What I Love, Hate, Like, Dislike about Portland Oregon (crime, homes)

[bledsoe3]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Some years back (I don't know if they still do) Seattle had meal cards people could get from shops to hand out to the homeless people when they asked for food. There were signs everywhere telling people not to give money but to give these meal tickets.

A dessert cart? Brilliant idea! Maybe Pic's or Pappa Hayden's will hear that.

They would need a very big cart.

[dlb8685]

Go easy on the homeless. For real.

I live in Chicago and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't annoying to be hit up for loose change or more 5-10 times/day, but after seeing how most people treat the homeless, I try to find it in my heart to keep my pockets empty. I see a lot of people who stand at the same corner day after day, all day, hustling change. Literally like it's a job. If that's the best someone can do, and they can put in that kind of effort, I will help them out.

[rainierman]

Love: Very close-knit and active business community. Lots of chemistry & osmosis going on.
Hate: Inconsequential agendas & interventionist mindset hiding under a cape of 'social justice'.
Like: Excellent restaurants, bars and shopping.
Dislike: Chicago-style politics and resume-trolls. You vote NO? 'They' find another way to pass it anyway, because they sold a promise to the highest bidder, add bullets to their record as they run for another political office, leaving you with the tax burden for something nobody really wants to begin with but looks very nice on paper.

Portland is a very oligopolistic city within business & government, like a circle of cartels. So in order to best enjoy & benefit this city, you have to pick your poison. Business or government? In this city, there is no such thing as both even if 'they' say so.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by Wicked Felina

...Dessert Carts!!! But, of course, that's what's been missing the whole time I've been living in Portland. ~

Yo, guess what, Portland Farmer's market has a booth with turn-overs. I got the one made with apples, a touch of cinnamon, and sweetened with pear juice instead of sugar. (Aside: does one really need to sweeten Fresh Apples with table sugar? Really? Apples don't have enough natural sugar?) Very delicious with the hint of cinnamon.

Phil

[Barleysoda]

Originally Posted by 2bpurrfect

It's such a conflict for me living here. On the one hand there's so much visual natural beauty, but on the other, for instance, there's too much electrosmog, and we are the current homeless capital of the usa.

Go ahead, it's your turn, express how you feel about living in Portland.

I've been saying this to transplants for about 10 years now, "Portland isn't the utopia you thought it was, huh?"

[Nemesis105]

Originally Posted by Barleysoda

I've been saying this to transplants for about 10 years now, "Portland isn't the utopia you thought it was, huh?"

Seattle seems to have that same problem. People can't handle gloomy weather. Portland seems to get hyped up in the national media, but end ups its not for everyone.

Personally, I love the 4 seasons. We have great summers.
Today, strolled Cannon Beach (stormy!) Had a great time. Could not imagine not living close to the Oregon Coast and the lakes and rivers (love whitewater rafting!) I'm sure natives and new comers alike would agree.

More likes: Saturday Market, Downtown in general, Brew Pubs, street cars, neighborhoods (PSU, Nob Hill, Mocks Crest ,St. Johns) Winterhawks, Beavers, Vikings Football (all cheap to attend compared to pro sports!)

Dislikes: General problems that affect all cities: crime. Although there are much worse places than PDX. Politics are a bit too liberal for my tastes. Traffic (but IMO it's not that bad here, could be worse!)

As for homelessness, hard to give money, I work too hard for it, and I do not want to support addiction. There is help out thee for people who want it bad enough. An I do believe PDX did have those meal tokens, back in the late 90's I believe, but may not have stuck.

[sugarsugar]

Dislikes: The traffic increase over the years. The rain/grey skies. Hate the deep mud it causes in my horse pastures that sucks their shoes and my boots off. Don't care for all the masses of generic looking subdivisions with homes that are too close together (yet still require people to drive too far for basic things, ie prefer village style subdivisions which aren't popular) that have sprung up everywhere. I mitigated that issue by living on sufficient acreage that I don't see those things.

Likes: most everything else. I like that there are more interesting and diverse people here now than there were during my youth in Portland. I can grow neat things like lilacs, roses, plant anything in my garden (which I understand isn't possible without the rain that I hate). If I want/need something, I don't have to drive all over town to find it (more shops nearby, so that does mitigate my traffic dislike).

I'd have been fine living here IF the rain wasn't an issue for me as I age. I didn't mind the weather for my first 40 years, at least not so much, and then I hit the wall with being fed up with it. I spend part of the year in Central Oregon, which really helped until I got so damned old that the delightful winters have gotten too cold for my old bones (used to hike in the snow, ride a horse in the snow, LOVED IT).

So unless I can figure out a way to reconcile myself to the rain, it may be time to permanently leave the Portland part of my world. Don't know what to do about it yet, but I read all the states forums to get ideas.

[bledsoe3]

Originally Posted by sugarsugar

So unless I can figure out a way to reconcile myself to the rain, it may be time to permanently leave the Portland part of my world. Don't know what to do about it yet, but I read all the states forums to get ideas.

If you have the means, do the snowbird thing. Condos can be had very cheap in Vegas. When it gets cold, head south. When it gets too hot, head back.

[jojo4]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Yo, guess what, Portland Farmer's market has a booth with turn-overs. I got the one made with apples, a touch of cinnamon, and sweetened with pear juice instead of sugar. (Aside: does one really need to sweeten Fresh Apples with table sugar? Really? Apples don't have enough natural sugar?) Very delicious with the hint of cinnamon.

Phil

Sugar Cube (a dessert cart) used to be on 10th and Alder, but they've moved to the Mississippi pod now. They had great cup cakes.
The Two Tarts stall at the PSU farmer market is really good also.

[sugarsugar]

Originally Posted by bledsoe3

If you have the means, do the snowbird thing. Condos can be had very cheap in Vegas. When it gets cold, head south. When it gets too hot, head back.

I'd been thinking along those lines (or getting an travel trailer), but hadn't checked out Nevada - thanks, I will add that to my list.

Right now, an elderly dog keeps me close to home, but am using the time to check out possibilities.