Is all of Portland really this depressingly bad? (Wilsonville, Raleigh Hills: RV parks, hotels)

[gnab gib]

We're on vacation in Portland right now, and we are seriously underwhelmed so far. The scenery out in the countryside is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, anywhere, but the city has so far given us the creeps.

We parked down along Naito Parkway to head to the Saturday Market, and one of the first things my wife saw as we left the parking garage is some guy crouched behind a bush, taking a dump. I smelled urine in at least three spots along the streets, and I saw one kid whip it out and take a leak at a park down by the Portland Building. There was some lunatic wandering around Pioneer Courthouse Square, wearing gloves and a winter coat on a nearly 80-degree day, stopping every few steps to look skyward, gesture, mumble something to himself, turn, take a few steps, and do the same thing all over again. There were bums everywhere, and lots of them were kids. One guy thrust his arm out at me and then another at my wife, explaining that perhaps his other arm was easier to read. He had something tattooed on his arm about giving him change for beer money. So this guy is apparently in a permanent state of begging, if he went to the trouble to get his begging mantra tattooed on his arm. And he didn't even want money for a meal, or a place to stay. He wanted BEER MONEY. Nice.

Then there are the strip clubs all over the place, and lots of lots of sketchy neighborhoods. Trailer parks, RV parks ... we were going to eat at a restaurant out on Alberta Street, but we turned on a side street to get there and thought we'd been transported to the world of tar-paper shacks down in the Mississippi delta. It was horrible. Our car probably wouldn't have been there when we came back, had we actually stopped.

Are there actually any nice areas in or around Portland? Anyplace with nice, clean neighborhoods, where the windows aren't boarded up or have bars on them? No strip clubs on every corner? A place where we can walk down the street without being accosted by some bum at every intersection? I've heard so many wonderful things leading up to our trip, and now that we're here, frankly, it's a dump so far.

Please don't lecture me about how I want too much, how I sound elitist, or whatever. We're a white couple in our mid-30s, and we now live in an older but safe neighborhood in Alexandria, Va. I've dealt with bums in D.C., but I've never had them throw their arms in my face, asking for beer money. We're out in the PNW now to scope things out for a possible move here, but right now, from what I've seen, I wouldn't feel comfortable moving my wife out here. We're just looking for a decent neighborhood. It doesn't have to be upscale yuppie heaven, just safe, quiet, clean, and family friendly.

We drove out to see Vancouver, Wa., today, to see what was there, and the west side wasn't too bad. From what I've been reading tonight, the east side, around Fishers Landing, is worth checking out. Would anyone agree with that? And are there are comparatively decent places on the Oregon side of the river?

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by YoAdrian

We drove out to see Vancouver, Wa., today, to see what was there, and the west side wasn't too bad. From what I've been reading tonight, the east side, around Fishers Landing, is worth checking out. Would anyone agree with that? And are there are comparatively decent places on the Oregon side of the river?

Oh, yikes. Sounds like you've encountered some of the quirkier parts of Portland that most people don't necessarily encounter on a regular basis...all in one short trip.

As for Vancouver, yep...definitely check out the east side of town. Very family friendly. So is Camas, which butts up against the east side of Vancouver. I'd actually recommend Camas over most parts of Vancouver. It's a smaller community so you have the advantages of a small town with the conveniences of larger cities nearby. You can still be in Portland within a short drive to check out a band, catch the symphony, a concert, play, opera, etc, yet still be able to sleep in a quiet neighborhood where you'll likely feel safer with neighbors that you don't mind getting to know better.

Good luck!

[mazurkr]

nah, it's not that bad.

also mid-30's, and white. moving in a month to lake oswego.

but to portland proper, it can be jarring if you're not used to a downtown core that is heavily populated.

you're from michigan? me too. been to downtown detroit, or really a half mile east or south of downtown? scary empty, with silent, cruel people, when there are any pedestrians.

new york? crowded with all types, and the bums are used to being ignored.

portland has nice bums. in one sense, that's good, as it means they aren't treated as bad as they would be in other places, or haven't lost hope (like in our home state).

the temperate climate and liberal atmosphere draws lots of people to portland. just because they crap behind a bush doesn't mean they're going to hurt you. in detroit, they won't crab behind a bush, but they are much more likely to hurt you.

and yeah, if you did any research on portland, you know they have the homeless teens, especially around "portland's living room", where the tourists give them money.

i like portland, including downtown, and if my wife didn't love lake o, i'd be happy to live in a cute little townhouse on the east side, maybe in laurelhurst.

lived for 3 months back in '04 in the supposed meth den of far SE portland. no issues at all.

been on 5 or so househunting and interview trips, stayed at different downtown hotels for all five, and had no issues at all.

foods great, scenery's great, people are friendly.

in short, you'll come across your wierdos in portland. it's okay. you wanna live here? so do they.


keep portland weird...

[bobmulk]

If you want to see nice neighborhoods with great shops, restaurants, pubs, etc. check out the Pearl, NE Broadway, Sellwood, SE Hawthorne Street. Check out Multnomah Village. If you're looking for handsome neighborhoods, try Alameda, Eastmoreland, Forest Heights, Dunthorpe, among others. I hope you're able to find out what we already know--Portland is delightful.

[suncat]

You nailed some of the things that make me hate downtown. It's always had its share of homeless, but lately they're younger and more aggressive. This is a pretty immature and uncivilized place for a city that likes to call itself "world class."

That said, there are some lovely neighborhoods in Southwest Portland: the west hills, Raleigh Hills, Multnomah Village -- to name a few.

[gnab gib]

Originally Posted by mazurkr

nah, it's not that bad.

also mid-30's, and white. moving in a month to lake oswego.

but to portland proper, it can be jarring if you're not used to a downtown core that is heavily populated.

you're from michigan? me too. been to downtown detroit, or really a half mile east or south of downtown? scary empty, with silent, cruel people, when there are any pedestrians.

new york? crowded with all types, and the bums are used to being ignored.

portland has nice bums. in one sense, that's good, as it means they aren't treated as bad as they would be in other places, or haven't lost hope (like in our home state).

the temperate climate and liberal atmosphere draws lots of people to portland. just because they crap behind a bush doesn't mean they're going to hurt you. in detroit, they won't crab behind a bush, but they are much more likely to hurt you.

and yeah, if you did any research on portland, you know they have the homeless teens, especially around "portland's living room", where the tourists give them money.

i like portland, including downtown, and if my wife didn't love lake o, i'd be happy to live in a cute little townhouse on the east side, maybe in laurelhurst.

lived for 3 months back in '04 in the supposed meth den of far SE portland. no issues at all.

been on 5 or so househunting and interview trips, stayed at different downtown hotels for all five, and had no issues at all.

foods great, scenery's great, people are friendly.

in short, you'll come across your wierdos in portland. it's okay. you wanna live here? so do they.


keep portland weird...

Yeah, my wife grew up just outside Detroit. Unfortunately, one of the first things we both thought was that a lot of the Portland we saw reminded us of the burned-out areas of downtown Detroit.

Whether anyone is going to hurt us isn't even the point. The point is finding an environment we want to live in and possibly raise a family someday.

"Weird" is one thing. Disgusting is another. Ann Arbor is weird, too, but in a good way.

We did a good deal of research on the area and heard about the homeless situation, but we kept hearing so many wonderful things about the city that we never expected it could be this bad. I almost would have been relieved to see a bum who looked unkempt and down on his luck, rather than a bunch of kids in grunge clothes who looked like they were begging because they could get away with it. At Saturday market, there was some young lady, late teens to early 20s, sitting on the sidewalk in her little black hipster outfit and casting out a styrofoam cup attached to a string and a stick. On the cup was written, "Fishing for beer money." Unreal! I'm not about to hand over a few quarters to people who freely admit that they're going to go booze my money away later that night. Get a freaking job.

Anyway, we were just a little disillusioned to think this was the best Portland (or Oregon, for that matter) had to offer. It sounds like not all hope is lost, though. Thanks to everyone else for your suggestions. We'll check out the areas you recommended over the next few days!

[oldtintype]

I don't know how you managed to hit every possible bad part of Portland but apparently you have. Saturday market is in one of the worst areas in Portland as it's right by Old Town. The Portland you're describing is not the typical Portland most people see and enjoy. I don't know how you've managed to find what you've found but you might want to get out a map and check out the Pearl, NW 23rd, King's Hill, Washington Park, the SW and NW Hills, Multnomah Village, and then on the east side, Ladd's Addition, Sellwood, Lauralhurst, Mt Tabor, East and West Moreland, Alameda, NE Broadway, and many many other places. All are what you are looking for. Basically imagine visiting a city where you hang out on skid row because that's somehow what you've managed to do.

Incidentally Saturday Market will be moved soon. After you've seen Saturday Market you've seen every scuzzy person in Portland. That doesn't mean that all of Portland is like that. Perhaps stop somewhere and get information or a tourist map from someone so you can see other parts of Portland.

And if you're seeing trailer parks you're WAY WAY out in the middle of nowhere in what is called Felony flats for a reason. There are no trailer parks anywhere in close in Portland. It sounds like you were in the downtown core where the homeless services are hence a lot of homeless, and then WAY out in the outer Portland areas where people don't tend to live for a reason. How you managed to miss all the other parts of Portland is pretty amazing!

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by YoAdrian

We're on vacation in Portland right now, and we are seriously underwhelmed so far. The scenery out in the countryside is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, anywhere, but the city has so far given us the creeps.

We parked down along Naito Parkway to head to the Saturday Market, and one of the first things my wife saw as we left the parking garage is some guy crouched behind a bush, taking a dump. I smelled urine in at least three spots along the streets, and I saw one kid whip it out and take a leak at a park down by the Portland Building. There was some lunatic wandering around Pioneer Courthouse Square, wearing gloves and a winter coat on a nearly 80-degree day, stopping every few steps to look skyward, gesture, mumble something to himself, turn, take a few steps, and do the same thing all over again. There were bums everywhere, and lots of them were kids. One guy thrust his arm out at me and then another at my wife, explaining that perhaps his other arm was easier to read. He had something tattooed on his arm about giving him change for beer money. So this guy is apparently in a permanent state of begging, if he went to the trouble to get his begging mantra tattooed on his arm. And he didn't even want money for a meal, or a place to stay. He wanted BEER MONEY. Nice.

Then there are the strip clubs all over the place, and lots of lots of sketchy neighborhoods. Trailer parks, RV parks ... we were going to eat at a restaurant out on Alberta Street, but we turned on a side street to get there and thought we'd been transported to the world of tar-paper shacks down in the Mississippi delta. It was horrible. Our car probably wouldn't have been there when we came back, had we actually stopped.

Are there actually any nice areas in or around Portland? Anyplace with nice, clean neighborhoods, where the windows aren't boarded up or have bars on them? No strip clubs on every corner? A place where we can walk down the street without being accosted by some bum at every intersection? I've heard so many wonderful things leading up to our trip, and now that we're here, frankly, it's a dump so far.

Please don't lecture me about how I want too much, how I sound elitist, or whatever. We're a white couple in our mid-30s, and we now live in an older but safe neighborhood in Alexandria, Va. I've dealt with bums in D.C., but I've never had them throw their arms in my face, asking for beer money. We're out in the PNW now to scope things out for a possible move here, but right now, from what I've seen, I wouldn't feel comfortable moving my wife out here. We're just looking for a decent neighborhood. It doesn't have to be upscale yuppie heaven, just safe, quiet, clean, and family friendly.

We drove out to see Vancouver, Wa., today, to see what was there, and the west side wasn't too bad. From what I've been reading tonight, the east side, around Fishers Landing, is worth checking out. Would anyone agree with that? And are there are comparatively decent places on the Oregon side of the river?

Go to the pearl district to look for housing if you want to live in Portland Metro. If you want a nice drive go south on (I-5) and get off at Wilsonville and head towards Newburg, beautiful vinyards and mini farms,

[love that sunshine!]

Fisher's Landing is in East Vancouver, right off the I-205. 12 min to PDX, and 30 min to downtown Portland. Very nice, schools are excellent and have strong reputations. You can be at anything (grocery, shopping, nice or casual, fast food restaurants, banking) within walking distance or a short drive. Streets are wide, clean and safe. Housing is priced good. Newer homes, newer infastructure. Just take I-205 north, take the Hwy 14 exit (Camas) head east until you get to either SE 164th Ave or SE 192nd Ave. It you take 164th, you can turn right on 34th Street and drive down, seeing many subdivisions on both sides ranging from mid affordable to larger more executive style. 34t St is the connection between 164th and 192nd Ave. After you have done that you can take 176th Ave up to 20th St and see even more sites. Nice area, nice schools, nice amenities. You can't go wrong. Enjoy!

[scone]

It's true. Portland has a lot of homeless people, and a lot of poor people who can't afford much more than a trailer. It's worse than many other cities. And while there are some very nice neighborhoods in and around the city, there are homeless and panhandlers (not necessarily the same thing) everywhere. NW 23rd, the Nob Hill area, has its share, as does Sellwood.

People are attracted to the area because it's possible to survive there, mainly on tourist hand outs. There aren't enough shelters, public toilets, drug and alcohol abuse programs, or jobs. That's reality.

There's another thing going on. A lot of the kids you see are coming from extremely abusive homes. Not just beatings, but sexual abuse, drugs and alcohol. Some of them were born alcoholics because Mom was drinking for two. Some of them, boys and girls, have been raped regularly throughout their childhoods. And then there are the "throw away" kids who have been kicked out because they are gay. Sorry to be so graphic, but that's what's happening. As these kids age, they become the hard-core bums you see in the bushes.

There are some good social services organizations that are trying to help, such as Outside In and Sisters of the Road. But they are totally overwhelmed. The churches are doing what they can, but charitable contributions are down due to the economy.

A friend of mine used to work for the Texas social welfare department. She said they had a last-ditch solution for their hard-core cases: "the Greyhound solution." In other words, a bus ticket to San Francisco. That's what I see happening in Portland-- people migrating here from all over, hitchhiking and even walking up the interstate. They make some cash standing at the on-ramps, collecting a "toll" from the cars waiting to get on the highway.