Community Chat

[cabbi]

I am sooo sick of Wis. winters. My DD moved to Portland, OR this summer. I would like to be closer to her, but not on her lap. WA does not tax pension income or SS. (Wis. does not tax SS either). Looked around today at Vancouver WA across the Colombia River from Portland, Stevenson (Very Small) & Longview (I-5 between Seattle and Portland) all on the Colombia. I need a different geography, close to water and mountains. The bummer is missing sunshine. Even our -55 wind chill days here were sunny. Can anyone help me with this? Googled a lot today and Wenatchee has the most sunshine but not close enough to Portland, same with Spokane. TIA

[just bee]

I chose my university when I was 17 because of the rain and fog. It was a 5-year program in one of the rainiest, foggiest places on Earth. And now, decades later, I live in a place where fog and rain are rare and sunshine is abundant.

I never ever thought that I would live in such a place, but five years in endless gloom made an impression.

Just know what to expect.

[RainCityGirl]

Wenatchee is in the mountains and is sweltering in the summer and cold in the winters. Seattle summers can be glorious as can their springs, or they can be rainy. This year we have had very little rain and only one slight dusting of snow which was gone by noon. Vancouver, Washington is further south and it's usually hotter the closer you get to Portland, but Portland itself gets a lot of rain. Because we have mild winters, most people in Seattle and vicinity wear light clothing, sometimes even walking shorts with an umbrella all winter. It is extremely green here year round. That makes up for the rain, and the rain is the reason for the green. I've lived in this state all my life, both on the east side growing up and the west side from college on. The eastern side of the state gets all the snow, plus hot summers.In Seattle you get used to the rain and you appreciate the mild winters, beautiful falls, and mild springs and summers. You are surrounded by water and mountains in Seattle, and an hour from ski slopes and other recreational areas. And no, there isn't a state income tax, but our sales tax is almost 10%. Oregon has no sales tax, but a state income tax. You might like Olympia. It's surrounded by water and mountains.

[pattypeep]

I second what RainCityGirl said. I've lived in the PNW since 1957 except for three years in the 60's. My dh and I always comment about how lucky we are weather wise. No tornadoes or hurricanes, no droughts and beautiful summers. We have had a lot of sun the past couple of years. When it's a beautiful sunny day in WA state, there's nothing better. The green is luscious. I have not lived in Eastern Washington, but have been there and would not want to live there. I've not lived in Vancouver, but have had friends there and it seems like a good choice for you so that you are close to your daughter. If you live near Tacoma and around there, you're looking at a good three hour drive to Portland ~ and a very boring drive at that with lots of traffic. The best of luck to you.

[Marienkaefer2]

If you want to be close to Portland, then Vancouver WA is the best place for you. Btw, no state income tax in WA, and no sales tax in Oregon. So you have the best of both worlds!

Don't know what kind of house you're looking for or your budget, but there are a lot of nice, newer planned townhouse and condo developments in and around Vancouver. I did a lot of looking a couple of years ago before I moved to where I am now. The prices were pretty reasonable, too, I thought. Also a lot of other nice houses and neighborhoods in Vancouver.

Because Vancouver is just across the river, your cultural and activity "focus" will be Portland. It's a GREAT city with a lot to do. The Washington side of the Columbia is nice, too.

I lived in Portland ten years, and it can get very warm in the summer near or at 100) in July and August. The winter weather depends on where you live in the city. The east side, near the Gorge, gets the Gorge winds, so if there is winter like weather, that side of town will get the most ice and snow. I think Vancouver probably experiences that too. But, the good news is, it doesn't compare at all to WI winters, and only lasts a couple days to a week, at most. In the summer, you will have warm, sunny days. Spring and fall is rainy, but I don't think it's more than any other city in the NW.

Longview is an old logging town, and further up I5 from Vancouver. No offense to anyone, but it's not very "pretty" as far as towns go.

My suggestion would be to stay in or near Vancouver. There you will have it all...proximity to Portland, ease of travel to the mountains or coast, Portland as "your big city" and all it offers,plus all the conveniences of shopping in town, and a variety of housing choices.

[gazelle77]

Eastern Washington is awful.... unattractive desert land, hot in summer, cold and miserable in the winter. I spent high school years of my life in Chelan Washington and there was nothing to do. Never looked back when I left.

[Yardlie]

My parents lived in Washington for a year after they were married. My mother said she had major sinus problems the whole time she was there. We live in Wisconsin too, and she has very little sinus problems here.

[RainCityGirl]

On 2/1/2014 gazelle77 said:

Eastern Washington is awful.... unattractive desert land, hot in summer, cold and miserable in the winter. I spent high school years of my life in Chelan Washington and there was nothing to do. Never looked back when I left.

Depends on how far east you go. Spokane is not desert, has evergreen trees and mountains and lakes. The winters can be bad, but the summers are very hot.

[SeaGal]

Wa State sure does tax pension income, where did you hear it's not taxed?

[RainCityGirl]

On 2/1/2014 SeaGal said:

Wa State sure does tax pension income, where did you hear it's not taxed?

I think she meant a state income tax. Isn't the other Federal?