Considering Portland.. Could use some help

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by JLR29

So thank you to everyone for the advice and guidance. From looking at my thread and others I have taken away a few things about Portland. Please correct me if I am wrong.

1)Portland is overrun with homeless people.
2)Portland is overrun with gangs.
3)Portland is overrun with pretentious "hipsters" (being from the Midwest via the South, I am not quite sure what one is).
4)No one can find a job, and for those that do, you will be horribly underpaid/unhappy.
5)The weather is bad despite the moderate temps almost all of the year.
6) No one is happy in Portland
7) Everyone is happy in Portland and shut up if you say otherwise.

1. Nope, just downtown. And it's not even that bad if you don't live downtown. They're harmless here anyway.

2. Nope again. There are some gang problems in Northeast and NoPo, mostly around the MAX lines and the Lloyd Center. There have been some high profile incidents this year because they happened in public places and happen in clusters. Really, the gang problem in Portland is probably the least of all major West Coast cities. It's not something to worry about terribly.

3. Yes. It is. In Northwest there are quite a few, but Southeast is crawling with them. I hear that the only other part of the country that you'll find them in such vast quantities is Brooklyn, NY. But like the homeless, they're harmless.

4. Yes, no one can find a job, basically. It's difficult to find a job anywhere in Oregon right now since the unemployment rate is the 2nd highest in the country. I was happy with my job, except for the part where they cut my hours every week until I couldn't afford to stay in Portland anymore. It was impossible finding a second or replacement job too.

5. How people feel about the weather is totally subjective. Some people just don't do well with the weather here due to Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it's better than anything you'll find back east in my opinion. I personally love the Pacific Northwest weather. Of course I grew up with its long grey winters, and the dry season really is to die for. It ain't that bad. Real Northwesterners just deal with the drizzle and don't let it get to them. That is, the ones who don't have SAD...

6. There are plenty of happy people in Portland. There are also plenty of unhappy people. I'm sure the latter type are more prone to voice their negative views. You'll find both types of people everywhere though.

7. Well... Those who aren't happy in Portland must not be from Portland... But really, live and let complain. Don't let it get to you. I think you'll love Portland.

[HonuMan]

I've been in Portland for over a decade, and I love it. On my scouting trips before I moved here, several locals tried to dissuade me by saying, "It rains all the time. You'll probably hate it." When I told them I knew they were saying that just to keep too many outsiders from moving in and spoling things, they laughed, and it broke the ice. After I'd moved here, a friend told me that Portland cultivated a reputation for dullness to steer potential transplants toward Seattle instead. I wonder if some of the negative posts aren't designed to scare people away.

My wife and I are good friends with an interracial couple, and they haven't experienced any problems, except from certain members of their own families. The man, who is black and is a Portland native, says he is considering moving to another city because Portland is so overwhelmingly white. It's not so much that he experiences prejudice (although it exists here, as it does elsewhere), but more that he often feels alone and out of place. My wife is Hawaiian and has often felt the same way, atlhough she has adjusted and learned some "Mainland ways."

I've found Portlanders, by and large, to be friendly and polite, but also somewhat aloof and difficult to get to know. It seems to vary by neighborhood, though. We've lived for a decade in suburban Beaverton and were able to befriend only one set of neighbors, who have since moved away. Our neighbors are polite, for the most part, but have no interest in interacting. The ones we've met are conversative blue- or white-collar people, whereas we tend to be more liberal. The aforementioned interracial couple lives in NE Portland, not far from the Alberta Arts district, and they're friends with several neighbors, whom we've met and like. We've gone on walks in NE and struck up conversations with strangers. That area seems to attract more culturally diverse, open-minded people, and my wife and I are thinking of moving there once the economy improves.

I suspect that Portland might not appeal to people who are very conservative and who prefer bright, shiny, new cities. One person's "funky and charming" is another person's "decrepit and depressing." I've heard Portland compared to the revitalized Pittsburgh, PA. It also reminds me a bit of Richmond, VA.

There are plenty of meat-eaters here, along with the vegetarians. I've had excellent beef. Last Sunday night, in fact, I had some the most tender beef of my life at the Portland City Grill. Every so often, we find an excellent cut at Costco or one of the local supermarkets. It's hard to predict.