So, I am considering moving from NYC to Portland, OR
My questions are:
I am a Project Manager in IT. WIll I be able to get work? I'm looking to work in software development, and I am willing to take a huge cut in pay to do so.
What are the rents like for a 1BR apartments?
What is it like to live in Portland, OR?
Am I crazy to even consider living in Portland?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Are there Furries who also skydive and do needlepoint?
Cuz if there are, MOVE OVER CLIFFORDU.
I'M Portland Bound!
At least I think it's good! 
Rain and Road Construction. 
The cloudy days get me down every winter, but there's so much here that makes up for it.
This is what I wrote:
Portland is touted as a livable city, and I'd say that is true for the most part. It's on a nice scale, most neighborhoods are relatively safe, it has lots of trees, and many places are "walkable" to stores, cafes, etc. Certain streets in Portland seem like bike highways, and the biking culture is definitely huge here. Public transportation is pretty good; there are a lot of bus lines and also a light rail system. (It's not nearly as good as the Metro, though!) For a west coast city, there are a lot of neighborhoods that have charming pre-WWII houses (which people are continually fixing up).
The parks (and the parks-and-rec) programs are great. For the most part, It's a very nice city to raise kids in. However, the public schools are holding on by their fingernails, and every year it seems they slip more and there are more cuts. Housing costs have been much lower than in cities like San Francisco, New York, Boston, etc., although I'm not exactly sure how they compare to the DC area at this time (we were renters when we lived in DC).
It's very easy to get out of the city and into wilderness in a short amount of time. You can get to the top of Mt. Hood by driving about 1 1/2 hours east, and you can get to ocean by driving about 1/12 hours west. The Pacific is cold all the way down to Southern California, but Oregon beaches are uncrowded and pretty spectacular and dramatic (cliffs and forests and giant rocks, etc.) There are umpteen forests, rivers and lakes to hike and camp in and around not far out from Portland. The central Oregon area is gorgeous and spectacular (maybe 3 1/2 hours away from Portland) and has a high desert region, in addition to all the Cascade peaks, large rivers, etc. There's a large fully-rural island in the middle of the Columbia river just north of Portland, and it's fun to go there to pick fruit, get pumpkins, etc. in the summer and fall.
Portland has a great food scene. If politics is DC's obsession, food is probably Portland's. People are really into the farmers markets, local food, CSAs, cooking fresh, new restaurants, food carts, etc., and there are plenty of great coffee (and tea) houses, brew pubs, wine bars, etc. There is a wine country not far out of Portland (centered around McMinnville/Newburg). Pinot noir is definitely the specialty the area does best (the whites usually aren't so great).
Assuming you are liberal, you will definitely be surrounded by like-minded people. (Although there's not the obsession with politics like there is in DC, of course.) The Portlandia image, while exaggerated, is definitely based on a lot of reality! 
However, you don't have to be a vegan or have 27 piercings to feel at home, either. People are very laid back, and mostly polite and friendly. Drivers are amazingly forgiving and courteous compared to other places I've lived/driven. People are definitely into recycling, composting, gardening (and raising chickens), buying used clothes, etc. It is a very casual place, in terms of style.
Of course rain is the big factor for people to consider. Yes, it rains a lot, and when it's not raining, it's often gray for days on end. Summer is spectacular, dry and comfortable, but it takes awhile to kick into gear (people say it starts on July 5). September and October are usually gorgeous. The serious rains start in November. I find I don't mind the gray in the winter months, because it's winter, but spring can be very frustrating. It routinely gets your hopes up and dashes them (although the blossoms are beautiful -- lots of rhodies, azaleas and fruit trees everywhere). Sometimes June is dreary, and by then people have had enough, but there's nothing to be done about it. I try to just not obsess about the weather, and not look ahead too much. If you can get outside even if it's wet or gray it will help. On the other hand, it is green, the air smells great, and there is plenty of oxygen for everyone to breathe! We get snow only rarely. Many years we'll just get a couple dusting that melt within a few hours. When there is a true snowfall of more than an inch that sticks around for a couple days it is like an all-Portland holiday and celebration. People can't drive in it, though, and the hills don't help that.
Portland is a very white city. I was surprised when we moved here that it wasn't more diverse. The suburbs, like Beaverton and Gresham, are actually more diverse than the city because they're more affordable for immigrants from Latin America and Asian countries. There is a small African American population, traditionally centered in parts of NE Portland, although many have been driven out because of rising housing costs in the "close-in" parts of the city. One thing I really miss about DC is the cosmopolitan/international scene. Portland just doesn't have that. It's not on the grand loop of international tourism like DC is. While there are museums, etc., here, it really can't compare with DC (nothing comes remotely close to the Smithsonian, for example). There aren't that many big tourist attractions and historic sites here, of course. Portland is definitely very artsy, though, and there are all sorts of galleries and events happening all the time.
The job scene is a little tricky. A lot of younger, creative people have moved to Portland and were then unable to find work. Many people are under-employed, working as baristas and such. Hopefully the job market will start to pick up more soon. Of course DC has all sorts of opportunities in agencies, associations, non-profits, etc., and there is a small fraction of that here.
I hope this helps a bit. Good luck!
I am not sure specifically about IT but there are a lot of techy jobs with Intel, etc. Not sure how the hiring is now. however.
Lots of nice folks here. Hope you join us. 
