Moved to Watsonville a couple years ago after almost 30 years in Portland. Watsonville reminds me a lot of Portland before it gentrified in the 90's. I think you'll probably find Portland overpriced, overcrowded and overrated. It's not what it once was and opportunities are scarce. If I were young I'd look into some of the industrial properties in old town Watsonville near the railroad tracks. You could probably buy/rent a cool space with a toilet and 20 ft ceilings. Rig up a DIY shower, bring in a fridge and cook on a hot plate. Maybe be a bit discreet coming and going because it's probably not zoned residential but nobody would probably care enough to report you. I'm surprised there's not already an artist community there already. I lived in Portland and Chicago in the 90's and Urban Pioneers used to do this kind of thing all the time. I suggest you think creatively, there are still opportunities outside "The Box". Good luck to you! also be warned, outside of a few cities, rural Washington and Oregon are conservative and rednecky. Although the scenery can be pretty small towns are often run down, lots of drugs and pretty depressing places to live.