What do you think of Downtown Portland? (Eugene: neighborhoods, to live in)

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

It does not. Come on. Unless you are under a highway overpass. That said, Times Square it is not.

Actually many parts of it do stink.

A few weeks back I went to Union Station to pick up friends who came to town by Amtrak.

Lord almighty - it seemed once I crossed bridge to west side of river, it was like driving through a 3rd world country with all the garbage, hobos and sleeping bags strewn about.

I did not notice some smiling folks who looked like tourists with their pink boxes. I couldn't figure out what they were smiling about but hey, they were having a good time.

[Bluesmama]

It's okay. To me it's gotten too sterilized (although the homeless in Old Town assures us that it isn't that sterilized). I think it was more interesting in the 80's when it had a little more grittiness to it, a livelier club scene, and a certain character that we lost.


I will never get over missing Meier & Frank, Border's Books, and Roses; however, those all closed under their own circumstances. I'm one of those who preferred the old Saturday Market location under the bridge. I also miss the livelier club scene, although music and dance has simply changed with the times. There used to be a small old theater that showed a lot of foreign movies.


I do not like NW 23rd at all (except for Cost Plus) - they got on my s-list when they forced out Music Millennium (and, yes, I do go all the way out to E Burnside for an annual splurge). I still go to Powell's once in a while and walk around the Pearl to see what's there, the Saturday Market and the other market across the tracks.


Traffic is Hell, and I've come very close to getting hit on the crosswalks by anxious drivers stealing my right-of-way.


It is still pretty and clean for the most part, and the cityscape from the bridges is among some of the prettiest, I think - especially at night. And it has some unique old buildings and a few interesting newer ones. Portlandia statue, to me, is still one of the biggest waste of tax-payers money, though it would have looked just fine on the waterfront somewhere.

Can't say I've necessarily noticed tourists, though.

[the topper]

I feel Downtown Portland was better in 1992 since it was more simple and compact. Pearl District took alot of the actions away from central downtown, particularly on 3rd and 4th Ave. It's quiet there at night. Back then, you had clubs, parlor and restaurants. I was a more focused downtown back then. They built Westin and Marriott hotels that required demolishing all the old buildings that had a beauty salon, magazine news stand, several glass sculpture stores and boutiques. It's now sterile.

[Hans64]

I'm a Portland resident. This thread is timely. I just returned from a few days in Chicago where I lived about 20 years ago. The downtown area was incredibly clean including the lakefront parks. Very vibrant, bright feeling with a diverse population. I found people to be generally relaxed and friendly. I arrive in Portland at PDX. Asked for spare change by someone IN THE TERMINAL and three times more on the MAX ride downtown. Get out downtown to see overflowing trash cans, people sleeping in doorways or sprawled out drinking booze/smoking weed on literally every other block. The wheels are off the bus folks--downtown is a mess and it's spreading to other close-in neighborhoods. We can all argue about what's to blame but in spite of all the hype about "boomtown" Portland being the city everyone wants to move to, I'm starting to plan my exit out.

[CanuckInPortland]

Originally Posted by Hans64

I'm a Portland resident. This thread is timely. I just returned from a few days in Chicago where I lived about 20 years ago. The downtown area was incredibly clean including the lakefront parks. Very vibrant, bright feeling with a diverse population.

The South Side of Chicago is beautiful, isn't it...

[Hans64]

Originally Posted by CanuckInPortland

The South Side of Chicago is beautiful, isn't it...

Yes, as lovely, safe and prosperous as Outer East Portland.

The OP inquired about the downtown and my post responded to that.

What's your problem or point?

[pdwpdx]

Downtown Chicago is amazing!

[4eversearching]

I'll throw in my two cents and say Downtown Chicago is awesome, however south side is extremely dangerous. There are already about 110 homicides there this year so far. I don't know Portland's crime stats, but Chicago isn't perfect by any means. It's sad to hear the Portland downtown has gone downhill since the 90s. I'd rather step over sleeping meth heads than get shot, but that's just me. No anger intended or anything, but every city has it's problem areas.

[CanuckInPortland]

Originally Posted by Hans64

Yes, as lovely, safe and prosperous as Outer East Portland.

The OP inquired about the downtown and my post responded to that.

What's your problem or point?

All cities sweep their problems into certain areas. Downtown Portland has a problem with homeless, though Portland doesn't have anywhere as bad as parts of the west side or east side of Chicago(the outer east doesn't even come close to comparing to the crime or run-down feeling in parts). Even just a little south of the Loop things change pretty quickly.

Eventually Portland will probably get tougher on the homeless, though I work downtown everyday for seven years and walk across it and it's about par for the course for West Coast cities with mild climates. Basically the only place one can be homeless on the street in Oregon is in Portalnd(maybe Eugene also) and the only resources for them for the most part are all downtown. So it's going to be concentrated in downtown Portland. It's not really a hobo on every corner though it's concentrated in Old Town/Chinatown and around the remaining SRO places.

[Koale]

Originally Posted by CanuckInPortland

The South Side of Chicago is beautiful, isn't it...

We're not talking about Chicago...wrong forum.
K