New to the PNW

My wife and I are building a house in Vancouver, WA in the Felida district. On paper it looks like the perfect spot - no state income tax, no sales tax just over the border in OR, really good schools, love the vibe of the area - suburban but with charm.

Anything else we should know about the area? I am considering an Alfa Romeo purchase (new Guilia) but I don't know if there is a dealer nearby or a reputable independent.

 

great area. really growing. i grew up not far from there. i don't know any alfa romeo dealers. there is a local club though they may know.

 

Alfa dealer in Portland. Ron Tonkin Alfa Romeo
Ron Tonkin Alfa Romeo | New Alfa Romeo dealership in Portland, OR 97225

 

Awesome. Good to hear good things. Talked to some locals that said the same - growing but nice community.

Thanks for the pointer on Ron Tonkin - just googled that dealer network and seems like they have a lot of bases covered.

 

Vancouver is great-- lots of people moving there.

You might want to know that it does rain a bit more than you're used to, though. And it's probably a bit colder, as well.

 

Thanks Don.

That was the trade-off. I want to escape the tech rat race feel of the bay area, the traffic, the massive homeless population, taxes, terrible school system, etc. The only thing I'll miss is the perfect weather. At least you guys don't get feet of snow - what turned us off from moving somewhere like Colorado, which also has some beautiful areas.

 

Wait until Jul-Sep and you'll think the weather is perfect. Regardless of how it is the rest of the year, and it is often very nice, if you like the outdoors there is hardly ever a time that the weather is truly inclement.

 

If you like skiing, there are plenty of opportunities... and if you miss the sun, the Hood River area isn't all that far from Vancouver-- sunny, but cold.

Skamania Lodge is a beautiful drive out the Washington side of the gorge. It isn't quite far enough east to be sunny most of the time, but still definitely worth a visit.

 

Shame about all those tech murders that happened in that town, very affordable now that they erased it from google search......

I might be kidding....
Seriously though....

Lots of car events down that way
Portland is fun
Buzz over to the coast
Lots to do

 

Ok, that gave me a real chuckle!

Thanks guys - everyone I've run into around the Portland/ Vancouver area has been very cool and quick on their feet witty. Much less aloof (thousand yard stare) than I'm used to around here.

Can't wait to make the move!

 

Eventually you'll find out why there are signs around town that say, "Keep Portland Weird".

 

Portlanders look down their noses at folks from Vantucky.

 

So I've heard. Since that doesn't matter to me, I'll enjoy the lower taxes, better schools, and cheaper real estate. I've had my fill of elitists here in California.

 

Vancouver is like a patch quilt. Good spots and bad spots, all mixed together. Getting in to Portland is limited to two bridges, and traffic all around town is usually gridlock at the slightest disruption. But there are always twisty roads within a short drive. The Tech Center on the east side is growing, and so is the PNW.

The best bumper sticker I've seen is, "Weird isn't working"

 

You really want to do this move to Seattle anyway. .
Seattle > Portland/Vancouver all day long.

 

"Portlandia"

 

Awesome. I got the patchwork vibe. Prices for houses swung 20% just a mile or two away from each other. After living in Washington, DC and the Bay Area, I wouldn't feel at home without a little gridlock. haha

Hmmm, am I stirring up this PNW rivalry here?

Honestly, I loved Seattle when visiting, but loved the Portland area even more. Guess I'm weird.

 

Only advantage Portland has is 1 hour to the beach. That's it.

 

And you are allowed to wash your own car!

 

But can you pump your own gas?

And where did you get that you can't wash your car up here?

 

State officials target at-home car washing | The Seattle Times

 

That whole someone else pumping your gas is plain crazy. I had such a tough time adjusting on my trip through Oregon. I had people running out and yelling at me as I was pumping my gas. Then are you supposed to tip them? Anyway different topic for a different time.

 

"The state, however, isn’t banning car washing. Instead, it is requiring cities to adopt ordinances that prohibit anything other than clean stormwater from entering drains, as part of a broader stormwater permit it issues."

and

"The city of Vancouver, Wash., is rewriting its ordinance to omit carwash water as an allowable stormwater discharge, to comply with state rules. But the city won’t be issuing tickets, said public-works director Brian Carlson.

“We’ve got better things to be doing,” he said."

Sounds reasonable.

 

LOL. It's like all of the CA's moving to Texas. Terrible. But, it is funny when they think, well no income tax, until they receive their property tax bill.

Enjoy your move and enjoy WA.