Does Portland feel stuck in the past to you? (high crime, buying a house)

[Telzey]

Right. Because Silicon Valley is so over. LOL.

[SyraBrian]

Originally Posted by valsteele

I think Portland is one of those places that believes it's on the cutting edge of everything but in fact is actually quite backwards in many ways. I think the same could be said for the West Coast in general. During most of the 20th century, up to the 80s, the West Coast was on the forefront of everything but over the past generation it's fallen behind yet people still think this is the most progressive and advanced region on Earth and that our problems are miniscule compared to everwhere else.

I have lived in Portland and in upstate new York. In general, Portland is much more advanced.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by valsteele

I think Portland is one of those places that believes it's on the cutting edge of everything but in fact is actually quite backwards in many ways. I think the same could be said for the West Coast in general. During most of the 20th century, up to the 80s, the West Coast was on the forefront of everything but over the past generation it's fallen behind yet people still think this is the most progressive and advanced region on Earth and that our problems are miniscule compared to everwhere else.

You are kidding, right? I grew up in S.F. in the 70's and 80's and spent over 15 years on the East coast. Now back on the West coast again... there is nothing like it here. We are so much more progressive and open compared to East coasters. I am glad that I am rearing my kids here in Oregon rather than on the "right coast" as I think they have a fighting chance at a real childhood here and the friends my oldest has made are good people. I am glad that my kids are exposed to natural beauty and appreciate animals. We have cutting edge companies here and a culture that fosters creative thought. I found the East to be wonderful in many ways but rigid and way too structured. Good pizza, though!

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

You are kidding, right? I grew up in S.F. in the 70's and 80's and spent over 15 years on the East coast. Now back on the West coast again... there is nothing like it here. We are so much more progressive and open compared to East coasters. I am glad that I am rearing my kids here in Oregon rather than on the "right coast" as I think they have a fighting chance at a real childhood here and the friends my oldest has made are good people. I am glad that my kids are exposed to natural beauty and appreciate animals. We have cutting edge companies here and a culture that fosters creative thought. I found the East to be wonderful in many ways but rigid and way too structured. Good pizza, though!

I completely agree with you, I grew up on the east coast, spent a decade in the Northwest, then my wife and moved to NYC for a couple years only to return to Oregon because we missed how life is on the left coast and wanted this to be where we raise a child.

Though I actually prefer Northwest pizza, the ingredients tend to be much better here.

[V8 Vega]

I grew up in Myrtle Creek/ Tri City but have lived id the Los Angeles for 58 years and visit my brothers family in Beaverton each Christmas.
LA is the great melting pot, all nationalities all over the place, the big church I go to looks like the united nations. And of coarse lots and lots of Mexicans. Here predominately white, we went to the biggest church in Oregon last night, Beaverton Foursquare, a wonderful service, and the big church was completely full and two more services tonight. Predominantly white but the church is very similar to the big church I go to in Calif.
The freeways seem about the same. I arrived Monday afternoon at rush hour time and had to go through Portland to get to Beaverton and the traffic was as bad or even worse than LA's legendary traffic.
The people seem about the same, beautiful women everywhere.
The Beaverton mall was heated, I'll guarantee you the malls in Calif. would have the air conditioning going full blast even at Christmas and you freeze to death.
The rain makes it seem much cleaner and fresher than Calif. at the end of summer everything is dried out and dusty in southern Calif. Thats the worst time in Calif.
It is cleaner all over in Oregon than Calif, I know you don't allow billboards along the highways and are proud of Oregon as you should be and keep it cleaner. Beaverton is a more affluent area then Sylmar where I live and thats part of why its cleaner.
Portland, Salem, and Eugene are where the bulk of the people are and they all vote Democrat. The rest of the state I think is mostly Republican but there is not enough people to win. So Oregon is just as left wing as Calif. The Oregonian is just as Communist as the LA Times.
I'm so old and established I doubt I'll ever move back but if I do I'm moving to Medford.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

You are kidding, right? I grew up in S.F. in the 70's and 80's and spent over 15 years on the East coast. Now back on the West coast again... there is nothing like it here. We are so much more progressive and open compared to East coasters. I am glad that I am rearing my kids here in Oregon rather than on the "right coast" as I think they have a fighting chance at a real childhood here and the friends my oldest has made are good people. I am glad that my kids are exposed to natural beauty and appreciate animals. We have cutting edge companies here and a culture that fosters creative thought. I found the East to be wonderful in many ways but rigid and way too structured. Good pizza, though!

That's debatable and I disagree, but will concede on the environmental and drugs front.

[KJoe11]

Originally Posted by V8 Vega

I grew up in Myrtle Creek/ Tri City but have lived id the Los Angeles for 58 years and visit my brothers family in Beaverton each Christmas.
LA is the great melting pot, all nationalities all over the place, the big church I go to looks like the united nations. And of coarse lots and lots of Mexicans. Here predominately white, we went to the biggest church in Oregon last night, Beaverton Foursquare, a wonderful service, and the big church was completely full and two more services tonight. Predominantly white but the church is very similar to the big church I go to in Calif.
The freeways seem about the same. I arrived Monday afternoon at rush hour time and had to go through Portland to get to Beaverton and the traffic was as bad or even worse than LA's legendary traffic.
The people seem about the same, beautiful women everywhere.
The Beaverton mall was heated, I'll guarantee you the malls in Calif. would have the air conditioning going full blast even at Christmas and you freeze to death.
The rain makes it seem much cleaner and fresher than Calif. at the end of summer everything is dried out and dusty in southern Calif. Thats the worst time in Calif.
It is cleaner all over in Oregon than Calif, I know you don't allow billboards along the highways and are proud of Oregon as you should be and keep it cleaner. Beaverton is a more affluent area then Sylmar where I live and thats part of why its cleaner.
Portland, Salem, and Eugene are where the bulk of the people are and they all vote Democrat. The rest of the state I think is mostly Republican but there is not enough people to win. So Oregon is just as left wing as Calif. The Oregonian is just as Communist as the LA Times.
I'm so old and established I doubt I'll ever move back but if I do I'm moving to Medford.

Beaverton Foursquare is a great church. For a more ethnic attendant church, Village Baptist is well represented for many diverse backgrounds.

For politics, things will never change here. Many would rather see the state burn to the ground before voting outside their ideology.

Like politics, traffic will never be addressed. Most everyone has accepted that this is just part of the Portland way of life. New (quality) housing is almost non existent. If you are planning to buy, expect to buy an older home and fix it up the way you wish.

Weather is wonderful. People are (mostly) normal in the suburbs. I would say "laid back" is a great definition for the people's attitude outside of downtown.

I like your idea of Medford. I hope it grows into the big community for retirees. They have the money to make it happen.

[Mini-apple-less]

The problem here is people have this attitude that the place is perfect and nothing can be improved.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by valsteele

The problem here is people have this attitude that the place is perfect and nothing can be improved.

There are always something that could be done to improve an area, but as a city and region, this one is a perfect place for many people. Instead of turning this into a crap on Portland thread that it seems to be heading in, I will ask you this question, what things should be improved here?

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

There are always something that could be done to improve an area, but as a city and region, this one is a perfect place for many people. Instead of turning this into a crap on Portland thread that it seems to be heading in, I will ask you this question, what things should be improved here?

No place is perfect. No place. Each has it's problems. The key is to finding that area where their largest problems aren't your priority.