Portland is all that I want in a city, yet I feel stressed and agitated here. (Eugene: home, school) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

jzt83 · 08-24-2009, 10:56 PM

So I used to live in Portland back in 2002 to 2003 and hated it then moved back home to finish school. I moved all over since then and just recently got laid off in San Francisco and decided to either move to Portland or Seattle. En route to Seattle, I stopped off in Portland for 4 days, and felt an extreme sense of bliss the entire stay. I then stayed in Seattle for 2 weeks and thought it was just ok. Then I headed back down to Portland and have been here for a week. This time around, I've been feeling very tense, stressed, and agitated nearly the entire time I've been here. Has anyone else felt this way in Portland? There is just this weird vibe that I can really explain and haven't ever felt this way in a while.

Élan vital · 08-25-2009, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzt83

So I used to live in Portland back in 2002 to 2003 and hated it then moved back home to finish school. I moved all over since then and just recently got laid off in San Francisco and decided to either move to Portland or Seattle. En route to Seattle, I stopped off in Portland for 4 days, and felt an extreme sense of bliss the entire stay. I then stayed in Seattle for 2 weeks and thought it was just ok. Then I headed back down to Portland and have been here for a week. This time around, I've been feeling very tense, stressed, and agitated nearly the entire time I've been here. Has anyone else felt this way in Portland? There is just this weird vibe that I can really explain and haven't ever felt this way in a while.

maybe it has more to do with your being laid off from your job than from being in Portland.

jzt83 · 08-25-2009, 02:05 AM

There are so many possibilities for my current state of mind. I will stick it out here for a while though.

Sprightly · 08-25-2009, 03:44 AM

jzt83, observing the "vibe" of cities is a bit of a hobby of mine. First off though you have to assess what your own vibe is first - like DreamWeavin suggests has the pressure of being laid off started to get to you more? Worries about the future weighing on your mind more than the recent time you were here and it was great? Now if you really don't think it's "you" then question what is it that is the Portland specific source of your agitation. The main thing here that gets my nerves on edge is the traffic - it is very unpredictable as to when the freeways back up, you can think you'll be in the clear on a weekday afternoon and find yourself stuck in huge long line for a trip that was supposed to be short. The freeways and surface streets are just clearly overwhelmed with the volume of cars and I think this produces a vibe of stress if you drive a lot. But ultimately only you can id where the stress comes from....trust yourself though. Committing to live in a city that you said you hated seven years ago doesn't make sense to me as it's still the same city right? Good luck.

jzt83 · 08-25-2009, 04:41 AM

I really can't explain the vibe. As I've said, Portland is all that I want in a city.

Explorer Dave · 08-25-2009, 02:53 PM

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Originally Posted by Sprightly

observing the "vibe" of cities is a bit of a hobby of mine.

I'd like to know more about that. Down here in FL there just isn't a vibe like the metro PNW especially Portland. I feel like I could find something closer in New England but without the coast, mountains and fir trees that I love so much. Plus with much harsher winters.

Sprightly · 08-25-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Explorer Dave

I'd like to know more about that. Down here in FL there just isn't a vibe like the metro PNW especially Portland. I feel like I could find something closer in New England but without the coast, mountains and fir trees that I love so much. Plus with much harsher winters.

Explorer Dave, if you want to stay on the East Coast I'd strongly suggest you go farther north than Mass and NY which is like an anti-Portland, at least near Boston. Look for hippy type towns in NH, VT, or especially Maine. The vibe of a place is a pretty subjective experience, but worth paying real attention to especially if you are going to live somewhere! In 20/20 hindsight I've often found that the initial feel of a place in my first few days of being there contain all the information that I need to know later which is confirmed. That said the East Coast is fundamentally different from the West Coast. People interact more strongly and directly there (positive and negative) while here people are more indirect and introverted. Other cities you might think of too are Austin and Boulder.

Wicked Felina · 08-25-2009, 09:55 PM

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Originally Posted by Sprightly

...In 20/20 hindsight I've often found that the initial feel of a place in my first few days of being there contain all the information that I need to know later which is confirmed. That said the East Coast is fundamentally different from the West Coast. People interact more strongly and directly there (positive and negative) while here people are more indirect and introverted. Other cities you might think of too are Austin and Boulder.

Very well said, and excellent advice.

Explorer Dave · 08-26-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprightly

Explorer Dave, if you want to stay on the East Coast I'd strongly suggest you go farther north than Mass and NY which is like an anti-Portland, at least near Boston. Look for hippy type towns in NH, VT, or especially Maine. The vibe of a place is a pretty subjective experience, but worth paying real attention to especially if you are going to live somewhere! In 20/20 hindsight I've often found that the initial feel of a place in my first few days of being there contain all the information that I need to know later which is confirmed. That said the East Coast is fundamentally different from the West Coast. People interact more strongly and directly there (positive and negative) while here people are more indirect and introverted. Other cities you might think of too are Austin and Boulder.

I did think about that for a while. I'd absolutely like to travel the northeast more, but not live there, the northwest is really the place to live for me. I was in VT last Summer, loved traveling there, but it really didn't feel like home. Portland does.

I had been thinking of moving from Eugene to Portland six years ago when I got an offer to come to FL, it's been a good learning experience, but it's time to get back to the northwest.

crazylegs5150 · 08-26-2009, 06:05 PM

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Originally Posted by Explorer Dave

I did think about that for a while. I'd absolutely like to travel the northeast more, but not live there, the northwest is really the place to live for me. I was in VT last Summer, loved traveling there, but it really didn't feel like home. Portland does.

I had been thinking of moving from Eugene to Portland six years ago when I got an offer to come to FL, it's been a good learning experience, but it's time to get back to the northwest.

EXPLORERDAVE-
I feel your pain living in FL. I too, feel the same way about the lack of "vibe" down here. Florida just seems so one dimensional and uninteresting. Hard to quantify really.While the PNW feels so alive and fresh. Maybe it's the change of seasons, the cooler weather, the proximity to great hiking,biking,camping,fishing,wine,food, and just plain cosmopolitan feel.
I too, enjoyed VT and the feel of Burlington and it seemed like a nice town but was hard to put myself there in dead of winter. Way worse then anything PDX could produce I am sure.
Next week I will be back in PNW and out of this sweaty box of a state.