Portland, Living and Kiting?

gregm · Since 11 Feb 2007 3 Posts MD Kook

How is Portland as a town to live, work, and kite? My family is considering some west coast towns for possible relocation and any beta would be helpful.

Year round kiting?
Best places to live around Portland and still reasonably close to kiting?
Is the concept of kiting after work possible in the summer?

Thanks in advance for any advice?

forrest · Wed Feb 14, 07 2:30 pm

All your dreams will come true in Portland. Good luck finding a job! Smile

There isn't year round kiting, but there are a couple of days during the winter that you can get out.

Seattle has a killer Fall, Winter, Spring kiting season. Then you can come down to the Gorge on the weekends.

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

between the gorge and the coast you have soooo many options for kiting march - october. Winter time st. helens is killer for snowkiting (best access via snowmobile) add in three ski areas within 1. 5 hrs and a hip city and you come up winning. Not the best job market though as mentioned earlier. All in all PDX is a great spot to live.

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Portland's great - cool people and great beer. Kite at Sauvies Island after work in the summer (see 'spots' above) or Stevenson or Rooster Rock - We have a very long season if you don't mind getting cold. Portland is not the bargain it used to be - housing in the city has gone up alot - but there are still some bargains to be had. Each neighborhood has it's own feel, and there are alot of great places to live. - C

kss · Since 24 Apr 2006 613 Posts pdx Addicted

i think portland is difficult to beat in terms of close proximity to the things i love............. surf, snow and kiting. 1 hour to beach, 1 hour to mountain, 1 hour or less to any number of world class kite spots.

lived in seattle for 7 years.......... it was death for me taking 2 1/2 hours to get to beach for surf. plus, portland has less rain.

lived in LA for 8 years............. lots of surf, sun and pollution, but less than ideal kite location and 5-6 hours to closest legit mountain.

yes, there are fewer kite days in the wintertime. but then you can hit the mountain, snowkite, surf a bit, and go someplace warm for a winter kite vacation.

for me, couldn't imaging being any place else.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

yeah we have an off-season but like kss says its a good time to hit the mountain or some warm spots.

when the season is on its so good though. I think there are maybe 1-2 days all summer that you can't drive within 2 hours of Portland and get to wind.

For work it seems like everybody I know who kites has some sort of technical/computer type job. Best case scenario you have a job that lets you work from home and/or with a flexible schedule so you can get to the beach everyday for a couple hours in the afternoon when its good. If you 9-5 it then Sauvies is still an option, or you can be a weekend warrior.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

no sales tax in oregon / no state income tax in washington ,just across the river.

the land across the river to the north is less valueable and cheaper.

portland has great traffic, lots and lots of traffic.

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

Too much Eugene Morning Breath Regi! Pdx traffic ain't sh@t compared to seattle, s.f., phoenix, etc.

Lets go to tahoe this weekend.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

yep less than bigger cities ,that makes it grrrreat. No I am all about sitting in traffic , more gas tax means more money for our soldiers.

only a few places got any snow down there. loooking hard at skyline..

weegi · Since 05 Jul 2006 37 Posts Bend, Oregon

Portland seems like a good place to live, might move down there in the summer..

tal;ked to some lokals from taho... its really bad there.. bearly any snow, and they might have to close some resorts dow , if its not snowing soon...

4" @ batchelor last night, another 4" tonight.. so if it stops blowing it might be good..

EdG · Since 19 Dec 2005 424 Posts Just a Kook that's Obsessed

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2062 Posts PNW Bigfoot

Bottom line is there is no "right out your door" kiting, but you always have options if your willing to travel. North to SI (35 minute to 40 minutes), east to the gorge (30 hr to 2 1/2) or West to SW for the Waveous Rancheros (1 1/2 hr to 5 hrs plus).

scottnorby · Thu Feb 15, 07 2:25 pm

If you live on the coast of Oregon you can find wind almost every day from March to October. North coast has giant beaches you can drive on and downwinders from April to October are epic.
If you suck in your pride and buy a windsurfer you can ride thw wind all winter long too.
The beach in Oregon has the most wind, mildest temperature, steadiest wind in summer, and good waves from March to October. Really good dirt bike, atv, and mountain bike trails all over the coast too.

Scribble · Since 18 Nov 2005 636 Posts NoPo Addicted

Anywhere in Portland would be close to kiting. I would suggest trying to buy a house as soon as possible in a neighborhood that you find interesting. The house I'm living in appreciated 60000 in the first year we owned it. Best investment I've ever made. I don't know where you are from, but even though the weather is shitty in the winter I couldn't imagine living anywhere else in the US. You just gotta change the way you think about the rain. Cold and wet means POWDER in the mountains. There is definitely something special about Portland so get your ass out here and don't tell anyone else what they are missing.

Andy

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 561 Posts Hood River Photographer

about keeping a good thing quiet? i know that'll rattle a few cages but damn people.

no wind or snow here just rain. please and thank you.
Thumb's Up

anyone else here a native? damn i'm getting crusty...

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

I've lived in about eight different cities and Portland is by far my favorite place to live. However, its not for everyone. The city has a unique feel to it - its a pretty liberal place with lots of environmentalists.

The emphasis on nature is important - there are a lot of city parks downtown and just to the west of downtown is forest park - its a forest with tons of hiking trails - (almost no mountain biking trails Sad

)

In the summer there is the farmer's market downtown - I absolutely love that.

It does rain here a lot in the winter.

The kiting is sweet!! A lot of times I'll get off work and go to Sauvie's island. Thats about 45 minutes away from where I work. Sauvie's island is good sometimes. Generally its light wind conditions - and sometimes its no wind conditions Sad

so you may get out there and not have any wind Sad

but there are some regulars that go there and we all sit around BS and drink beer while we are waiting for the wind.

As far as jobs go - well, its rough man. I think we have some of the highest unemployment in the country. It can be rough. If you can find a job before you get here that would make the move here so much better!

gregm · Since 11 Feb 2007 3 Posts MD Kook

thanks for the great info and opinions. we are visiting some friends in town next month to check things out. my wife and i wouldn't make a move for a few months. i appreciate all the info.