Leaving DC for a lower COL area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:^ hey pp - i didn't understand your point. what *were* you saying about medical doctors and private equity and minneapolis?

Someone responded that Fortune 500 companies are in X cities. I said only people in flyover cities care about Fortune 500 companies. Then someone asked for examples of jobs that aren’t Fortune 500. I provided them

So, those are examples of jobs that people in flyover cities don’t care about?

And what exactly is the difference between a midwestern Fortune 500 executive and a D.C. Biglaw partner supposed to be

There are many DC biglaw partners. More than there are Fortune 500 execs in a midwestern city. There are simply more opportunities here in DC. Which is evident by the higher real estate prices.

You only need one job. And BigLaw partner or CEO tends to be the job you retire from.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Providence, RI and have a bunch of friends who moved here from NYC or the Bay area because you can afford to buy a house here.

Sounds lovely. What type of careers do you and most of your friends have? What kind of industry?

Meds and Eds is the quick description for the economy here. I know a bunch of people working in the healthcare sector, some providers and some in management, many people working in higher ed, one fed who works for the EPA out of Boston, a few people working for tech companies that have offices here, one person in biotech. I'm a non-profit fundraiser. I think there's a shortage of engineers and people with the skills to work in advanced manufacturing.

And an excess of talented baristas and mixologists with man buns who play banjo and create performance art on the side.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The underlying issue here is that DC neighborhoods generally suck compared to nice neighborhoods in other cities. Sure, the prices are inflated for economic reasons but there isn’t a single neighborhood with the overall appeal of Roland Park in Baltimore, the Fan in Richmond, Shadyside in Pittsburgh, Outremont in Montreal, the Louisville Highlands, the Back Bay in Boston, any number of NYC neighborhoods, etc.

Deep down, everyone in DC knows this, which is why some get so incredibly defensive when other areas, especially those with lower COLs, are identified as alternatives. They are so afraid that the emperor’s lack of clothes will be openly discussed.

Shaker Heights - Cleveland

You're arguing that these single, solitary areas in each major city are better than brilliant neighborhoods in D.C.? And yes lol, I'd argue that Capital Hill, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Georgetown, and the Wharf far above surpass Roland Park/the Fan/Shadyside/Shaker Heights. For various reasons but the collective whole of D.C. can't be matched unless we're talking about NYC/SF/Montreal.

Enjoy Cleveland though.

I'll give you Georgetown. It's a truly historically unique neighborhood, with a timeless cool. There's just very few places in America that you can even compare to it. Even Cap Hill to some extent, although I'd argue it's more for the housing stock than anything else. But Dupont? Logan Circle? Geez, the Wharf? You've got to be kidding me. You need to get out and spend some time in Back Bay, Venice Beach, Deep Ellum and some of these other areas around the country. When it comes to the look, the vibe or the restaurants - there is nothing exceptional about Dupont or Logan. Nothing. And whatever natural charm the Wharf had has been obliterated by $300-a-night restaurants and a man-made plaza that you'll find in any developing suburb worth its salt. C'mon. It's ok to tout what's truly special about DC, but let the Chamber peddle that other nonsense.

Are you joking? Both are historic districts and have extremely unique architecture and are 100 % walkable. Or Kalorama and all of the embassies and historical building sites. The real estate market definitely disagrees with you. Have you even walked around these areas? I don’t mean the main drags like Connecticut Avenue.

Simply because something is a "historic district" doesn't give it inherent value. Especially when you're comparing it to other neighborhoods across the country that have their own history. And walkable to what? A Whole Foods? Some pretty bad, overpriced restaurants? Dupont's heyday was 10-20 years ago, believe me I lived through it. So yeah, I've walked through that area for years. And you really don't want to use "real estate market" to prove your point. If you're only going to rank neighborhoods on what's most expensive, those areas would be destroyed by Back Bay, Venice Beach, East Village etc.

[Anonymous]

All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

Good luck in NOVA with the ugly overpriced crapshacks, the traffic, the mediocre restaurants, and the uptight people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

Also, Good luck in Portland with the ugly overpriced crapshacks, the traffic, the mediocre restaurants, and the uptight people.

Fixed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

Also, Good luck in Portland with the ugly overpriced crapshacks, the traffic, the mediocre restaurants, and the uptight people.

Fixed

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

Also, Good luck in Portland with the ugly overpriced crapshacks, the traffic, the mediocre restaurants, and the uptight people.

Fixed

No.

We don't begrudge people for not having the means to house themselves, and would never rule out a city because it has a population that is struggling to make it in this world. Like every major city in the U.S., Portland does have a lot of homelessness and drug abuse. I see it walking to work in McPhereson Square as well and never feel like I'd need to leave DC because of this. Many homeless across the U.S. are veterans, many suffer from mental illness. These people deserve our empathy and protection, not our spite.

As far as lack of diversity in Portland -- I'd much my family be exposed to more inclusive ideals and principles, which you're more likely to find in PDX, egardless of whether the city is racially homogeneous or not. All the money we'd save by living in a place like this could be used to travel the world to show our kids that the world is a rich tapestry of cultures that should celebrated.

There, I fixed it for YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Good luck with all the druggies, ANTIFA running the city, and if you want any diversity, you certainly won't find it there unless you like drugged out white folks everywhere.

Also, Good luck in Portland with the ugly overpriced crapshacks, the traffic, the mediocre restaurants, and the uptight people.

Fixed

No.

We don't begrudge people for not having the means to house themselves, and would never rule out a city because it has a population that is struggling to make it in this world. Like every major city in the U.S., Portland does have a lot of homelessness and drug abuse. I see it walking to work in McPhereson Square as well and never feel like I'd need to leave DC because of this. Many homeless across the U.S. are veterans, many suffer from mental illness. These people deserve our empathy and protection, not our spite.

As far as lack of diversity in Portland -- I'd much my family be exposed to more inclusive ideals and principles, which you're more likely to find in PDX, egardless of whether the city is racially homogeneous or not. All the money we'd save by living in a place like this could be used to travel the world to show our kids that the world is a rich tapestry of cultures that should celebrated.

There, I fixed it for YOU.

NP. Inclusive ideals and principles in a largely racially homogeneous place is the quintessential oxymoron. I certainly won't begrudge your desire to move to Portland, we have friends who did it and are very happy there, but to suggest that your family will somehow be exposed to a greater moral/cultural high-ground than in DC is naive.

We too have thought about leaving DC for a lower COL area, but ultimately there is not another city that provides us and our children the opportunities and access to amenities, cultural and otherwise, that we get in DC.

[Anonymous]

Is Portland even that much lower COL? It’s still an expensive city to live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All-- My spouse and I considered moving from the DC area for Portland, Oregon, which we had recently visited for the first time. If you can stomach the rain for a few months in the winter, I literally can't think of a better city as an alternative to DC in terms of COL, job opportunities, outdoor activities, public schools, and of course, most folks there are staunchly anti-Trump

I can't sing Portland's tune loud enough and it's really attractive in terms of COL - for $700k in DC, you're getting a 2 bedroom condo in a bad school district. For the same price in NW or SW Portland, you're getting a 3.500 square foot northwest modern home in a public school that's rated a 9 or 10. A large fancy daycare center for infants is literally a thousand dollars less than it is in DC. Unlike Seattle, Portland is still affordable. A lot of the retail giants headquarters are based in Portland (i.e., Nike), a lot of tech companies and startups (Portland isn't called Silicon Forest for nothing), and some consulting firms.

OP--you mentioned that both of your careers are tied to government so it may be difficult for you to find work outside of the DC area. I'd encourage you to think more broadly about your skill sets in your current roles, as opposed to the industry you're in, when thinking about what you have to offer a new employer. Research, accounting, consulting, advocacy, policy analysis, etc. are all useful skills in multiple industries. Just be prepared to talk about your contributions in terms of your competencies as opposed to what agency/non-profit/elected official you currently work for. People successfully make this kind of career move all the time.

Good luck to all of you - I hope that your journeys to find a balanced lifestyle take you to new and cool places!

Haha, no. I am from there, grew up there. The rain begins in mid to late October and DOES NOT STOP until June. Sure, you will get a clear day here and there, but the ground is soaked. I had friends who moved to Oregon from California and almost lost their minds in the non-stop rain and gray. Also, once the clocks move back in November it will be pitch dark by 4:30 in the afternoon every day and the sun does not fully rise until 8 a.m. because of the latitude. I'm not saying to avoid Portland. I'm just saying "a few months" is not accurate.

[Anonymous]

Portland is so far in the middle of no-where is has a lot of Japanese People who live there as it is an easy flight to Japan.

DC is on Northeast Corridor. Business mainly occurs between NYC and Northern VA.

Plus in Potomac MD everyone has a 200 MPH Ferrari. In four hours you can drive to Florida

[Anonymous]

^^ Also, while Oregon does not have a sales tax, the state has very high property taxes.^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Portland is so far in the middle of no-where is has a lot of Japanese People who live there as it is an easy flight to Japan.

DC is on Northeast Corridor. Business mainly occurs between NYC and Northern VA.

Plus in Potomac MD everyone has a 200 MPH Ferrari. In four hours you can drive to Florida

I will assume you have not heard of the Silicon Valley to Los Angeles "corridor". You know, where your phone, laptop, movies, music, and lifestyle/business trends come from. But I don't want to burst your bubble. Please continue.