Ten Things about Portland... (Green: apartment, credit card, big home)
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Portland has it all for someone with a desire for proximity to all the benefits of the great outdoors, without losing access to an urban lifestyle. Not much if any snow, and when there is it rarely stays more than a day or two. It's funny 'cause an inch or two of snow on the ground is a major deal and the city slows down a lot. Just try waiting for a bus on the rare snow day! Hilarious. As for the rain, it's the price Portlanders pay to have such a clean and green city. There was an earlier post on here that said there was nothing to do in winter...are you serious? You can't be. That is THE silliest thing I have ever heard anyone from Portland ever say. Do the mountains retreat below ground for winter? Do you melt in rain? Do all the cultural aspects of Portland such as community theater, art shows, incredible restaurants, vibrant nightlife close up shop and put a sign in the window that says "see you come spring"? Portland is awesome. Diverse. Intelligent. Modern. Clean. Great music scene. Fun and energetic. Northeast Portland needs a little work, sure, but it's coming around. Check out Mississippi Ave.. The drive from the airport can be a little embarrassing if you travel through the industrial area, but it just opens up from there. Avoid Gresham, or should I say Methsham at all costs. McMansionville. But a lot a burbs are going that way all over the country.
Anyways, grab a rain jacket and get out there and live it! You won't regret it, most of the people are great. Liberal sure, sometimes a bit overly. How do I know? I lived there and loved it for 33 of my 38 years on this planet. You want sun? Come on down to So. Cal and scoop up all the filth, pollution and gross over population that comes with it. Drive for an hour down here and see how close to the outdoors you get. I got relocated here for a job and boy was that a mistake...but I'm outta here come 12/1 and sure won't let the door hit me in the butt on the way out.
The weather's obviously the best reason to stay away, so we'll just avoid that and think of 5 different reasons...
5 reasons NOT to move to Portland:
- It's the whitest major city in America. I have no idea what people are talking about when they say Portland's "diverse" - what, like some of our white folks have beards and some don't? Portland is about as un-diverse as it gets, yet residents are always gushing about its diversity... weird.
- Nobody knows how to drive here. 8-lane freeways crawl at 55 mph. 4 cars sit at intersections unable to figure out who has the right of way.
- The economy sucks here and there aren't any jobs.
- Insular, passive-aggressive, two-faced people. Portlanders aren't direct like people from the NE are portrayed as being and they aren't polite like folks from the South. They'll walk behind slower folks on the sidewalk talking Very Very Loudly to each other about how awful it is that some people are just so SLOW and it's AMAZING how those people just don't realize that they're inconveniencing others who might be in a hurry... Also, Portlanders love to hate on transplants and cry about how transplants are ruining their city.
- The music scene sucks. If you're into whiny white kid music, there's a ton of it, but if you want to see some blues or country you're pretty much outta luck.
5 Reasons to Move Here:
- The public transportation is great.
- The farmer's markets are great.
- Biking here is easy, safe, and encouraged... at least in the drier months.
- You probably won't get harassed by bible thumpers.
The weather's obviously the best reason to stay away, so we'll just avoid that and think of 5 different reasons...
5 reasons NOT to move to Portland:
- It's the whitest major city in America. I have no idea what people are talking about when they say Portland's "diverse" - what, like some of our white folks have beards and some don't? Portland is about as un-diverse as it gets, yet residents are always gushing about its diversity... weird.
- Nobody knows how to drive here. 8-lane freeways crawl at 55 mph. 4 cars sit at intersections unable to figure out who has the right of way.
- The economy sucks here and there aren't any jobs.
- Insular, passive-aggressive, two-faced people. Portlanders aren't direct like people from the NE are portrayed as being and they aren't polite like folks from the South. They'll walk behind slower folks on the sidewalk talking Very Very Loudly to each other about how awful it is that some people are just so SLOW and it's AMAZING how those people just don't realize that they're inconveniencing others who might be in a hurry... Also, Portlanders love to hate on transplants and cry about how transplants are ruining their city.
- The music scene sucks. If you're into whiny white kid music, there's a ton of it, but if you want to see some blues or country you're pretty much outta luck.
5 Reasons to Move Here:
- The public transportation is great.
- The farmer's markets are great.
- Biking here is easy, safe, and encouraged... at least in the drier months.
- You probably won't get harassed by bible thumpers.
- The parks are nice.
I agree with most of this, although I think public transportation could be a lot better.
I do think the Portland-Metro area is more diverse than you think. It's just that the "groups" often live in their own little districts rather than mixed in. North Portland contains the most blacks and SE 82nd has quite an Asian population. Beaverton, too, has a lot of Asians, and Hillsboro and Cornelius has a lot of Hispanics (although many people in this thread hate it when I point that out).
Blues is huge here. One of the largest blues music scene in the states. Have you lived here long?
I agree with most of this, although I think public transportation could be a lot better.
I do think the Portland-Metro area is more diverse than you think. It's just that the "groups" often live in their own little districts rather than mixed in. North Portland contains the most blacks and SE 82nd has quite an Asian population. Beaverton, too, has a lot of Asians, and Hillsboro and Cornelius has a lot of Hispanics (although many people in this thread hate it when I point that out).
Blues is huge here. One of the largest blues music scene in the states. Have you lived here long?
I've been here for a year and a half and I live in North Portland which is definitely my favorite part of the city. I love my neighborhood - it's walkable, friendly, filled with independent businesses, and not gentrified (yet) like Mississippi or Alberta. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things I love about this city.
As to the blues scene - I just miss living in the sort of place where you can walk down the street and pass 10 different places on the same block, all of which have live shows going on, most of them free. There isn't really any parallel in Portland to Austin's 6th St or S Congress or the Quarter in NOLA. There's music in Portland, but you have to seek it out - you can't just go to the music district and find something to do because, well, we don't have one.
As to the blues scene - I just miss living in the sort of place where you can walk down the street and pass 10 different places on the same block, all of which have live shows going on, most of them free. There isn't really any parallel in Portland to Austin's 6th St or S Congress or the Quarter in NOLA. There's music in Portland, but you have to seek it out - you can't just go to the music district and find something to do because, well, we don't have one.
I really agree with you there. Where blues clubs go, they are so spread out all over hell and back, some in places that just don't draw enough crowd/interest. In concept that may sound ideal but, in reality, it doesn't work very well.
I lived in Austin in the 70's and it sure didn't have the nightclub scene then. I've read a lot about those streets you mentioned. But I do go to New Orleans every other year. I'll be there for Jazz Fest next year. I wish Portland clubs could pick up on something that NOLA does for Jazz Fest. The clubs there book guest bands all around the city before, between, and after the festival. The clubs here should do the same for the Waterfront Blues Festival. The Marriott across from the park does do that during the festival, but that's it, as far as I know.
The weather's obviously the best reason to stay away, so we'll just avoid that and think of 5 different reasons...
5 reasons NOT to move to Portland:
- It's the whitest major city in America. I have no idea what people are talking about when they say Portland's "diverse" - what, like some of our white folks have beards and some don't? Portland is about as un-diverse as it gets, yet residents are always gushing about its diversity... weird.
- Nobody knows how to drive here. 8-lane freeways crawl at 55 mph. 4 cars sit at intersections unable to figure out who has the right of way.
- The economy sucks here and there aren't any jobs.
- Insular, passive-aggressive, two-faced people. Portlanders aren't direct like people from the NE are portrayed as being and they aren't polite like folks from the South. They'll walk behind slower folks on the sidewalk talking Very Very Loudly to each other about how awful it is that some people are just so SLOW and it's AMAZING how those people just don't realize that they're inconveniencing others who might be in a hurry... Also, Portlanders love to hate on transplants and cry about how transplants are ruining their city.
- The music scene sucks. If you're into whiny white kid music, there's a ton of it, but if you want to see some blues or country you're pretty much outta luck.
5 Reasons to Move Here:
- The public transportation is great.
- The farmer's markets are great.
- Biking here is easy, safe, and encouraged... at least in the drier months.
- You probably won't get harassed by bible thumpers.
- The parks are nice.
That's the list I would've written if I was smart enough.
Just to add:
1) The lack of diversity isn't just about skin color; it's about opinion and thought, and that seems to suit people just fine.
2) The passive-aggressive insularity...if you're neither passive nor aggressive, it can drive you bonkers. You can out-bonkers them, however, by being cheerful and direct: "Excuse me! I didn't realize I was blocking your way!" or "Your toddler is crawling around our table. Please make him stop." Being direct is sand in the gears in a Portland social transaction.
3) In situations with very limited, passing contact, though, Portlanders pride themselves on being polite and showing manners, which is really nice.
4) Biking, the farmers' markets, etc. are indeed all great. And the need for consensus and "things in common" means that they're discussed endlessly, as they're points that nearly everyone can agree upon.
5) The self-congratulatory nature of the place (rule one: Portland Is Awesome) is, to put it mildly, not to everyone's taste and becomes indistinguishable from the "America is NUMBER ONE!" crowd. At least to my ears.
I'm sorry but I see many of you put HIGH COST OF LIVING. Now, I am really not qualified to make any judgements, but from the research I have done on rent.com and craigslist it seems the rent is only slightly higher than here in the midwest. My brother is visiting Portland at this very moment and LOVES it! He said that things are priced the same as here, except the gas is like .30 cents higher. But you have no sales tax, so that kinda seems like it would even itself out. I would like to check Portland out and possible move there if i like it. I have SAD, but it only strikes when it's snowy and icy, not when it's rainy.
So, what is rent like? Decent neighborhood, walking to coffee shops, bars and transit. 500-900 Sq Feet?
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