Closer to moving from CA to Portland area

[spencerhut]

Well I've finally got an in person interview up in Portland for a really good job. My wife may have a line on a job in Canby. So once again I'll ask you folks where a good area for a guy to move to in or around Portland and Canby, perhaps in between the two, that I can get a few acres and setup my shooting range. My current range setup is a pistol bay, we're on 8 acres now but 5 would be fine as long as I can shoot. Even being a short distance from a public range would be great.

 

[Cougfan2]

If you're looking for Land near a range, the Estacada are is great. The Clackamas River is beautiful over that way with good Steelhead fishing. It is also near Douglas Ridge rifle range. It is a private range, but the fees are reasonable and I'd be happy to show you around when you get out here if you have the time.

 

[ArmedBear]

If you can find a place in Portland without Portlanders in it, that would be an ideal place.

Present company excepted, of course.

Then again, depending on where you are in California right now, Portland might actually seem quite sane. Can't argue with the food or the beer, either.

 

[spencerhut]

Where I'm at now I have a 70 minute drive to work and my wife has a 45 minute drive. We are in the foothills (dead grass and oak trees) across the street from a lake, mud puddle since they keep draining it for irrigation water. We don't mind the drive too much, but it is getting old. Be nice to get the drive down to a 1/2 hour or so. But, I do like my privacy and being in any sort of town ruins that. We really need to be in the woods I think. I'd love to be in some pine trees.

 

[Zedo]

One thing you need to understand about moving to Oregon. You annoy the hell out of Oregonians by being a Californian looking to move into the state and buy property.

I'm not intending this to be rude. It's just the simple facts about how Oregonians feel toward Californians.

 

[Bart Noir]

Being a WA resident I really outta keep away from this thread but the truth is that I envy those who live in a state that allows full auto weapons.

WA does not and I believe OR does allow this. Am I right?

Bart Noir
Who might go broke(r) if he could buy full-auto weapons.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Yes, OR allows full auto.
Coming from the S.F. area almost four years ago, OR seemed very sane, too good to be true, really. I don't mind Portland, as big cities go, it isn't bad. Of course, I was born and raised in Ca, so that could be why OR seems like utopia.

 

[CountGlockula]

Just don't tell them you're from CA. Good luck!

 

[KelVarnson]

Just don't tell them you're from CA. Good luck!

I'll second that. Do you still have to have an attendant pump gas for you? I was on a trip up there, and the attendant took his sweet time getting around to filling our car. He filled others that had arrived after we did, though. I suspect it was due to our CA plates.

Same trip, a hotel doorman in Portland chewed me out for parking briefly in a white zone in front of his hotel while unloading our stuff into the hotel next door. We had gone into his initially to check prices, and ended up going with the one next door. I didn't see the urgent need to pull the car ahead 25 feet, since it was late on a Sunday night with no other cars trying to park there, and plenty of room if they did. He didn't see it that way. Told me he was going to have me towed. Told me to "Take my Cali attitude and go back to Cali". Being a Michigan native I got a pretty good chuckle out of that.

I am not judging OR based on these two guys. I really like it up there, and wouldn't rule out moving there (except for the not pumping your own gas thing). But I have thought ever since those events that if I ever did move up there, my first stop would be the DMV, to get some OR plates!

Good luck with your move!

 

[Joe Link]

As much as I hate to tell another California how great this area is, since you're on here I'm going to assume you're one of the good ones

I live in West Linn, close to Canby, and it's a beautiful area. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[physics]

Don't spread the word.

Oh yeah, and unless you have a concealed weapons permit, look at city laws before open carrying. It's illegal without the ccp in at least Portland and Salem.

 

[Zedo]

There are no "good" Californians -- and their fundamental problem is that they tend to bring "California" with them when they move north.

Parking your SUV where-ever you think it's "reasonable" is part of it.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am a 4th generation native.

 

[searcher451]

Oregon is a +1 gun state. Compared with California, Oregon is Utopia, in fact.

It's also easy enough to get a concealed carry permit. The biggest issue is the wait at the sheriff's department because of the number of requests. When I applied, it took 10 weeks to get the fingerprint/background check/paperwork appointment. The state must issue within 45 days after that (or explain why it is denying the request). The requirement to get a permit is passing a 3-hour class; demonstrating gun proficiency is not part of the equation.

 

[jnyork]

Our son and his family moved from Kali to Oregon about 18 years ago or so after they finished college. I can tell you from their experience the very first thing you must do after you cross the Oregon border is to get Oregon plates on your car and get an Oregon driver's license.

 

[j_charles]

+1 on West Linn and Estacada. West Linn will likely be quite a bit more expensive, IIRC.

You might also look at Oregon City. Also some nice area near the clackamas river, and off the beaten path. Would likely put you closer to Portland, which would be a straight shot up I-205 or MLK/McLoughlin Blvd., and would be within 15 minutes of just about any part of Canby.

Welcome to the beautiful Pacific Northwest! An outdoorsman's paradise, and very gun friendly.

 

[Noxx]

Good luck with the new gig. I know for sure if the wife and I weren't mired with our companies here we would be in OR or NM in a new york minute.

 

[OregonJohnny]

Much of it may depend on what type of "neighbors" you want. I use the term neighbors loosely because you say you're looking for a large piece of property. OK, I'm going to be a huge snob for a second...The area others have been suggesting around Estacada, Oregon City, Clackamas, etc. can be beautiful, but these pockets are dangerously close to the sprawling East Portland slums like Gresham, Milwaukie, Troutdale, etc. No offense to anyone who lives out there, but that area makes the nightly news a lot more than areas across the river, if you know what I mean.

If I had lots of money (enough for a large piece of property in Northwest Oregon) I'd spend it west of the Willamette River, out toward wine country. This would include Sherwood, Tualatin, Newberg, and Dundee. These towns are just as close to Canby and Downtown as Estacada is, but are surrounded by a much more picturesque setting and a more "up-scale" clientele. You can still find property out there, plus you'd be very close to Tri-County Gun Club, an amazing facility. Good luck, and as others have said, try not to let on that you're from "the South".

 

[CountGlockula]

Just stay away from these guys: Portland Anarchists.

 

[ArmedBear]

Don't let the Portlanders get you down about being from "the South". What they're not telling you is what the rest of Oregon thinks of the Portland/Eugene types.

 

[M14/11B]

My in-laws live in OR. I was visiting them and was in a market and some guy behind the counter saw my CA lic. plates and started complaining how too many Californians was ruining OR. We got out to the car and my brother-in-law told me the guy was the store owner and had moved there just a couple of years before. Cured me. I'm moving to a red state.

 

[OregonJohnny]

Armed Bear: "Don't let the Portlanders get you down about being from "the South". What they're not telling you is what the rest of Oregon thinks of the Portland/Eugene types."

Yeah, that Portland and Eugene are made up of a huge population of relocated Californians...

 

[strambo]

Do it, we can always use more gunnies here.