Crap! I gotta find a place to stay in Portland in 3 weeks!

[fujiyama]

I have crappy credit history but have no rental history...Am I screwed? I'm definitely willing to put up a higher deposit...

I've been checking Craig's list. Any other recommendations? I'll be working in Swan Island and would prefer to live in a cool area...without a crazy long commute...Please suggest places that would be cool. Not concerned about schools and stuff, as I'm young...Just as long as the area isn't crime ridden and is not a dump, I'll be OK.

[pdxprog]

1. Craigslist is good...

There are also the Willamette Week (wweek.com) and Portland Mercury (portlandmercury.com), the two trendiest free weeklies here.

If you want a cool area that's not a long commute, you're looking at Mississippi or Alberta. For perfectly OK areas that are more residential than they are hip, there's plenty else available within NE and NoPo. (Not sure how long you consider a long commute to be, or by what means you intend to commute.)

It's block by block as far as seediness quotient goes. Most of the area has been gentrified, though.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. You want North Portland on Killingsworth.

I worked on Swan Island and lived at Interstate and Killingsworth for 3 years. Perfect location. 10 min. bus ride to the island, 5 min. max ride to shopping. 15 min. in the other direction is downtown.

I paid $450 a mo. for 900sq 1 bdrm. 3 years ago. Several rooms for rent in that area too. Just don't go down NE too far, it's a rough part of town.

When you get here, you should come to one of our Meet-ups. Second Saturday of each month (usually) :hi:

[Trajan]

3. Place to stay ?

When you say that, do you mean a House ? .... Apartment ? ... Studio ? .... Room ?

I came here 3 years ago, and rented a room in Lake Oswego for a very reasonable rate ... I did have to complete a rental agreement, and they screened the application, primarily for criminal history (I dont blame them for being diligent in that regard) ...

How long are you staying ? .... Is it temp or perm ?

(Nothing is permanent ... )

You can find a room nearly anywhere .... While I agree that being close to work would be nice for you, it is a bit 'gritty' in the very north ..... The southwest is the most 'suburban', the southeast is the most 'artist colony' ... the areas you mention are definitely bohemian artist's neighborhoods, but they can be pricey if you are looking for a single family dwelling with more than two rooms.

Let us know when you get here .... We can bake a cake ! ...

Er ... I mean: drink beer .....

[fujiyama]

4. Thanks for the replies

Just to clarify a few things:

I've actually been staying in Beaverton the last few weeks and have been working on Swan Island. My company was paying for a hotel during that time period, but won't pay in three weeks. So in that time I need to find a place.

Beaverton is OK, but not terribly exciting. Pretty much another suburb. I was hoping to have the chance to live in the city. I never have and I think it would be a fun experience. I would just need to make sure it's a decent area. I suppose I wouldn't mind a roommate, if I were sharing a two bedroom apartment...

As for the commute, I was hoping to keep it at 30mins to 45mins.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. So many cool neighborhoods

It took me the better part of ten years to find my perfect fit in Portland. I've lived in every sector of the city except North Portland, near Swan Island. The St. Johns neighborhood up there is growing more cool and is still affordable. Close-in southeast is the most accessible and has numerous "mini villages" like the Hawthorne, Belmont, Division, or Sellwood districts. NW and SW Portland are considerably more expensive but offer convenience to downtown amenities.

The entire city is more or less within a 30-45 minute commute via public transport, bikes, etc.

Welcome to Portland!

[Arugula Latte]

6. You know, I'm not so sure about SW being more expensive.

Yes, the West Hills are pricey, and there are some big, expensive houses, etc. But we used to live on the East side and found we got more house for our money here in SW (near Multnomah Village).

However, SW is kinda like Beaverton in some ways, so I don't think it's quite what the poster had in mind.