A non-controversial Portland thread (rental, landlords, college)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

I don't think Portland overall has a "don't care" attitude. We might just be seeing the city and metro differently.

Portland's problem is that it only cares about surface image, what's trendy, how to remain popular, how to be everything to a youthful, but in truth transient population that could care less about what will happen to Portland 10-15 years from now.....As long as they "get theirs" now.....Portland is a cake that has been decorated before the inside was done baking. Looks good on the outside, but......


Portland's attitude:

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN = Yeah go for it!

BORING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITY GOVERNMENT = Let somebody else worry about how to pay for that stuff later on.

And where's my IPA, and what's the current trendiest Food Cart that I can ride my bike to that's dog friendly?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Portland's problem is that it only cares about surface image, what's trendy, how to remain popular, how to be everything to a youthful, but in truth transient population that could care less about what will happen to Portland 10-15 years from now.....As long as they "get theirs" now.....Portland is a cake that has been decorated before the inside was done baking. Looks good on the outside, but......


Portland's attitude:

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN = Yeah go for it!

BORING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITY GOVERNMENT = Let somebody else worry about how to pay for that stuff later on.

And where's my IPA, and what's the current trendiest Food Cart that I can ride my bike to that's dog friendly?

Yeah, I don't buy that, I think that is too much of a service response that generalizes Portlanders as a whole when we both know there are plenty of people within the city that do care about things beyond what is trendy to young people.

But if you think about it, you have described most young people anywhere, not just Portland.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

All you have to do is open your eyes and you will see exactly what I am talking about.

The Sam Adams administration was a perfect example of what I am talking about.
It was party time until the economy crashed.

Now we are left with a ton of expensive (but fun and trendy) city "features" to maintain and pay the debt of, while we can't even take care of our roads because there is no money.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

All you have to do is open your eyes and you will see exactly what I am talking about.

The Sam Adams administration was a perfect example of what I am talking about.
It was party time until the economy crashed.

Now we are left with a ton of expensive (but fun and trendy) city "features" to maintain and pay the debt of, while we can't even take care of our roads because there is no money.

And that is the fault of young people?

What trendy city "features" are you referring to?

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Portland's problem is that it only cares about surface image, what's trendy, how to remain popular, how to be everything to a youthful, but in truth transient population that could care less about what will happen to Portland 10-15 years from now.....As long as they "get theirs" now.....Portland is a cake that has been decorated before the inside was done baking. Looks good on the outside, but......


Portland's attitude:

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN = Yeah go for it!

BORING RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITY GOVERNMENT = Let somebody else worry about how to pay for that stuff later on.

And where's my IPA, and what's the current trendiest Food Cart that I can ride my bike to that's dog friendly?

So true! The trendy areas have done little to add infrastructure to the area in a meaningful way. Go to "Alberta" and see the stores that have had little done except writing on the window in lower case font. Mississippi Street actually has better architecture than Alberta. I would like to see actual improvements by the city and by business owners. I just don't know how parts of NE/ SE and North Portland wil keep its ave price per sq ft without real business growth and improvements made by the city. Painted bike lanes on the street is not what I call major improvements. I kind of felt pushed out of trendy Portland, as a middle class parent and property owner, because the city of Portland doesn't seem to give a hoot about my demographic. Beaverton is welcoming us with open arms and awesome schools! I got out just in time.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

And that is the fault of young people?

What trendy city "features" are you referring to?

With all due respect, for someone that is such a booster of Portland and claims to know so much about it's history (and it's future) it seems like your overall perception and knowledge of Portland is a bit unrealistic and deficient.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

So true! The trendy areas have done little to add infrastructure to the area in a meaningful way. Go to "Alberta" and see the stores that have had little done except writing on the window in lower case font. Mississippi Street actually has better architecture than Alberta. I would like to see actual improvements by the city and by business owners. I just don't know how parts of NE/ SE and North Portland wil keep its ave price per sq ft without real business growth and improvements made by the city. Painted bike lanes on the street is not what I call major improvements. I kind of felt pushed out of trendy Portland, as a middle class parent and property owner, because the city of Portland doesn't seem to give a hoot about my demographic. Beaverton is welcoming us with open arms and awesome schools! I got out just in time.

this is kind of what Ive been saying

the people that rule the city could careless about service workers and labor.

Wait till these hi rise apts get older and start having maintenance issues. These buildings rents are too expensive to have on site maintenance workers--plus no place to park for repair techs --it will take weeks if not months to repair things and they will have to be done by licensed and bonded contractors that will charge upwards of $100 an hr which will make the rents even higher

Now the trendy thing is to put retail on the lower floor --where are these workers going to come from?They cant live there. more commuting? whos going to commute for a mim wage or even $15 an hr job?

Even some of our city commissioners see the problem

[urbanlife78]

So you guys are upset with developers, landlords, and business owners?

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by 58rhodes

this is kind of what Ive been saying

the people that rule the city could careless about service workers and labor.

Wait till these hi rise apts get older and start having maintenance issues. These buildings rents are too expensive to have on site maintenance workers--plus no place to park for repair techs --it will take weeks if not months to repair things and they will have to be done by licensed and bonded contractors that will charge upwards of $100 an hr which will make the rents even higher

Now the trendy thing is to put retail on the lower floor --where are these workers going to come from?They cant live there. more commuting? whos going to commute for a mim wage or even $15 an hr job?

Even some of our city commissioners see the problem

Yes, I was kind of piggy backing off of wat you and PDXMike have been saying about the lack of city improvements and sustainability of home prices. Upon listing my Portland house I started wondering how the price per sq ft was calculated. It feels like the trendiness/ popularity of the city is seriously affecting it without real noticable improvements by the city in most areas. The NW and SW have amazing architecture and seem pretty well kept for our tourist to enjoy. The rest of the city has "issues" that the City of Portland just plain ignores. The city seems to cater to people who will leave in a couple of years. I don't see things getting better any time soon.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by Yankeemama

Yes, I was kind of piggy backing off of wat you and PDXMike have been saying about the lack of city improvements and sustainability of home prices. Upon listing my Portland house I started wondering how the price per sq ft was calculated. It feels like the trendiness/ popularity of the city is seriously affecting it without real noticable improvements by the city in most areas. The NW and SW have amazing architecture and seem pretty well kept for our tourist to enjoy. The rest of the city has "issues" that the City of Portland just plain ignores. The city seems to cater to people who will leave in a couple of years. I don't see things getting better any time soon.

thats the way Ive been seeing it and you and I arent the only ones either