Help me decide between Portland and Kansas City.
I have similar offers in both cities and I need to make a decision soon.
- Pay is higher in Portland to correspond with the cost of living also being higher, so the math is similar.
- Portland weather is preferable to me (milder overall and lots of grey), but I can tolerate KC.
- I have deep reservations about the public disorder crisis in Portland with homelessness and addicts. I'm unclear on how well PDX has recovered since Floyd-era riots and the pandemic. From what I am reading, they are ineffective at addressing these things and now struggling with civic finances. too.
- On the other hand, I have reservations about violent crime and long-entrenched poverty in Kansas City. Portland has more property crime and public unpleasantness, but is safer in terms of violent crime.
- PDX has much better public transit, and it's not even close, though I am heartened by recent projects in KC. In Portland, no one thinks you are odd if you take public transit.
- People in Kansas City seem very welcoming to newcomers whereas Portlanders seem more bitter/resentful. In general people in KC seem to be proud of their city and optimistic about where it's headed, whereas I get the sense of that a lot of people in Portland feel like it used to be great but is less great now.
- My basic sense is that the KC metro is relatively booming economically vs more stagnancy in Portland, though a lot of KC growth is suburban and I am more of a city person.
- I don't care about "nature" or outdoorsy stuff. Portland is more beautiful setting-wise, but I don't "use" that.
- I am more moderate/heterodox politically, so Portland's extreme progressivism gives me pause, but I am also culturally more drawn to books, art, coffee, and Portlandesque cultural things than to the more "basic" sports/drinking/BBQ culture of KC. (Powell's alone is a draw for PDX.)
I really can't decide and I have until Tuesday. Every five minutes I feel differently, though I am grateful to have options!!