Are Portland and Berkley similar? (Oakland: transplants, apartment, construction)

[Einhander]

I have visited Portland twice now. Had never visited up until this September, and now I have visited twice. And the second time around I got to explore even more, went to the Convention Center and experienced night life in different districts on both sides of the river.

For some reason I got sort of a Berkeley vibe. I noticed lots of bike riding, some hippies on the streets, lots of parks and book stores including Powell's books. Also, Portland has some steep hills and stairways just like Berkley and certain parts of Oakland. Portland felt more like Berkley to me than San Francisco. But obviously Berkeley is just a small city, so Portland felt like Berkley but bigger.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

There is a lot of similarity, especially the temper tantrums when the people don't get things their own way.

I think Berkeley looks more tired and run down, but Portland is getting there fast. Portland used to be a really clean city, but no more.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

There is a lot of similarity, especially the temper tantrums when the people don't get things their own way.

I think Berkeley looks more tired and run down, but Portland is getting there fast. Portland used to be a really clean city, but no more.

So why is there so much construction going on (in both places)?

[Hockeygirl063]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

There is a lot of similarity, especially the temper tantrums when the people don't get things their own way.

I think Berkeley looks more tired and run down, but Portland is getting there fast. Portland used to be a really clean city, but no more.

Boy isn't that the truth. I can't really compare it to Berkeley as I have never been there only driven through Berkeley. But Portland is getting really dumpy looking no matter where you go. Probably will not improve unless we have a major earthquake and it destroys the city. But that is not likely

[DKM]

Originally Posted by NW4me

So why is there so much construction going on (in both places)?

Artificial constraints on land supply. There is construction everywhere in the world but that doesn't mean the whole world is getting nicer.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Portland has always been "dumpy looking".

It's covered up by leafy greenery for Spring, Summer and Fall, but in Winter, you can see it for what it really is.

I will admit that the downtown views look great when coming over the bridges, but the rest of Portland..............not so much.

Don't worry, soon there will be high rises and apartment bunkers everywhere and it will look nice and antiseptic.

[Dapper Zoom]

Yeah, I'd say they are pretty similar in certain respects. The remarks made above about tantrums in both locations were pretty accurate.

Similarities:

- Tantrums
- Sort of a college feel throughout the whole town
- Lots of foodie culture, cocktail culture, weed, microcbrews

Differences:

- Size, since Berkeley is tiny
- Weather - much less seasonal in Berkeley
- Berkeley is much more racially diverse, but probably less culturally diverse

I like them both.

[Merrily Gather]

I always thought of it more along the lines of if San Francisco and Seattle got together and had a baby then you would get Portland.

Or if Washington and California has a baby you'd get Oregon? With it's own individual and rebellious attitude because each kid has their own personality but this can be influenced and moderated by the parents.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

^^^^^

The above post is interesting and very telling.

It's like you are saying that Oregon and Portland have no identity of their own, but that they are a combination of Washington and California.

That's petty much the way it feels now anyways.
Oregon is becoming a State of transplants.
Maybe that's why this town is getting so crazy, it doesn't have it's own identity.
Portland is always compared to where you came from.

I for one am honored to be one of the last remaining few that knows what it's like to identify as a born and bred Oregonian (before the population exploded and changed everything) and not an interstate mutt.

[pdxmilw]

I have lived in both, and they feel very different to me. Berkeley is really impacted by the university, and Portland doesn't have an equivalent. Berkeley also gives you access to SF, which is much more culturally "full" than Portland. And of course, the weather is vastly different. Much more expensive to live in Berkeley.

But I do agree that the politics are quite similar.

I like both.