NYC --> Portland? (Diversity, hipsters) (Gresham, Beaverton: sales, to rent, chapel)

[subsound]

Originally Posted by sebby

What I mean is both think they are in some way "better" -- the hipster because s/he is, uh, hipper, and the rich business person because s/he has big bank and a fancy car. There are, of course, many, many exceptions, but that doesn't make the average hipster or business a-hole any less annoying when viewed from a short distance

Are any humans any less annoying when viewed from a short range?

[sofia76]

I'm a native New Yorker; have lived in Portland and surrounding areas for 17 years. Also, I'm a latina. I would say that as far as ethnic diversity goes ... you have to look for it here in Portland. In the sense that you can go all day every day for much of the year and be awash in the sea of whiteness. You aren't going to serendipitously encounter ethnic or cultural diversity here; you have to intentionally put yourself in its path. Either through work (like working with hispanic/russian/etc. or immigrant communities), or through social activities (there is a fun little salsa community here, for example). But you have to look for these things and make an effort.

Portland is a nice place to live and I love it here, and I love my (almost entirely) white friends. But I do miss the diversity of lower New York and other bigger cities. I miss it often.

[sebby]

Originally Posted by subsound

Are any humans any less annoying when viewed from a short range?

Would I could answer such a question.

[Michael Tryn]

I can see your point about different people but disounting the recent shooting in Alabama and Pitt, the areas where these people reside are the higher crime area. Possibly the M.L. King area of Portland ? I can only speak for Chicago. Also if we look with "open minds". Might it be said that Ben Laden is a patriot for his people ? Bush was bent on one world govmt under U.S. control. O'Bama is correcting this. We are all parts. Also the arabs don't practice pedaphilism, and some of the bad things in our society, granted they do have a ot of bad things. My wife knows first hand, and she brought up that Sally Field movie , "Not Without My Daughter" . Where the wife has less rights than the dog. There is good and bad everywhere. I did see nice looking faces on some travel brochures I got at the Scandanavian Shop yesterday ! I prefer this type of world near me ! The Hollywood Channel apparently advocates this type of people also. Look at the faces on the mags at your check out line in Albertson's...

[dondoca]

I am a transplant from the SF Bay Area. I have lived in Portland for 12 years. While its affordable, compared to other major cities, its getting expensive. The job market is horrible. A figure was just released, the unemployment rate in Oregon is 12%.
Honestly, Portland is not for everyone. Even though I have lived here for a long time, I am getting tired of it. I will list the positives and negatives

Positives:
Clean air
2 hours from mountains and 2 hours from beach
Good public transportation
Good microbrew and coffee places
Vegetarian/vegan friendly
Bike friendly
Dog friendly
People are polite and laid back

Negatives

Rainy, gloomy weather
High Unemployment
Hard to tap into job market
Hard to find good friends and break into social group, very cliquish
High property taxes
Schools are facing drastic budget cuts
Nightlife is dead, unless stay out real late
Dating pool is limited; what I hear from other people, a lot of mind games
People are not direct like NYC

Again, this is based off of my experience and listening to other people from out of state. It depends on your needs and wants. Just check it out and see for yourself.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by adamgerbs

But we can't stand the hipster culture in New York- we stay as far away from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or "hipsterland", as my girlfriend has branded it. What's your impression- is Portland made up of lots of these same hipsters, is it more hippie, or just made up of different-thinking off-beat individuals?

NOT hipsters like in Williamburg...I'd say a mix of hippies, some yuppies, and quite a few different thinking off-beat individuals.

I've lived in both Portland Oregon and I lived in New York City for a few years.

I SADLY went to Williamsburg for 3 months and absolutely HATED IT!
All kinds of young kids in Williamsburg conforming to being non-comformist and that meant a militant group of identical looking people afraid to death of breaking outside of their conforming to non-conformity image they were trying to project.

Mostly I ended up living south of CHinatown in Manhattan for a couple years and Washington Heights for 6 months. The Williamsburg place just sickened me to think about even now. Those people can't even mix with anyone or do anything that isn't conforming to their non-conformity.

Anyways, Portland is MUCH different...MUCH more going on... and much more interesting culture and people and different ideas going off in SIGNIFICANTLY more directions.

However, it is still OVERWHELMINGLY white...and not much diversity at all. Fortunately its a really 'cool' white...and significantly more diverse white than Williamsburg...and fortunately there is SOME Asian influence, for example, Japanese BENTO seems to be served everywhere you can imagine in downtown Portland. However, most of what you know from NYC won't be there - salsa bars galore, a very wide-range of drastically different people.

All that being said, Portland really stirs the creative juices...still a lot of good stuff.

In short, Williamsburg royally sucks! Portland is 1000 times better!! Yet, diversity isn't exactly one of it's main points. Actually, Portland is about as diverse as Williamsburgh (which isn't much at all)...yet has 1000 cooler things going on than Williamsburgh has going on.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by adamgerbs

Hello,
I am seeking advice for my girlfriend and I, both in our mid-late twenties, who are considering moving to Portland from NYC. Any ideas or reactions to this post appreciated- thank you.

I should state that we are considering Portland for all of the great reasons that people bring up again and again on these forums (transportation, accessibility to nature, quirkiness of character, coffeeshops, etc.). But there are several concerns that I have that I would like to get some feedback on- we are planning a trip to see for ourselves, but haven't been yet.

First, what do you think of the transition from NYC to Portland in general? We also live outer-borough, not in Manhattan.

Another concern is the diversity in Portland. We're used to the endless number of cultures represented in NYC. Obviously few places will be as diverse as New York, but I've been reading about how the Portland area has such a high percentage of whites and not as many ethnic groups. My girlfriend is Hispanic, and grew up in a section of Queens surrounded mostly by Spanish culture. Though she has largely distanced herself from this culture, it's still a part of her and she is used to being around many different cultures, as Queens is one of the most diverse places on earth. I'm white and grew up outside NYC but, after having lived here for a while, do prefer the multicultural aspect of New York compared with other more homogeneous places I have lived. How do you think Portland would feel for people like us, in this sense? (I hope I've explained myself sensitively on this sensitive topic)

Also, like I said we're attracted to some of the quirkiness of Portland's culture, as we're pretty weird ourselves. We don't really fit into any one category of a subculture, although we do embrace different kinds of alternative ideas. But we can't stand the hipster culture in New York- we stay as far away from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or "hipsterland", as my girlfriend has branded it. What's your impression- is Portland made up of lots of these same hipsters, is it more hippie, or just made up of different-thinking off-beat individuals? Not having been there yet, it's kind of hard to tell.

We greatly anticipate visiting in person, but in the mean time thank you for any and all thoughts.

Can you explain what it is about Portland that attracts you so I can better help you out? Just on the surface, if you want the greater diversity you would be better off in Seattle where you will get some of the same things you would get in Portland.

Portland's a pretty unique city - anywhere else you go you'd be giving up some of their unique "quirkiness" but gaining a different type elsewhere, and maybe less of it. I'm also inclined to tell you to check out California. Particularly Los Angeles. It's quirky, alright, in the right spots, and it is similar to NY in size and ethnic diversity. I'm tempted to move there myself, as the hipsters in NYC have taken over, whereas in L.A. they stick to their areas like Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and you don't have to deal with them if you don't want to. In NYC they're just about everywhere - LES, East Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Upper East Side, even Upper West Side now, too... And the NY hipsters, particularly Williamsburg ones, are the worst hipsters in the nation. Now they're invading Carrol Gardens via Cobble Hill and my friends who live there are thinking of relocating. A couple of them are considering L.A.

Good luck evading hipsters!

BTW, I'll say this about Portland - the people who are quirky and earthy there are REALLY earthy and quirky, you don't get too many Bobo's there like you'd find in Santa Barbara or Vermont or Berkeley. They're the real deal, most of them. Seattle is more "mainstream", lots of outdoorsy types who aren't out-and-out hippies, diverse ethnicities (heavily asian but hey, it's the west coast), big city with history and culture but surrounded by wilderness and it's basically the same Pacific Northwest climate you'd have in Portland. And Porltand's only a three hour drive (slough) from Seattle, so you could still have your getaways there. And Seattle will be much better for job opportunities.

I'm not trying to down Portland, but I just think that since you're used to NYC, and living in the NYC area and spending a lot of time there for work and with friends, I know that going from there to Portland would be a much bigger shift than going to Seattle will be, since I've been to both of those cities for work. Portland's awesome, but it sounds like it will be a little too small-time for what you're claiming to want.

[adamgerbs]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

Can you explain what it is about Portland that attracts you so I can better help you out? Just on the surface, if you want the greater diversity you would be better off in Seattle where you will get some of the same things you would get in Portland.

Portland's a pretty unique city - anywhere else you go you'd be giving up some of their unique "quirkiness" but gaining a different type elsewhere, and maybe less of it. I'm also inclined to tell you to check out California. Particularly Los Angeles. It's quirky, alright, in the right spots, and it is similar to NY in size and ethnic diversity. I'm tempted to move there myself, as the hipsters in NYC have taken over, whereas in L.A. they stick to their areas like Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and you don't have to deal with them if you don't want to. In NYC they're just about everywhere - LES, East Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Upper East Side, even Upper West Side now, too... And the NY hipsters, particularly Williamsburg ones, are the worst hipsters in the nation. Now they're invading Carrol Gardens via Cobble Hill and my friends who live there are thinking of relocating. A couple of them are considering L.A.

Good luck evading hipsters!

BTW, I'll say this about Portland - the people who are quirky and earthy there are REALLY earthy and quirky, you don't get too many Bobo's there like you'd find in Santa Barbara or Vermont or Berkeley. They're the real deal, most of them. Seattle is more "mainstream", lots of outdoorsy types who aren't out-and-out hippies, diverse ethnicities (heavily asian but hey, it's the west coast), big city with history and culture but surrounded by wilderness and it's basically the same Pacific Northwest climate you'd have in Portland. And Porltand's only a three hour drive (slough) from Seattle, so you could still have your getaways there. And Seattle will be much better for job opportunities.

I'm not trying to down Portland, but I just think that since you're used to NYC, and living in the NYC area and spending a lot of time there for work and with friends, I know that going from there to Portland would be a much bigger shift than going to Seattle will be, since I've been to both of those cities for work. Portland's awesome, but it sounds like it will be a little too small-time for what you're claiming to want.

Well, I guess one of the primary attractions to Portland, versus other cities, is the feasibility of living a car-free lifestyle. I like living in a place where one can take public transportation to get to all of the conveniences provided by a city, yet also be able to access natural areas just as easily. Sadly, in my experience, most other cities don't have very good public transportation to allow one to live a relatively full lifestyle without owning a car. Portland seems to fit this profile as best as any other city that I've researched.

That said, I've managed to find a nice balance here on Staten Island, between the amenities of city life and ensconcement in nature. It's a stretch sometimes, but my long-distance walking/running abilities help out a lot to fill in gaps with public transit! Basically my main hobbies of running, walking, and accessing the outdoors are fulfilled, and without needing a car to drive a few hours away. The ocean and beaches are just a couple of miles away, via a bus outside my apartment or a pleasant run/walk. Plus Staten Island is the hilliest area right on the coast between Maine and Florida- I have fallen in love with these hills, and from the maps downtown Portland looks pretty flat. Regardless, I'm sure there are lots of great places for running and walking around Portland, this is like an apples to oranges discussion. From what I gather, one can live a "city" life in Portland, and yet still feel at least some experience of the outdoors, without owning a car. Right?

OK, so I do like it a lot where I live already- this discussion thread, wonderfully, has helped me to realize that. Oh yeah, and there's like no hipsters on Staten Island! We love our peace and quiet here, but again sometimes the social life can be a little lacking. I've thought that if we can't find some kind of like-minded group or place to hang out here in *NEW YORK CITY* then we're probably screwed for anywhere we go. But maybe somewhere smaller, and with a different cultural mix and slower pace of life than NYC, could actually offer something a little bit different than this. I'm not getting my hopes up, but we'll be heading to Portland in October to spend a week with a friend and run the marathon.

Your posts have been very helpful.

~Adam

[Brandon26pdx]

Originally Posted by MayaLama

Absolutely. We are looking for a place in the city and will be biking everywhere.

Chicago has some nice gardens, an amazing organic farm network in the whole upper midwest, I LOVE the Garfield Park Conservatory, but from my personal experience as a resident of several years, the combo of very high pollution and population density, lack of greenery especially in the long winter months, and the fact that Chicago is HUGE, even with so many acres of parks you could easily be living in a location far from open space with trees (especially without a car), makes it that there is a significant upgrade in the nature and open space of Portland, not to mention all the places to visit surrounding Portland. Really, depending on where you are in Chicago, there's not that many trees at all.

This may sound a bit pessimistic or something, but some of the largest green spaces with lots of big trees in Chicago are the cemeteries, like the one we lived close to. A couple times we took walks in our neighborhood cemetery, because it was the closest place around with space and trees. Another cemetery in our old neighborhood, Rosehill Cemetery, gives historic tours.

Portland is the only major U.S. city with a state park in city boundaries (Tryon Creek State Park). And the trees are taller and more dense in Portland's parks, from what I've seen. I plan on appreciating all this a lot when we move. I grew up in the Chicago area, so there's much to love here I agree, but it's not where I'm meant to live. Portland's not perfect, but it is very different than Chicago.

Not to be a jerk, but you might have considered starting your own thread if you wanted to compare and contrast Chicago with Portland in such detail. If I was the OP I would have been kind of annoyed at the dragging of the orginal question/discussion so far off topic

[Brandon26pdx]

Originally Posted by Todd.LA

(e.g., always dressing as though one is engaging in one's favorite outdoor activity, even when one is running errands in the city and has no intention to engage in any outdoor activity anytime soon).

That's just how suburban yuppies dress around here, especially on the weekends. You should see the Starbucks on Satuday morning near my house...looks like an issue of Runners World or similar. Running shoes/shorts, windbreakers, warm-up outfits, Nike running watches, Livestrong bracelets. haha...

#87 Outdoor Performance Clothes « Stuff White People Like