Seattle V Portland

[fuzzy_wuzzy]

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This is actualy for my prelim year & I'm torn between Virginia Mason & Providence Portland Med Center. Both are nice places w/ Q15 overnight call. Virginia Mason has the name & possible better teaching. Virginia Mason didn't have a dinner, but I loved the residents at Portland. How important is that??

I loved the city of Portland much much more than that of Seattle. No sales tax, free public transportation & amazing urban design that suits pedestrians very well. Great walking city, denser therefore much more to do per square unit, farmer’s market, ethnic food, beads outdoor shops Sat + Sun 9months/yr & the people seemed much nicer.

Outdoors are very important to me so my question is how far away in miles or min driving is the closest outdoor area from Seattle & Portland. When I say outdoor area I'm kinda meaning a place where there is a significant amount of trees, where I can hike uphill on a dirt trail and see some animals. Yes I know that both cities are great for that and actualy Seattle is 2 1/2hrs away from THREE seperate national parks including a rainforrest!!! I'm actualy trying to find outdoor stuff in closer proximity, like 30min away or something that I can get to and back in an afternoon (say 6hrs).

So I dont necessarily need info about the specific programs (unless you went there) but rather about 1)how important is good dinner since there will be resident turnover/ everybody has a bad day at dinner, and 2) if you've lived in Portland or Seattle what outdoor stuff is w/in 45min & what sort of activities are we talking about.

Almost done everybody, hang in there…
NO!! I DID NOT SAY HANG YOURSELF…
GEEEZ IDIOT!!!
Nurse, Versed please 😍

 

[freshity]

i don't understand the dinner question. is this in reference to the pre-interview dinner? more importantly, is there a possibility you'll have to give up dinner if you choose one of these places?? resident: "this place is great once you get used to the whole no-dinner thing. it took me a few months, but now i'm content with just having a really big lunch, and sometimes a late, late snack. also, this way you can just have dessert and not feel bad about it, since dinner isn't permitted. i may never go back to having dinner."

but really, i'm probably the only one confused, but what did you mean?

 

[Sainttpk]

Well having lived in the northwest a good majority of my life let me tell you both cities are equally close to the outdoors. The thing that makes the Pacific Northwest a great place to live is the pleothra of outdoor activities within day trip range of any major metro area. IF ur a ski buff then keep in mind that the Cascade and Coastoal mtn ranges gets more snow then any range in North America. Mt baker broke the worlds record with over 1100 inches of snow in a season. But as someone who climbs I would say that Seattle has a leg up and here is why.

1) The closest outdoor oppurtunities in Seattle are around 30-45 minutes outside the city. Snoqualmie pass ski area which averages over 400 inches of snow a year, is less then an hour from the city. The nearest good rock climbing is also about 35-40 mins (depends on traffic) away at Exit 32,38 in North bend. I would also like to point out that there are a number of great hiking trails in the summer along I-90. All within a reasonable day trip to Seattle. Mt Si comes to mind, it is only 30-40 mins from Seattle, and has a great hiking trail that gains nearly 4000 feet in elevation. Keep in mind that the higher hiking trails usually are covered with snow until July or so.

2) I would also like to point out that the Cascade mountain range in Washington state is much more rugged then Oregon. Mt rainier over 14,000 feet high is the largest volcano in the USA outside of Alaska. Mt. Rainier has the largest glacial system of any mountain in the Lower 48 outside of Alaska. And its only 2.5 hours from Seattle. You can see it on a clear day pretty much anywhere in the Puget Sound area.

3) Olympic National Park is directly across the water from Seattle. Just hop on a ferry. The mountains are rugged and probably as wild as your gonna get in the lower 48. The olympics are awesome, they rise nearly 7000 vertical feet, and encompass one of the only true rainforests in North America, except for the Tongass in Southeast Alaska. Not only that, you have high mountain glaciers that make for a dramatic backdrop.

4) North Cascades National Park is a 3 hour drive from Seattle. It don't get more rugged then this my friend. North Cascades national park contains some of the largest vertical of any mountain range in the lower 48. If you like rugged mountains with big trees, with real glaciers then this is the place to go.

NOW for OREGON!

1) Oregon is equally impressive but from a climbers perspective it just is not as cool as Seattle. You have Mt hood which is a lofty (almost 12K feet high and only an hour from Portland). It has great skiing, and easily gets over 500 inches of snow in the winter. Then you have Mt bachelor which is a bit away, and you have Smith Rock which is a great climbing mecca, but still pretty far (3 hours from Portland).

2) The Oregon coast is pretty amazing, and I believe its about an hour drive from Portland. Lots of trees and rugged hills

3) One thing Portland has over Seattle is its city is more walkable and livable I think. However Seattle is catching up to Portland, Seattle is building light rail, and its downtown area is exploding with condos.

CONCLUSION:

You really can't go wrong! Both cities are awesome for climbing and skiing, and riding trails or hiking, but I would say Seattle takes the cake for more spectacular places, and more varied outdoors. Not to mention there are a number of pretty good ski resorts within striking distance of both cities. But I still think Seattle wins there to. Also keep in mind that Seattle is right in the middle between Vancouver BC and Portland. It takes about 3 hours either way to get to either place along Interstate-5. So you can go to both great cities. If you have more questions let me know, I have been climbing for over several years now, and I know of many great places as far as skiing, hiking, or anything.

T

 

[augmel]

You really can't go wrong. I was a student in Seattle, did some rotations at VM, and now am a resident at PPMC. I chose Portland for the ease of living. Much cheaper, I haven't sat in traffic since I left Seattle, the hospital is super supportive, and as you saw, we are the happiest residents around. We also have a good time together. Not a person in the place I don't like. I still get pissed when I think of trying to park at VM.

As far as outdoor activities, I think Portland has plenty to do. I spent my last day off hiking to some waterfalls. Seattle does have more hardcore climbing nearby, so is probably better if your idea of oudoor fun is knocking off new routes every weekend. Portland is better if you want to surf on the coast one day and do some laidback hikes the next. However, it is all possible at either place. For what it's worth, I get the impression that we work a little harder than VM. Maybe not, but that is the impression I have from talking to folks.

 

[fuzzy_wuzzy]

i don't understand the dinner question. is this in reference to the pre-interview dinner? more importantly, is there a possibility you'll have to give up dinner if you choose one of these places?? resident: "this place is great once you get used to the whole no-dinner thing. it took me a few months, but now i'm content with just having a really big lunch, and sometimes a late, late snack. also, this way you can just have dessert and not feel bad about it, since dinner isn't permitted. i may never go back to having dinner."

but really, i'm probably the only one confused, but what did you mean?

deeerrrrr IDIOT!!! j/k Your post at first had me rolling my eyes & then laughing. I could do w/o breakfast but not w/o dinner.
So what's the plan honey, she askes, well we're gonna go to the mesuem, then there's this great movie i wanta watch, then maybe go to a bar and then maybe, well you know *knuge knuge*
but baby, i'm hungry she says, i haven't ate since lunch can't i have some more food??
YOU WANT MORE!!!!!! then i bring out the wooden spoon to administer the punishment.
DONT YOU KNOW, *BAAM* I DONT EAT DINNER.

anyway, all the other posts have been realy great thank you. Olympic park sounds awesome as do the San Juan Islands. Is there a particulair time of year that is optimal to visit these places & a time to avoid them? I'm looking for something around the 20th of March & and sounded like fun but I dont wanta go at the wrong time.
any insider info would help. I'm soo looking forward to heading west.

 

[pat]

I want to move out there too now... you are really tempting me to move Portland up my list. Hmmm.

 

[Sainttpk]

anyway, all the other posts have been realy great thank you. Olympic park sounds awesome as do the San Juan Islands. Is there a particulair time of year that is optimal to visit these places & a time to avoid them? I'm looking for something around the 20th of March & and sounded like fun but I dont wanta go at the wrong time.
any insider info would help. I'm soo looking forward to heading west.

It really depends on what you want to do. The San Juans are doable in March, although it may be rainy cold and wet. The lower elevations of Olympic national park are accessible as well. You might not get very good views depending on how cloudy it is. But a hike in the rain is not to bad. And if your lucky it may be sunny.

Keep in mind that the higher elevations have a significant amount of snow in March still. So maybe you might want to go snow shoeing or skiiing? IF you do any of these activies then you will have plenty to do and see. Let me know if you have any more specific questions

T

 

[seattledoc]

I may be biased having lived in Seattle and only visited Portland on occasion but here goes.
Seattle has...
more great restaurants
more traffic
more expensive rent/home purchase
great hiking
good skiing (it's wet snow usually)
San Juan Islands in the Puget sound
cool ferry system to peninsula and outlying islands, you're a Ferry ride away from Victoria BC (good for a weekend trip)
Lake Washington
More National parks nearby
more pro-sports
rain
did I mention traffic???

Portland has...
much better mass transit
good hiking (unless you're a serious hiker you'll find plenty to keep you busy)
slightly better weather, it only rains 8/10 days in the winter!
closer access to real ocean (surfing, really cold surfing)
Columbia gorge (awesome wind surfing I hear, I've not done it mysel)
skiing, Mt Hood, I think it even has some year round skiing up on the glacier!
Wine country, closer to the city than Seattle's
more of a small city feel

I think Portland sometimes gets an inferiority complex from being compared to Seattle but I think they are both excellent. Seattle has more, but you pay for it in hassle, costs, etc. As a resident living on little money, I might give Portland the nod.