Doesn't anyone know anything about Vancouver, Washington? I have a relative who may be moving there, but no one we know knows anything about it.

You changed the question - first you asked if anyone had lived there, now, it's does anyone know anything.

I haven't lived there but I've visited Portland several times. Vancouver is really a suburb of Portland. It's a bit less expensive than Portland. If commuting over the river, rush hour traffic can be heavy.

Depending on where your relative is moving from, the weather may or may not be to their liking. Compared to most of the Bay Area or coastal SoCal, the Portland/Vancouver area is colder in the winter. It can be gray and drizzling for days on end, for much of the year. I suspect the area may have fewer sunny days than even some Midwestern areas that otherwise have more extreme weather. Warm summer days can be beautiful.

The area is gorgeous on clear days. As with other parts of Washington and Oregon, it's a great place for those who enjoy outdoor activities, weather permitting.

To use a dated term, Portland is a haven for yuppies. The vibe I've sensed is that it's more uniformly outdoor active, politically liberal, eco-conscious, and less diverse in a number of ways than the more populated parts of California I know. Coffee houses, brew pubs, entertainment venues, restaurants, Powell's infamous book store, etc, make for a lively urban scene.

I grew up in Portland (across the Columbia) and liked it pretty well, apart from the weather. Even now, I hate, hate cloudy, grey, rainy weather. I have to say, Portland is a rather different place now than I remember, better, in fact. Do you want to ask me any specific questions? I think your relative will like it there just fine. :)

Oh, pardon me, Snidely. I did not realize that straying from the original subject line is not allowed in this forum. I presume you will remind everyone of this? Would it appease you if I started a whole new thread?

A relative needs to know about Vancouver, Washington, before making a decision whether or not to move there. So, I originally asked if anyone here had ever lived in Vancouver, WA, because I figured if they had lived there, they would know about it. When no one responded, I thought that perhaps someone, even though they hadn't personally lived there, may have some knowledge about the place. Morz8 responded, so, obviously, I was correct on that thought.

Our relative is considering moving there because her daughter and son-in-law will be moving to Portland soon as his job is transferring him. She was widowed nearly two years ago, so she wants to remain near her daughter. She has invested well over the years, and will have a very healthy retirement income, which is why she doesn't want to live in Oregon. Oregon is not tax friendly to retirees.

She currently lives in southern California -- not coastal. Although the weather is always nice where she is now, she doesn't mind the rain. Her main concerns are: Is there much crime in Vancouver? Is housing affordable? Are there good health facilities? Morz8 mentioned traffic at commute times, but since our relative will be retired, that won't really matter to her as she can plan her outings for times that traffic won't (or shouldn't) be an issue. Quality of schools also is a nonissue, as she doesn't have any school-age kids.

Ease up, Lindsey, why you originally got no responses is because of how you phrased your question. That was what I was trying to say.

Liking the rain and living someplace where it's rainy or overcast 3 or 4 days out of 5 are two different things. Those accustomed to regular sunshine might find it to be gloomy and depressing at times. On the other hand, with the understandable desire to live near her remaining family, the weather probably isn't a factor she'll need to consider.

The Oregon side of the river is really the cultural and economic center of the area, where it's vibrant and dynamic, and probably as a result a bit more expensive for housing. Oregon has high income tax and no sales tax. Washington has no income tax and high sales tax. The choice is there to be made.

Just note, Portland and Vancouver, while gray in winter, has many more bright days overall than Seattle and where I am on the coast. Even 40 miles north of Vancouver has many more bright and sunny days. I'm in contact with my mother 7 days a week so I know this ;) Today, it is 12F warmer there for the sunny day all of us are seeing.

How active is this woman you are describing, will she make friends, perhaps join a church, find activities of her own? It always worries me a little when someone makes that kind of move to be near an adult child, then that child is their only social outlet, taking the place of everything else that had been in her life.

There are some nice retirement communities there if something like that might interest her. Several years ago, after losing her husband, a lovely woman with a gorgeous rose garden down the street from me made the decision to sell the family home and move to The Quarry in Vancouver to be nearer one daughter in Portland. She's been quite happy there, although her health is slipping now....

http://www.thequarryliving.net/

Would it be possible for her to look at the city for herself, explore some living options before making the final decision.

Snidely, the Subject Line asked if anyone here had ever lived in
Vancouver, Washington. I also put in the body of that initial posting, "If so, can you tell me what you think of it? Good place to live?" I honestly don't think that the initial post is so completely different from my second post.

Because she won't be living in Portland, or anywhere else in Oregon, telling me how wonderful Portland is, is not relevant. Think about places where you've lived, Snidely. Do things like, "there are lots of grocery stores within easy driving distance from all housing districts," or "there are no hospitals in town, so if you have a heart attack, prepare for a long transport to a hospital across the state line," or "crime is increasing and the police force turns a blind eye" mean anything?

"Washington has no income tax and high sales tax." I just looked up the sales tax rate for Vancouver, WA, and see that the combined state (6.5%) and local (1.9%) rate is 8.4%. The combined sales tax rate where our relative currently lives in southern California is 9% (where I live it's 8%). And she could drive across the state line to Oregon to make any big purchases, since groceries are not taxed in Washington.

Things I can say about where hubby and I live (in a suburb of Sacramento, CA) -- we have four distinct seasons each year, but the winters are nowhere near as awful as those back East. Summers can get hot, but we get a wonderful Delta breeze at night which cools things down. We are within a two-to-three hour drive of the mountains, north and south Lake Tahoe, the ocean, San Francisco, and wine country. Some housing areas have lots of neighborhood shopping centers with grocery stores, etc., but others don't have much shopping at all. Back around 2005, Sacramento claimed to have more trees per capita than any other city in the world except Paris, and it was making a huge effort to double the number of trees. Homeowners can still get free trees from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), as long as they are planted in an area that will provide shade (and, thereby, utility savings) to the home. The freeways can be crowded and slow during commute times, but you can get virtually anywhere via surface streets, although there are only four streets that will take you across the American River to Highway 50. Currently we're in the fourth year of a severe drought, so boating is not allowed on Folsom Lake. The water level in the Lake is pathetically low. We have several excellent (rated very high on a national scale) hospitals in the area. We have a AAA baseball team - the Sacramento River Cats. The first 13 seasons they were affiliated with the Oakland A's, but with the big switch-up of team affiliations at the end of last season, the team is now the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. We have an NBA team - the Sacramento Kings. We have a professional soccer team - the Sacramento Republic FC.

Yes, Morz8, she is active. Her daughter had a baby two months ago, so she wants to be near them. She can provide free babysitting services when needed. And, she used to live in Portland - for about a year - but she was working full-time and commuting back to southern CA many weekends, so she never did explore southern Washington. At that point in time, she had no idea that she may move there. And her daughter and son-in-law want her nearby just as much as she wants to be there.

It seems to me that the decision has been made. She wants to go, and her daughter wants her there too!

I think she just needs to research housing that is near her daughter. Will she buy a small home or condo? Or, is there a retirement community nearby that would suit her? I think once she finds out where the daughter will be, she needs to contact a realtor and see what is available.

Even without actually knowing anything about Vancouver, I have always heard good things.

' "Washington has no income tax and high sales tax." I just looked
up the sales tax rate for Vancouver, WA, and see that the combined
state (6.5%) and local (1.9%) rate is 8.4%. The combined sales tax rate
where our relative currently lives in southern California is 9% (where I
live it's 8%). And she could drive across the state line to Oregon to
make any big purchases, since groceries are not taxed in Washington."

Gosh, I think this is a very unethical suggestion, since the rest of us would have to pick up her share of taxes to pay for fire, police, roads, and on and on - which she will be relying on. Which it sounds like she can afford, plus it is highly illegal. Well, not illegal, but you must declare tax free purchases and pay WA sales tax on them. I bought a car in OR, not to avoid taxes, but because they had the one I wanted and taxes are collected by WA on WA residents.

Seriously, move where you want, enjoy the benefits and pay your share!

Vancouver isn't the only city north of the river on the Washington side. It just looks (on a map) to be one of the larger cities (towns?), so that's why she sort of "zeroed in" on Vancouver. She knows she does not want to live in Oregon. She doesn't want a huge house (she says definitely not a condo, though), but she wants enough space that she can host other family members when they come to visit. The homes she has owned up till now have all been purchased new, and that's what she is leaning towards now, too. She says she doesn't want to have to do any renovation. She has owned her current home since the early 1980s, and at today's southern CA real estate prices, she'll make one heck of a nice profit when she sells it. It's on a hill with a really nice view. Pool in the back yard, too and large covered patio. She and her husband had remodeled the kitchen and the master bathroom in the time they've been in the house, which is why she knows she doesn't want any renovation projects now that she'll be retired (and is now a widow).

Olychick, here in California, if a dealership doesn't have the vehicle you want but another dealership does, the dealership near you gets the car from the other dealership so you buy it locally. Dealerships don't actually OWN the vehicles on their lot -- they are only "leasing" them from the manufacturer, and dealerships swaps vehicles all the time.

Perhaps Washington car dealerships don't do that? Because you could have purchased your car in Washington.

Our dealerships "dealer trade" cars all the time if your preferred dealership doesn't have the model/colour etc. Our dealerships have one brand in them, Ford dealerships sell new Fords, Honda sells Honda, etc. I've noticed on tv commercials that you can have more than one brand under one roof.

Message received. I have no need for a cranky reaction when trying to be helpful.

But I will say - suggesting she won't go to Portland, when living in Vancouver, is as ridiculous as suggesting someone living in West Sac, similarly a different city minutes away across a river, would never go to Sacramento. Yet in describing where you live, you've included many (most) features that aren't in your suburb. As I had for Vancouver, since Portland is the "city" for the smaller adjacent towns. The airport, the med center, the downtown features, yada yada are located there, but hey, you've got it all figured out in a different way.

Go ahead and tee off on others whenever you feel like it, I'll stay out of your way.

Jasdip, the dealerships around here that sell more than one "brand" of vehicle are generally selling previously owned vehicles. Or, the "main brand" may be Ford, for example, but they are also selling other brands that have been traded in. There is only one dealership in Sacramento County that sells (new) vehicles of the brand that I bought in January 2013, and one in Placer County (the county just north of Sacramento County). There are several Honda dealerships, several Ford dealerships, several Chevrolet dealerships, etc., in Sacramento County, as well as in Placer County.

Snidely, yes, I did describe many features not in our suburb. But, I wasn't trying to answer anyone's question about what it's like to live in the greater Sacramento area, or in a specific city/town in the greater Sacramento area. And since Morz8 says the weather can be quite different in Vancouver, WA, than it is in Portland, OR, that makes a difference in learning whether or not Vancouver might be a good place to live.

I'm not trying to suggest that our relative would never go to Portland -- that's absurd, especially considering that her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild will be living in Portland. But the majority of her time will be spent closer to Vancouver than to Portland, so it would be nice to know more about Vancouver than Portland.

And, in case you don't already have this info, West Sacramento is in a completely different county than Sacramento. West Sacramento is in Yolo County, so the politics and amenities vary greatly from those of Sacramento. (And, yes, the Sacramento River Cats are in West Sacramento. Go figure.)

Um....my point was that your relative should pay taxes and not cheat. But since it's become the topic of conversation, the car I bought was a BMW and there are no dealers convenient to me (few and far between around here) , so I have to travel to them. The car with the options I wanted happened to show up in Portland but I was looking at dealers within 500 miles of me.

Olychick, you should have gotten a Lexus. They would have delivered it to you. :-)

Yep, but then I would have had to drive a Lexus.

Nothing wrong with that. :-)

My husband grew up there, his sister still lives in the family home.( near Salmon Creek) the only crime she has experienced was she was robbed by teenagers while she was at work. They came in through her doggie door.

One robbery in 64 years..not too bad. There's meth areas, but it would not be in the newer nicer neighborhoods. Meth is everywhere anymore, every town has it somewhere.

Obviously a older single woman wouldn't be out late at night in those areas.

My sister in law goes to see her half sister in assisted living after work, and also goes out karoke with her friends late at night. Never a problem.

Vancouver has gotten HUGE as compared to 20 years ago. It has very good medical facilities, great shopping and a very nice park system.

Fort Vancouver has a amazing 4th of July ! Not going to lie, traffic is bad every time we go. I'd rather not drive thru to Portland on I 5, we always take 205.

There also is the metro bus system..very efficient.

It does NOT rain 3 out of 5 days. Winters can be gray and drizzly, but no one is shoveling several feet of snow either. When it snows, it's rare and in inches. It lasts two days and is gone.

Spring, Summer and Fall are very nice. There's lots to do, and no one bothers going to Portland for groceries. But if you did, you do not have to declare you are not from Oregon and pay Washington taxes on them.

A car yes, but groceries or clothing no..never at IKEA either.

There are nice grocery stores and a Costco right there. They go to the airport exit because IKEA is there.

We will be there again tomorrow for two days.

My numbers concerning weather were accurate, here's more detail and the source.

Sacramento (whether or not that's where the mover is coming from) has 269 sunny days a year. 74%, or 3 out of 4 days, are sunny. It also averages 57 days of rain (which sounds like more than I would expect). Sac weather

Portland has 144 sunny days a year, 39%, about half as many as Sacramento. That means 61% of the days in Portland are overcast or rainy. 61% is the same as saying 3 out of 5 days are overcast. Of the 221 days that are not sunny, 154 days are rain days. (nearly 3 times that of Sacramento). Portland weather

No, Snidely, the move would not originate from the Sacramento area. She lives in eastern Los Angeles County, north of Orange County. Sunny almost every day of the year.

I would say that, especially over the last four years, and super especially this season, the Sacramento area has not experienced 57 days of rain. We are in a severe drought here.

Also, the weather in Vancouver, WA, is more important than the weather in Portland, OR, as she would be spending the majority of her time in and around Vancouver. Morz8 has already stated that.

Personally, I don't think I'd care if it rained every day during the Winter season, as long as Spring, Summer, and Autumn are nice. After all, isn't Winter "for" lousy weather? :-)

"Rain" is not RAIN..The Vancouver rain is drizzle you can go outside and go to the stores, or where you want..sometimes you need to turn your intermittent wipers on. Most locals don't even own umbrellas..the joke us that's how to tell a tourist.

Lindsey, one is 5 minutes away from the other. The "weather" is the same. There are hills and valleys, snow and rainfall amounts vary with terrain there as everywhere else. Where I live in the coastal foothills gets more rain than a bit lower down, and less than a bit higher up.

Vancouver and Portland are the same place in that regard, you can spit from one to the other. As with the West Sac/Sac example I mentioned that you didn't seem to follow.

Kathy, you're a Washingtonian? No Californian, especially no one from SoCal, would confuse a drizzly day with a warm sunny day. Believe me. What you call "tourists" may simply be people from areas that have better weather.

Actually, I was born in the San Joaquin Valley..and lived there in the 90's. They have RAIN. She asked what we know of Vancouver. Since I am there very regularly, year round ,and my sister in law lives there I can say..the weather in NOT as miserable as CA. No fog, smog, or roasting in the heat of summer, , very beautiful for three seasons of the year. My son lives a hour away on the Oregon Coast,

Either we, or one of our family is there every month year round.

Not worth arguing about with a casual visitor to Portland about Vancouver.

You won't hear me suggest that the San Joaquin Valley has bearable weather. It's nasty for much of the year, one of several reasons why the population is relatively low for such a large area. As for rain, Fresno averages about 11 inches a year to Portland/Vancouver's roughly 40 inches.