New Yorkers? (Portland, Salem, Green: living in, restaurants, price)

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by aplwh

Definitely slower than NYC! People are polite and there are tons of help at most stores - which is disconcerting to a NY'er used to being ignored or finding themselves in a near employee-deserted store.

Can't speak to the greyness thing as we are new here - but the weather has been fab! Ask me again in April.

Great seafood, but the pizza is sad...sorry, don't mean to offend. Can't find a decent margherita or plain slice anywhere unless you ask specifically to have it made for you (plain not the margherita). The style is definitely all their own, just not Italian/NY enough for me. On the other hand, the seafood is to die for!
And there is more Mexican and Thai food than you can shake a stick at. Go figure...

Sadly, bagels are ok, and haven't found a knish yet.

Have you tried Escape From NY Pizza on NW 23rd. I know the original owners were from NYC. I'm not sure if it's traded hands or not. 20 years ago it was a land mark on NW 23rd. But now it kind of gets lost in all the trendy hip shops.

For Knish did you check Kornblatts also on NW 23rd?

[aplwh]

I haven't, but I will! Thanks for the info.

[Rudester]

I moved to Portland from in July after living in Brooklyn (Brighton Beach, Sheapshead Bay and Coney Island) for 28 years except for college in Buffalo, NY. So far, I enjoy it. It is a pretty city and it surely has the city in the forest vibe going for it. After living in Buffalo for 8 years I am immune to whining about weather conditions and the non humid summertime was the first time in my life I was able to sleep without air conditioning.

My biggest problem, as of now, is that it has been very difficult for me to meet people (admittedly, this has never been my strong suit). I had always thought PDX would be a welcoming city for an eccentric self proclaimed pseudo-intellectual like myself, but so far that hasn't been the case.

The young people here who do the whole subculture thing seem to just apply it as a garment in a very plastic fashion- but this was true in NY. The hipsters of Portland are identical to the hipsters of Williamsburg Brooklyn, but perhaps the parents of the vain have pockets with a bit less depth here. I look at it all with a very suspect eye, knowing these nouveau hippies nowadays are just a few years off from complete terminal yuppie hood.

The diversity in Portland is also a facade for the segregation and deep generational racism that many seem to have in their blood. Like other posters here, I was pushed out of NY because, besides being an aesthetic nightmare, I could no longer afford to live there, and I was literally the only English speaker within many blocks of affordable housing. I expect racism throughout America so it is no surprise - except when it comes from the mouth of some unexplored mind who has decided to be an overwhelming activist for extolling the virtues of an animal free diet. That is the type of irony which should keep people from falling asleep at night.

I really love the food here. I can get great meals from a mind boggling variety of great restaurants here for literally a tenth of the cost that some of the rackets in Manhattan would have you pay. For that, I will gladly go without "real" pizza while I am here. Also my apartment is bigger than all of the places I have ever lived combined and a third of the price. Another welcome bonus.

Finally, the whole live your life to bike and hike mentality does seem extremely alien to me, but certainly not without merit. I do plan on exploring some of the lush greenery of the surrounding environs in the coming months. Perhaps that will help take the edge off of my virulent realism.

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by Simpatico!

i was just wondering about the pizza and bagels dilemma. i know there are more important things to worry about, but a new york bagel or pizza slice is so good!

When I lived in SF I had a friend from New York that complained incessantly about how she couldn't find a good bagel in San Francisco. I guess I've never had a really good one, 'cause they seemed fine to me...another case where ignorance is bliss, I guess.

[Lee151]

I grew up in Phoenix which has a huge population from NYC. IF There are good bagels and pizza in Portland it is news to me. I eat pizza and bagels every time I go to Phoenix, along with kosher deli and Mexican food. I think the Mexican food is awful here too.

I've had Escape from NY and Hot Lips and Pizzacatto and Flying Pie. All popular but not what I grew up with.
Noah's Bagels, Kornblatts and Rose's don't cut it for me at all.

I have an email pen pal on Long Island and our weather is somewhat similar except we have many more cloudy days here. We are gardeners so we talk about the weather a lot.

[ra23]

Originally Posted by Lee151

I grew up in Phoenix which has a huge population from NYC. IF There are good bagels and pizza in Portland it is news to me. I eat pizza and bagels every time I go to Phoenix, along with kosher deli and Mexican food. I think the Mexican food is awful here too.

I've had Escape from NY and Hot Lips and Pizzacatto and Flying Pie. All popular but not what I grew up with.
Noah's Bagels, Kornblatts and Rose's don't cut it for me at all.

I have an email pen pal on Long Island and our weather is somewhat similar except we have many more cloudy days here. We are gardeners so we talk about the weather a lot.

Well, the weather may be similar as far as the temperatures (at least this time of year), but I don't think you guys in Portland can look forward to getting buried in snow!

[Simpatico!]

Originally Posted by Rudester

I moved to Portland from in July after living in Brooklyn (Brighton Beach, Sheapshead Bay and Coney Island) for 28 years except for college in Buffalo, NY. So far, I enjoy it. It is a pretty city and it surely has the city in the forest vibe going for it. After living in Buffalo for 8 years I am immune to whining about weather conditions and the non humid summertime was the first time in my life I was able to sleep without air conditioning.

My biggest problem, as of now, is that it has been very difficult for me to meet people (admittedly, this has never been my strong suit). I had always thought PDX would be a welcoming city for an eccentric self proclaimed pseudo-intellectual like myself, but so far that hasn't been the case.

The young people here who do the whole subculture thing seem to just apply it as a garment in a very plastic fashion- but this was true in NY. The hipsters of Portland are identical to the hipsters of Williamsburg Brooklyn, but perhaps the parents of the vain have pockets with a bit less depth here. I look at it all with a very suspect eye, knowing these nouveau hippies nowadays are just a few years off from complete terminal yuppie hood.

The diversity in Portland is also a facade for the segregation and deep generational racism that many seem to have in their blood. Like other posters here, I was pushed out of NY because, besides being an aesthetic nightmare, I could no longer afford to live there, and I was literally the only English speaker within many blocks of affordable housing. I expect racism throughout America so it is no surprise - except when it comes from the mouth of some unexplored mind who has decided to be an overwhelming activist for extolling the virtues of an animal free diet. That is the type of irony which should keep people from falling asleep at night.

I really love the food here. I can get great meals from a mind boggling variety of great restaurants here for literally a tenth of the cost that some of the rackets in Manhattan would have you pay. For that, I will gladly go without "real" pizza while I am here. Also my apartment is bigger than all of the places I have ever lived combined and a third of the price. Another welcome bonus.

Finally, the whole live your life to bike and hike mentality does seem extremely alien to me, but certainly not without merit. I do plan on exploring some of the lush greenery of the surrounding environs in the coming months. Perhaps that will help take the edge off of my virulent realism.

Rudester, I like the way you write! I live in Park slope now, for 8 years, and in that so little of time, so many people have been pushed out/or pay ridiculous amounts of money for a 600 square foot apartment.

5th avenue even has a new citibank! and the people that walk down the streets are clearly your hipsterish types - but with loads of money!

I basically cannot wait to get out of nyc, if only for some crisp clean air.

thanks for your input.

[nancy thereader]

5th avenue even has a new citibank! and the people that walk down the streets are clearly your hipsterish types - but with loads of money!

I pass that new Citibank everyday on my way to school. We maybe have even passed each other ?!?!?

[Leisesturm]

Hey Rudester, I am Portland bound and an intellectual, maybe you, me and Simpatico can meet up and flex synapses after April 2008. Have to warn you though, me and the GF we are into the whole bike/hike thing which is why we are interested in Portland in the first place. But that doesn't mean we don't also love good bookstores and existential debate. Ciao.

H (&J)

[Simpatico!]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

5th avenue even has a new citibank! and the people that walk down the streets are clearly your hipsterish types - but with loads of money!

I pass that new Citibank everyday on my way to school. We maybe have even passed each other ?!?!?

Possibly! I am always on 5th avenue. I used to work at Long Tan Thai restuarant, which is right on Berkely Pl/Sackett Street.

Maybe we should meet for a drink and do some portland talk in Brooklyn!!