Is Portland starting to lose it's allure? (Florence, Green: how much, neighborhoods)

[jrkliny]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the bookstore - that was indeed special and worth the visit.

[Leisesturm]

I wonder how seriously white major European cities feel about the fact that their lack of diversity places them at a cultural disadvantage. I suspect the fact that they sit at the top of international rankings of success and achievement eases the blow somewhat. Closer to home, I suspect it is not Portlands lack of racial diversity that will cause it to lose national prominence. In fact, I think that that is an incorrect assertion. Portland, because of its "fanatical" concern with environmental issues is going to be one of the few 'liveable' major cities in coming years. If those who govern can somehow turn the focus of entrepreneurial spirit from exploitation and profit to fair wage compensation and reasonable growth expectations then Portland will be poised to be a major player on the national stage.

H

[Nell Plotts]

I worked for several years in NYC and have worked with several Fortune 500 employers. Oregonions do not lack ambition and their intensity is results focused. There is a reason why research oriented technology companies were either founded or have key facilities located in Portland.

There are life long learning activities, odds are your circle is not involved in them. Perhaps your attitude is a reflection of what you see in your family.

jrkliny, I wish you the best in finding a community that meets your expectations. God speed, you will not be missed.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Historically Oregon has not recruited in-migration. The citizen's primary goal is to make it a great place to live for their own sake. It isn't for everyone and that's great!

Oregon's economy is not export driven nor particularly diversified, a downturn in the national economy hits it hard.

Oregon likes to be a good host/hostess so wonder what the Portland visitor didn't like, but that said, I hope s/he finds a suitable place to retire.

As a retiree my advise is to find a home in retirement convenient to family who will make sure that you are well cared for. Our friends are usually age-peers, they too will be frail when you are. To make a move late in life is very difficult. My husband's parents retired to their dream home by a lake which became a nightmare when they couldn't drive. My parents had a retirement home in HI, when they became frail they needed to move back close to their children.

Nell that's fine if you have family to fall back on somewhere. I don't. Portland is not very "senior friendly" as far as I am concerned. It's one of the many reasons I have begun my search for a place where there are more facilties and conveniences for older people.

[Isotope-C14]

So Nell, if research oriented technology companies were key to Oregon/Portland you'd expect them to have a proliferation of biotech companies right? Seems that Maryland has 300 biotech companies. Where is this research driven tech coming from in the land of muted (and corporate) creativity?

I especially enjoy the classic neanderthalic love it or leave it argument. Jrkliny could clearly read between the lines in the travel brochure and realized that Portland is a pit of lame and it's most ardent supporters have a really neat flavor of Kool-Aid. Is there any way Portland/Oregon could have an ad campaign about how great they are to attract more suckers to live there? I'm certain I'd like less bad drivers on the road in my new area and if you repeat the courteous driver mantra they should be like moths to flame.

Nell, Oreygoneyans do lack focus, that's why they are nearly un-hire-able. They are wake-and-bakers 90% of the time. All those "results-driven" companies hire from out-of-state, and when their out-of-staters leave because of how dismal the state actually is, they just hire another set. Sounds like exponential growth to me, especially when word gets around that the city/state are hopelessly boring for all but the truly antisocial.

For shi-giggles type in "fortune 500 company headquarters" in dogpile I see "One" real one in Oregon? (Nike) How is this possible with such a progressive intellectual power-base? Most confusing. I'll have to sleep on this and await a poignant response from a Portland apologist how I used quotations wrong in "One" above... 500 companies, 50 states, seems there should be 10...

[movnritealong]

I moved to Portland in 2005 and I loved it...at first. Being from Sacramento where everybody ducks inside when it rains and people keep to themselves, I loved the friendly pedestrian way of life here. I'm now moving because I can't afford a home in the area I've come to love (Mississippi area). So I'll take my new approach to life that I've gained as an Portlander and move somplace I can afford.

[Sprightly]

I've been here in Portland a couple of years and there are times when the dreary weather makes me want to scream and move away. But then I sit down and think it through. I could find more sunshine easily enough but I would lose other things I value highly here. How many cities have anything comparable to Washington Park? How many cities have the amount of open and green space mixed in with city living overall rather than a few parks set for sports use only? True houses are high but rents are fairly low for what you get compared to many places. I could go on but you get the idea - everyone's list of what they value is different but looked at as a whole Portland still has a lot to offer.

[jrkliny]

Nell,

Sorry I did not intent to insult your city. In fact I did mention that things I did not like might be attractive to someone else.

Unfortunately I did research the Osher Lifelong Learning programs. I checked online and found very minimal opportunties in Portland so I visited the Osher program in person. Unfortunately the online descriptions were complete. I suspect it would make little difference. I had a great deal of difficutly finding suitable affordable housing in the Portland area but quickly found good choices in Vancouver. I doubt I would want to drive to Portland and deal with the parking issues for something like a book "club".

Sprightly,

I agree Washington Park is a great asset. Unfortunately I visited the park on a nice Fall weekend. The crowds were huge. The entire area around the zoo was blocked off. I did find parking and saw the Japanese garden. Later I circled around and finally got parking close to the rose garden. Although the park was nice, I could not help but think that famed Portland outdoor opportunities must be a bit thin if the park was that crowded. Maybe I have just been lucky in the past, but I have lived in many cities and had ready access to parks, zoos and gardens. Oregon is an absolutely beautiful State. If I lived in the area, I doubt I would visit Washington Park more than on rare occasions.

[grace621]

That would all depend on your experience and point of view.

I happen to LOVE it here!

[jjpop]

Living in Portland is an exercise in one's willingness to change his/her attitude and behavior in order to make life work here. One example of this is the weather--when it's 40 degrees and raining and gloomy, are you going to don your raincoat and go out and do things anyway, or are you going to let the rain rule your life?

Another, maybe better example is transportation in Portland. Traffic is horrendous at rush hour. I agree that parking is bad--it's limited and where you can find it it's expensive. You really can't expect to park right next to the Rose Garden or anywhere in the city for that matter. Successfully getting around town requires planning and a willingness to use public transportation.

When I've had big decisions in my life to make, I follow my mom's advice and write a list of pros and cons. If the pros outweigh the cons, I move forward with the decision. BUT--the cons are still an issue. One has to be willing to figure out a way to overcome the cons by changing attitudes and behavior.