raw/vegan "scene" in portland, oregon?

[samariah]

im contemplating moving to portland oregon in several months because i hear its a very environmentally concious, vegetarian friendly city (among a million other reasons like great outdoors activities/scenery, lots of independent book stores, interesting atmosphere, quite liberal, etc).

so are any of you residents/visitors? are there any raw food restaurants/shops or good health food stores? is it a good place to be raw/vegan? im hoping yes!

[fruitandveggies]

All I can say is that I dream every day of moving to Portland for the reasons you just stated! I've never been....which seems silly, but I just know I would love it!

[samariah]

awesome :)

well im waiting for my boyfriend to finish his last year of college so then we can move away from here ( i live in a stale little town in pa). so im going to work my arse off and save up as much money as possible beforehand. we are researching different places and we are looking for something relatively close to the coast and preferably in the northwest and portland just seems like the perfect fit.

[petaltothemetal]

Well, for starters, they have a raw food and spirit festival regularly, maybe even every year. www.rawandlivingspirit.org

There's a restaurant called Blossoming Lotus that serves mostly raw food, although they also have soy based foods. There's supposed to be another new restaraunt, too, but I haven't heard anything about it.

They have an active raw food potluck group, several farmers markets, several great big health food stores (New Seasons, Whole Foods), several juice bars, a bunch of asian food stores.

Plus they have great music and a velvet painting museum. Who could complain????

I wish I could drive to Portland myself on weekends, but it's a bit too far for me.

[RawSweetie]

Doesn't Ani Phyo live there, too?

A major plus!

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I'm so happy to hear all this! My first choice for college is in Portland, so this is wonderful!

[rawstrength]

I'm so happy to hear all this! My first choice for college is in Portland, so this is wonderful!

Yay! Time for college! I wish you all the best. And remember that you'll find raw vegan options in even the most unlikely of places. The town around my college is not very raw conscious, but my college has a huge organic garden that I get to work in (and eat from). I am also part of a co-op that just got started here. It is still in the begining phases but we are getting closer to opening every day :) . So wether or not you end up at your first choice, I'm sure you'll do fine. And you can always grow sprouts and microgreens in your dorm room, as I am doing now.

[ShelShel]

I have relatives who live there and I went to college out there myself. Yes, you will love it for all those reasons and more. ;) Good luck with your move!

[HolyGuacamole]

I used to live in Portland.
I wasn't raw at the time, so I can't help you there, but I can tell you this:
To me, Portland is heaven on earth.
I miss it every single day.
Go. You won't regret it.

[samariah]

you guys are making me excited!

where are the best places to live, do you think, in portland?

also, is it possible to get rent that isnt super expensive? im researching various types of housing alternatives including renting just a room or doing a co op thing where you split rent with a bunch of people in once house. what do you think?

[steveoregon]

I live in one of the west Portland burbs (Beaverton). I like this part of Portland. I rarely have to go into Portland. The high crime areas are east and northeast Portland.

The price of homes here are much higher then average, and I suspect rent is a little higher than normal as well.

I shop at New Seasons (http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/dynamicContent.aspx?mc=OC), which has the best organic section in my area with a lot of local produce (there is a lot of farming up here). There are at least five Whole Foods stores in the area. Farmers markets galore.

I am taking a hard-to-find urban foraging class this month HERE (http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/workshop.html#September).

We have lakes, forests, rivers, mountains, and the ocean - all within an hours drive.

On the down side, it can be cloudy/rainy for weeks in the winter. Whether liberal is desirable - is a matter of opinion.

Steve

[Raene]

All I can say is that I dream every day of moving to Portland for the reasons you just stated! I've never been....which seems silly, but I just know I would love it!

Ditto!!! Some day...

[fruitandveggies]

The price of homes here are much higher then average, and I suspect rent is a little higher than normal as well.


On the down side, it can be cloudy/rainy for weeks in the winter. Whether liberal is desirable - is a matter of opinion.

Steve

I was looking at rent and home prices over in Portland and they are so CHEAP. Oh lord, I saw several two bedroom apartments 900 square feet+ in the city for 600 to 800 a month. Many included utilities! The rent here for a 650 sq ft one bedroom can be up to $1,500 a month. Nothing at all below $1000. And the houses....most are above the million dollar marker, many in the multi-millions. That's why I'm still stuck here, I can't afford to go anywhere!

And I ADORE rain and cloudiness--just another reason I'd love it!
:D

[Raene]

Whoa...how can you like rain and cloudiness?
Well, more power to ya...it really depresses me.

[fruitandveggies]

Well, sunniness is okay, but rain is SO relaxing. Its so cozy and nice...and ahh. I can sit forever on my porch with a book and the sound of rain. Also, its harder to get a sunburn when the sun isn't pounding down on my skin. Anndd I can't wear sunglasses unless I wear contacts, which I despise doing and therefore tend to get terrible tension headaches.

Haha, there's my reasons. ;)

[Raine]

Whoa...how can you like rain and cloudiness?
Well, more power to ya...it really depresses me.

Without the rain and clouds, it would be the Sahara.

I can't stand dry, arid, sand. I'll take rain any day because afterwards, the air smells clean, the pollution has been washed out of the air and the sky is a sparkling blue.

[HolyGuacamole]

The rain in Portland is very peaceful and soothing. :)

[Raene]

Don't get me wrong, rain is fine...but daily rain and overcast weather is very depressing to me...I have that seasonal affective disorder and must have light...very important to my well-being. I live in a place that's in the top 5 cloudiest places and it's awful.

[Care4raw]

I live in one of the west Portland burbs (Beaverton). I like this part of Portland. I rarely have to go into Portland. The high crime areas are east and northeast Portland.

The price of homes here are much higher then average, and I suspect rent is a little higher than normal as well.

I shop at New Seasons (http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/dynamicContent.aspx?mc=OC), which has the best organic section in my area with a lot of local produce (there is a lot of farming up here). There are at least five Whole Foods stores in the area. Farmers markets galore.

I am taking a hard-to-find urban foraging class this month HERE (http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/workshop.html#September).

We have lakes, forests, rivers, mountains, and the ocean - all within an hours drive.

On the down side, it can be cloudy/rainy for weeks in the winter. Whether liberal is desirable - is a matter of opinion.

Steve

Hey Steve or anyone else...

We may relocate there next year. Do you know what town the Waldorf school is in? Also do you know any places that you can buy houses with a nice bit of land?Appreciate any tips. It really does sound like my kind of place!

[debilana]

I live in Seattle and the rain does not bother me until March- then I start getting a bit cranky and needing warmth and sun. I hate hot weather tho and the pacific NW is the bomb:D

[petaltothemetal]

I look at it this way - the rain makes everything green and beautiful. When I was a teenager I worked for awhile at horse stables in one of the few North American rainforests. It was glorious. We had waist high ferns, myrtle trees that released an awesome perfume when the horses stepped on the leaves, wildflowers everywhere. We'd take people on a trail up a mountain and at the top they could see deep forest behind them, ocean in front of them and a river beside them. Who could ask for more?

Western Oregon grows the best produce in the US in my opinion, and produces something crazy like 90% of the WORLDS blackberries and blueberries. I pick blackberries for FREE by the Umpqua river and it is peaceful. We grow amazing blueberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears... all the berries and stone fruits grow amazingly well here.

Our lakes are deeper. We have the second deepest lake in the world in Western Oregon. Virtually everyone with an acre has a creek.

There is virtually no rain in the summer, so Oregon attracts tourists for hiking, mountain biking, boating, etc.

I live farther south and I have a year round growing season for things like greens.

Can you tell I missed the place when I moved away to Virginia? I've been back a little more than a year and I'm in heaven.

[petaltothemetal]

I forgot to mention I've seen more rainbows in 17 months living here than I did in the entire 40 years I lived in Virginia! Sometimes two or three in the same area! Sometimes ones that seem so close you could almost touch them.

The downside to Portland is that it has an extra month of dampness and fog over where I live (the southern 1/3 in the valley) but people who ski love it because they are only an hour to great skiing.

[debilana]

petal! I moved here from VA too=) where did you come over from? I grew up in the Shenadoah valley:)

[petaltothemetal]

Hi, debilana, I spent most of my childhood in Vienna and split most of my adulthood between Richmond and Fauquier County. I was secretary of a farm rights group for 4 years and every month travelled to a different farm. Most of them were in the Shenandoah Valley, so I know it pretty well! Now I live near Oakland, Or. The picture is near my Mom's house on the beach near Yachats. I haven't been to Seattle for years. Wanna go!

[debilana]

and I want to visit the Oregan coast- I have never been:)

I miss a few things about VA but I fell in love with the NW immediatly. I am so happy I moved here!

[petaltothemetal]

The only thing I miss is ethnic variety. But that's where I live, in southern Oregon. I have to go all the way to Eugene for an Asian food store!

[samariah]

Well, sunniness is okay, but rain is SO relaxing. Its so cozy and nice...and ahh. I can sit forever on my porch with a book and the sound of rain. Also, its harder to get a sunburn when the sun isn't pounding down on my skin. Anndd I can't wear sunglasses unless I wear contacts, which I despise doing and therefore tend to get terrible tension headaches.

Haha, there's my reasons. ;)

i love it for all the same reasons! im a sun avoider; i like my fair skin ha ha.

[debilana]

you should fit right in - nw folks get tan 2 months out of the year :D

I actually got really tan arms this year from increased outdoor activity- its nice to feel well enough to enjoy the natural beauty here. I think the highlight had to be watching 4th of July fireworks from a kyack, right up close, in a bay of an island.

There is natural beauty everywhere but since I am a wuss in my old age , its awesome to go camping, etc and not have to wory about the following pests I had to deal with on the east coast-ticks, poison snakes ( i hear theres a rattler around here somewhere but it must be rare...and omg no copperheads everytime I want to go swimming in a lake!), no ticks, no ticks, no ticks.did I mention ticks!!!!!:eek:

[steveoregon]

Originally Posted by steveoregon

The price of homes here are much higher then average, and I suspect rent is a little higher than normal as well.

fruitandveggies wrote:


I was looking at rent and home prices over in Portland and they are so CHEAP. And the houses....most are above the million dollar marker, many in the multi-millions

While I'll admit I wasn't sure about rent, the reasons for high cost of housing is the Urban Growth Boundary, which restricts development into the surrounding forest - so available land becomes all the more valuable. Just to give an example, my current two bedroom single level condo (39 years old, 1050sq/ft), is currently worth about $190K. My mother recently moved to the suburbs of Dallas Texas (lots of available flat land) and buys a ten year old four-bedroom house in a nice neighborhood (1600sq/ft). $185K.
.
I don't mind all the rain either, but all those outdoor sports and bike riding become less romantic sounding during the winter. And we always pray for NO snow down to the valley floor. All those hills make even a little snow a real pain for drivers.
.

[sweetlime]

i just moved to portland two months ago, and i can't tell you enough of how much i am in love with this city.

i have felt very supported as a raw vegan here--it is SUPER easy and acceptable to be raw/vegan. there is an awesome raw group that has potlucks once a month and holds raw classes and lectures. it has been a great support for me.

plus, the number of co-ops, farmer's markets, and restaurants that cater to the vegan diet are too many to count. this city is in love with its fresh, organic produce!

if you want to know more, shoot me an email!

[samariah]

well bike riding isnt exactly romantic in the winter around here either:) but im not complaining, i have a thing for cold, wet or "bad" weather.

rent seems reasonable compared to other cities that i have been considering (ny, boston, philadelphia, etc). i also will be splitting it with my boyfriend so that should help a lot. i would hope to live in an area where i dont need to own a car. i would like to get a job maybe at a vegan restaurant/cafe/whatever or a health food store. im quite a frugal person. i buy all my clothing at thrift shops like goodwill and the salvation army. i walk/bike to places as much as possible. i dont really pay for any sort of entertainment for the most part. i cant really think of any major expenses in my life. i will pay more for high quality foods but at the same time i still think i save because i dont really go out to eat and i dont eat a large amount of food. so basically, im hoping to save up as much money as i possibly can so i can have some to lean back on for a little bit until i get situated after my move.