New Yorkers?

[HonuMan]

Interesting discussion... My mom is from Manhattan, my dad is from Rochester, I spent my childhood in Rochester, and I've spent time in NYC over the years, so I have a great fondness for New York. I've lived in Portland for the past 12 years. Here are a few points from my perspective:

1. When Portlanders speak of the diversity of this city, you have to realize that it's in the context of a city of its size. Portland is a small city, and to expect it to have the diversity of a New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, or Paris is unreasonable. But compared to many other cities of comparable size I've been to, there's a lot going on here in terms of music, art, writing, food, and so on. For me, Portland strikes the best balance I've found in a city: it's big enough to have more than enough cultural diversity to keep me happy, but small enough that it lacks most of the ills that go hand in hand with really big cities. (Portlanders complain about rush-hour traffic, but it's nothing compared to that of Atlanta, Seattle, Washington DC, and NYC.) One of my best friends lives in NYC, and he'd live nowhere else, because he thrives on constant excitement and having access to world-class everything. He's willing to pay the price of the hassles that go with living in NYC. Although he likes Portland, he'd get bored here after a year or two.

2. This may be obvious, but when people say that they can't find "good" pizza, bagels, Mexican food, and so on in Portland, what they usually mean is "the way I'm used to it being made." Hot Lips, Old Town Pizza, Pizzicato, and any number of other places mentioned make what I consider excellent pizza. I haven't yet found the equivalent of the pizza made by a couple of places I used to frequent when I lived in Atlanta, but it's a matter of it being different rather than inferior. As for Mexican food, you need only venture out to the 'burbs to find authentic taquerias where the staff only speak Spanish. On the other hand, finding Santa-Fe style Mexican food is really difficult here. As for bagels, I wouldn't know authentic NY-style if I had one, so I'll have to take my mom on a taste-testing the next time she visits.

2. It's true that people here are friendly, polite, reserved, and difficult to get to know. My theory is that Portland was originally settled largely by Midwesterns, Scandinavians, and Germans, who are known for cultural reserve. Rochester, NY has been called "the easternmost Midwestern city," and Portlanders remind me on Rochesterians in some ways. But I also think that some of it has to do with people leading busy lives, especially as they get older. I have three really good friends who will be friends for life: two I met in high school, and one I met at a volunteer organization we both worked at for many years, so we spent lots of time together. When you move to a new city, you have to start over again, and it's difficult to make good friends unless you spend lots of time with people over a long period of time. I haven't made any long-term friends in Portland, but it's mostly my fault: between my job, family, hobbies, and natural introversion, I don't spend a lot of time socializing. I did more when I was single. My advice is to check out various special-interest organizations where like-minded people might congregate. There's no shortage of artsy, intellectual, unreconstructed hippies here -- you just have to sort through the poseurs. :-)

3. Regarding the weather, I tell newcomers what others told me: You'll probably hate your first two winters here. After that, you'll either get used to them or leave. I hated them, got used to them, and finally learned to love them. Last winter, we had snow on the ground for two weeks straight, but that's rare. And most people find summers to be glorious here.

4. I haven't met many people from NYC here, but I've met several from Upstate over the years, and they loved it here. The scenery is similar, and more than one described Oregon as "Upstate New York without the winters."

[Azalea City Man]

To throw in a random two cents, both New York pizza and Chicago pizza are amazing imo.

St. Louis style isn't bad, but leaves a little to be desired.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by GB1

This is all very true, both the good and the bad.

The interpersonal attitude is completely reversed from New York - Portlanders are more inclined to be superficially friendly and helpful (which is nice; don't get me wrong), but would consider the New York style of directness or confidence to be offputting. If it's difficult for someone to meet people in NYC, it would be 10x as difficult in Portland.

And if you've lived in truly diverse places, you're likely to be amused by Portland's constant trumpeting of its "diversity" -- and, yes, you will hear the most self-proclaimed progressive folks put their feet in their mouths when it comes to racial issues. Mostly it's innocent and not ill-meant, but the unsurety regarding race, combined with the "Portland nice" attitude, can make for some uncomfortable moments.

I realize this is an old post. We were in Portland for two years, the first thing we noticed was how segregated it was.

King of suprising for a city that prides itself on being so liberal.

They have what I would call psuedo diversity.

Found many there to think they were being liberal and diverse, when they really weren't. Not bad people just really didn't understand what diversty was and tried too hard.

They have an image in their mind of what they think it should be, but the city itself unless something has changed in the last seven years or so was not diverse.

[seain dublin]

Just one other comment, my wife and I were eatings some place in the south east part of town. We are originally from NY but lived in CA for 20 years.

Anyway I had said to the waiter we are from CA the place Oregonians love to hate joking around he said, " I don't mind the Californians but I can't stand the New Yorkers"....LOL.

I think it is a lovely place but I always felt it had the same mindset that upstate NY did.

Some what standoffish to those not from there. Your an outsider and while the people are polite they let you know your an outsider. And your always going to be an outsider.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

I also live on LI and plan to move to Portland when I retire in June. Let me know how things are going with you all. I'd love to hear any insights so far as neighborhoods and all.

Nancy, where on L.I. are you? I was in Elmont last year. Oregon is a beautiful place from the pictures I've seen.

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Just one other comment, my wife and I were eatings some place in the south east part of town. We are originally from NY but lived in CA for 20 years.

Anyway I had said to the waiter we are from CA the place Oregonians love to hate joking around he said, " I don't mind the Californians but I can't stand the New Yorkers"....LOL.

I think it is a lovely place but I always felt it had the same mindset that upstate NY did.

Some what standoffish to those not from there. Your an outsider and while the people are polite they let you know your an outsider. And your always going to be an outsider.

Ha..I'm from California originally and after 11 years in Oregon and 6 in Portland, I'll occasionally half-jokingly make jokes about all the people moving here from New York--although these days it seems to mostly twentysomethings from the Midwest I meet.

Interestingly enough, I've met a ton of people in Portland who moved from New York...But as far as native New Yorkers--people born and bred in the boroughs--I've hardly met any in Portland recently. Of course every kid who moves to Portland after spending a few years in New York (or more specifically Brooklyn these days) will claim their New York status--even though they grew up in New Jersey or Conneticut or Ohio or wherever. The only time it gets kind of amusing is when recent East Coast emigrants try to big league the Portland scene...I mean didn't you research the city before you moved here? The Pacific NW has never been the most diverse place and of couse the pizza isn't as good and we don't have as much the same urban flavor as back east. But should this be surprising to people?

And honestly, if I had a the option of a better job in New York than the one I have in Portland, I'd be living there tomorrow--I love Portland, but New York is just way more exciting.

PS-Central Portland has been so transformed by recent transplants that I hardly ever meet any native Portlanders these days in my neighborhood. My girlfriend was born and bred in NE Portland and she always finds it funny when people-- who after moving here recently-- remark about never having met a native Portlander. I've never really got a feeling of standoffnish from the locals here--I get it more so from some of the hipper-than-thou transplants--although most people I meet in Portland are usually fairly friendly and polite.

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

We were in Portland for two years, the first thing we noticed was how segregated it was.

When I moved here from back east, that is the first thing I was struck by. Oregon seemed so extremely segregated, and now, after 20+ yrs of living here, it barely seems much different. And one other thing, I was shocked by how clean Oregon was - even the cities. Now that's something I have always appreciated!

Deezus -- if I had a whole boatload of money, I'd have an apartment on the upper west side and spend time there to go to theater, museums, concerts, etc. But day-to-day life as a working person? Not on your life ~