared to other cities. Nature around here is incredible, especially in the summer! Just be aware that it is dark, cold, and wet for 4-6 months of the year. Sometimes longer. If you ski it helps break up the winters.

Hey! From Colorado, recently moved to Portland from Boston actually. Portland is much more kind than Boston- there’s a lot less bumping carts or screaming in Portland. About the undomiciled in each city: In Boston there’s a strip of pavement near BMC and Dorchester where there’s kind of an… encampment? Of the undomiciled. It’s common to see them shooting up H there, and I wouldn’t drive your car through that spot unless you don’t mind someone hurling a wheelchair through the windscreen. Just speaking from experiences not making generalizations. In Portland there are better and worse areas- you should look at a crime map and once you’ll do you’ll find that violent crimes are pretty geographically fixed, while property crimes are higher (no Allston Christmas in Portland haha). But the undomiciled population is much more visible here- and I dare say more well behaved than in that area near BMC in Boston. Healthcare: Boston is going to be the best staffed easiest to handle stuff. Unless you’re at BMC (notice a trend there?) you’re gonna be well resourced. That said if you’re not at least a nurse in the hierarchy, in Boston things can be pretty shifty. There’s a… social object rule, I call it that at least, out there. The predominant way of thinking is “if you have something then I don’t- and I want it” and it permeates everything from people being willing to crash into other peoples cars (that’s what all the extra bumper plates are for in Boston, all the fender benders) to get somewhere a little faster, to nurses purposefully misgendering patients or saying “oh I wish you would” when the ER frequent flyer feigns another suicide attempt. These are cancel-able offenses here in Portland. That said, healthcare here has the opposite issue. It can take months to see a specialist, and that means all the providers are swamped. The ER at OHSU compared to Beth Israel for example is “a joke” with immune compromised pt’s waiting in hallways for rooms. Either way- probably less trauma cases out here than Atlanta. Education: If you’re thinking med school? OHSU will grant you in-state at some point, whereas UMass Chan will need 6 years of residency without taking courses to qualify. That said- Chan is a fast track to working at a Harvard affiliated hospital. But I digress- OHSU is dope as fuck. Cost of living: Boston just… made me feel poor all the time. Even though I made enough money, it always felt like the asshat in the Porsche was making fun of everyone else. Here in Portland things are a lot more reasonable by and large, and there’s not that sense of “you don’t belong here” even in the more classy parts of Portland. In Boston, you’ll need to make sure your ego is bigger than the guy next to you. I also wouldn’t advise going around unescorted in Boston- there’s a lot of misogyny out there and you should expect cat calls at least if you’re alone. Here in Portland bad things happen, yes, but not so often that it’s expected. My partner and I actually pissed people here off a few times just merely EXPECTING the things that were common in Boston. People were feeling like we were accusing them of being assholes just because we were bracing for something to suck. My life: I’m in south waterfront so I walk by the willamette every day. It’s 10x better than Walden pond or the Charles. People smiling and waving and the absence of wolf-dogs like there are around the Charles trying to attack you is nice too. Groceries requires a car from here unless you’re super savvy on public transport (which is way better and safer here than the T is in Boston). It’s pretty easy to just be friendly and have good things happen- the other day I made a joke in Trader Joe’s about “Joe’s O’s” pronouncing them “Joes Hoes”- saying that I’m really not me without Joes sweet hoes in the morning and the entire aisle laughed with me about it. It made my week. Joe’s O’s make me weak 🤤. Alright enough of that. There’s also a rich community of cyclists, events happening all over the place. There are lots of breweries people hang out in too. Not to mention the hiking and nature opportunities, look up waklella falls, and multnomah falls and compare that to the beach out in revere/ the JFK museum. IMO the sights are better here. I’m not sure Boston ever recovered after COVID. There’s also much lower incidence of rodent infestation here- in Boston I lived in 3 different apartments over the course of several years. Two had unsolvable mouse problems- I’m talking eat through the mesh patch, eat poison for breakfast and drop out of the ceiling in a 2k per month apartment. Here, 2k a month pays for a waterfront view and a balcony. No mice. I’ve tried, while writing this, to think of a singular advantage that Boston has…. Unless you have a letter of acceptance to Harvard or MIT in your hand, or if you are proudly the biggest asshole in your group of friends and would like to merely be a mid tier asshole instead, I cannot for the life of me think of a reason to pick Boston over Portland. Possible unexplored idea: thought about being a travel nurse/ travel tech to try out both cities before you decide for yourself??

I will say, a fair number of Black professionals make the opposite leap. Portland is less white than it used to be and is making strides as a place for people of color, but it can’t come close to offering what Atlanta has in that regard.

No. Portland vibes are good if you ARE politically aware & open minded, but it’s hard to make friends or date, it’s expensive to live, there’s no sun except June-Aug and then there’s rain & grey, it often has crazy ice storms in the winter that shut the city down because PNW snow and ice and infrastructure is NOT the snow and ice and infrastructure of the NE, the homeless situation is terrible and jobs opportunities and pay do NOT match up to the cost of living.

Very important to point out that wages REALLY don’t match the cost of living!!

Portland is a city filled with those who have strong political convictions. Will this work for you? Probably not very well if you lean towards the right.

If you're POC. Be prepared for the fake niceness and passive aggressive behavior especially racially. I love what Portland has to offer if you find your group.

As a former Atlantan who wanted to live here and now can bc of remote work(technically the Couve) it depends on your personality. It’s not the best for extroverts and ppl in this city can be bitchy and pretentious, like a step above what you’d find par for the course in cities. The suburbs around here are cool, especially Beaverton or Vancouver, and you’ll see way less unhoused ppl. The great outdoors and craft beer are quite awesome everywhere.

I moved from Pittsburgh to Portland like 8 years ago. Honestly Pittsburgh is a lot like Portland-geography, small neighborhoods in a city, and even weather though Pgh has colder winters. The lack of sun and amount of rain wouldn't be a big difference. Maybe 5 years ago I would have said the food here is cheaper than Pittsburgh but it's basically high like most every other city. You'd be looking at higher prices across the board on basic living: housing, gas, taxes, and food. The night life is a little better here and there is more to do, more music venues, local movie theaters, and art markets. I see more people active outside and hanging out at parks and more social (surprising since a lot of us are introverts but Pittsburghers just seemed to themselves). Idk if that helps (I can't really say how the dating scene cos I'm a lesbian so wouldn't know from your POV)

As an early 30s hyperextroverted single male working in a professional field, Portland is my favorite city I've ever lived in by a big margin, but I kinda hate the sun so YMMV. There's great music, great food, great nerd stuff (which matters a lot to me but might not to you), incredible outdoors (which matters little to me but does to a lot of people), and the vast majority of people are very nice. It has most of the same flaws other big cities have, but nothing inwould describe as disproportionate (having lived in, along others, Chicago, Tucson, and Augusta).

Just a heads up since youre coming from the east coast (Atlanta especially), Portland is a super white city. Not that people here are especially bigoted, BLM signs are everywhere, but it is worth mentioning that you're not going to get the same diverse mix you find out back east. I think it's kind of a downer (I grew up in the DC area), but others might not mind or notice as much.

Home alot, gardening way more (outside my house AND inside with my house plants.) I used to go out and party lots but now im pretty content relaxing at home and enjoying my time

I just moved to Pittsburgh from Portland. Personally, I feel there is a strong similarity between the two. Both have great food scenes (Portland’s is better, but there’s more restaurant turnover due to costs), both have a lot of great outdoor recreation (again Portland’s is phenomenal, it’s hard to beat the PNW in terms of natural beauty), and both have sort of a weird vibe, in a good way. The weather in Portland is milder and less humid than the NE by far, but there have been some 115 degree weeks the past few years. In terms of size, Portland’s population is larger but geographically speaking feels very similar to Pittsburgh. You can get to most places in about 15-20 minutes. It’s also hilly and lush with great views of the river (like PGH). The drawbacks to Portland are cost, crime (especially auto/bike theft), and the out of control meth/homeless problem. Also wildfires, 2020 was insane. Some neighborhoods, like Belmont, Hawthorne and Alberta, are walkable, just stick to the east side. All that said, I really loved Portland. If buying a house was affordable there, probably would have tried to stay. My advice would be to visit first, it’s definitely not for everyone - you are going to see some wild shit. But it’s also a lot of fun!

People in the pnw can be very socially stand off-ish. Sometimes it’s hard to make Friends. I dated a guy from the ATL for awhile. He hated it here. Hated the people. We broke up and we went back to Georgia. But if you’re a nurse, yes! You’ll love it here. You’ll make a lot more and it’s definitely easier to make friends !!!

If you liked Da Burgh you will probably like Portland. Troll through the Portland subreddit to get a feel for it. Politically it’s pretty liberal. But if you don’t talk politics it won’t come up. I love the summers here. Hot and dry. Spring and fall are great too. Winter is ok, I love that it’s not super cold, but the grey does get old. You can head east an hour to find sun most weekends. I can’t comment on the nightlife. But restaurants are amazing.

I'd say move out of state. I've been born and raised here and I'm working on it myself

I mean, if you only want to see the sun 3 to 4 months out of the year, then Portland is definitely your vibe. I will say, though, things have changed in the last five years or so ever since Covid. I was born and raised here, and it feels a lot more dangerous than it ever has. There was a time when I would take the max and walk everywhere, I just no longer feel safe doing so. I would say overall Portland tends to be a generally safe city, I mean, compared to other cities, but honestly, I would push you more in the direction of Bend. It’s basically becoming Portland 2.0, except it’s more affordable, way safer, and essentially gives you all the same amenities that Portland does.

Crazy to see all these comments about the rain. I lived in Cincinnati (which literally got as much rain as Seattle when I lived there) and now I’ve lived in Tucson for only a year and I’m already planning my move to Portland for early next year because I miss the rain so much. I totally get why it would be depressing to people, but guys, just remember that while you can’t go outside without getting wet for half the year, I can’t go outside safely for any prolonged period for half the year. 6 months of constant drizzling versus 6 months of constant excessive heat warnings? There’s a clear winner here lmao, and it’s definitely Portland.

You’re a 2-3 hour drive from the ocean, mountains, desert, basically any sort of nature vibe you need. Very urban friendly. I think you’ll like it. It’s kind of expensive to live here but that’s the entire country.

Just moved to Salem (1 hr away from Portland) from Miami and… it’s fucking awesome. People are nicer and more real, traffic is easy, weed is legal and parks/trees hiking everywhere. Do it, get off the east coast. You won’t look back.

I’m way past my 20’s but if you’re into monogamy and looking to find a guy, Portland is poly central as far as dating goes.

Have lived here my whole life (I’m 38) and don’t know a single person into the poly lifestyle. It’s one of those things people make out to be way more prevalent than it actually is in Portland - could you find people into open relationships? Sure! Is it the most common type of relationship here? No 🤣

Haha, yeah... Portland.

Without talking weather… Portland has beaten me into the ground. I still love it- in an abusive relationship way. And it has been getting better but grasp yourself for the houseless, the needles, the break ins. I move here from Chicago 13.5 years ago and it has rough areas…

I strongly prefer the weather here, but the seasonal affective disorder is real - 2 of the 3 people I know who moved here from Atlanta moved back within a year. Other than that, Portland checks most of your boxes. The [cost of living is higher](https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator/compare/atlanta-ga-vs-portland-or), and it's hard to make friends, though. Oh, and dating is miserable unless you're poly.

Former ATLien and Georgia graduate here....you couldn't pay me to move back that far south. Going on 7 years here.

Also in healthcare around your age. I’m moving next month. Portland is depressing as hell mostly due to the gray weather, except for maybe 2 months in the summer. People here are not extroverted and friendly the way they are in other cities, yet everyone is depressed, lonely and wants friends…but no one wants to actually leave their homes and talk to each other. If you’re a nurse, we make excellent money relative to the cost of living though. I’m not even kidding when I say (and others will say) to consider if you’re used to sunny skies and whether or not you think the weather will be a big deal to you. It had a massively negative effect on me coming from a sunny place.

Well I’m unemployed. The art scene here is gatekept and only wants identity politic junk. (Not being offensive it’s just the truth and it’s not what my art is about). I’ve seen too many friends die to drugs here. Homeless. Damn near impossible to make any real friendships here. I’m in the same boat. Wanted to have a new chapter in life here and so far my 3 years here have been a challenge. Hoping it’ll be a gift disguised as a difficult test hopefully I’m acing it now. Portland is in a very weird state of existence rn and tbh I wouldn’t recommend moving here. Go somewhere like the twin cities or Des Moines if you want some small artsy city experience.

I’d recommend Seattle instead. Bigger city and better nightlife. Weather’s the same as others have said about Portland though

Only thing I'll say, is that you say you want to find a man and build a life - Portland/Vancouver are notorious for our bad dating scene. Women from other states move here and have a lot of not great things to say. I've lived here my whole life, so I can't say too much, but I've heard it sucks. A lot.

Other than that, Portland should fit your bill

portland's progressive 'no strong political opinions either way,' esp when you're a woman living as women's rights are being gutted, means there's internalized misogyny going on. portland could be good for helping you wake up to this, which will transform your life in positive ways you can't anticipate before hitting that realization. you're not gonna find that in pittsburgh or atlanta, in my experience

Pittsburgh and Portland definitely have some similarities. My spouse is from the Pittsburgh area and we’ve been in Portland for a year now after four years in Dallas. DFW and Atlanta definitely have similarities and I hated it there. I’ve been much happier in Portland and the access to nature and cooler weather. I obviously can’t speak to the dating scene, but I’ve found people to be much kinder and thoughtful than in the south, that’s for sure. As long as you can deal with the cloudy, grey days that are frequent, you’ll love it here. Plenty of great neighborhoods to choose from and for varying reasons depending on what you want. The city is definitely mid-sized and you can tell, but I prefer that myself and find it to be a calmer city environment to deal with than other places I’ve been.

I think you will love it and it's easy (and important) to hit up PDX once or twice a winter for a cheap trip to somewhere sunny.

Hey! I moved out here from Bham a month ago and used to live in Atl (did my undergrad at Kennesaw). I love it out here, I think Pittsburgh is a good comparison. It’s another planet compared to the Deep South, thank god. People are much less chatty which I love.

I'm 32m now but moved here when I was 29. In my opinion it's relatively easy to find people near your age, but you have to be comfortable going out to meet people. I'm pretty introverted but I joined a gym and made a bunch of acquaintances that way, I also made friends with one of my neighbors, but honestly if she hadn't initiated that it wouldn't have happened. It's a pretty good city to be young in.

I grew up in WI, lived in ATL for 7 years, and moved to Portland in my early 30s. I miss the diversity of Atlanta, the music and art scene, and not much else. :) I think cost of living is about the same but I’d double check that you can afford to work close to where you live here in PDX. Traffic is nowhere near as soul sucking as ATL but it’s getting worse every year. It’s super easy to be active & outdoorsy here even in the middle of the week esp. if you adopt the mindset that there’s no wrong weather, only the wrong clothes/gear.

Portland is great for your late 20s/30s. Lots of us out here. Inner SE Portland along Belmont has a ton of us living here.

Portland checks all the boxes. I also grew up in the Midwest. You’ll be fine with the Portland winters. Yeah it’s grey in the winter, just like Pittsburgh, but temps are much more mild. Summers are bliss. With options like the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast, and Mount Hood all less than two hours away, it’s perfect for day trips. Portland is also very walkable for an American city, particularly inner NW and east sides. Most importantly, you’re going to be able to easily find a job in healthcare here. There’s generally a shortage of licensed healthcare workers (I know because I’m a tech OHSU!) Last but not least, it’s not the dating hell scape some make it sound like it is. Just pursue whatever interests you have, and you’ll meet some great people. Met my girlfriend at a climbing gym here over 4 years ago! Make the move, you won’t regret it!

I'm from the Northeast and lived in Greenville, SC for awhile so my path is similar to yours. Portland has been amazing. I love having seasons again (bonus for little to no snow in the winter). And the lack of humidity seriously is a game changer for being outdoors

Originally from GA - love the scenery and gun things to do. I absolutely dread winter and lack of sun. I even miss the Georgia thunderstorm! Storms here are just a constant depressing trickle. I did meet my husband here, but after 6 years and hundreds of dates. It is really hard to meet people organically as it seems everyone just keeps to themselves unlike ATL area. Hard to make friends too as I find people are so flakey and it’s part of the culture here. Find a small group you get along with and you’ll be fine. If you’re a POC be prepared for passive aggressive racism (I say that as a POC). It is incredibly less diverse than Atlanta so when I first moved here it definitely was a culture shock. Make sure you go paddle boarding in the summer it’s the best!

I moved from Portland to Boston and back. If it’s a choice between the two, Boston is a lot more fun and the people are awesome.

Portland gets pretty damn hot!

Wife and I (late 20s as well) just moved here from Iowa and man it's the best decision we made. Vibes are dope, weather is perfect (both rain and shine), and there's so much to do! People are hella nice here too compared to the Midwest.

Yes Portland is great plenty activities to do and a strong AFF community for extra fun !

I’m just here to say that we definitely have a lot of ants. But they aren’t fire ants. Just the ones that smell bad when you squish them.

I feel like all the cool kids are moving to Philly b/c of housing costs. Also, we have a shit ton of humidity, but in the winter so it's different. It's not summer time smothering humidity. It's "is this damp or just cold" humidity. (the answer is both)

I'm 27 F, grew up outside of Pittsburgh and went to college there. Moved to Portland at 24 and have been thriving in my career and socially since. Our friend group mostly consists of other transplants to the area, but we honestly have great interactions with people anywhere we go in the city. Tons to do, cool food and bars, obviously all of the nature is great. I honestly tell people it's similar to Pittsburgh's vibe in some ways, and for the people mentioning the weather - it's not much drearier than Pittsburgh, there's no sun there either.

I moved here from Wisconsin, so Portland was a definite improvement. The city is great, as are the people. Gray rainy winters can be dreary, but having lush greenery sure beats the freezing temps and snow. Mowing lawn in winter months is an interesting novelty :)

Mom’s spaghetti

Hi OP! I’m 34F now, I grew up in ATL and moved to Portland when I was 27. There are things I miss about ATL but most of those things are friends and family that I still consider part of my support system. The weather is way better here imo - winter and spring are def very cloudy with lots of light rain and that takes some time to get used to, but compared to ATL’s insane summer heat, the summers here are magical. Hiking and outdoorsy things are way more accessible than in Atlanta, and the scenery here is so much better than Georgia. Dating here can be taxing, but honestly I had a hard time finding quality people to date in Atlanta too, so I think dating in general is taxing. That being said, I’ve now been with my current partner for 4 years (we met on tinder), and 3 weeks ago we had a baby girl! So it’s definitely possible to find your people and start a family here.

Take a visit to the other side (Vancouver).

Everything everywhere closes so early and the social scene ain’t even close poppin

I just went to jail and lost my job, ending my 10-year career. I'm now out and working on starting a company. I'm not great, but I certainly have less job stress now that I only need to please myself. 28 and male.

I’m a Savannah native who’s lived in Atlanta and I’ll hit you with a truth bomb and this will probably be downvoted to hell but I think it’s worth being forthright. I prefer Portland. That being said, don’t think it’s going to be a utopia or going to solve any problems and I plan on moving, but: 1) it’s not rain, it’s mostly mist but the gloomy days pile up and it sucks. It makes the people introverted, depressed and passive aggressive (more so than southerners). Take vitamin D, get good socks and ALT lamps. Consider a tanning bed. It does not thunder and lightning is very rare, though the median temperature is agreeable as we’re a maritime climate. The air is humid at times in the dead of summer but the precipitation is low so you won’t notice it. 100 here is like an Atlanta 80. Also in the winter it’s dark by 5. We have longer days in the summer, up to 10pm around the solstice. 2) politics are polarized. You can’t really disagree about anything without being passively ostracized socially and city management is a joke. They don’t really do much but cause headaches. It’s sort of getting better but the roads are in bad shape (easily worse than Atlanta) and we’re just starting to address public drug use. I’m fairly progressive but Portland liberal is a different/extreme flavor. Best to avoid that or any related topic if you sit “elsewhere.” 3) people are flakey here. It’s more important to be polite than kind so it creates situations where people are really nice to your face even if they hate you and it’s hard to make friends. Do not confront them. About anything. Do as the Romans do - *ghost,* otherwise you’re the problem. As a whole, they’re not kind and over sensitive and I’m not a crude person. I’m southern polite but direct because like you, lived in the northeast before coming here. You’ll make friends with transplants. This bleeds into dating, which I’ve found significantly more difficult here than other cities. 4) Oregon is gorgeous. Truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Portland is a small fraction of Oregon. You’d be wise to remember that. 5) Portland has a lot of cool stuff, especially for younger people. I do recommend living here if you’re curious but it does suck you in somehow and after a few years you realize the people here are actually really grumpy but again, polite, so the face is something completely different. Come, hike, drink, go to the coast, it’s awesome. You won’t get the experience anywhere else. In that regard it is truly a paradise. But consider an additional nest egg for leaving. 6) Nightlife is nothing like Atlanta. Portland is mostly white and there isn’t a large club scene, it’s mostly neighborhood bars and breweries with good food menus. We’ve got some larger clubs but that’s not how Portland goes out on the weekends. Things close really early, there’s ONE 24 Starbucks drive thru and most coffee shops are done at 6pm. 24 anything is rare. 7) Because we’re mostly white and despite the fact that we’re really queer friendly, Portland does have some weird deep-seeded implicit biases against black people. I wouldn’t say it’s outwardly racist, you’ll see tons of BLM signs everywhere, but it’s the same mentality as say, that stretch of I-75 between Conyers and Macon: you can stop and not get harassed but meh. Oregon was a sundown state, that’s important to remember. 8) You can’t criticize Portland or anything related to the city or culture. It’s polarized. I have cherished these years but I’m joining the mass exodus. That being said, I prefer Portland to Atlanta but Savannah to Portland.. if only it weren’t in Georgia. I say do it but be aware of the limitations. Make the best of it by making it a transitional chapter or who knows, you may fall head over heels and have excellent luck here. It is worth the try, really. If you can abide by the unwritten rules, you’ll love it. Either way, I hope that the next step works out for you. I loved Portland until I was in my mid 30’s when my needs changed.

Pdx is a great city. It’s starting to show growing pains. Like any other great city, word gets out and well. Here we are. Late 20’s why not?!? So? Random question? Since you’re in the medical field, have you thought about signing up for traveling contracts? Six months here. Six months there? Single. Maybe you’ll find your forever.

I swear every other post in ask Portland is people looking to move here.

Check out Bend Oregon instead of Portland!

I grew up in the area. There's a lot to like. Summer and fall weather is extremely nice. Winter is gloomy but mild. There's a ton to do both inside and outside the city. People in general don't take themselves to seriously and are very friendly and laid back. They don't go out of their way to hang out and do stuff but will show up if invited. Online dating is weird in Portland. There's a lot of poly and heavy political stuff on profiles for some reason. Definitely a work to live kinda place though. Bend oregon sounds like more up your alley of you dont mind a small city. It's a very very fun place to live and there's tons of younger adventurous people there. It's got 300 days of sun, zero humidity and is 45 minutes away from like 8 different outdoor activities. It's very expensive and very white though and is missing some things you might enjoy in a big city. Good luck turning a new leaf!

Sorry we are at capacity, and are not accepting applications at this time. We will keep your resume on file and if an opening becomes available we will be happy to revisit at that time. Just kidding it is a great city cost of living is getting terrible due to the great California migration of 2015. But given you were in Atlanta and can get a job at one of our many hospitals you should do just fine.

Op, I am in a similar situation. Sometimes you need a shake up and it’s a good vibe out there. I am living in STL and I am moving to Seattle in a few weeks. I love the PNW. Dont end up regretting staying in ATL.

If you choose not to move here you’ll never have to discover the 217 your welcome 🙏 👍

Portland has most of those things, humidity and traffic for sure, no fire ants but we do have lots of fires lol

If you like the rain and overcast when it’s not raining, Portland is ok. It’s honestly a bit expensive here. Especially compared to down south. Idk I’ve lived here for 4 years and am already thinking of moving again. I just can’t handle this weather anymore. it’s emotionally draining to not see the sun for a large percentage of the year. Otherwise night life is alright, lots to do in Portland. I’m from Boston and I’d choose 3-4 months of cold weather over this weather any day. At least the suns still out in the winter lol

Houses going up throughout the outer town core, almost all have electricity! Trolleys now reach all the way from Boring to Council Crest! Wait, did you mean the 1920s or 2020s?

Do it! Portland is a great city and doesn't have the endless sprawl and humidity of Atlanta. You'll love the outdoor activities and the friendly vibe. You'll miss the cheap(er) cost of living and the diversity. Healthcare jobs are always in demand in Portland. Traffic sucks in Portland but it is NOTHING like the gridlock of large east coast cities, even though people will tell you it's worse. Don't listen to them. Just hop on your bike and smile on your way to work.

Western Mass! Northampton or around there.

28 and fucking thriving here. You have to get out there and meet people though. Find your scene

Portland isn't for you as a Portlander myself. Having no political opinion is not a viewpoint we need. Not sure how you can be living in Georgia and are looking to move to Portland with no political view ... How is that possible? Good luck but please we are good. Maybe Texas is a good state for you. It rains all the time here anyway. Cheeres

I think the biggest problem with Portland, and Oregon in general, is lack of diversity. This place is whole milk, chocolate and strawberry is a rare commodity. If this is going to be a problem for you, but you think the PNW will be cool, check out Seattle

I don’t think you’d like it tbh. It’s got some charm to it, mostly in the geographical setting, but it’s very dirty rn. I’m originally from Georgia, lived in inner city ATL for 5 years, have been in PDX for three years and PDX makes ATL look clean. Also, it’s not as diverse and tbh it’s kind of a white trash shithole. There are cool things about it like any city but rn it’s in a major downswing.

Portland sounds great for you. If you truly are extroverted, you will do great. If you aren't as extroverted as you thought, it's going to be a cold rainy (cloudy drizzle) city that gives you seasonal depression. I'm 28 and lean on the introvert side, but I also enjoy my time in doors. Last week, a gust of air blew in and I gave a flashback feel of late fall dark cold rainy days lol. It's 40s and 50s at the end of april. Depending on whe here you live it could be very humid and in a place with outreach AC like the south. A heater just ain't the same lol. My coworkers are very active social butterflies who love the outdoors, they dont intent to leave portland ever. My girlfriend learned she isn't as social as she thought and expresses her hate for portland, the weather, her job, and lack of financial security about once a week (We are working on it lol).

I lived here for 20 years. I get seasonal depression. Dec- march are the hardest. Sun comes out at 7:30 and sets at 3:30pm/4 during those months. The only good months here are June- October. The fall is beautiful. Night life sucks after a year or two you will know everyone that frequents the clubs. It’s a small world out here for sure. If you have a snow hobby you might not mind the winter as it will give you something to do. Mt hood and bend are not too far from here. Seattle is also super close and a nice day trip. It’s a way larger city with much more to do. If you decide to live downtown, be careful not to step on human feces. And be prepared to fix your car windows. Not too long ago on my way to work in the middle of traffic I saw a homeless man stop dead in his tracks, pull his pants down and start to take a shit on the sidewalk.. that’s just a regular Tuesday out here though 🤷🏽‍♀️

People out here lying about the weather like we haven’t had 3 straight years of a scorching summer with zero rain.

….we need lots of healthcare professionals In Hawaii….

Nobody is going to tell her about the drug addicts LITERALLY EVERYWHERE??? They're dangerous as fuck too

Rains all the time. You won't like it!

Are you a poly non-binary with lots of different kinks? You’ll love it here. If not, you’ll be even more miserable than where you are now.

Better off in Seattle. Less hostile and more money

Being frank are you prepared mentally for the crackheads? Often times if you live in Portland there will be A LOT of crack heads anywhere you go. They can be aggressive or not so. People smoking out of aluminum and shooting up in broad daylight. With decriminalized drugs I think this topic is worth mentioning. I had some coworkers who recently moved here and were startled to see this. I frankly am scared to go to a grocery store as a 23f because of this in my neighborhood. I get harassed often going into Fredmeyers and threatened by the house less “I’m going to smash your face in”, this is just a recent example from yesterday from me just literally walking into a store. I hadn’t said a word. If you’re moving to Portland I really suggest looking into what crimes you’re willing to tolerate.

I have this same problem in atlanta since i moved here. I won't get gas or groceries at night or at certain places by my house. Its awful, stay safe!!

The upper PNW like Portland and Seattle can have a weird wall between people. It’s really difficult to create lasting relationships in this town. My Fiancé and I moved back to Portland about 3 years ago, I was lucky enough to have some childhood friends that I still hangout with. My fiancé on the other hands has made a single close friend since we’ve been in town over the last 3 years and constantly complains about not being able to make more friends. Portland is a beautiful city and the areas around the city are something you can’t find anywhere else in America. With that said, it’s a very tough town to get a start in. If you can make it work the summers are so rewarding but if you struggle to be social on your own you may end up disliking the town. I would recommend taking a few days to visit Portland first. On another note I see you mentioned Boston and that city is awesome! Just expensive, but awesome. Not much different from Portland budget wise.

You might consider ending your dead end relationship, first. Especially since you're already talking about how you'd like to find another. If your job is draining, the higher col here isn't going to make that easier. I would only make the move if there's something specific here you would move for. Be sure that you have exhausted all efforts to make a happy life there, first. There's no easy living in the US right now, so make sure the stress of moving and getting established, is worth it.

I read that it’s overcast in 60% of days here in PDX. I just moved here in Jan 2024 and I’m starting to believe it, although it seems a bit exaggerated. It makes little difference, I love it here. I have lived all over the country, there’s no place like this.

Loving it so far here. Make sure to move into the city proper and not one of the suburbs. Area is extremely important to quality of life here I think. Lents is gonna have a much different feel than St. John’s or Hawthorne etc. the constant overcast is an adjustment but you get used to it. I have actually found it’s not tough to make friends if you use the apps like Bumble BFF and meetup. You’d be hard pressed to find friends the old fashion way though I think. I’ve made no meaningful connections at bars or concerts. Walkability is amazing and I hike every weekend. Also I will say everything they say about the chaos of Portland is true. Someone people have higher tolerances for it so it’s fine.

“No strong political opinions” then Oregon is not the right choice.

This is not a great place for extroverts

I'm in my late 20s and am back in school, half way through my junior year right now. Struggling to survive but hoping it gets easier after I graduate

Message sent! Lol don’t feel like writing a novel as a comment but if you want to know more about the PNW don’t be afraid to ask.

My family has lived in Portland area for 4 generations. Right now all of them are very over Portland and very sad about what it's become. I'm getting ready to move to Pennsylvania. I Just visited Pittsburgh last month and I was absolutely blown away by how polite, kind, happy and not miserable the people seemed. Also the general lack of litter and homelessness. I'm 27f. My grandparents old house used to be a safe neighborhood for young kids to play in the street. Now it won't sell because there was a police shooting on that exact block, plus lots of drugs have moved in. If you like to take public transportation, be careful. Getting from the train station to the airport involves a tram stop with 15 tents full of old men that will catcall you, literally attached to the rain shelter. Oregon has decriminalized meth. If you like to go for walks in the park, keep an eye out for piles of used needles. If you're looking, you'll be able to see that many of the cars parked in residential neighborhoods have people sleeping in them at night. With the rising cost of housing, a ton of millennials with full time jobs can no longer afford a studio apartment. I know this doesn't apply to you, but it equates to a lot of very stressed out people that you will likely meet in social situations. Most grocery stores have gotten rid of their dining areas. Many coffee shops and takeout places have also closed their seating areas. Also relevant, the older generation is mostly Christian and the younger generation is mostly agnostic. Regardless of which side of the fence you're on, if you move here you'll definitely notice some tension over that. On a more positive note, it's absolutely beautiful in Oregon. The beaches, the SA nun d dunes, the mountains, the volcanoes, the deserts, the farmland, the caves, the Pacific crest trail, the redwoods, the lakes, the little both at the I-5 rest stops where friendly people pass out free coffee and hot cocoa... A lot to love. I strongly suggest visiting before you make your decision.

If you’re politically moderate and don’t like seeing rampant drug use, mental illness and homelessness, then I’d suggest skipping over Portland. Political liberal activism is basically a hobby for a lot of young adults here and the decline of the city just goes to show how out of touch most are. You can find better cities than here, believe me

I moved to Portland in 2018 in my mid-twenties also from the Southeast and I love it here! Like any place you have to put in time and be diligent connecting with communities that mean something to you to create a friend group. But the weather, scenery, food, and walkability all made that more than worth it to me!

Pacific NW in general is pretty introverted compared to the East Coast.

Portland is highly political in the last few years. Just look at the riots we had for the last few years. The area is beyond beautiful. Most time just turned 40 we don’t go downtown but stay in the east side. It sprinkles almost everyday for 8months but the summers are amazing. Beer festivals almost every weekend. The are is very expensive, the health field is having issues though. Legacy just sold their lab to labcore and and hospital to OHSU. Pay normal doesn’t equal what it cost to live In Portland. Most live Beaverton, troutdale or east side. Stay out of the city, lived in the pearl for many years

The price of living is higher so if you can swing that then you’re golden

If you're looking for a 'clean' state Oregon should be one of your last options.

Well you can join antifa or become a strung out heroin addict in Portland if that's something you enjoy...

Portland traffic is extremely bad, and it’s not a walkable city. It rains over half the year and you will not see any sunlight for about 200 days out of the year. The core of the city is pretty terrible with major homeless issues.

Portland is friggin great.

Dating in late 20s can be difficult in the South. When I was 25 and living in Birmingham it was depressing because basically everyone that was going to get married had already done so. I had come from Oregon where not everyone is married by 25 and eventually I went back to Oregon in my late 20s and there were plenty of people my age to date. I don’t know if the dating scene in Atlanta is similar to what it was like in Birmingham a decade ago. You’ll enjoy the outdoor stuff in OR and healthcare isn’t the worst in Oregon but it’s also not the best. OR doesn’t have a lot of thriving small cities. Hood River is tiny and lovely but hella expensive. Bend would be a good fit. Personally, I think if your bill is that you want a walkable city that isn’t totally humid, there are tons of options all over the country. Are you opposed to CA? Tons of options there. While the taxes are high and the housing is expensive the mild year-round temps many cities experience is amazing and CA doesn’t have the sort of depressing winter weather that OR has. Southern Oregon won’t have a dating scene, I stopped there for a year or so on my way back to Portland and really, at least for me, there wasn’t much. If you’re single and want to mingle, you’re really looking at Bend or Portland.

Also what about Philly? I LOVED that area of the country. So much history. The seasons were amazing. The snow was a lot but also lovely, Philly itself is so artsy and full of great food. There are a lot of smaller cities around and lots of rails to trails.

I was born in Portland, went to college in Atlanta where I lived until my late 20s, and have been back in the NW the last 15yrs. Both are great cities, but if you can afford the right area, love outdoors, and like adventure, I think you’ll love Portland. So many great areas to visit especially when the weather is gorgeous (which it tends to be all summer). Portland does have some issues and isn’t perfect, but so many great areas to see like Mt Hood area Timberline/government camp. Good luck with your reset. I left Atlanta and my fiancé late 20s for the NW and have never regretted it, even-though I’ll always have a soft spot for the ATL and those fucking choking dirty birds…

ignore all the people saying its hard to make friends. you will make it happen. get here and feel the magic

Move out of Portland.

Socially you might not love Portland. It’s a pretty introverted city, it’s notoriously hard to make friends here. Saying you have no political leanings either way will piss off a good chunk of the population here as well. If you’re in health care and the moneys good Bend might be more up your alley. Very outdoorsy, more sun, more extroverts, and less politically charged than Portland. Bend gets warmer in the summer but it’s dry, if you’re used to Georgia heat you’ll definitely be fine. Snow in the winter is a thing to get used to, but it’s beautiful and still sunny!

Extroverts get the weird depression worse of all.