[nina93013]

Hi,

I really hope some of you can offer some advice! My dh is relocating soon for work. We were all set to go to the San Francisco Bay area and now it looks like it could be Portland instead. I am dazed and confused because we had the bay area thing all figured out and I don't know anything about Portland. Can someone **please** help me with some questions??

- Our biggest issue is we are moving with my father who has depression and also seasonal affective disorder (dark and cloudy weather makes him more depressed). How much time is it really overcast and cloudy in Portland? Are the winter months really cloudy and constantly rainy?

- Are there some "alternative" schools in the area (ds is entering kindergarten next year)? We don't want Montessori or Waldorf, but in the bay area we found some spectacular parent co-op schools and schools that emphasized ecology and outdoor experiences. You know, "crunchy" schools where the kids play a lot, go on lots of fieldtrips, make crazy art projects, keep a garden, hold hands and sing kumbayah (just kidding about the last one). Is there anything like that in Portland?

It looks like there's an active MDC community in Portland so that's a good start for sure. Thanks for any advice everyone.

 

[usolyfan]

Sorry I can't answer your question about the preschool, however, any of us from the Portland, Salem, Eugene area can answer the weather question. Yes, it rains a lot. This year we had 45 straight days of rain. We are from Southern CA and moved here last summer, so for us, it rained a LOT. However, it didn't bother us. We have a good size house with plenty of room to roam so it never felt as though we were "stuck" inside all the time. We actually enjoyed the rain compared to the smog and heat we left. The pay off is having actual seasons here and the green, lush landscape year round. It is a beautiful place to live.

 

[zinemama]

Sunnyside Environmental School is our neighborhood public school, and it is exactly like what you described as "alternative." You can google for the website and find out a lot more. My son was in kindergarten there last year and I was really impressed.

Yeah, it rains a lot. Not the downpour type of rain that you get on the east coast; more like a constant drizzle. But after the 4th of July, it's beautiful through October.

 

[zjande]

Hi! I actually can't answer either of your questions as we just moved here 6 weeks ago from the San Fran bay area (& we homeschool), but I did want to say that we love it up here, soo much more than the bay area. It is really beautiful & the people here are bizarrely friendly.

There's no comparison there to the bay area.

I've been told that it is gloomy & drizzly allll winter. I've also been told we can buy certain lights that simulate sun light (are they called full spectrum bulbs? I can't remember now...). I'll be trying out one or 2 of those come winter this year. I am worried about the weather affecting my mood, too, but am thinking positively.

Good luck with all your research, & with your move. I hope your dad finds himself comfortable here.

 

[NoHiddenFees]

Opal School, a charter at the Children's Museum might be up your alley. It's heavily Reggio influenced.

 

[oregonbound]

Yeah, I was going to say the Opal School sounds really cool, but we are in the Beaverton School district so I don't think we can go

We just moved from Los Angeles in February and the months of February and March are very dreary, but the summers are beautiful for the most part and not too hot so there are tradeoffs...

 

[scoobers]

We're probably moving in the next year and I was initially thinking about Seattle, Portland or Eugene but I was worried about the weather as well since I am very affected by gloomy weather. So, we had pretty well written those areas off as well.

But, having read some of the descriptions of the weather it doesn't sound that different from where we live now. (Monterey). This year it rained pretty much non-stop for about 3 months between Nov - Feb. Also, it tends to be socked in with fog or a marine layer during the summer months.

Anyone familiar with the Monterey area and how the weather would compare here to Seattle, Portland or Eugene?

 

[mamanurse]

The weather can be difficult for some people. My MIL especially. She has a special lamp that she sits under in the evening. I've also heard of some people going to tanning beds for a 5 minute exposure (I don't recommend that).

I've had no problems with the weather and actually enjoy the rain. We do all things we do when it's not raining like go to the park, walk the dog, and other outings. We live in a small house and staying inside just isn't an option.

 

[gottaknit]

Portland has everything the bay area has to offer, plus it is friendlier and a hell of a lot cheaper. (

: Yes, I know this is bound to offend someone.)

I know of an adorable three bedroom two bath bungalo in NE that will be going on the market in a few weeks; only blocks from Trader Joes, Hollyrood school, Hollywood library, and Whole Foods (to open next summer). You might even call it a "Grant Park Charmer!!" if you were a realtor type....

 

[mama_b]

Subbing, we are moving to Portland next spring.

 

[wende]

Hey, gottaknit...I don't know how close I'll be to buying a new house in the next 3 weeks (we had a nightmare of an experience with our mortgage guy and so now we are starting from scratch and having to rebuild our credit) but I'd love a link to the house when it's ready.

 

[TurboClaudia]

off topic: wendy, it wasn't the mortgage guy i recommended, was it? please let me know if it was...

and the house that gottaknit is talking about is very cute, if i do say so myself.

or there's another one in NoPo that will be on the market within days (or maybe is already) that is also super cute. both have awesome gardens.

~claudia

 

[wende]

No, it was someone that was recommended to Ryan through work. He'd already hired him by the time I got your guys number. The guy was a true jackass and did NOTHING that he said he would do and cost us our earnest money.

 

[KateMary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoobers We're probably moving in the next year and I was initially thinking about Seattle, Portland or Eugene but I was worried about the weather as well since I am very affected by gloomy weather. So, we had pretty well written those areas off as well. But, having read some of the descriptions of the weather it doesn't sound that different from where we live now. (Monterey). This year it rained pretty much non-stop for about 3 months between Nov - Feb. Also, it tends to be socked in with fog or a marine layer during the summer months. Anyone familiar with the Monterey area and how the weather would compare here to Seattle, Portland or Eugene?

I grew up in Pacifica, which is just south of San Francisco, on the coast, and we had a lot of fog there. In fact they host the Fog Festival every year. It is very similar to Portland weather, but Portland has awesome summers so its way nicer than living on the coast, where the fog is worse in the summer. When I was in college I would go home to the fog each summer and hardly saw the sun for two years in a row.

Most of the year you can still go out and do things outdoors cause its mostly drizzle. Get some good goretex and your good to go.

 

[TurboClaudia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wende No, it was someone that was recommended to Ryan through work. He'd already hired him by the time I got your guys number. The guy was a true jackass and did NOTHING that he said he would do and cost us our earnest money.

grrrr... that sucks. have you found a new mortgage person? if not, at least give kim and andrew a call. they will do a free consult with you, and please mention my name. www.usherfinancialgroup.com

~claudia

 

[neomia]

We are also fairly recent CA transplants (last November). I totally know where you are coming from because I totally focused my research on Portland, and then we thought we might be going to Seattle for awhile. Luckily we ended up here! I didn't mind the part of winter we saw, but I am not prone to depression. Here is a source for bulbs I have been told is great pricewise:
http://www.sunlanlighting.com/sunlanlighting/Page3.html

As far as schools, my choice would be The Village Free School.
http://www.villagefreeschool.org/
But I have not really looked intensely since I plan to homeschool. In general, I support the concepts behind free school. But I did not know there was a school at the Children's Museum!! Portland is so crazy. In a good way.

Hey zjande, who are you calling bizarre?

Seriously though, we thought the same thing. The guy at the corner gas station where we got our first rental used to keep dog biscuits in his pocket for whoever passed by with their pooch. I actually teared up as I wrote that. I am such a geek.

Claudia (and Wende), is your mortgage guy a bad credit expert? I don't want to push somebody else over your rec, but the guy we used was like a magician. I called sooo many people, including several recommended by people we knew, and this guy beat everybody by a mile. We seriously thought we were not going to be able to buy a house near the end, and he pulled out a rate for us literally several points below what anybody else said we would be able to do. And let me tell you, I found out alot about the business and what actually effects their decisions, so I knew exactly what to tell people when I called.

Gottaknit, do you already have a realtor? Did you know that one of the API coleaders has a husband got his license recently. Just a thought...

 

[chiromama]

wende i have a fantastic mortgage guy too, if claudias doesn't work. nothing like a network of awesome mamas to get what you need!!

trillium school is awesome too!