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Seattle! Moving across the country I find myself occasionally missing Seattle. I do not miss PDX an iota!
I think downtown has more to it and is nicer on top of having the cool downtown adjacent neighborhoods as well.
No, it's not. San Francisco has a much bigger downtown area than Seattle but walking between the main districts in downtown (tenderloin/tendernob, union square, polk street, etc.) is also much easier and more fluid.
Don't get me wrong, Seattle has a great downtown and inner neighborhoods, they just aren't as easy to hop around between as they are in many other cities. There are certain sections of downtown that are less developed, lack much vibrancy, or not as pedestrian friendly. There are many areas that are developed and vibrant but they just don't feel as connected --like I said, more like nodes than one cohesive downtown.
I understand your point. Lets put it this way: Portland DT is more fun and easier if you are less familiar with the area than Seattle's if you are less familiar with the area. Seattle has more dead space in between and the sections dont run into each other in the same way(you'll see a lot more people walking between Downtown Portland and its inner neighborhoods; in Seattle, for example, you never see many people walking up Pike between DT and Capitol Hill on a Friday Night)
However, Seattle's downtown does offer much more overall, more distinct areas, and it is still MUCH better for pedestrians than cities like LA or Houston. If you are informed and know which way to go it offers a lot, whether on foot or transit...
The comparison is tough because Portland has nothing to compare to Elliott Bay, Olympic Mountain sunsets (And just wait what they'll be like when the viaduct comes down), or the Pike Place Market. Portland is very nice. The vibe is different though. It has a smaller feel about it. I've always considered Portland a big small town and Seattle a big city. That is in part to design.
I do envy Portland's superior transit system.
For those suggesting that Portland and Seattle are close in size, that's quite silly when you compare the respective sizes of the metro areas. Keeping in mind Seattle's limited by water on two sides.
Last edited by JustCallMeTC; 02-03-2010 at 04:07 AM..
People who are not as familiar with Portland think it is a big town because they can't see the extent of it.
Seattle is a beauty, but Portland is hip. Portland has Powells. Portland has an older soul.
Portland has soil, Seattle is sand. Which would you build your house on?
I sort of agree with what you're saying (but only sort of). To be excruciatingly pedantic about it, I'd say both cities have a lot of heart...but Portland has way more soul, and Seattle has way more audacity. These qualities easily come through in the downtowns.
Last edited by AcroJimmy2; 03-05-2010 at 06:53 AM..
Interesting thread especially since alot has happened in a year and a half ..Portland has lost one of there department stores its slowly becoming more of a nieghborhood shopping area instead of a destination. Seattle has become much more urban with dense development in south lake union and denny area. South lake union has been nick named billion aires boulevard. Downtown seattle has seen new international retailers movin in All Saints, Hard Rock,Target is building a urban store downtown. Pink Vodka is opening a club downtown also . Seattle downtown has grown to 60,000 residents +.It now has over 40million square ft of office space and 229,000 + people who work downtown. Theres 950 resteraunts downtown. Two new museums under construction one proposed.A new urban waterfront park .And there gettin ready to start construction on the new street car up the hill. Anyway how is portland only thing in news lately is they lost a major department store.
top 10 most beautiful cities/skylines in the WORLD. 3 goes to china and 3 goes too america. chicago, new york, seattle. portland isnt in the top 100. i love oregon for natural beauty and the dunes but the portland is small and not tall in anyways.
Portland definately knows how to have a better downtown,
Wow. I couldn't disagree more. Portland is and always will be a wanna be.
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seattle obviously
