Portland, Oregon Craigslist

How I Got My Job, Apartment and Ikea Sofa

For those who haven't come in contact with the metropolis-based juggernaut, here's a little background history on the Craig. Craigslist is a community moderated website that hosts classifieds and forums for over 450 cities worldwide. The site boasts more than 30 million hits each month, with 25 million mouse clicks coming from the U.S.

Now that everyone is up to speed, let's get personal. I moved to Portland, Ore. from southern Illinois armed with nothing but my record collection and a few other basic necessities. I didn't have a job or an apartment and didn't know anyone who could help me get set up with either. When I arrived in "Bridgetown," I parked my car in front of a hostel and bought a newspaper. I called dozens of apartment ads and struck out. I hit the pavement looking blankly around for the beacons of hope in the square shape of a "For Rent" sign. The places I called were all aesthetically dreamy, but severely out of my price range.

After two weeks of desperation and no payoff, I asked one of the hostel workers for tips on breaking into the housing scene. She suggested Craigslist and the local library. That afternoon I trekked over to the Multnomah County Library and started my search. Being unfamiliar with the area, I began sifting through all of the apartment listings and their assorted price ranges. I learned that I couldn't afford to live by the river or in Alphabet town and settled on Ladd's Addition and Hawthorne area. I typed in my price range, surfed for a few hours, and picked up my cell phone.

Within two days, I had three appointments for apartments in varied zip codes throughout Portland. I checked out a basement efficiency that was so saturated with cat hair that I was convinced I was going to find a litter of kittens in the bathtub. I visited a one-bedroom, decorated in dingy browns and furnished with smoky 1970s furniture. My last appointment was the clear winner with its art-deco style and sweeping view of Mount Hood. It was in my price range and came with a flexible contract. I signed the lease and moved my few belongings in the next week.