While my dream is to one day live in Tofino, I realize that this is a bit of a ... well ... dream. That said, I don't see us living in Oakland - or even the Bay Area - for much longer. If our house wasn't so far under water, I'd be trying to convince Alan that it was time to go now.
With my team based in Portland, and my love of the weather and landscape of the Pacific Northwest, that city makes the most sense for our next move. Given Alan's background, I also have no question about him being able to find employment. Heck, I could probably get him an interview with my boss.
Now, I'm not saying we're packing up and heading north anytime soon, but I do think a lot about what it would be like to live there. Especially when my colleagues are talking about snow and cold temps and I'm sit starting out my office window unable to discern what season it is. Outside of Tofino, Portland is a place I could see us living quite comfortably. Because of this, I often check out the real estate listings. Today I came across a house I am absolutely drooling over. Allow me to indulge by sharing it all with you.
At only $349,000 it's practically a steal.
We fled the bay area in 2010 and now live in Portland. We moved to Laurelhurst and it's a beautiful neighborhood full of historic homes. You might check it out. (And look us up when you visit town; if our guest room is finished, we can provide some crash space.)
ReplyDeleteLaurelhurst is definitely one of the neighborhoods I like the look of. Actually, it's one of the only ones I even know the same of. What, in your opinion, are some other great 'hoods to look into?
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of nice neighborhoods. In the older neighborhoods that are close to the downtown, it seems like there are really more historic houses than not. Though, who knows what has happened to their interiors. We looked for a house with unpainted woodwork that was a good deal for 3 years. We finally gave up and bought a fixer with painted woodwork and stripped the paint off the wood.
ReplyDeleteIf you stay within about 5 miles of downtown, you should do well finding the good neighborhoods. Most of the old declining neighborhoods have been cleaned up in recent years, I was told, and as far as we found, there aren't many "bargain" areas. We bought primarily for the location and are happy we did.
If you haven't found it yet, go check out Portlandmaps.com. An amazing resource!! Crime maps, school maps, historic permits, and the list goes on and on.