LM: Moving to the West Coast

My employer has offered me an opportunity to move out to the West Coast in one of three locations: LA, Portland, or Seattle. I've been an East Coaster my whole life and have only visited these places for work and/or pleasure, so I'm looking for some input on these places and what would be the best location and why? It is a promotion with some other benefits. 

Where will my dollar go the furthest? 

From my understanding Washington state would be the best for my net income while Oregon and California would put the big hurt on that. LA and Seattle are some of the most expensive places to live in the country, while Portland is someone reasonable when you get out to the suburbs. Cost of living along all of the West Coast is significantly higher than most of the East Coast sans the DC-Boston corridor and much more so than where I'm at in Florida. 

Racing/Tracks?

Portland has PIR, The Ridge Motorsports Park, Pacific Raceways

Southern California has AutoClub, Irwindale, Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, Chuckwalla, etc. 

Seatlle: just like Portland....PIR, The Ridge Motorsports Park, Pacific Raceways

Commuting?

LA is known to have some of the worst traffic out there especially the 405. Unless I can live close to where I'd work that's a huge downer. 

Portland: I honestly don't know. 

Seattle: I've dealt with I-5 there for travel again I suppose it all depends on where I live in relation to work. 

Anything else I should consider and/or know? 

For Seattle...it largely depends on where your work location is. If your work location is downtown Seattle, be prepared for a long commute unless you're willing to spend big coin for a house/condo close in. You can get property and somewhat reasonable home prices if you're willing to live way east of the city or way N/S on the Sounder line (commuter train). If your work location is closer to Tacoma, you can still get reasonable real estate in the Puyallup/Enumclaw/Black Diamond areas, but even they're getting more pricey. For Seattle, you can consider the west side of the Sound and using the ferries as well.

Everyday cost of living is pretty high here too. I'm always astounded anytime I am in the mid-west or back on the east coast at how cheap stuff is. All of that said, the summers here are fantastic, and there are multiple auto-x clubs if that's your thing. You have to be prepared to deal with short, gray days in the winter tho...

Where in LA is your office? 

Where in Seattle is your office? 

Do you have kids? 

I moved out from boston 

lived in beaverton OR, 3 years 

bellevue + mercer island WA -4.5 years 

now in so cal 

be happy to chat 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Mind if I e-mail you? 

LA - near LAX on the El Segundo side. 

Portland - Near Hillsboro

Seattle - Tacoma area right off I-5

DirtyBird222 said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Mind if I e-mail you? 

LA - near LAX on the El Segundo side. 

Portland - Near Hillsboro

Seattle - Tacoma area right off I-5

Dont mind at all. I have also own houses in those locations - so am familiar with living costs and schools.

If you dont have kids or need for schools, living cost snd commute can be short and cheap. (Not cheap like FL, of course)

Will await your email 

You money will go furthest in Portland, but not by a massive margin.  I've never been there, but I considered moving there and did a cost of living calculator.

From what I understand, Portland (someone else can chime in here) is supremely left-wing.  While I lean a bit left of center myself, some say it is a bit excessive and can cramp some of the car crafting lifestyle; getting flipped off for having a diesel or an old car, fines if they find aluminum in your trash, etc.  I could be wrong, just some anecdotal things I've heard.

Seattle is wonderful.  It isn't as rainy as you have heard... in fact it gets less volume of rain per year than NYC, it's just that its climate is similar to the UK and there are many misty/foggy/wet days regardless of how much rain actually falls.  Seattle will be a touch cheaper than L.A. and there is a great maritime culture there.

I lived in L.A. for 6 years.  If I could have afforded to stay, I would have.  If your job/career pays a good salary, it is fine, but I was a bartender/actor/custom car shop fabricator.  $1500 per weekend behind the bar, $2000/wk at the shop, and occassional $1000 contracts for acting didn't cut it.  Seriously.  Expect a small townhouse to run you $2700/mo minimum.  2 bedroom house, more like $3200.  There are cheap neighborhoods, but you'll likely either not like the surroundings, or you'll have too long a commute.

regarding the L.A. commute, I honestly didn't mind it.  L.A. drivers are fast and they're jerks, but they are GOOD in general.  The only time I minded the commute was when I lived in Pasadena and worked down near the airport.  If I didn't leave at the right time, it was a 1.5 hour commute for about 17 miles.

Don't listen to the hype about Smog inspections.  They are only every two years, and the limits are pretty generous.  If you fail smog in a stock vehicle, something is really out of whack.  We Impala SS guys out there had a sorta rule of thumb; you could double your HP and still pass with careful tuning.  If you needed more than 500hp, you just kept a stock engine sitting around and every two years you swapped it in to go get it smogged and then swap it back out.  There is also no safety inspection in CA, so you want to go full race suspension?  Do it.  Now that I'm back in PA and I get yearly smog AND safety inspection, I miss CA.  The DMV in CA is a big paper-pushing bureaucratic institution with a lot of red tape.... but it is well-organized red tape.  I found it pretty easy to navigate the ins and outs of getting titles and registrations.

And, oh god, that SoCal weather.  I joke with people about this but it is almost true.  You get 48 weeks of 72.5 degrees and dry, breezy sunshine, then you get two weeks in February that it's 55 degrees and two weeks in August that it's 95 degrees.  Sprinkle in a nice rain once every couple months and you get the picture.

You'll find that Beef and Pork are relatively inexpensive there since it isn't far north that there are massive feedlots.  Milk and eggs are a bit pricier since they come from farther away.  Produce is cheap.  Something like 70% of the US's produce comes from CA.

And you know what the biggest thing I miss about L.A.?  Avacados.  Fresh 'cados picked daily at 4 for $1.  Cripes, sometimes they are $2 EACH here in PA.

Avocados 6 for a $1 now 

pasadena to airport is more than 17 miles :) 

DirtyBird222 said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Mind if I e-mail you? 

LA - near LAX on the El Segundo side. 

Portland - Near Hillsboro

Seattle - Tacoma area right off I-5

This particular fact will make Seattle much more livable cost-wise. You can go south or south-east and find reasonably priced housing, perhaps even some land if you go far enough. You can also go up and around to the Kitsap side and get into Gig Harbor, Olalla, or Port Orchard and find some nice stuff (I'm in Gig Harbor). You'll find that there is very little to ever go into Seattle proper for, unless you want to see a sporting event.

Seattle can have some pretty depressing weather for some.  Portland can be very strange for some.

LA traffic can be not so bad depending on where you live and where you work. You can certainly minimize it if you can be close to work.  If the work is in the heart of the beast (e.g. Santa Monica), affording anything decent or close could be unreasonable.

AutoX in LA is essentially limited to the California Speedway in Fontana.

Tacoma is cheaper than LA. SEATTle proper is not longer cheaper than LA.  

After living in the Seattle area for some time I’d move to LA If I could. The weather can’t be beat and be car culture is better. 

I was an easy coaster (DE) born and raised and moved to Anaheim after college. I wanted out after a year and was transferred to Michigan. Much better for me.  

Anaheim for me was way too crowded and expensive. I also didn't realize how much I liked green until I moved back to where there were trees and grass.  The weather was nice but I did miss the variety of seasons. 

I was reminded slightly of living out there when I was in AZ a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't be sad if I never saw desert again. 

My $0.02.

I've only traveled to both Portland and Seattle/Tacoma.

The Tacoma Aroma is real, and quite shocking for me when I got out of the band van.

My uncle lives in Portland and I visited him once. It's a nice enough city, much friendlier than Seattle is and make sure you visit Powell's at least once. The Deschutes Brewery is great too and somewhat close by as I remember. I have read how house prices are falling a bit tio

The weather is godawful out here on the west coast.

The skiing, surfing, mountain biking, motorcycle roads and scenery are all terrible.

Stay away, nobody wants to live here.

I really am apprehensive about moving out West at the moment. I think it's just nervousness and unknowns. Orlando is getting expensive but it still is worlds cheaper than all metropolitan areas of the West Coast. On the other hand I'm really excited for something new.

I've heard that Oregon has some interesting rules and regulations; but, it is a beautiful state. I'm sure the politics make things interesting; but, I'm concentrating on my career at the moment and anything like that I see as a minor nuisance of moving forward. 

My only gripe with the LA area is the over-population and housing prices. From my research this afternoon the suburbs of Portland and Seattle-Tacoma aren't nearly as bad as LA and you have greenery (although Sequoia National Forest isn't too far away from LA).

Thanks for all the input. I'm really just waiting to see what they come back with as an offer for compensation at this point. Even with a promotion I'm hoping that it will at least be enough to cover the cost of living differences. 

ShawnG said:

The weather is godawful out here on the west coast.

The skiing, surfing, mountain biking, motorcycle roads and scenery are all terrible.

Stay away, nobody wants to live here.

You know I really hate visiting out there too

Oregon has state income taxes and the traffic in Portland is bad. Hillsboro is a suberb wasteland on the other side of the hills from beautiful Portland and is the home of Intel. You could live on some property up highway 30 without a terrible commute and see the Columbia River at least. The car culture here is awesome and wildly varied. We have 3 road courses, 4 drag strips, a drift track, and a rally race along with a huge autocross scene. The inspections are no big deal for most cars and they don't open the hood. It also only appears to be certain areas so out in the country you may not have to (I live across the river in Washington and we have no inspections).

Tacoma is not Seattle and has been coming up in the world a lot lately. Joint Base Lewis McChord is nearby so you get a lot of military and ex-military population (and the cars that come with it). 

If they are not offering you double your current wage L.A. will be out of reach financially for you.

Housing, car costs and overall higher prices for everything.

Look into DMV and insurance fees for your vehicles

Gas was 4 dollars this morning

Has the best driving roads around.

The area your office is in is considered west side and has the best weather so very high housing cost and major congestion.

Commute in LA isn't bad if you're on a moto.  Lane splitting is legal.

Portland is great.  Lots of greenery and things to do.  Still has a small town feel to it in some areas.

There’s some negativity around being an arsehole, especially in your vehicle, but as long as you’re legal and don’t drive like a complete jag weed, you’ll be fine.

Politically, it is pretty liberal, but I know a number of conservative people who live in the area and they’ve not been tarred and feathered.  Honestly, as long as you’re a decent person, you’ll generally be fine.  Be an shiny happy person and well, you’ll get what you put out.

For example: lots of coal rolling diesel trucks, open pipe Harley’s and sport bikes, stanced Cars, etc.  Most people are too passive aggressive to actually say or do anything about them and with the influx of people, it’s just life in a growing metro area.  Many car people chafe at the front plate rules in Oregon and Washington, but that’s a minor issue in my mind.

Hillsboro is....not Portland.  I dislike the West side of the metro area.  Having grown up on the East side, it just feels a bit too Cali to me.  Lots more opportunities for places to live though and the main roads are larger.  All that said, lots of money over there with all of the tech sector, aviation, etc. So the infrastructure tends to be better (Gig fiber is pretty much a given, where it’s hit or miss on the east side for example).

If you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask or send PM’s

Good luck on your search!

Southern California weather is amazing. If you like one season, that is.  I’ll take 73 +/- 3 all year long. 

Im in El Segundo and love it.  But I desperately miss forests and rivers.  And I dislike traffic.  But I rarely have to commute in it and can take my bike often times.  

Portland would be the most affordable of those options and if you’re ok with gloomy, wet weather, it would probably be my suggestion. 

Across the river from Portland is Washington state , not sure if being in one state or the other matters to you .

Rent is stupid here , not as bad as SF Bay area , but a one bedroom apartment near LAX is $1500-1800 a month in a decent area. And Google and a few other dotcoms , plus SpaceX  are nearby to help push the rents, 

Is this for a lifetime or a few years ?

californiamilleghia said:

Across the river from Portland is Washington state , not sure if being in one state or the other matters to you .

Rent is stupid here , not as bad as SF Bay area , but a one bedroom apartment near LAX is $1500-1800 a month in a decent area. And Google and a few other dotcoms , plus SpaceX  are nearby to help push the rents, 

Is this for a lifetime or a few years ?

 

The plan for now would just be a few years. Having never lived out that way, it's hard to commit to a long-term idea like that. When i was in DC I couldn't wait to get back to Florida but DC is a different animal than the west coast. I also spend a significant amount of time on the West Coast traveling so it would make life much easier in terms of travel time. 

MulletTruck: I received an offer from a company that sells a lot of commercial airplanes that has an office in El Segundo. They were only willing to give me about 8% more than what I currently make in Orlando. My current company has been great at matching compensation to location from DC to Miami to Orlando. 

In reply to Curtis :

I'm having a hard time understanding how you couldn't afford to stay in LA making $168,000 per year. "$1500 per weekend behind the bar, $2000/wk at the shop,"

Dirty, I too would like to move to the West Coast. However, I can't find a to justify the increase in the cost of housing. Even with the commensurate salary bump, you still end up spending a larger portion of your income on housing. I basically have the best Tech Writing gig you can get in Oklahoma, so I'm looking to move as well to open up opportunities. It likely means a move to Austin in the next few years as it's basically becoming Silicon Valley, Jr. 

In LA area you can go to car events every evening , and too many every weekend , they even have a car museum in El Segundo !

But around LAX you will get morning low clouds 25 percent of the mornings , often never burning off , 

Rent may be high , but I doubt it's $500 more than in town in Seattle or Portland. 

But the closest road race track is Willow springs  near Palmdale and Button Willow up by Bakersfield and then 350 miles away is Laguna Seca

I would ask which place has the best work environment , since that is where you will be most of the time !

54 years old / lived my whole life in Southern California.

Keep in mind that we have the absolute highest state income tax in the nation, our gas is ~$1.25 above the national average, and a workaround to usurp our provision to limit property tax increases to 2% per year (proposition 13) by including garages and patios in the square footage calculation is in play to increase tax revenue to pay for concessions made during a recent public school teacher’s strike.

The cost of living used to be tolerable for retired people that purchased a nice home a long time ago due to the 2% rule but measure EE, if passed, will destroy that starting in Los Angeles county and almost certainly spreading to other counties.

It’s really unfortunate because property values are already under pressure due to the recent reductions in federal income tax allowances for mortgage interest and property tax. Basically, a lot of retired people won’t be able to afford to stay in their homes and the homes will sell at a significant discount since the one tax that wasn’t high in California (property tax) is now likely to shoot up.

You’re probably not planning on buying a house but of course, the property tax increases are going to be rolled into rents and in a broader sense, measure EE signals that our excessive spending and the huge state debt it has produced is coming to a head.

Do you want to pick up the tab for the lavish parties people had in the past?