Portland Gloom (Beaverton, Beaver: violent crime, hotels, unemployment)

[GucciLittlePiggie]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

Well, geeze. Of course you can't compare Portland to NYC! I mean, you've gone to one of the biggest cities in the world!

i've been to NYC probably between 15-20 times and i can honestly say i think it's a horrible place. everything i hate about cities is embodied by NYC. and i don't say that to pick a fight with the person who moved there, but it helps me see where their opinions and reasons for leaving rank with my opinions and what i'm looking for. (e.g. if they said they moved away cuz portland was too boring, and moved to albany, ny, i'd be worried, but saying it's boring compared to NYC doesn't bother me in the slightest)

[travelnursey]

Originally Posted by GucciLittlePiggie

i've been to NYC probably between 15-20 times and i can honestly say i think it's a horrible place. everything i hate about cities is embodied by NYC. and i don't say that to pick a fight with the person who moved there, but it helps me see where their opinions and reasons for leaving rank with my opinions and what i'm looking for. (e.g. if they said they moved away cuz portland was too boring, and moved to albany, ny, i'd be worried, but saying it's boring compared to NYC doesn't bother me in the slightest)

I am more of a big-city person anyway, so I know what I like may not jive with other people's version of a great city. It's true, to compare NYC to Portland is like.... comparing a gecko to a dinosaur. Haha. I don't know what makes you think it is a "horrible" place, but I'm guessing that the some of the same things that I love about NYC are what you hate, ie., crowds, fast pace, up-front people, etc. There were other reason why I moved away from Portland besides it being "boring", which I think I stated in another post. All I'm saying is that Portland is overhyped, in my opinion. It seriously lacks cultural diversity, the job market is horrendous, the gloom is very real and very oppressive, the people tend to be pretty passive and homogenous (ie., granola or out-of-work but supersnotty hipster-esque), and all people seem interested in doing on a Saturday night is going to the nearest pub for cheap beer or going out to one of the dizzying array of strip clubs.
So yeah, I think that the Portland gloom is real. I just don't understand how the hype over Portland began, in the first place. ???

[oldtintype]

When did you live in Portland and what area? I live downtown and our perspectives are totally different. I came here from SF and yes, it's small in comparison but the last few years Portland has gotten more and more cosmopolitan, diversity is dramatically increasing, etc. I moved here because I wanted less chaos than SF, but I knew Portland was a work in progress, so I've watched the changes (that I expected) happen slowly (or fast in some cases) and I think Portland is growing up quite nicely. In my opinion, apart from prices going up, Portland just gets better and better.

Did you live in SE?

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

When did you live in Portland and what area? I live downtown and our perspectives are totally different. I came here from SF and yes, it's small in comparison but the last few years Portland has gotten more and more cosmopolitan, diversity is dramatically increasing, etc. I moved here because I wanted less chaos than SF, but I knew Portland was a work in progress, so I've watched the changes (that I expected) happen slowly (or fast in some cases) and I think Portland is growing up quite nicely. In my opinion, apart from prices going up, Portland just gets better and better.

IMO, in 25 years I've seen a great deal of change here, in both directions.

I like the diversity of offerings for food, books, entertainment, local parks, farmer's markets, CSAs. This was a good place to raise a family and keep the kids busy and well-occupied. It's a wonderful place to visit, and I plan to do that often, but I need OUT. And while I'm moving someplace more open, I need more winter sun, too. I don't want to leave the northwest, but I'm tired of winters which are, in majority, drippy and silver and gray and dark green. I love the green, but not that much.

What's finally gotten to me are the crowds and traffic everywhere - it's not possible to have a quiet, peaceful camping experience within 3-4 hours of Portland anymore, it's more like sitting in a wooded parking lot and listening to your neighbor's generator. Because of a knee/hip problem, I can't backpack very far, so the only solution is drive a long distance. Camping's gone from a minimum once a month (more in the summer, less in the winter) to once a year. I've lived outside the urban growth boundaries (in the Portland metro area and in Clark County) and watched unchecked, unrestricted development take two-lane country roads and fill them with speeding traffic. It's not enough just to stay off the highways during rush hour anymore.

These are woes that exist in a lot of growing or up-and-coming places, it's not really Portland-specific. But, even 10 years ago, I could live near the city and not be a city person.

[travelnursey]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

When did you live in Portland and what area? I live downtown and our perspectives are totally different. I came here from SF and yes, it's small in comparison but the last few years Portland has gotten more and more cosmopolitan, diversity is dramatically increasing, etc. I moved here because I wanted less chaos than SF, but I knew Portland was a work in progress, so I've watched the changes (that I expected) happen slowly (or fast in some cases) and I think Portland is growing up quite nicely. In my opinion, apart from prices going up, Portland just gets better and better.

Did you live in SE?

I lived in SE close-in and more recently in NW Portland. It IS growing up nicely. I just found it to be very insulated and the people kind of monotonous after a while. I lived there for close to 7 years. I would've moved out sooner but was going to nursing school and wanted to secure a good career before heading out to a bigger city. Like I said, unless you're a hippy granola type, an outdoor camping-every-weekend type of person, or a unemployed hipster, Portland gets pretty old pretty quickly.

[Lillietta]

, I could live near the city and not be a city person.[/QUOTE]

Where might you be moving PNW?

[tiffela74]

Originally Posted by travelnursey

Like I said, unless you're a hippy granola type, an outdoor camping-every-weekend type of person, or a unemployed hipster, Portland gets pretty old pretty quickly.

Not nessesarily, I am none of the described above, and have never gotten tired of Portland. Im far from "hippy" (well, maybe as a body type lol) HATE HATE HATE camping, and have been employed since I was 14yrs old, only taking a break while prego or just had a child.
I really do hate being stereotyped though.....
Im quite average, in my early 30s, w/a family, hardworking and almost middle class. I think there is a lot going for Portland. Oh, and btw, Ive never even been inside a stripclub. ugh. no desire to either! anyhow, Portland has a lot of wonderful things to do, no matter what the weather. In the summer theres endless festivals, markets, parades, get-togethers with something for anyone, in the winter, same thing, (well, minus the parades.) only many things are indoor. Ya, theres a wonderful array of pubs to go have a cheap drink at, but theres also OMSI, The Childrens Museum, Several other museums, Powells, Malls, covered basketball courts, indoor soccer and tennis, movie theaters, live theaters, more music venues than I could ever every count, and, unless you have some really awful condition that causes you to melt in water, you can still go out and ride, hike, walk, etc. I cant say enough about Forest Park, in light mist, its just as beautiful as it is during a hot summer day. And for me, Ive found many people quite friendly and helpful during the wet as I have in the warm. I think a lot of Portland is what you make of it. If youre gonna be dismal, youre gonna find dismal. Misery loves company.
Portland isnt for everyone, its not paradise, but please dont stereotype our city and those who live in it. Theres an awful lot of terrific people in Portland doing a lot of fun and interesting activities.
Tiffany

[Lillietta]

If youre gonna be dismal, youre gonna find dismal.

Exactly. That's what I thought when I read that thread also; it didn't change my mind about Portland in the least.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Lillietta

, I could live near the city and not be a city person.[/QUOTE]

Where might you be moving PNW?

Out into the middle of nowhere near Fort Klamath, up on the north end of Agency Lake (about halfway between Klamath Falls and Crater Lake). So I'm trading mild maritime winters for snow and cold but much more sun.

The Amtrak station in Chemult is only about 25 miles, though, so I can always hop the train for Portland, Seattle or San Francisco for the weekend.

We'll see how long I last out there.

[Lillietta]

So I'm trading mild maritime winters for snow and cold but much more sun.

Nice for you that you found what you want. Good luck to you PNW!