the most livable city

last night we went to the most incredible neighborhood in SE portland. I think my favorite so far....ladd's edition. just sw of the hawthorne district. it was absolutely gorgeous. travis and i loved it. we met our newby friends that also moved from minneapolis. we went to palio, a desert and coffee bar in the neighborhood. i love that in the middle of this gorgeous place, there are a few stores on the corner (well, actually it was on a round about) i left thinking i found another great spot in portland, but i also left feeling a little sad that we will never be able to afford to live in a cool place like this. these homes had to have been ridiculously expensive. sure, portland is voted one of the most livable cities...but i don't see how it is livable if you can't afford to live there!!!! all we seem to be able to afford is a condo in the suburbs. what is the point of a condo if it is in the suburbs? if i'm going to be in a condo, it should be because we are in the heart of a cool area, not that we are far far away in no man's land. i don't mean to be a pessimist...i'm just being a realist. but ya know what? i think i'm actually going to be okay if we rent for a while. (and if you would have told me that last year, i don't think i would have taken it very well.) so, this is a miracle coming from me. sure maybe buying is better than renting and we're "throwing our money away". but i think it might be the best thing right now. and we might actually get to live in an area we like. we'll see. we could use your prayers!